Crap Taxidermy

7:00 pm 4 July 2014

Received via NetGalley and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an completely unbiased review.
Crap Taxidermy makes the promise of an entertaining and comedic read concerning distasteful and terribly positioned taxidermist “art”. The author starts off by explaining that taxidermy can come in two speeds: well done, and crap – you can guess which the book focuses on. Regardless of the author’s note that the book does not mean to be disrespectful, but rather shine a humorous light on the strange and unique works. The author includes quite a few photos: all of which are high-definition and full color.

Although I may have giggled a few times, the book overall only ensured my dislike of taxidermy practices. The author includes a segment at the very end to aid the reader in developing their own taxidermist skills. I wish I hadn’t read that segment, or really picked up this book. I’ve always thought that becoming worm food is the worst thing that could happen to my body after I die – but I’ve discovered that if I were to fall into a taxidermist’s hands the fate would be much worse.

I’ll admit that this subject is not meant for the faint of heart, and my own sense of humour is rather far from the base that the author is developing on. If you have a morbid sense of humour, or are not a “bleeding heart”, this will probably fascinate you as a quick read. It’s also highly educational on what taxidermy is, what skills are required for the profession and a crude description of “home taxidermy” with general household tools. If you have the stomach, it’s worth the read: but if you’ve got issues with death and corpse mutilation this may not be for you.

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Crap Taxidermy