The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild (Elephant Whisperer, 1)

I had received an e-mail from a friend, telling of the elephants coming to his house when Mr. Anthony passed away earlier this year. Being an animal lover, and 'knowing' how intuitive animals are about others - both 4-legged and 2-legged (humans) who have 'connected/bonded' with them, I decided to purchase the book.The book is well written - an easy read - and being involved in the publishing industry as a proof reader, this is a sincere compliment to the publisher. I bought the e-book, (wondering if it was a wise decision), because I have found, in the past, e-books are not always very well edited. Sometimes I wonder if they're just dumped into an e-file and 'published' as an e-book.Enough about the quality of the editing. I would have given the book 5 stars, even if it wasn't top quality - editing wise.This is a wonderful book about a man who is (was) truly one-of-a kind. His caring (love) comes thru in every chapter, for the wild animals on the reserve, and for those who work for him and with him. He doesn't take anyone or anything for granted, and understands sometimes a 'bad' thing happens - even to those who may not (appear) to deserve it - both wild animal and human.His knowledge about animals was obviously gathered over years of living and working with them. I wish I could have met him - he must have had soooo much to share, beyond what was in the book; both about the animals, and the history of this area of Africa where he and his family made their home, and struggled to do so. From what I got from the book, this was not a man with more money than brains, who so decided to 'do something politically correct' with his wealth. He truly belived in what he chose to do, and fund ways to do it.I, also, have experienced the bonding that can take place between animals and humans who truly care about them, so this book touched me in a way it might not touch others, but even if you only read it for the 'facts' - the people and animals who are part of his stories, and the comments on the history and culture in the area, it's well worth reading.You may find yourself laughing, you may find yourself crying, and most certainly you'll aquire a new understanding of the creatures that some call 'dumb animals - just because they don't have the same type of communication that humans have'.This isn't a Nat Geo special, following a herd of Elephants for a year or two (although I'm not putting down the Science and Naure specials) - it's about a lifetime spent dedicated to preserving wild life in it's (formerly) natural habitate, before 'civilizaition' crowded them out to raise cattle and to farm - more profit than letting animals native to the area roam free!The stories (chapters) aren't all warm and fuzzy about cute little animals - these are wild animals, and are allowed to remain wild, not tamed and doing tricks in a circus. Poachers kill rhinos for their tusks - and vultures for their heads, which some of the native people and others believe have 'strong medicine'. He and the rangers working for him do their best to stop the poaching - sometimes in innovative ways - without simply shooting the 'criminals'. Some poach to feed their village, some strictly for profit - all are treated in a way to stop their poaching, without causing them harm.Lately I've been wondering if there are any really good books being written, books that don't rely on blood and gore to catch the reader's attention. Although this one is not 'new', per se, it's at the top of my favorite books of all times. I'd love to go to Thula Thula and 'meet' Nana and her herd, as well as all of the others who live there--well, maybe not the huge croc and the poisonous snakes, but they, too, have their 'jobs' to do, and are allowed to do them.This is non fiction - a true account of a small part of Lawrence Anthony' s life in the bush - and well worth reading. Once you start a Charter, it's hard to put it down until you know the whole story - and then it's hard not to start the next one.

WOW. I read this book at one sitting. Why I picked it I have no idea as I usually read nothing but romance, but something about the cover had me downloading. I am SO GLAD I did. I learned more about Africa and the animals there than I thought possible. I will admit that I read with my heart in my throat. I am so glad there are people like Lawrence but there is no way I could have ever done what he did. To say every day is adventure is putting it mildly. It is a beautiful story about Africa as a world unto itself and the way of life that exist there. I have never understood how a human could kill an animal of any kind and i have always hoped there was a special place in hell just for them. I know there are hunters, etc. but I still just can't understand it. I guess it takes all kinds.I loved this book and all that it taught me. It was funny, educational, at times sad, at times emotional tears, i.e. when the female elephant brings her baby out to meet Lawrence, I was moved to tears. There is a lot more to this story than just the elephant connection. Life in Africa is dangerous and serious. Lawrence was raised in Africa so as an adult he knows more of the culture and ways of the tribes than most would. I was amazed at all the things that go on. It seemed like every day was a major crisis of some kind. I don't know how his heart stood all the stress except that he seemed to love every minute of his chosen vocation. Again, I don't know how they do it but thank God for people like Lawrence. A great read. I definitely recommend it. I am so glad I did.I was not paid for this review. I am not a writer nor do I know one. I am not kin to this author. I am a reader and this is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less. 4/8/18 One reviewer said that Lawrence has since passed away. I hope the proceeds from this book go to help finance the wonderful work he did while alive and what I am pretty sure he is still overseeing from the spirit world. Namaste.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I read it in a couple of days. I found it very interesting learning about this remarkable elephant family. I enjoyed discovering new facts about elephants such as how they communicate with other elephants, what their body language means and how family-oriented and intelligent these creatures truly are. If you are interested in learning more about elephants and their behavior, then this book would be a great choice.The book was not as heartbreaking as I anticipated it would be although there were definitely some sad parts. There were a couple of parts that I had a hard time getting past. I don't want to give too much away but I'm referring to what happened to the matriarch and baby elephant before the transport. And of course Mnumzane's story really affected me. I must say I had a very difficult time forgiving the author for what transpired but I know we all have regrets as he mentioned. I do think there were parts of the book that were tedious and uninteresting like the politics and history of the tribesmen. I was more interested in this elephant family and their relationship with the author. He did specifically mention this book was their story but at times it didn't seem that way.Elephants are my favorite animals because they possess so many emotions that humans do. They are highly-intelligent, social animals. I find them so amazing and fascinating. Learning about them was the best part of this book in my opinion. And I also appreciated all the lessons the author learned from each elephant. Animals can teach us so much. I admire his love and respect for the elephants and all the other animals on his reserve. He was this elephant's family last hope. I appreciate his sacrifice.Lastly, this is very minor...But I did notice some errors in this book. Maybe I'm being too critical but published books should not have any typos or left-out words. That's just my opinion.