This book explains the mystery of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman, the creature that has left mysterious footprints in Himalayan snows. The book also explores why people are so fascinated with the possibility that a wild hominoid might still reclusively live (the idea of a wild humanity alive in people's hopes). Here also is the extraordinary story of one man's conservation impact-a quest for mysterious animal caused him to lead in creating two massive national parks around Mount Everest, one in China/Tibet and one in Nepal.

This book narrates how the author explores much of the 2,000-mile breadth of the Himalaya, from his childhood in India to his work years in Nepal, China/Tibet, and Bhutan. From 1956 until 2015 he visited almost all valley systems. The book recounts his ascents of Himalayan summits and even a first descent of a major river, Nepal's Sun Kosi.

This book not only explains scientifically the Yeti and describes a range of Himalayan animals and plants, it also brings forward a wide scope of ecological understanding. Significant among these is the author's postulate about bioresilience as a parallel dynamic to biodiversity. Additionally, the author explores what it means (and how important it is) for people to be part of 'the wild' in today's increasingly domesticated world. Taylor's breadth of Himalayan knowledge is massive, the story captivating and full of surprises-and what he has accomplished includes discovering' the Yeti as well as creating two huge national parks.

Oxford University Press, 2018.
ISBN: 9780199469383. 388 pp.
Hardcover. Very good in a good+ jacket.