Baron tells the story well. Even though you know where the book is headed, you are still gripped by the narrative; you still hope the fatal ending Baron has already told you about in the beginning of the book might still be averted. The author also weaves several historical and biological asides into the story that smartly explain it. The significance of mountain lion attacks on dogs, for example, is made far more ominous because Baron has told the reader of the mountain lion's previous relationship with wolves.

The author has his prejudices, but it's hard not to agree with him after reading the book. He strongly believes that nature's relationship with man must be managed. He convinces the reader that whatever we call the environmental policies that helped animals like the mountain lion return to Boulder (and elsewhere in the U.S.) in the 1980s, it is not a return to an original state of nature as it existed before white settlers so much as it is a whole new world. And that new world has its own rules that are different from those in the past. Not understanding that will force us to learn some painful lessons.


If You Love This Planet, Read This Book!   January 11, 2004
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

A friend of mine heard an interview with author David Baron on NPR. What impressed him was how balanced and objective his view was. My friend immediately bought two copies of The Beast In The Garden, one for himself and one for me. The whole question of how humans can live with wildlife is a highly charged emotional issue on both sides. As I made my way deep into the bowels of this book I realized how utterly ignorant and naive I was. The author manages to examine the story of human interactions with magnificent but hungry wild animals with extraordinary intelligence . He conveys his passion for Nature at the same time that he maintains his objectivity.

Shortly after I finished reading this book, a mountain lion killed 35-year old cyclist Mark Reynolds whose body was found after another cougar attack along a popular trail in the Orange County Foothills. The lion had dragged Reynolds off the trail and his body went undetected for many hours. The cougar, protective of its partially buried prey, later mauled another passing biker. Anne Hjelle, 30, was rescued by her riding companion (who hung onto her leg) and other trail bikers as she was being dragged by the head into the brush.

My 35 year old son and his girlfriend also ride in areas where they have seen mountain lions and now they are reading this book. It is clear that we human predators will need to change our habits if we wish to share the landscape with other highly evolved predators. You will see the world with wiser eyes after reading this book!

Suza Francina, former mayor of Ojai, California, spokesperson for sustainable lifestyles and author, The New Yoga for People Over 50 and Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause


Incredible! Are there six stars?   November 28, 2003
 38 out of 40 found this review helpful

I am an author who has written about man-eating lions for Men's Journal and have researched the subject extensively. NO ONE has written as well and authentically as David Baron. This is an extraordinary book that manages to thread the needle, avoiding sensationalism, but also not shying away from critiquing the more environmentally pc among us. It is an extraordinary piece of writing, a literary work of non-fiction that deserves a wide readership far beyond those interested in predators and adventure journalism. Read the book. Buy the book. Give the book. One of the very best pieces of non-fiction you could hope to acquire.


Outstanding book...   November 13, 2003
 24 out of 24 found this review helpful

This is an outstanding book about the relationship between humans and mountain lions. The story centers on a jogger tragically killed (and partially eaten) by a mountain lion that had become habituated to humans. In the process of telling the story (a factual event), the author describes the history and evolution of mountain lions, their historical relationships with humans, lion behavior, the problems encountered when humans and mountain lions move into each others' habitats, and how the two can coexist. The author does a great job of tying everything together in a work that is both very informative and highly readable.

I highly recommend this book! It is one of the best books I have read in a long time.