October 19, 2009
Ellis, the self-trained wolf behaviorist featured on TV's Living with the Wolfman, has spent years living, literally, with wolves in the U.S. and England: eating what they do (raw meat), fitting into their pack, meeting challenges from other pack-members, and more. Ellis describes in detail (some repetitive) the astonishing rigors of living with wolves; readers might ask why one would stick with the pack after sustaining bites, knockout blows, and other injuries, but Ellis maintains that fulfilling his "overwhelming need to find out the truth and do whatever I could to help and stand up for these creatures" is reward enough. Ellis's prose is informal and conversational, and his experiences are highly illuminating regarding animals classically met with fear and hatred (an ancient reaction, Ellis notes, rooted in humankind's shift from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming society). Ellis also shares his goals, how they've evolved over years of study, and the challenges of scientists who disapprove of his methods; among well-earned observations of the natural world, Ellis also includes stories from his own life and family, as well useful information for dog owners.
September 1, 2009
The wolfman reveals his human side.
Living with the Wolfman star Ellis teams with veteran ghostwriter Junor (My Life, My Way, 2009, etc.) to share his life story. Born in a remote village on England's northeastern coast, Ellis lived most of his youth with his farming grandparents, from whom he learned essential values about order in the animal kingdom. Two early deaths proved formative to Ellis's ethic that more civilized behavior is often found in the forest: that of the central figure in his life, his grandfather, when the author was 13, and the trapping of a fox kit he had studied for months."Looking back," writes the author,"there is no doubt that the shock of seeing that magnificent young fox—my friend—hanging from that tree left me with a feeling of revulsion for my own kind and a desire to distance myself from the human race." This tension of being caught between worlds permeates much of the book, which centers on the many empirical conclusions about wolf behavior that he drew from months of living with them in the wilds of Idaho, Poland and England. The author's descriptions of his firsthand experiences—a pack's acceptance of him as a lower member; one wolf's sensitivity that forged bonds with an emotionally challenged boy otherwise unable to connect with humans—are more engaging than the polemical lectures on ecology and conservation."Everything has a place in this world," writes Ellis,"and we can't be na™ve enough to think we can safeguard ourselves if we let other species fail."
Occasionally heavy handed, but offers a unique perspective on the intersection of man and wild.
(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
October 13, 2009
This memoir by a wolf behavior expert and the star of Animal Planet's Living with the Wolfman is a story of both a physical and an emotional journey, starting with his childhood in the remote English countryside, through seven years of living within a wolf pack on the Nez Perce Indian reservation in Idaho, to his current home with a wolf pack in a wildlife park. Few humans would be willing, or able, to do what Ellis has done-giving up what we would call a "normal" life to infiltrate and live within a wild wolf pack. Readers may label Ellis as obsessive or just plain crazy, but his story makes for a fascinating and very readable book. One can see why Ellis's dedication to wolves has had an impact on his human relationships, but he remains true to his goal of helping both wild and captive wolf populations and helping to educate humans about wolf behavior. Verdict The book will interest those who are fascinated by wolves and also anyone who sometimes questions the benefits of "progress" in our society. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/09.]-Deborah Emerson, Rochester Regional Lib. Council, Fairport, NY
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 15, 2009
As a boy in rural England, Ellis discovered a kinship with foxes. Flying in the face of rural wisdom that foxes were vermin, Ellis learned all he could about fox behavior. An encounter with a wolf in a regional zoo mesmerized him, and while he was in the British army he read all he could of wolf natural history. But it wasnt until he spent time with the wolves at another zoo that he realized that he could actually integrate himself into a pack. Learning the wolves language allowed him to react in wolf fashion, and this experience led to an internship working with a wolf reintroduction program in Idaho. Moving into the wild to attempt to connect with a wild pack was the logical next step. The story of his two years with the wild pack, even to the point of being accepted as a babysitter for the pups, is both riveting and awe-inspiring. Little tidbits about wolf behavior, such as being able to tell a wolfs rank in the pack by its howl, dot the text, and lead up to Ellis finally setting up and living with his own captive pack of wolves (filmed for Animal Planet). Absolutely fascinating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)