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In this book, Minton shares some of his many experiences, from being on a navy ship when it was hit by a Kamikaze plane, to diving with sea snakes in the South Pacific; chasing geckos in the Sind Desert and
treating people with tropical diseases in Central America. This is a modest account of the full and exciting life of this gifted man, a physician; father of modern Indiana herpetology; expert in toxinology, sea
snakes, and snake bite; and devoted husband and father. The life and career of this unusual man were fascinating. Growing up in New Albany, a small town in his beloved southern Indiana, he decided to become a
herpetologist. His father, a U.S. Senator, disapproved of his career choice and gave his son the option of becoming a lawyer or a medical doctor-Minton chose the latter. Throughout all of his travels, Minton
collected information about amphibians and reptiles, and published more than 150 herpetological papers and books. Two popular books, $IVenomous Reptiles$I and $IGiant Reptiles$I, coauthored by his wife and
lifelong assistant, Madge Rutherford Minton, have been staples for the younger generation of herpetologists. He also wrote $IA Contribution to the Herpetology of West Pakistan$I, which remains the most definitive
book on the subject to date. |
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$I"If you want to know more about one of the icons in herpetology, toxinology and medicine of the past 60 years, you will want to read this wonderful book."$I--David L. Hardy, Sr., $ISonoran
Herpetologist$I, 14 (10) 2001
$I"Fascinating book, hard to put down. A must for anyone interested in reptiles."$I--Debbie Hosley, $IAnimals Exotic and Small Magazine$I, November 2001
$I"Anyone interested in herpetology and remarkable life spent pursuing it will want to read this book. Keep it on a nearby bookshelf for a later time when you again need to be inspired and reminded about two
very important aspects of our lives: love and reptiles."$I--Raymond Novotny, $IBulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society$I, 2002
$I"This book gives a superb insight into the life of a herpetologist
in the 'early years.' It is both interesting and informative and makes a pleasant change, and some 'light relief' from the usual herpetological textbooks."$I--Alan H. Wilkie, $IThe Herptile$I, Dec. 2001
$I"I highly recommend this book to herpetologists, those interested in the history of natural history, and those curious about what drives naturalists to do what they do.$I"--Joseph C. Mitchell,
$IHerpetological Review$I, 33(3), 2002 |
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