People like Tommy Crutchfield, Hank Molt, and the Van Nostrands are old-school snake men who grew up bare-handing cobras before breakfast, and this book does much to put on paper the legends many have only heard.

But this isn't just a story of the good old days with the old hands; this is a story that starts in the 60s, and ends in the world we live in today, about people many reptile keepers know or may even see at the next expo. It's a story that documents how part of the reptile world, and reptile people, and reptile laws and enforcement have changed over a 50 year span. It is a story of how a small number of obsessive collectors of the 1960' kicked off a culture, then became modern day pirates and outlaws as the world and the laws changed around them, and how what they started is responsible for much of what we have and take for granted today in the hobby and the industry.

This book talks about the good people, the bad people, the naive people, and the treacherous people along the way. It talks about and with the cops, and with the criminals. The people who meant to put on an eyepatch and a parrot and swear like a pirate, and the ones who got sucked in and run over by their dreams. In the end it's a good, hard, long, warts-and-all look at some of the people and events that have shaped the reptile world we live in today.

Some have tried to label this book anti-herpetoculture, and Jennie Smith as an animal rights activist. In fact, before I was introduced to her 10 years or so ago, I received just that warning from some of the main protagonists in her book. I can tell you that neither is the case. Jennie is a journalist. She was looking for an interesting story about reptile smuggling. I knew that going in; so did everyone else she interviewed. She was up front with me about who she was, what she was writing, and the story she was going to tell. Reading what she has written, knowing the people involved, and the facts behind much of what she has written, I can say that I think she has done an excellent job of capturing the stories and legends without creating an anti-herpteoculture tome.

It's not a flattering picture, but its for the most part true, and it's probably the most objective look we are liable to ever get at some of the events that have been blurred by law enforcement press releases over the years. It's probably the best reptile book of 2011, certainly the most fascinating, and the most frightening.

My disclaimer: Though I am not mentioned in the book by name, kingsnake.com is. I know Jennie, I know just about every person mentioned in the book either personally, or by reputation, and I was personally involved in many of the events documented in this book, either directly or indirectly. I know the cops, I know the criminals, I know the author, frankly I'm probably way too close to the subject matter to offer a completely objective and unbiased review, but what the hell.