MAN AND BEAST

This is a case when comparison--with Bixby (1228, J-482)--is not only necessary, it's fascinating. Here we find the heroics of man in his multifaceted use of the lower animals (for both good and evil) as opposed to Bixby's placement of man firmly in the evolutionary path of the animals, he and his problems seen as part of this relationship. Marchant presents the more usual naturalistic orientation familiar in books about animals--the only shock comes from tales that arouse the ASPCA in all of us. Generally Marchant is the optimist who leaves the reader with the feeling that despite some relapses man has used beast successfully in the past and will continue to do so in the future; Bixby is more moralistic about man as an animal and somewhat less certain about the future. In tone Marchant, although readable, is strained and formal, Bixby friendly and more relaxed.