Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

by Bill Schutt

For centuries scientists have written off cannibalism as a bizarre phenomenon with little biological significance. Its presence in nature was dismissed as a desperate response to starvation or other life-threatening circumstances, and few spent time studying it. A taboo subject in our culture, the behavior was portrayed mostly through horror movies or tabloids sensationalizing the crimes of real-life flesh-eaters. But the true nature of cannibalism--the role it plays in evolution as well as human history--is even more intriguing (and more normal) than the misconceptions we've come to accept as fact.

In Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, zoologist Bill Schutt sets the record straight, debunking common myths and investigating our new understanding of cannibalism's role in biology, anthropology, and history in the most fascinating account yet written on this complex topic. Schutt takes readers from Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains, where he wades through ponds full of tadpoles devouring their siblings, to the Sierra Nevadas, where he joins researchers who are shedding new light on what happened to the Donner Party--the most infamous episode of cannibalism in American history. He even meets with an expert on the preparation and consumption of human placenta (and, yes, it goes well with Chianti).

Bringing together the latest cutting-edge science, Schutt answers questions such as why some amphibians consume their mother's skin; why certain insects bite the heads off their partners after sex; why, up until the end of the twentieth century, Europeans regularly ate human body parts as medical curatives; and how cannibalism might be linked to the extinction of the Neanderthals. He takes us into the future as well, investigating whether, as climate change causes famine, disease, and overcrowding, we may see more outbreaks of cannibalism in many more species--including our own.

Cannibalism places a perfectly natural occurrence into a vital new context and invites us to explore why it both enthralls and repels us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, History, Nature, Anthropology, Biology, Audiobook

296 pages, ebook

First published February 14, 2017

About the author

Bill Schutt's latest nonfiction book "Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans" received a rave review in The New York Times Books https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/bo..., a starred review in Kirkus Reviews https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... and raves from Publisher's Weekly (https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...) and elsewhere. "Bite" debuted on August 13, 2024 and can be purchased or ordered anywhere books are sold.

Bill is currently working on "Desi the Vampire Bat" his first children's book, as well as a popular science book on the natural history of feet.

Bill Schutt is a long-time research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and Emeritus Professor of Biology at LIU-Post. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, he received his B.A. in Biology at C.W. Post, his MA at SUNY Geneseo, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cornell University. He has published over two dozen peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from terrestrial locomotion in vampire bats to the precarious, arboreal copulatory behavior of a marsupial mouse. Schutt has written for the New York Times and Natural History magazine and his research has also been featured in those publications, Newsday, the Economist, Discover, and others. He is a member of the North American Society for Bat Research.

"Pump: A Natural History of the Heart", published in 2021 was a critical success, with great reviews from Publisher's Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirk's Reviews and more.

Published in 2017, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History garnered rave reviews from The New York Times, Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly (Starred Review), The New Yorker, Scientific American and many more. Cannibalism was also a 2017 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist (Science and Technology) and a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best books of 2017".

Bill Schutt's first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was selected as a Best Book of 2008 by Library Journal and Amazon, and was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program.

Schutt's co-authored WWII thriller Hell's Gate (R.J. MacCready novel #1) was published to widespread critical acclaim in 2016 (with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal), as was The Himalayan Codex, a year later. The Darwin Strain, the final book in the R.J. MacCready trilogy debuted in Aug. 2019.

Schutt’s TED-Ed video "Cannibalism in the Animal Kingdom" came as the 9th most viewed TED-Ed video of 2018 (and currently has over 3.3 million views). His followup, "A Brief History of Cannibalism", had 1.2 million views in the first two months and came in as the 5th most viewed TED-Ed video of 2019. Schutt's 3rd TED-Ed video, on blood transfusions, had a quarter million views in the first 10 days.

Schutt lives in New York with his wife.

For Interviews & Media, contact  Katrina Tiktinsky - Publicity Assistant, Hachette Book Group, Katrina.Tiktinsky@hbgusa.com

For Speaking Engagements, contact Ashley Himes at Hachette Speakers Bureau, ashley.himes@hbgusa.com

Agent for nonfiction: Gillian MacKenzie - Gillian MacKenzie Agency - gmackenzie@gmalit.com

Agent for Fiction and Young Readers: Elizabeth Rudnick - Gillian MacKenzie Agency - erudnick@gmalit.com

Reviews

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.



What struck me as the most interesting aspect of this book is how Schutt opens by reminding readers that many of the relatives of people who were victims of cannibalism are still alive. For that reason, Schutt writes gently, we should be careful in how we discuss the topic of cannibalism. It is easy to get caught up in the gruesome aspects of it, to find the horror element darkly captivating, but we must remember that real people were involved. For this reason, he encourages readers to be delicate in their approach to this topic. It also explains why he does not write about the subject of cannibalism in an entertaining way, opting instead to write from a scientific point of view.

Readers should also note that this book is not limited to the discussion of humans eating humans, but rather offers an expanded view of cannibalism with examples found in nature. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, Schutt handles it all quite well, but readers in search of an entertaining, gruesome romp about cannibalism in the vein of a Netflix special should look elsewhere.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History is a book about cannibalism.

Laced with dark humor, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History covers cannibalism in many in its many forms. Schutt starts with the animal kingdom, noting nutritional and evolutionary advantages to snacking on your own species. Tadpoles do it, insects do it, even the monkeys in the trees do it.

The bulk of the book deals with human cannibalism, from the Neanderthal to the present day. There's cannibalism for medicinal reasons, like epileptics drinking blood in Victorian times, to powdered mummies being injested, to cannibalism for religious reasons.

Religious and cultural views on cannibalism are explored, as is the grand daddy of them all, the Donner Party. Schutt deliberately sidesteps cannibal serial killers since that topic has been sensationalized to death by the media. The modern placenta-eating movement is covered in great detail, as are kuru and similar diseases.

The writing in Cannibalism is engaging, tinged with Schutt's dark brand of humor. I devoured the book in two long sittings like a tribesman not wanting his relative's corpse to go to waste as food for maggots. Apart from Bill Bryson, I'm not usually drawn to non-fiction but this book was really hard to put down.

If I had to pick out something to bitch about, it would be that kuru and other spongiform encephalopathies were given a little too much space. Apart from that not mentioning the episode of The IT Crowd that was about a cannibal, I have no complaints. I recommend to anyone even remotely interested in cannibalism. Four out of five stars.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this might be the wrong thing to say but I enjoyed this book, for such a hard topic the author did a very good job of keeping the theme of the narrative fun and light . This is a study about cannibalism as it happens around the world , how cannibalism has used by colonial powers to brand cultures as such and then using that as an excuse to colonize them. It also dwells into the dinner party and it reaches an agreeable conclusion , I do think that this book will enlighten whoever is interested in this topic , and I can promise that if you read this book, you'll have a good time and learn something new , maybe it's just the anthropologist in me . :)

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got weird reactions from my co-workers while I was reading this book. I explained that I’m planning to go on a camping trip, so I’m reading some survival guides, starting with this book. Long story short -- I read this book in peace!

But really, “Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History” is not really a survivor’s manual, get a hold of yourself! The book explores the practice across the animal kingdom, and argues that we can actually learn a lot from observing any species that sometimes eats its own kind -- including our own.

The book starts by introducing you to cannibalism in animals (which happens more often than one may think) before moving on to incidents in human history, up into modern times, and then even addresses the taboo associated with cannibalism and where it may stem from. At the very beginning, Bill Schutt tells the reader that he, in no way, is there to sensationalize those who the public may consider the "modern day cannibals" of recent history and refuses to give any attention to murders or serial killers and their acts. I can appreciate that, since I feel like those people, their lives, and their actions are something that are so sensationalized already -- and if that's what you're looking for then you could always find that somewhere else. This book is about cannibalism in nature, in survival situations, and in culture. I thought the animal science and information was fascinating and it made me think a lot about where taboos come from and how our abhorrence for cannibalism may differ greatly with another culture.

Schutt’s wry tone is well-suited to this scientific retelling, and I found myself laughing on most occasions, cringing on the rest. Cannibalism has much to teach us about evolution, disease, racism, and even familial sacrifice and love. And it also, surprisingly, makes for delectable reading!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and sometimes revolting dive into the history of species eating themselves, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History is not for the squeamish. I learned a lot and also had a few things, that I thought I knew about the subject, that turned out to be false or just a bit not right. For example, I understood that certain species of spiders and the praying mantis bit off the heads of the male during intercourse. This is not entirely true: it turns out some female praying mantises do this, but just because they're surprised by the male jumping on them and going to town, not because they're hungry.

Actually, one spider species is very altruistic giving up her body to her offspring, shortly after they are born. First, she lays eggs that the others eat and then she has them climb on to her body and they suck her dry. Wow, and I thought my Mom was self-sacrificing. I don't want to even get into the worms that eat their mother's skin. Ugh!

I was a little disappointed with the section on human cannibalism. I would have liked to learn a little bit more about how the taboo came about in Western society. This isn't a history book though, it is more a science book, although it is very easy to understand and humorous throughout. He even makes fun of himself on several occasions. I love self-deprecation in a scientist.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the mention of cannibalism enters a discussion, many think of human skulls being used as soup bowls or how a liver might be nicely accompanied by some fava beans. However, Bill Schutt argues that these have been overly dramatised views and were likely drummed up from a horror movie or documents in history meant to demean a specific group. His exploration of cannibalism throughout the various species does include humans, though there are but one minute example of the overall study found herein. Schutt argues that the idea of eating one’s own species—how we would define the idea of cannibalism—is not strictly for reasons of starvation, but also for social order, ritual, and to cull the population. He speaks about some birds, specifically those in the ‘raptor’ classification, whose young target the slow to hatch siblings. These younger and less vigorous hatchlings will be bullied by siblings and either eaten when times are tough, or tossed out of the nest to ensure the plentiful food does not need to be shared too many ways. There are also some of the interesting species who use cannibalism as a form of sexual activity, whereby the female will obtain the needed fertilisation and then dispose of her mate in short order. While the praying mantis and black-widow spider come to mind, there are also varieties of snails who follow this same practice, leaving the reader to wonder if their next posh appetiser might once have been a killer mother!
Schutt not only looks at the animal kingdom, but turns his attention to humans and cannibalism.

Once used as a societal weapon, cannibalism labels were discussed and documented by Christopher Columbus during his trips to the New World. He discussed how tribes would eat their enemies by hacking them to bits and then cooking them up for a meal. Columbus also depicts this as more of a celebratory way to exact victory, than the need to sustain one’s self with food. Thus began the branding of peoples who were not as refined as cannibalism or savages, though Schutt argues that some of these reports were likely exaggerated tales, drummed up to earn the respect an awe of those back in Spain. Interestingly enough, humans have used a form of ritual cannibalism in one of their major monotheistic religions since the Common Era. Christianity’s central theme of the body and blood of Jesus with bread and wine has long been glossed over. Schutt discusses the Vatican’s argument of transubstantiation and how Catholics are to feel they are sharing the actual body and blood in that symbolic changeover has rarely caused anyone to bat an eye. However, it is right there in the Eucharist and Schutt can find no one within the Church who calls this an abomination or ‘sick’ act. Continuing the human cannibalism discussion, Schutt uses his longest chapter to tackle one of the most infamous events of the act in American history. The Donner party sought to travel from Missouri through to California in the 1840s. When they took what some felt was a shortcut, they were trapped in a massive snowstorm and left without food. Early accounts depict members of the 87 adults and children turning to killing and eating one another for sustenance, though Schutt argues that some of this was pure fallacy, where modern examination of the remains clearly showed mules and other livestock to be the primary victims. Still, it makes for some great reading and explains some of the modern jokes and barbs that are tossed around.

In a final section of the book, Schutt explores not only the ritual cannibalism of some cultures far off the beaten path, but also the anthropological documentation (or lack thereof) surrounding the activity. While it is likely taking place, when asked directly, elders would discount that there was anything of that nature within their village. However, it was more because of the stigma outsiders offered about the practice than complete embarrassment surrounding it that led the the lie. Schutt further examines the fact that many groups consider the cannibalistic rituals to be so sacred that they are not flouted to the general public, much as sexual activity and defecation would not be a public display. Schutt’s research and interviews sheds some light on the issue and proves enlightening to the curious reader. He further explores how the secretive nature of the rituals also led to an inadvertent cover-up surrounding a serious brain disease, akin to what many know in the vernacular as Mad Cow Disease. Women and children were contracting the disease from infected victims of sacrifice and thereby spreading it through ingestion of diseased flesh and organs. A fascinating look and analysis, though surely not for the weak of constitution. A great book to open the eyes of the curious reader, while they remain baffled at how the world around them seems to work in such unique ways. Recommended to those who love to learn as they read, as well as the reader who is always seeking to think outside the box.

I stumbled upon this book by Bill Schutt and thought that it might be a wonderful reading experience, enlightening as much as it was entertaining. Schutt, a trained invertebrate zoologist, offers a wonderful glimpse into the world of the animal and insect kingdoms without shying away from much. He explores not only cannibalism, but also the natural birthing and mating techniques of many animals, as well as how vastly different they are from humans. This sheds light on just how unique the world around us tends to be, which ushers in a great discussion about the larger issue of cannibalistic behaviours. I do not think that Schutt seeks to erase that eating one’s own species should be seen as something worth noting, but more to demystify the idea and show that it happens with some degree of regularity and should be accepted. The numerous examples of cannibalism in other species is not only fascinating, but to learn that it happens for a variety of reasons is also worth noting. Sibling rivalry, pre-natal survival, and even controlling the population, all seem to make sense, when argued from an academic perspective. With great detail, Schutt seeks to educate his reader about the ins and outs of it all, though he seems not to inundate the reader with too much. Schutt uses the expertise of many zoologists, like himself, and other specialists to shed light on the rituals of many species, mixing his own research with well-documented interviews. Schutt divides his discussion into well-balanced chapters and offers just the right about of witty repartee to keep the reader from taking things too seriously. An eyebrow-raising book that keeps the reader on their toes throughout, I can only hope that others will take the chance to read this piece. Plus, after a period when parents were schooling their children at home (and may be again, this scholastic year) due to COVID-19, it helps to justify why some adults wanted to toss their offspring into the oven and crank up the heat!

Kudos, Mr. Schutt, for this enlightening view of the world through the eyes of cannibals. I loved it and will be reading more of your work soon!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know many authors who could make a book about cannibalism palatable, let alone fun, but that's exactly what Bill Schutt achieves in this book. He discusses the practice of cannibalism in the natural world as well as a few cases in the human world, but he deliberately shies away from anything sensational.

I had a few glasses of red wine and then reviewed this book over on Booktube!

[Lukas Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely *DEVOURED* this....I'm sorry, sometimes the urge to pun is just too strong.

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natural doesn´t have to be better all the time.

Please note that I have put the original German text to the end of this review. Just if you might be interested.

Cannibalism is only so controversial in human societies. One would just eat another person in exceptional situations. In a classic plane crash or if, in a post-apocalyptic world, the survival of the family depends on it.

When human flesh was part of religious ceremonies, it often included exocannibalism. The inclusion of the power of the enemy. The more peaceful variant was the endocannibalism, with which one honored the family members by consuming them. The only form left in the modern world is the ritual eating of placentas. But the positive mentality behind this act is in no relation to the bloody rituals of the past. Although in the depths of unexplored rainforests, there may probably be one or the other tribe.

In other forms of life than humans, it is common practice and a fixed component of the life cycle. When, for example, cannibalism is integrated into reproduction, rearing or nutrition as an element of preservation of the species. When it comes to preserving the species, sentimentality is out of place in the animal kingdom. In particular, if, for example in the case of insects, the life expectancy of males is not long anyway. Economically speaking, after fulfilling their primary task, they have the most significant benefit as available kilocalories.

Even after the act of reproduction, cannibalism continues in the womb in various ways. Shark species in which it is usual that the inhabitants eat each other. Children snacking their mother's skin. And parents one would have better never met because they make no difference between food and own children. Therefore, it is well advised not to build a relationship with them. But if one of the few available sources of essential nutrients is your own kind and family, you can not be picky.

A long-term study with different species would be fascinating. By this, one could see under what conditions species develop cannibalism. Similar species do not always start eating each other under similar circumstances. Therefore, there must be an unknown factor in the game. In lab environments with changing climatic and nutritional conditions, one could see clearly when the transition occurs. Although besides not yet found genetic factors could play a role too.

The medical applications testify to the curious history of healing and medicine. There is a bigoted difference between a medical prescription for differently prepared parts and proper cannibalism. Of course, with such spectacular remedies, a reputation and good money can be made. The psyche eats too and heals better with exclusive nutrition.

Since cannibalism is less common in humans, no microorganism has yet specialized in this mode of spreading. Although such cases have already occurred in indigenous peoples (Kuru). What raises a borderline hypothesis: A pathogen wants to spread in a fictive population, which has practiced cannibalism for centuries. What could be more effective than to strengthen the craving for human flesh in the minds of already infected people? Not to mention direct distribution channels. Following the same principle as mushrooms manipulating and killing insects. Respectively, it may be possible that such a virus might have developed in any of the jungles or has been manufactured by humans.

If one interprets it exaggeratedly, many processes in the smallest are based on miscellaneous variants of cannibalism. Somatic cells, microorganisms, symbionts, pathogens,… have a wide range of capabilities for assimilation, control and digestive functions. A vast country, yet to be explored.

The short span of time, which can often stand between haute cuisine and cannibalism, is barely aware. Not even weeks, only days would be enough. One does not associate the reports of humanitarian catastrophes with it and the reporting is silent about it. But what would each individual himself, faced with the choice, do? How quickly would the thin and fragile varnish of sophisticated behavior be wiped away by archaic survival instincts?

Natürlich muss nicht immer besser sein.

Ah, Kannibalismus, das nur bei Menschen so kontroverse Thema. Man würde nur in Ausnahmesituationen einen anderen Menschen essen. Beim klassischen Flugzeugabsturz oder wenn in einer postapokalyptischen Welt das Überleben der Familie davon abhängig ist.

Wenn Menschenfleisch Teil von religiösen Zeremonien war, beinhaltete das häufig Exokannibalismus. Die Aufnahme der Kraft des Feindes. Die friedlichere Variante war der Endokannibalismus, mit dem man die Familiemitglieder durch deren Verzehr ehrte. Die einzige in der modernen Welt verbliebene Form ist das verbreitete Essen von Plazentas. Wobei die positive Mentalität hinter diesem Akt in keiner Relation zu den blutigen Ritualen der Vergangenheit steht. Obwohl es in den tiefen der unerforschten Regenwälder sicher noch den einen oder anderen Stamm geben dürfte.

Bei anderen Lebensformen als dem Menschen ist es gang und gäbe und fixer Bestandteil des Lebenszyklus. Wenn Kannibalismus etwa als Element des Arterhalts in Fortpflanzung, Aufzucht oder Ernährungsweise integriert wird. Wenn es um den Arterhalt geht, ist im Tierreich Sentimentalität fehl am Platz. Insbesondere, wenn etwa im Insektenreich die Lebenserwartung der Männchen ohnehin nicht lange ist. Ökonomisch gesprochen haben sie nach Erfüllung ihrer Hauptaufgabe den größten Nutzen als verfügbare Kilokalorien.

Auch nach der Fortpflanzung geht der Kannibalismus im Mutterleib auf verschiedene Arten weiter. Haiarten, bei denen sich die Umgeborenen gegenseitig auffressen. Kinder, die an der Mutter snacken. Und Eltern, von denen man sich wünscht, dass man sie nie getroffen hätte. Weil sie keinen Unterschied zwischen Futter und eigenen Kindern machen. Daher sind diese gut beraten, keine Beziehung zu ihnen aufzubauen. Wenn eine der wenigen verfügbaren Quellen für essentielle Nährstoffe die eigene Art oder die eigene Verwandschaft ist, darf man nicht wählerisch sein.

Wirklich interessant wäre eine Studie mit verschiedenen Tierarten. Daran könnte man sehen, unter welchen Bedingungen Arten Kannibalismus entwickeln. Ähnliche Arten beginnen unter ähnlichen Bedingungen nicht immer, sich gegenseitig aufzufressen. Daher muss noch ein unbekannter Faktor im Spiel sein. In Laborumgebungen mit wechselnden Klima- und Ernährungsbedingungen könnte man anschaulich sehen, wann der Übergang erfolgt. Obwohl zusätzlich noch nicht gefundene genetische Faktoren auch eine Rolle spielen könnten.

Die medizinischen Anwendungen zeugen von der kuriosen Geschichte der Heilkunst. Wobei bigotterweise ein Unterschied zwischen ärztlicher Verordnung für verschieden zubereitete Teile und richtigem Kannibalismus besteht. Natürlich ist mit derart spektakulären Heilmitteln auch immer ein Renommee und gutes Geld zu machen. Die Psyche isst und heilt mit.

Da Kannibalismus bei Menschen nicht so verbreitet ist, hat sich noch kein Mikroorganismus auf diese Art der Verbreitung spezialisieren können. Obwohl bei indigenen Völkern (Kuru) bereits derartige Fälle aufgetreten sind. Was ein grenzwertige Hypothese aufwirft: Ein Erreger will sich in einem fiktiven, seit Jahrhunderten auf Kannibalismus spezialisierten Volk stärker ausbreiten. Was läge näher, als das Bedürfnis nach Menschenfleisch in den Köpfen der bereits infizierten Menschen zu stärken? Von direkten Verbreitungswegen ganz zu schweigen. Nach dem gleichen Prinzip, wie Pilze Insekten manipulieren. Beziehungsweise, könnte sich so ein Virus nicht etwaig in einem der Dschungel bereits entwickelt haben oder von Menschen
hergestellt?

Wenn man es etwas übertrieben auslegt, fußen auch viele Prozesse im kleinsten auf diversen Varianten von Kannibalismus. Körperzellen, Mikroorganismen, Symbionten, Krankheitserreger haben ein breites Spektrum an Fähigkeiten für Assimilation, Kontrolle und Verdauung. Ein noch zu erschließendes, weites Land.

Die kurze Zeitspanne, die oft zwischen Haute Cuisine und Kannibalismus stehen kann, ist kaum bewusst. Nicht einmal Wochen, nur Tage würden ausreichen. Man assoziiert die Berichte über humanitäre Katastrophen nicht damit und die Berichterstattung schweigt sich darüber aus. Aber was würde jeder einzelne selbst, vor die Wahl gestellt, tun?

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction books but for some reason as soon as I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it. I love learning about anything medical or science related so it was as surprising of a choice as you might think. I have always said that I read a little bit of everything and this book is proof positive of that fact. Cannibalism is a really interesting subject and I learned a lot while listening to this book. It was really an enjoyable experience.

I have to admit that as soon as I saw this book, I started thinking about criminals who practice cannibalism. If you are looking for a book that chronicles the actions of serial killers, this probably isn't the book for you. There is a little bit of those kind of stories in this book but very few. The author actually makes a point to explain why he chose not to focus on criminals. This book instead deals with many other topics pertaining to cannibalism.

If you are interested in learning about cannibalism in nature, look no further because this book is full of that kind of information. This books covers cannibalism in fish, birds, tadpoles, insects, and spiders. It discusses why it might be advantageous for animals to cannibalize others creatures of their own species sometimes including their own offspring. I can honestly say that I learned more about cannibalism in nature than I even knew that I wanted to know.

I really enjoyed the sections of the book that involved human cannibalism. The very few sections that did discuss criminal cannibalism were very interesting. At the very beginning of the book, I learned that the book Psycho is based off a true story of a man that killed and cannibalized his victims. Survival cannibalism was another very interesting topic. I had never heard of the Donner party prior to listening to this book but I was captivated and saddened by their story. There is a section that discusses the eating of one's placenta, not something that I ever gave any thought to before this book but interesting nonetheless.

I thought that Tom Perkins was the perfect narrator for this book. It almost felt as if I were listening to a nature show on television. His voice is exactly the kind of voice I think of when imagining the voice over sections in any nature program. This book had a lot of details and was full of information but I never tired of listening to it largely because of the narrator's skill.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic. It is a heavy subject but it is delivered in a very readable manner. There are a lot of details but it is presented in an entertaining manner. I was entertained and learned a few things. This is the first book by Bill Shutt that I have read but I would consider his work in the furture.

I received a review copy of this book from HighBridge Audio via Audiobook Jukebox.

Initial Thoughts
This was an interesting book. I learned quite a few things and was entertained. There were some sections that were a bit too detailed for my tastes but overall this was a good listen. I am ready for a cannibalism category in the next trivia night I attend!

[Ellen Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life lesson: most of your coworkers won't want to discuss the cannibalism habits of tadpoles or the progression of prion diseases. They will look at you strangely.



Well well well. This was a fun little bit of science! Author Bill Schutt did a great job of combining scientific evidence, speculation, history, and humor. He also does a good job of touching on a broad range of cannibalism topics, such as prion diseases, placenta eating, natural (and unnatural) cannibalism in nature, filial piety, medicinal cannibalism, and historical records of cannibalism (as well as the cultural & racial bias involved.)

The writing is balanced and fun, while avoiding being sensational, choosing to steer away from criminal cannibal cases in favor of the more interesting, less discussed aspects of people eating. It does a great job of being gross, funny, and knowledgeable!

Surprisingly, the clerk at a local liquor store had no idea what wine would go well with placenta. I went with an Italian red.

So what will you learn from Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History?

*Placenta tastes like chicken gizzards
*Banana slugs are fucking disgusting. An even more cringeworthy behavior is exhibited by banana slugs (genus Ariolimax), which become so entwined during sex that they sometimes chew off their partner’s corkscrew-shaped penis in an effort to disengage. During this process, which is known as apophallation, penises are slurped down spaghetti-style, occasionally by their owners.
*Christopher Columbus was a top shelf dick burger - but you probably already knew that one.
*Most people will not be pleased when you start a sentence with "Random cannibal fact!"
*Spiders don't have penises
*If you had epilepsy way back when in the 1800s, you might have been told to drink a cup of blood or eat some powdered skull.
*Soylent Green is people!



Bill Schutt's Cannibalism makes for a fascinating read. Take a little bit of Mary Roach (not literally, you sick freaks,) a little bit of Greek myths and The Walking Dead, some Bill Nye (again, please not literally,) and top it off with a few man eating spiders - mix it all together and you've got yourself a hell of a book!

[Tudor Vlad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. I know, a book about cannibalism, how fun could that be? There are times when the book is dry and there were moments when I trudged through pages and pages of information. Still, for the most time the author manages to infuse this, at times, creepy subject with enough humor to make it easier to go through records of people eating their dead relatives, mothers eating their placenta and lots of other things that made me lose my appetite. Warning: do not read this before or after a meal. Just a friendly warning.

I’m probably making this seem worse than it was. Just a very very tiny portion of this book goes into the details of human cannibalism, most part of the books looks at cannibalism from a historical, social, psychological and scientific standpoint. It’s not just about human cannibalism, the first part of this books focuses on the presence of cannibalism in the animal kingdom while also presenting an interesting fact: that that the most famous villains in fiction are cannibals (hmm). In the last chapters it also goes into the territory of progressive neurodegenerative conditions that are caused by cannibalism, like the mad cow disease and the infamous Kuru. I can thank Reddit for first informing me of how scary prions are, and this book for further cementing my fear of prion diseases.

Kudos to the author for presenting a thorough study of cannibalism without sensationalizing the subject. There are lots of cases of cannibals, alive or dead, that he chose not to talk about out of respect for their families and I’m glad he did that. There’s a lot of that online and free for people that enjoy those sorts of things.

[Book Riot Community]

I read some excellent books in February, but nothing made me as gleefully happy as this book did. Lest you think I am an aspiring cannibal, it’s important to know that this is not a gruesome, sensational retelling of cannibalism among modern serial killers; Schutt respectfully stays away from that in favor of exploring the history of cannibalism from a biological and anthropological viewpoint. So no Jeffrey Dahmer, and plenty of spiders sacrificing themselves up to their young and slugs getting so tangled up in reproduction they have to chew their genitals off to escape! It’s a fun, entertaining read, and Bill Schutt’s insatiable curiosity for his subject is infectious (although I don’t think I’ll be eating placenta like he did). If you’re a fan of Mary Roach, you’ll definitely want to check this out.

— Gina Nicoll


from The Best Books We Read In February 2017: http://bookriot.com/2017/02/28/riot-r...

[Nick Pageant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'm not likely to convince anyone to read this but for a few special souls (I'm looking at you, Kelly). Still, this is a fun book. The author has a very light touch, lending humor to the gruesome business. I learned lots of useless trivia (that's why we all read so much, right?) and I'll never turn my back on a tadpole again. They are ruthless little bastards.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Away for the weekend for my husband's work, we went out for a group dinner last night not long after I finished reading Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, and as one does, I steered the conversation around to the topic of cannibalism – even as we nibbled our artisanal pizzas – and I held the group in thrall with a couple of the anecdotes I had gleaned from this book. We returned to the hotel and someone suggested we play the game Table Talk. The first question was, “If you were cremated, what would you want done with your ashes?” and I was the first to reply with, “I'd want to be snorted by Keith Richards”, getting a huge laugh. Thanks Bill Schutt: this may not have been the most valuable pop science book I've ever read, but I learned just enough to add to my social capital.

Bill Schutt is a zoologist (Biology Professor at LIU Post and researcher at the Museum of Natural History), so when he decided to investigate the history and prevalence of human cannibalism, he started by looking at the animal world; arguing that what's natural in the wild must be natural for us, too. He approached the topic thinking that cannibalism is rare in nature (it's not), and was surprised to find that those famous animal cannibals (from Black Widow Spiders and Praying Mantises to the Global Warming-affected Polar Bears who are seen eating their own cubs) have actually been misunderstood. What I found most interesting in the animal sections are the variety of ways in which different species have evolved to become cannibals (from spadefoot toad tadpoles, some percentage of which will have carnivorous teeth and guts to munch on their omnivorous siblings, to the African caecilian, the brooding mother of which will rapidly regrow her epidermis for its young to peel and eat “like a grape”), and while I found these stories to be fascinating, they rather undermine Schutt's initial point: since humans haven't evolved any cannibal-specific features, it's hard to compare what's “natural” (beyond making the point that just about any animals, when overcrowded and starved, will resort to eating each other).

When Schutt turns to humans, he discusses the first allusions to cannibalism in Western writing (which is there right from the start in Homer and Herodotus; which was especially interesting to me as the last book I read included the myth of Thyestes being tricked into eating his own sons), and through Shakespeare and the Brothers Grimm, right up to Cormac McCarthy and The Walking Dead, we in the West have always thought of cannibalism as particularly unnatural (reinforced by the Judeo-Christian belief in keeping the body whole for the Resurrection). This paved the way for Christopher Columbus to justify enslaving the Caribbean people he encountered after misinterpreting (or lying about) their funerary rites; and this set the tone for all of European colonisation. Contrasted with this is thousands of years of Chinese writings in which cannibalism has been seen as acceptable: necessary in times of war and famine; an epicurean curiosity; a matter of filial duty in which people have always been happy to cut off pieces of themselves to feed their elders. What's ironic is the West's long history of using human body parts as medicine (from drinking the blood of a hanged man to ingesting ground up mummy dust) and not considering this cannibalism.

Schutt examines the famous stories of human cannibalism – Was it really that prevalent in the South Pacific? What really happened with the Donner Party or the Siege of Leningrad? Why is it becoming trendy for women to eat their placentas after giving birth? – and ends with a very long section on the similarities between kuru and Mad Cow Disease, and while I didn't find this part that interesting, I was surprised to learn that the science behind these diseases hasn't been settled (apparently, it was never about prions). Ultimately, Schutt concludes that we're heading towards a Soylent Green future.

So, that's the what, and as for the how: Schutt attempts a jokey-accessible tone (like Mary Roach or Sarah Vowell), and I don't know if he really pulls it off. An early example of the jokes, while discussing that spadefoot toad tadpole:

It was evident that the jaw muscles were significantly enlarged in the cannibals, especially the jaw-closing levator madibulae, whose bulging appearance reminded me of a kid with six pieces of Dubble Bubble jammed into each cheek (a dangerous behavior I only rarely attempt anymore).

Is that lame joke worth the change in tone? I also didn't really like the way that Schutt mocks some interview subjects on the page. While talking with Dr. William Arens – an Anthropologist who made a stir in the 70s by declaring that all stories of “social” cannibalism in “primitive societies” are inventions of Western researchers – Schutt writes that he's listening politely to the man while thinking, “Yeah right”. Schutt does the same thing throughout the chapter about the woman who promotes placenta-eating – first underlining the hilarity of her having ten kids, and then mentally correctly her as she shares with him what she understands to be the scientific benefits of placenta-eating (can you believe she thought the main research was done on mice when they used rats?)

Ultimately, this is what I learned: Cannibalism is pretty common in nature, and under starvation conditions, it's something we're probably all capable of. Also, social cannibalism, as part of funerary rites, was likely less common than believed, but other than the risk of kuru or other transmissible diseases (one of which may have wiped out the Neanderthals), it is no more “unnatural” than the dozens of other ways in which humans have respectfully ushered their loved ones into the afterlife. In the end, this book was perfect preparation for a dinner party conversation, but beyond George H. W. Bush's brush with the butcher block and Keith Richards' sendoff to his father, not much will likely linger with me.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book club selection, but it's something that I probably would have willingly picked up of my own accord eventually. (When as a teen I was finally able to choose my own books from the extension library that sent books to farm families, one of the first ones I picked was a book on cannibalism, the title/author of which is missing from my memory banks.)

I find that geologists and biologists have a similar sense of humour to mine, making their nonfiction fun to read. When you're dealing with a sensational subject, a little lightness doesn't go amiss. (I assume that those who would be offended by the humour probably wouldn't pick up the book in the first place.) One of my personal difficulties is fear of spiders, but I found the spider chapter particularly amusing. For example, [M]ale wolf spiders become extremely picky when females show up and initiate courtship—which they do by alternately waving their forelegs around in the universal signal for “Pick me! Pick me!”

I was pleased to see literary works like Daniel Dafoe's Robinson Crusoe and Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus referenced, not to mention The Odyssey and the histories of Herodotus. I had never considered before where our taboo against cannibalism originated, but it makes sense that it would be rooted in both the Judeo-Christian religious tradition and our veneration of the Greco-Roman world.


The use of the European taboo as an excuse to enslave, murder, and otherwise abuse non-Christian indigenous peoples is undeniable and the accounts of early colonizers have permanently muddied the waters on whether cultural or ritual cannibalism was ever practiced in the New World. To think about a culture uncontaminated by Christian values, the author includes chapters on Chinese and Pacific Island history, which were interesting.

Schutt was willing to go to greater extremes than I am—he chose to try a menu dish that included human placenta. The consumption of placentas is a trend which I simply do not understand! As the author documents, it is very rare and mostly practiced by privileged individuals. Texture of food is a major issue for me, so do not sign me up for such a menu item. (BTW, is this something that vegans are allowed to do? Just curious…)

The last chapters on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies may be the most compelling argument for the position that Eating People Is Bad (the title of chapter 13). Ranging through several TSEs like Kuru, BSE, scrapie, and CJD, Schutt explores the mechanism of infection with these horrible diseases. I was completely unaware of the current questioning of the prion hypothesis in favour of a viral vector. Whichever source it turns out to be, this seems to me to be an excellent reason to avoid a Soylent Green type future.

This is a difficult topic to address, as it tends toward the sensational even when the researcher is trying to be clinical. Like other highly emotional topics, it tends to get mixed up with cultural and religious beliefs, rendering us very unobjective. Examining the issue throughout the zoological world gives the reader a more neutral frame of reference. Not a book for everyone, but entertaining if you view humans as part of the natural world.

Cross posted at my blog:

https://wanda-thenextfifty.blogspot.c...

[Katie Ranyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been an enormously entertaining read, with surprising laugh out loud moments from an author who is obviously passionate about the subject matter.

This isn't an account of murdering cannibals, in fact they barely warrant a mention due to the authors wish not to offend still living relatives of the victims or perpetrators. Instead the first half of the book covers instances of cannibalism the animal kingdom which is where some of the best passages appear - I draw your attention to sexy snails....

'Although snail sex can last for up to six hours in some herbivorous species this is definitely not the case in certain carnivorous gastropods, where foreplay can turn into cannibalism in the blink of a turreted eye. In these species, since even copulating individuals will bite their mates, each potential partner is also a potential predator. As a result, they often employ the wham-bam-scram approach during sexual encounters, which sometimes linger on for as long as six seconds!'

The second two thirds of the book focus on human cannibalism, specifically in terms of early colonisation rumours spread by Columbus in the Caribbean, ritual cannibalism, cannibalism in the Bible, survival cannibalism, medicinal cannibalism (the placental eating chapter is not recommended before dinner), origins of BSE and even a look ahead to a possible apocalyptic future where overpopulation and low food production is solved with dietary supplements from the funeral business.

All in all, a fascinating, entertaining and thought-provoking read.

P.S. Did you know that George H. W. Bush was the only survivor the Ogasawara Incident which saw his compatriots livers eaten by the starving Japanese officers that captured them?!

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, just to deter any possible squeamish readers: Schutt eats placenta, prepared a la osso bucco, in this book. I kinda-sorta-maybe-wanna eat placenta right now, just to see how it tastes. Is that gross? Probably. But I'm just curious - and as we all know, curiosity killed the cat. This time it might kill the cat through the form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. If I go, I might as well go from something that has a long, cool, science-y sounding name. What you'll find in this book: fascinating etymologies of words such as "mummy", the fact that Francis Bacon and a score of other scientists used to practice medical cannibalism, an explanation for why-the-fuck are humans called "the long pigs", a terrifying look at the idea of the prion and an all around super-god-damn-interesting book about one of the behaviours that, here in the West, we have considered taboo since the beginning of time... Wait, what was that? Not since the beginning of time? Since about the 16 hundreds? Oh. Yeah, you spelled West wrong: it should have been "hypocrites".

For the record: cannibalism is not "inhumane". There is no such thing as "inhumane", unless you specifically refer to something not of the humans or you use it metaphorically. If it has been done by humans, then it exists on the human spectrum of behaviour. There's instances in which I don't consider it morally wrong: starvation (survival), and if it is included in the social practices of a certain culture (like the Fore people). The fact that I haven't been raised on human meat is based solely on chance or luck. I consider it morally wrong if: it is done in the same vein as/along with murder, torture: then you are talking about intent to destroy, and it usually stems from psychological aberrations such as violent psychopathy or other mental illnesses (for example related to hallucinations).

[The Behrg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if reading a non-fiction novel about Cannibalism says more about the READER than it does the AUTHOR, but I found this a disturbingly fascinating read. Running the gamut from insects to the animal world to dinosaurs and neanderthals, the book then jumps to more modern cases from the Donner party to survival cannibalism to placentophagy.

The research and science behind zoologist Bill Schutt's study is impressive, if at times overwhelming. I definitely identified more with the human aspects of this "study in history," and there were both some mind-opening ideas and criminally tragic insights into humanity. I appreciate Schutt's decision to not include any recent sensationalized media cases where family's of victims (or culprits) might be unintentionally affected.

This a novel that changes you. It's impossible to look at the world the same way after diving into the depths of such a bizarre yet potentially natural practice. For all my disturbed like-minded individuals, this is one you should definitely check out.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review purposes. This in no way affected my review. **

[Miglė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kanibalizmas įvairiose rūšyse atsiranda dėl aplinkos sąlygų pasikeitimo. Pavyzdžiui, tokios varlės dažnai neršia mažose balutėse, ir išsiritę buožgalviai minta augalais ar dumbliais ar kuo ten, kol užauga. Bet! Jei balutės dėl itin šiltos vasaros ima greitai džiūti, kai kurie buožgalviai tampa kanibalais ir valgo savo broliukus – kodėl? Todėl, kad tada gauna daugiau maistinių medžiagų ir greičiau išsivysto į varles, o greitis šiuo atveju yra svarbu, nes balutė gali išdžiūti. Taigi vietoj situacijos, kur išdžiūsta balutė ir visi nespėję užsiauginti kojų miršta, išgyvena bent jau kanibalai, nes spėja užsiauginti kojas. Paskui, tapę varlėmis, jau būna normalios ir fainos varlės, draugų nevalgo.

Gyvūnų broliukai ir sesutės yra visai šalia ir maistingi – ar galima pykti, jei kokio moskito lerva jais paužkandžiauja, kad būtų stipresnė? Juk po to jai reikės lįsti į kokoną, kuriame patirs sudėtingą metamorfozę ir bus labai pažeidžiama. Dėl šio pažeidžiamumo moskito Toxohychintes lerva sugalvojo dar geriau – prieš lįsdama į kokoną ji ne tik suvalgo brolius ir seseris, bet apimta žudymo įkarščio varinėja aplink ir žudo viską, ką gali, šitaip sumažindama kiekį tų, kurie galėtų jai pakenkti, kol ji bus kokone. Ot mielas gyvūnėlis.

Žuvys yra šaunios kanibalės ir dažnai ryja savo ar kitų žuvų ikrus. O kodėl ne – jų daug ir jie šalia. O štai daugiaspalvės ešeržuvės ikrus ir netgi mažas žuvytes nešiojasi burnoje, šitaip jas saugodamos. Cute! Tiesa, kartais patinėlis ir apvaisina irkus patelės burnoje, kas yra gal mažiau cute, bet juokinga. Gerai, bet ką žuviai valgyti, kai jos pilna burna vaikų? Hmm… Tai gal kai kuriuos iš vaikų (visus, jei žuvis labai alkana)? Taip ešeržuvės ir daro.

Tarp paukščių kanibalizmas gana retas (gal tik 20% paukščių valgo savo rūšies atstovus) dėl labai paprastos priežasties – snapo. Sunku su snapu mirtinai uždziubenti savo dydžio padarą ir dar jį suplėšyti bei suvalgyti. Dėl to kanibalizmas dažniau pasitaiko tarp plėšriųjų paukščių, kuriems plėšymas ir valgymas – anokia naujiena.

Vorų seksualinis kanibalizmas yra NICE! Plačiai nepasakosiu, tik paminėsiu, kad Australijos raudonnugario voro patinėlis kelis kartus verčiasi kūlio virš penkis kartus didesnės patelės, jai įdėdamas savo spermos maišelį ir leisdamas patelei savęs vis po biškį atsikąsti arba būti apipurkštas virškinimo sultimis, kol yra visai suvalgomas. Pasirodo, taip labiau apsimoka negu visai nesiporuoti. Nelengvas (kai kurių) vorų gyvenimas.

Bet geriausia, žinoma, yra sraigės. Kaip turbūt visi žinome, sraigės yra hermafroditės ir lytinio akto metu sulipusios pilvais bado viena kitą savo peniais. Jei sraigės žolėdės, tas gali tęstis iki 6 valandų (!), o jei plėšrios, trumpiau, nes lytinio akto metu jos ima viena kadžioti, išplėšdamos gabalus (nes kodėl ir nepavalgius prie to paties). Bet dar įdomiau tai, kas vyksta prieš lytinį aktą – susitikusi kitą sraigę ir susilietusi antenomis, sraigė iššauna į ją “meilės strėlytę”. Perskaitėt teisingai – koks tai kalcifikavęsis daiktelis, kuriame yra kažkokių hormonų, kurie padidina tikimybę, kad kita sraigė nesuvirškins iššovusios sraigės spermos ir taip turės daugiau palikuonių. Tiesa, kartais strėlytė pataiko į akį ar pan, tada sraigė sako “Yikes”, apsimeta, kad jai skambina ir lėtai (žinoma) atsitraukia. Keli sraigių tyrinėtojai galvoja, kad gal Kupidono idėja graikams kilo pasižiūrėjus į tas sraiges, ir dabar jie ieško graikų meno kūriniuose pavaizduotų sraigių, kaip miela, negaliu.

Poliarinės meškos kartais suvalgo savo arba kitų meškų meškiukus.

Vienas skyrelis vadinosi “Dinozaurai kanibalai”, kas yra turbūt geriausiai skambanti antraštė pasaulyje, bet, panašu, vis dėlto nežinome, ar tarp dinozaurų buvo kanibalų, ar ne.


Kinų kultūroje nėra tokio tabu ant kanibalizmo kaip pas mus, pavyzdžiui, klasikinėje literatūroje pasakojama, kaip apgulties metu miesto gyventojai apsikeisdavo vaikais, kad anie būtų suvalgyti ne giminaičių. Dar keliose vietose minima, kad vaikelis šiaip, kaip geros valios ir meilės tėvams gestą galėtų atpjauti gabalą savo mėsos (šlaunies ar rankos) ir išvirti tėvams sriubą. Tikras šaunuolis!

O valgyti žmonių kūno dalis medicininiais tikslais tai niekas nesibodėjo, Europoje tai išvis, tik duok tinkamai paruoštą kokio pakaruoklio gabalėlį. Dar kažkuriuo metu visi buvo išprotėję dėl “mumijų miltelių”, o tam, aišku, reikėjo mumijų. Kai visas importas iš Egipto jau buvo sušniaukštas (nors iš tikrųjų jie gal buvo geriami su kažkuo sumaišius ar pan), mumjias europiečiai ėmė gamintis patys. Paracelso sekėjas Oswaldas Crolis ypač rekomendavo tam naudoti 24 metų raudonplaukio vyro, kuris buvo pakartas, mumiją. Kažkaip ir viešų egzekucijų padaugėjo tuo metu, bet gal nesusiję.

Žodžiu, šiaip knyga parašyta labai lengvu stiliumi, su humoru. Autorius aptaria ir placentos valgymą, ir (labai ilgai, gal per tris skyrelius) kuru epidemiją, bet nerašo apie nusikaltėlius, kurie suvalgo savo aukas. Jie tik to ir nori – sako autorius – kad apie juos rašytų, tai tyčia nerašysiu.

Pabaigsiu citata:
“Cannibalism is found in over 1 500 species. Anthropophagusphobia (fear of cannibals) is found in only one. Which seems unnatural now?”

[Jenny Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating piece of non-fiction that is easy-to-follow, accessible, and snarky. I do think it lost focus at the 11th hour when it discussed Mad Cow Disease (which I totally missed the connective tissue *pun intended* of how he got there). Still, it was haunting and chilling but totally gave compelling reasons for why some societies turned to cannibalism and discussed how it became taboo. You start asking yourself, "Would I eat someone if I were hungry enough?" I mean, I do get HANGRY but I don't know if I could do it. I don't want to know, thank you.

The book builds from the cannibalism I'm least interested in (bugs) to the shit that I peak around corners at so smart move, Bill. Still the bug chapters were REALLY interesting which shocked the hell out of me because I am not a science person.

Still Schutt drives the point home in the epilogue where he makes a case that cannibalism could happen in the near future in drought and famine-ridden areas and I was like, "Bill, SHUT YOUR MOUTH."

[Fiona Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining, thoroughly fascinating look at cannibalism - a much-debated and frequently controversial topic outside of fiction.

Bill Schutt has clearly done his research (his notes cover the last fifth of the novel!), as he covers topics ranging through the entire animal kingdom. Examples of cannibalism are listed from tadpoles to the now-extinct dinosaurs, and humans are absolutely not exempt from this scrutiny.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this for anyone with an interest in unusual behaviours full stop, let alone just cannibalism; it's incredibly engaging, with a solid base in good science.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm! What to say about this non-fiction read that I thought would be more "scientific" than it was? Closer to a 2.5 star for me? Yes, but then I rounded it up for the first half. Because those sections hold chapters of information in the kind of microscopic and observable detail of physicality "eyes" that I anticipated the entire volume would have. But didn't.

Those form chapters of classified invertebrates and the precise definition of the various categories of cannibalism were all 4 or 5. As were the toad species tadpoles and the other amphibian inclusions.

He tries to be funny. A few times he seems instead flippant. That's forgiven, considering the subject. But I didn't find the over all tone of instruction to what was happening in nature or the past or the historical aspects to be one that was predominantly accurate. There are all kinds of assumptions that I would never include in a book that seems to be categorized as "natural history" on its cover. Theory for some far past sections (dinosaur and Neanderthal ones especially) were actually more misleading in theories than in science based information.

Here's the deal. And I do repeat myself, I know. The more a non-fiction book STAYS on the topic of the title and focuses on a narrow band of information in detail and record, the better it becomes. Here he wanders into immense historical tangent and entire past era 10 or 12 page "other" information. Not at all focused on the practice of the title except to a minute portion of a supposition upon the "possibility" and a history interpretation, for the most part, that has little or nothing to do with the topic subject except in a far tangent sense. As if you had to teach the entire alphabet to your child, ever time you read a chapter of their bedtime story book to them. And what he chooses to pick for the "instruction" tangent? Well, it's more about his own soapbox or two than it is anything at all in strictures or patterns of cannibal practice described.

What did I learn? Only the size differential and special parts adaptions of certain broods coming from the same batch of fertilization. And a couple other minor bird and fossilized feces study facts.

The second half of the book was a 2 at the most.

This is not hard science and it is mostly taught theory or entire tracts of guessing suppositions. But what proof and evidence in it was interesting to me.

Because I try to keep up with the anthropology and forensics literature, studies, further interpreted copy upon the homo species especially- this reciting all the half accurate "past" proofs or finds recited histories was not a fit for me. Sometimes he spent pages and pages to "teach" what is theory and not at all proven but which he has swallowed whole piece himself. And the definitions are also murky in those chapters too. No more so than in his era categories and homo species crossover information that he tells "as assumed" truth. All homo category populations do and have practiced cannibalism under dire circumstances. And earlier homo species and modern man in tribal conflicts have almost all done so as well. He makes it sounds an exception when it never was. The section on prion diseases, I also found questionable to completely "true". Kuru disease is the one attached to cannibal practices and as a group those diseases are not as simplistic (or as related to eating brains either) as he makes it out to be.

Not a fan of any non-fiction that has a narrow focus in the title, and then doesn't stay on that focus. He also tried to entertain in a kind of garish dark humor that often fell awkwardly. But the first half had some nifty drawings and proofs for nature in how it has evolved to have the best offspring survive bad situations (like a quickly drying puddle).

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the rare non-fiction that is compulsively readable. The author has an irreverent tone, which was the perfect match for this topic. There were more than a few minutes that I chuckled at a delightful turn of phrase. For instance, here is a brief description of a cannibalistic spider mating dance:

"By now, if the female hasn't already eaten the male (which can put a serious dent into all of this foreplay) the spiders briefly assume 'Gerhardt's position 3'. To visualize this, picture two people in the missionary position. Now tweak the imagery a bit so that the guy is approximately the size of your favorite throw pillow. Okay, now add another eight limbs. (All right, maybe you shouldn't picture this.)"

The book focuses on cannibalism across multiple species. The early sections involve fish eating their own eggs or recently hatched fish munching on their siblings. Then there are the not infrequent instances of male lions and bears eating cubs.

Each chapter focuses on a type of cannibalism. For most of the animal kingdom chapters, I appreciated that underpinning the narrative was a strong focus on the biological rationale and the survival advantage it provided. It was also surprising to learn just how frequent cannibalism or "conspecific predation" is in the animal kingdom. Although, the author was careful to point out cases where the evidence was weak or where there was dissension in the scientific ranks.

Once the narrative moved to human cannibalism, the author explored both the cultural as well as biological implications. Not all cultures viewed cannibalism as inherently evil or unnatural, although that didn't stop Western explorers (looking at you, here, Columbus) from labeling groups as cannibals as an excuse to enslave them and overrun their islands.

The book ended with some of the downsides of cannibalism, particularly the instance of kuru in humans and BSE in cows. The sections were well-written and briefly summarized the much more extensive Deadly Feasts: Tracking the Secrets of a Terrifying New Plague.

Overall this was a fast-paced, well-written book with an interesting breadth of topics across the animal kingdoms and a strong scientific underpinning.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Cannibalism' was by far my favorite book to research and write, and I'm thrilled and flattered at the response from readers and reviewers alike. Next up, is a rather unique take on the natural history of the heart and circulatory system. Unlike cannibalism though, I had no idea that the topic would lead me down so many weird paths. Look for in Fall 2021.
Cheers and thank you for your support!
Bill

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finals and the mental slog of having finished my first year of law school, I needed something light, fun, and airy.

Enter cannibalism. I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me relax like eating people. (I am a Soylent convert, after all).

Fascinating, original, comprehensive, and refreshing, this is a very well-done book. The beginning runs a little slower- it’s a little hard to get excited about tadpoles and tiny water flea things, I know- but it sets the mental and evolutionary groundwork for the more interesting human parts later, so read it. Also, it’s actually interesting after you set your mind to it.

Overall, just a very clever, intriguing history. Must-read for any aspiring cannibal.

[K.J. Charles]

A very interesting read from a biologist--funny and personal and non-sensationalised. The British title is Eat Me, which is so much better. Takes a very reasonable attitude to cultural variance and non Western attitudes. Even better, the only account of cannibalism that's dwelt on in an anthropological "look at these people like specimens" way is of the peculiar modern cannibal subculture that's developed in the USA, with a description of a middle-class mum serving placenta for dinner. This passage is hilarious.

Lots of grounding in animal behaviour, no dwelling on psychopaths, a very thoughtful book with a lot of delightfully and grimly fascinating stuff. Reminds you we're all meat machines, really. But not in a bad way.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

My brain feels like it's going to explode with all the knowledge i've packed into it from reading this book so quickly.

Accessible, well written, avoids being sensational. A lot of interesting history. Maybe i'll write a better review one day, maybe not, but I am very glad to have read this book and definitely recommend it.

[Alex Sarll]

By turns hilarious and horrific, this book will have you quoting curious facts at people like a ghoulish child given The Bumper Book Of Cannibal Facts by an imprudent aunt. And if those people don't edge away from you, you know the right people. Consider curious amphibian order the caecilians, some of whom lay eggs and some birth live young, but all of whom consume non-lethal quantities of their mothers in early life. Or that eating the placenta is thoroughly ubiquitous among those mammals who have them - except for humans, and camelids. True, certain hippyish fractions of the middle-class are trying to upend that exception (though presumably not because they want to differentiate themselves from alpacas), which obviously gives Schutt an excuse to put his mouth where his money is and chow down. How does it taste? Well, I can't give everything away here, can I?

Broadly speaking, the book's divided in two, covering animal cannibalism first before moving on to people - though of course the BSE scandal, with which Schutt concludes at a little too much length, ultimately bridges both via the kuru links. But many themes recur throughout - most notably the widespread Western repulsion at the very notion, which has manifested both in a lack of proper research into the topic until quite recently, and in using cannibal panics as a convenient shield for the expropriation of everyone from mediaeval Jews to indigenous populations. Indeed, it even manages to twist back on itself in the latter-day notion that there have never been societies where cannibalism was standard and it has always been a calumny - a claim which at once ignores vast swathes of evidence, and demonstrates exactly the same hegemonising notion of universal moral norms which it affects to oppose. There are some quite affecting and emotionally plausible quotes here from members of tribes in Brazil and New Guinea who are as appalled by the notion of putting dead loved ones in the damp, unwelcoming earth or leaving them for the maggots and worms as we'd be by serving them up at the wake. And even away from the wild places of the Earth there's a fascinating chapter on China, where the Western taboo has never had the same hold even before you consider how many apocalyptic famines that land has seen; there, cannibalism as an act of filial piety has a long and surprising history which mirrors the tendency among some fish to eat a few of the kids (because, after all, they have plenty left) or indeed all of them (especially if there aren't many left because, after all, at that point they're probably not going to make it anyway). And this sense of correspondences is something else which recurs throughout, though Schutt never fully interrogates it. It's suggested that those peculiar snails which fire love darts at their intendeds may have inspired the notion of Cupid's arrows - but given how inept the ancients could be at observing nature even on a much larger scale, is that really likely? In many ways it would be more plausible to suggest (as per that wonderful line about birth metaphors in Carey's Lucifer) that Cupid is the reality for which these snails are the metaphor. Or simply that the human mind is powerfully adapted to find echoes and parallels all over the shop.

Amongst many surprising chapters, perhaps the most startling is the one on cannibalistic medicine - in which we learn how cures such as mummy powder and skull moss persisted in the West until a lot later than you'd think, even while eating the dead in a non-medical sense was being used as a convenient excuse for annihilating the barbarous Caribs et al. The black comedy is only amplified when it turns out that the idea of mummy powder as a curative in the first place probably stemmed from a translation error. Oops. However, despite his frequent and very fair jabs at unscientific fits of morality, and despite opening with a Hannibal Lecter quote and a section on Ed Gein, Schutt later falls prey to the former and neglects the likes of the latter two, mostly dodging the topic of cannibal serial or spree killers. He claims rather flimsily that this is out of sensitivity to the victims and not wanting to glorify "psychopaths" already amply covered elsewhere. Which is uncharacteristically feeble, not least in lumping the scrupulously consensual cannibal Armin Meiwes in with the genuinely evil. And what about Sawney Bean? Surely his victims' families are all safely under the sod now, and I'd consider him the joint most notorious historical cannibal with the Donner party, who are covered in a fair amount of detail. Still, that fumble aside this is a great read.

(Refused on Netgalley, got a physical review copy instead. Go me)

[RKanimalkingdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to make people look twice? Read this book daringly in public. You're guaranteed to get head's turning.

What can I say about this book? It's exactly what it says it is, the history of cannibalism. Bill Schutt takes a scientific and culture approach to this so taboo topic. We first warm ourselves by seeing how nature views this "taboo" only to learn that nature could care less. In the world of eat or be eaten, you use everything you can to survive, even if that mean you eat your own undeveloped siblings. Schutt goes to show in nature how creatures have evolved to best survive and feed, even if that mean they must resort to eating their own species. He also brings up interesting dinner table conversations such as:
If a species resorts to cannibalism as a means to survive, is it still taboo?

What if the victim doesn't die but has evolved a tougher skin that its offspring eats in order to grow? In this case, no one dies nor is unwilling. Is it still wrong, especially if growth rate and thus, survival rate is higher?

What about species that live life normally but then sacrifice themselves during the mating process (talk about dedication 0.0)

Ultimately, Schutt concludes that when it comes to nature, cannibalism occurs under certain conditions: 1. Means of survival 2. Starvation 3. Mating and all it's intricacies 4. Dominance (but not so frequent). He also debunks a lot of myths that surround many animals such as the praying mantis and polar bears. However, when it comes to humans, turns out we're much more darker which by now shouldn't be a shocker to anyone.

Like I said, Schutt clearly states that this book is only approaching the topic from a scientific and cultural view. So put your excitement away film and horror fanatics. This book isn't discussing that.
Yet, after the halfway mark, we start to look at humans, and things get gruesome. One of the most foreboding uses of cannibalism to learn about was not the actual act of cannibalism but how it was used as essentially a weapon.

We often see in movies and books how explorers fall onto the Island where a tribe is living and this tribe sudden turn out to be cannibals. It's a trope used over and over again but has very dark route. You see, a lot of these so called "cannibal tribes" may just be a whole bunch of falsified propaganda. That's right ladies and gentlemen. When the Spanish were off "exploring" the new world, they stumbled onto the indigenous population. Upon asking Queen Isabel on what to do, she basically said "If they're not Catholic nor following the laws of Catholicisms not willing to convert, then only exert force on them" A bit cruel and harsh but religious freedom and diversity were not really present in those times. So did out Spanish explorers heed her words? No, they didn't. They manipulated her words into their advantage. Suddenly areas they had their eyes on or had resources were inhabited by "savage cannibals" that needed to be "educated" But are we surprised by that?

Reading that chapter really made me think which was worse, cannibalism or using it as a means to extort colonialism?

Schutt goes into describing some infamous incidents of cannibalism in our history. Why they occurred. What caused them/led up to it. How it was tampered with by the media. And what new information historians have uncovered. Turns out, most "dark and gruesome" incidents are fluffed up by media or hidden by the government. (It's always one or the other). Schutt also explains why some cultures view it as taboo while others have accepted the strenuous conditions under which cannibalism occurs into their culture.

Ultimately, it's a book that's trying to show that cannibalism isn't as unnatural as we make it out to be. He's obviously not advocating for it but rather stating that it happens and that it shouldn't really shock us. In other words, stop making it the taboo topic to have over dinner because as it turns out, humans also resort to cannibalism under the same conditions as nature with the exception of a 5th reason - our darker side. We really are no better then nature because the only dividing line is our culture and morals. But put us in extreme situations, and our beast side takes over because despite walking and talking, we still are wild creatures in clothing.