Never cry wolf what does it mean

Mowat's reaction to this was as skeptical as yours probably is, and as mine was --until there were incidents, recorded in the book, that convinced both the author and I that what Ootek claimed is the sober truth. To my knowledge, this discovery has never been seriously followed up by other researchers, and I absolutely think it should be; it's the kind of thing that cries out for more to be known!

Mowat writes with a wonderfully snarky sense of humor in many places which make the book a delight to read, and never boring; but he's also clearly very serious about his love for nature and the professionalism and scientific acumen with which he approached the study of wildlife, and these wolves in particular. And his tone can change in places to deadly earnest, and wrenchingly moving.

As demagogic politicians and prejudiced constituencies today continue their cries to press the War on Wolves to the point of extinction, this book is if anything more timely and relevant than it was when it was first published. It opened my eyes, and I hope it will open the eyes of many more readers. View all 7 comments. Sep 25, Darwin8u rated it really liked it Shelves: As a influential environmental book, it is probably a wild success.

My kids loved it for all the wrong reasons and I probably hate parts of it for all the wrong reasons. So, yes, I'm glad I read it, but I also recognize that it wasn't perfect sorry, not many Darwins out there.

View 1 comment. Shelves: humor , reviewed , z , zz-5star , non-fiction , favorites , nature , readbooks-male-author-or-illust , 1-also-at-librarything , biography. I love the true story of a man who goes to study wolf behavior for the Canadian government and finds the unexpected. I got very attached to those wolves, and learned a great deal about wolf behavior. View all 39 comments. Jul 05, Greer rated it it was ok Shelves: books.

I picked this up due to fond memories of viewing the movie in biology class. In this book, naturalist Farley Mowat chronicles his experiences observing wolves in the Canadian barrenlands I have mixed feelings about the book.

On the plus side: it presented a positive image of wolves and stirred interest in their preservation. However, as a scientist I'm put off by the embellishments Mowat throws in both to make the story more entertaining and to sway the reader toward his point I picked this up due to fond memories of viewing the movie in biology class. However, as a scientist I'm put off by the embellishments Mowat throws in both to make the story more entertaining and to sway the reader toward his point of view even though I hold similar beliefs.

There are some non-fiction books where stretching the truth doesn't bother me. An example of this is Bill Bryson's travel writing. Bryson will embellish in order to capture the essence of a person or place, or to add humor. But I'm not expecting a historical account of what happened on his trip -- one of the reasons I read Bryson is to get his impressions, rather than an absolutely factual account. With wildlife observation, on the other hand, I'd like an author to exercise some scientific rigor.

Mowart has defended his approach by positing that we should never let facts interfere with the truth. I'd counter this with a quote from another biologist Thomas Henry Huxley : "The great tragedy of Science: the slaying of a beatiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. In the end this book made me want to read a more accurate book about wolves View 2 comments. A true adventure book. Aug 27, Jim rated it really liked it Shelves: 2non-fiction , 1paper. Crazy, but absolutely amazing. That pretty much describes the book.

It's fascinating. Little of this context was given by Mowat in his "Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves" — which is nonetheless an acknowledged classic, and a very entertaining book to read. I really enjoyed rereading it. I was writing subjective non-fiction all along" And there are tells along the way: an apex predator subsisting largely on field mice? Absorbing reading, poignant — and very funny. One of his best books, I think. As a polemic, it was also a success, helping to change the public view of wolves to a more positive one, and aiding in wolf-conservation efforts.

I would have preferred if Mowat had acknowledged this stuff up front. But it is what it is: a book and writer of its time, and it did help The Cause. Sep 10, Amanda Hupe rated it it was amazing Shelves: reads , summer-readingconservation. It is one part memoir, one part adventure, one part scientific journalism, and another part nature nonfiction. Can I add humor to this?

You know what, I am adding it. There were a few lines that made me laugh. Farley Mowat is an environmentalist that was sent to study the wolves that were viciously attacking large herds of caribou. What he discovers is quite the opposite. While some of the details of this book have been criticized, it still makes a point. We have often portrayed wolves as ruthless killers. How many movies, books, and folklore tales have wolves as the villain?

So many. This book is meant to give credit where credit is due. We now have evidence that we actually need wolves to maintain ecosystems. They helped him learn how to live in the harsh environment and the wisdom they have of the area including information about the animals and nature.

I love how he respected and wanted to learn from them. I also loved how he viewed the wolves. He meticulously studied the family unit which was led by George. Mowat named him George to make reading the novel a little easier. He had a mate. Wolves will actually mate for life. If a mate dies, they have been known to take a new mate. But they normally partner for life. This partnership had a few pups in tow.

He watched as the parents taught them how to hunt. He also watched them play together as a family. But who could forget about Uncle Albert, another male in the family unit?! He often helped care for the pups. His love story with a husky is detailed as well.

While I see why many people criticized this book, I still absolutely loved it. It helps shine a light on the family-oriented wolves and tries to steer people away from the villainous portrayals. And it made me happy that wolves are one of my favorite animals. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I'd forgotten how good this book was. In the s, Mowat finds himself tasked to learn about the wolves of the north woods which are supposedly wiping out the caribou population.

In a series of hilarious events, he finds himself alone in I'd forgotten how good this book was. I can't recommend it highly enough. Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf is a classic of environmental, wildlife and adventure literature -- beautifully written, funny and moving all the way to its gorgeous final pages, which, I admit, made me cry. A marvelous film of the same title was made from this book in , which I would also highly recommend, if you've never seen it.

Of course, it's no substitute for this book, but is excellent in its own right. The book starts out as a sort of MASH-like satire on the nonsensical bureaucracies of Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf is a classic of environmental, wildlife and adventure literature -- beautifully written, funny and moving all the way to its gorgeous final pages, which, I admit, made me cry.

The book starts out as a sort of MASH-like satire on the nonsensical bureaucracies of the Canadian government, as field scientist Mowat finds himself on the floor of the desolate frozen tundra after a harrowing ride in a spit-and-gum plane helmed by an eccentric pilot.

Set down there with an impossibly massive bulk of expensive government scientific and survival gear and some foul clandestine hooch, Mowat's mission is one that is decidedly anti-wolf. In the course of gathering data about wolf behavior that is ostensibly designed to prove them to be senseless, bloodthirsty, excessively destructive killing machines -- and thus justifiable fodder for destruction themselves -- Mowat instead finds them to be social, highly evolved beings whose imprint on the environment is light and beneficial.

Debate over the authenticity of this book has raged for decades, and it's hard to know how much of it is true or made up out of whole-cloth. He is saved by the local Ootek that is traveling with his dog sledding. He builds a shelter for Tyler and organizes his supplies. Tyler finds two wolves that he calls George and Angeline and their three offspring and he examines his excrement to learn what they eat.

Soon he discovers that the wolves eat only mice and Tyler decides to do the same to prove to the government that the wolves do not eat caribous. Ootek returns with his friend Mike that speaks English and translates what Ootek say.

The trio stays together and Tyler learns that Mike is a hunter. Mike travels with Ootek by canoe to see a herd of caribou that is attacked by a pack of wolves. Tyler examines the bones and finds that the animal was diseased, proving that the wolves are responsible for keeping the caribou strong as told by Ootek. English Intermediate. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge.

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Log in. English English. Never Cry Wolf Definition in the dictionary English. Never Cry Wolf.