Mean and Lowly Things: Snakes, Science, and Survival in the Congo

In 2005 Kate Jackson ventured into the remote swamp forests of the northern Congo to collect reptiles and amphibians. Her camping equipment was rudimentary, her knowledge of Congolese customs even more so. She knew how to string a net and set a pitfall trap, but she never imagined the physical and cultural difficulties that awaited her.

Culled from the mud-spattered pages of her journals, Mean and Lowly Things reads like a fast-paced adventure story. It is Jackson’s unvarnished account of her research on the front lines of the global biodiversity crisis—coping with interminable delays in obtaining permits, learning to outrun advancing army ants, subsisting on a diet of Spam and manioc, and ultimately falling in love with the strangely beautiful flooded forest.

The reptile fauna of the Republic of Congo was all but undescribed, and Jackson’s mission was to carry out the most basic study of the amphibians and reptiles of the swamp forest: to create a simple list of the species that exist there—a crucial first step toward efforts to protect them. When the snakes evaded her carefully set traps, Jackson enlisted people from the villages to bring her specimens. She trained her guide to tag frogs and skinks and to fix them in formalin. As her expensive camera rusted and her Western soap melted, Jackson learned what it took to swim with the snakes—and that there’s a right way and a wrong way to get a baby cobra out of a bottle.

Customer Reviews:

The Real Congo

Creepy crawly creatures are the least of Kate Jackson's worries when she travels to the Congo to advance her study of herpetology. The singularly unresponsive African bureaucracy, utterly wilting heat and damp, and the near-impossibility of getting around in a country where paved roads are little more than a memory are every bit as threatening as the most dangerous slithering serpent. This well-told account of Jackson's travels in the Congo is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what it's really like to slog through the jungle.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

2008-09-14

A fascinating read for anyone

I'm no herpetologist but I couldn't put this book down! The author has a real knack for weaving together the details of how to do science with the excitement of real discoveries. She brings alive the magic of science, travel, survival, interacting with other cultures, and curiosity for how the world works. A great read!

2008-08-30

I'm no herpetologist, but I loved this book!

I found Kate Jackson's "Mean and Lowly Things" both interesting and informative. I thought Jackson did a great job combining the scientific aspect of her work with the very human aspect of her research. For those of us that may not find it very exciting mucking around in swamps the interpersonal relationships between Kate and those she worked with were very captivating. Even when the focus was on the failed fish nets and drop buckets there was always a very human element to it! In a backhanded way I even learned something about snakes and frogs!

2008-08-29

Fairly intersting acount

The author is obviously a very courageous and dedicated person in pursuit of scaly critters. However, I would doubt that her adventures would be of much interest to anyone but another herpetologist. Her accounts of overcoming African bureaucracy, sloth and idiocy are pretty frustrating and not very enjoyable. My main feeling after finishing this account is my determination never to go there.

2008-08-29

Intrepid Adventure

"To understand the world, we must understand mean and lowly things." - Aristotle

Kate Jackson recounts her expeditions with the flare of the best natural field scientists from Jane Goodall to Frank Buck - every bit as fascinating and courageous. Scientific exploration - hardships, danger, daring, mysteries, accomplishment, exotic cultural surprises. Including a glimpse into modern scientific camaraderie around the world and government bureaucratic malfeasance. Highly recommended glimpse of an intrepid person enjoying herself physically and intellectually.

"No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life." -Samuel Goldwyn

2008-06-19