No snake kills with more ruthless efficiency than the many-banded krait, which dwells in the jungles of India and Southeast Asia. Drop for drop, its venom is the deadliest of any land serpents apart from a few rare species found only in the outback of Australia. One bite of the krait carries enough concentrated toxin to kill two dozen grown men.
Thus begins the spellbinding tale of “The Snake Charmer.” This lively piece of narrative nonfiction, written by Jamie James, deftly weaves the story of Joe Slowinski, noted herpetologist.
Slowinski was a daredevil from the moment he took his first step. He didn’t just want to observe animals, according to the author, “he wanted to posses them.” Growing up, Slowinski had a menagerie of animals, both domestic and wild, to observe and research, up close. He joined The Heart of America Geology Club when he was eleven years old, paving the way toward a lifelong fascination and interest in science.
In 1992, Slowinski accepted a post doc at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Although Joe’s personal beliefs were not in sync with the state of Louisiana, he began to enjoy the local cuisine and even learned to cook a few Cajun and Creole dishes. He also went snake hunting (hunting for herps) with his buddy in the De Soto National Forest, but first they always stopped to buy beer. His buddy recalled that Joe Slowinski was always into the image of being a ‘redneck herper.’
Some herpetologists are keenly aware of the dangers involved in studying snakes and exercise an extreme amount of caution when handling reptiles. Unfortunately, Joe Slowinski was not one of those scientists. Slowinski seemed to throw caution to the wind when working in the field with snakes. Being bitten by snakes was just part of the daily job in Slowinski’s estimation.
As an academic, Joe Slowinski experienced a great deal of frustration in achieving recognition for his abilities. The time came when he was finally rewarded and went from being an untenured professor at Southeastern Louisiana University to being part of an international scientific team at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco. In his interview when asked about fieldwork, they told Joe to “pick your spot.” At the time, Joe Slowinski had conducted field research in the wilds of Burma and it was an area that was primitive in terms of exploration. Joe Slowinski was eager to become a herpetologist for a major science academy.
Conducting research in Burma proved to be a difficult challenge for Slowinski and the other scientists involved--to begin with there were difficulties in receiving permission from the government, then of course there were the inherent challenges in working in the fields of Burma with difficult weather, language barriers, and more. These challenges might be enough to keep some scientists away, but not Joe Slowinski! The more challenges he faced, it seemed the more pleased he was.
Joe Slowinski’s last trip to Burma in the fall of 2001 was a fatal one. With a team of scientists, he led the most ambitious expedition ever conducted in the country. On the trail, Joe Slowinski reached into a bag of snakes and was bitten by the deadly krait. Being far removed from civilization the team stood by Joe and administered what little help they were capable of, for thirty grueling hours. Rescue efforts were attempted, but it proved to be too late, Joe Slowinski died.
This book is a profound read and is as much for the adventurer as for the armchair explorer. Even though the reader knows the ending from reading the book jacket, the book is a page-turner and will have you in suspense from the first page to the last--read this book!
The above review was contributed by: Shelley Bueche: Shelley is a nonfiction book reviewer for Book Pleasures and a number of other media-related outlets. She enjoys reading memoirs, books about Texas and books with canine-related themes. Shelley is a freelance reporter and writes children’s book for the educational market. For more information, visit her website. Click Here to read Shelley's reviews.
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