Review by Choice Review
If ever a book lived up to its title and subtitle, this one, an interesting and readable history of zoos and the influences on their development in the US, certainly does. Hanson (Rockefeller Univ.) discusses the changes in zoo housing (bars and pits to more natural settings), the relationship to parks and circuses (some circus animals used to winter in zoos), the influence of European ideas, decisions about which animals to include (every zoo wants an elephant), the history of wild animal trading, and changes in the availability of animals, the relationship of zoos to scientists, zoo-led expeditions to capture animals, and a discussion of animal rights. Throughout, readers will be introduced to historically important figures (such as William Temple Hornaday, influential in founding both the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, and the Bronx Zoo) and historically important zoos. This is a scholarly work--there are more than 40 pages of notes (the index is adequate). There are many photographs of historical interest, including photos of relevant documents from the past. A valuable addition to zoologically oriented libraries, and an essential addition to libraries serving historians of science in the US. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. M. LaBar Southern Wesleyan University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
