Slowinski was a man filled with ambition, intelligence, passion and recklessness.  He dedicated his life  to studying snakes, in particular poisonous snakes. He was acclaimed as one of the most brilliant herpetologists (one who studies that branch of Zoology which relates to reptiles and amphibians, their structure, classifications and habits...courtesy of Merriam-Webster's Dictionary) of his time.

We are given an in detail account of the expedition into the unexplored region of Burma where he met his death.   The account of the expedition is chilling, setting a new standard of misery for scientific expeditions.  Slowinski died deep in the jungle, far removed from any rescue, after being kept alive for 30 hours by his companions.

This is a character study, an adventure story and a look into the world of academic science.  It is a tale about the dangers of overly passionate ambition.  The descriptions of the wildernesses explored are very graphic and terrifying because of their dangers.  The writing is easy to read and very descriptive with many interesting facts about snakes.

There are eight pages of color and eight pages of black and white photos.

This book is a tribute to the spirit of this flamboyant man and to  his accomplishments.