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| ProdID: 9311 - Stoatally FascinatedWritten byCarolyn King | Product Score: 9.5 |
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On the title page of Stoatally Fascinated there is a descriptor of what to expect in the book: "A memoir of a lifetime's study of weasels and stoats". It traces the long involvement of Carolyn King with the world of mustelids and their place in the ecological system, first in the UK, and later in New Zealand. An early setback due to a thoughtless teacher's criticism was overcome when she began working with other, more empathetic, teachers who encouraged her to explore her interests and pursue her studies in her chosen field of zoology. This made her realise that dedication to her work and the support of academic colleagues were vital factors for success. |
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I was drawn to this book by learning that the author was almost discouraged from pursuing her chosen path because of unwarranted criticism by a teacher when she was still very young and impressionable. Luckily, there were many other people in her life who did believe in her and restored her confidence. I remember that devastating effect myself as I too had a teacher like that - and many years after completing my education I still had regular nightmares about that teacher. Fortunately, Carolyn King bounced back, as I did, and went on to succeed in her professional field. The text is accessible to general readers which means those who are not familiar with mustelids can enjoy it as a fascinating biography while learning much interesting information about these creatures. I will admit to not realising the differences between stoats and weasels, although I did know that ferrets were much bigger. Depending on which country she was working in, King studied both stoats and weasels so was able to examine their differences as well as the aspects they held in common. I now have a much better understanding of these interesting creatures. Since this is a biography combining both aspects of the zoologist's own life journey, her work, and her personal development, it would be an inspirational read for any young person aiming at a career in something they would enjoy. As King assures the reader, hard work ceases to be a burden when you are involved in a project you have chosen to do. It is less about the remuneration and work conditions and more about the job satisfaction and sense of fulfilment - together with the knowledge that you are contributing to the body of knowledge in your specialist field. And incidentally, I learned a new word in the process: blastocyst! I passed the book on to a friend for his opinion; he is a university student, but keen on going on tramps in the bush and hill country when he has some down time. He was fascinated by the fieldwork undertaken in Wytham which was carried out on horseback, and interested to find that the conservation theme was ever present in the background. Although this is not a book about conservation as such, it is one of the underlying aspects of any wildlife study. He especially enjoyed the way in which King describes attaining her lifetime goal in spite of the damage inflicted by the thoughtless comments of Miss Hickton. He was horrified at the idea that any teacher could be so unprofessional; his own experiences of school were all positive. I understand that the cost of book production is a factor in the final formatting. However, I would really like to have seen some of the graphics shown as full-page pictures. There was one - the DSIR Ecology Division Christmas party poem - that was so small that I had to photograph it and then enlarge the result before I could read the words. This was the one disappointment in an otherwise extremely interesting book. I appreciated the inclusion of a chapter dedicated to King's other published works. A brief description of each is given, enough to encourage the interested reader to explore further. They are academic in nature, unlike Stoatally Fascinated which is aimed at a wider audience and written in a largely conversational manner. It was issued as a companion volume to her previous publication, Stoat in the Dock: The Ecology and Management of Invasive Mustelids. After reading her synopsis, I am encouraged to seek out Stoat in the Dock myself. Something to look forward to! |
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| Printed at 11:54:22pm on Thursday 21st May 2026 |
