Snakes have always elicited strong feelings from people. They have always lived alongside us and feature in myths and legends around the world. In Slither, Hall invites us to dive into the lives of snakes, focusing each chapter on a different aspect of what it means to be a snake (venom, metabolism, locomotion, and so on). Chapters end with a vignette titles "Snake Road", which discusses a real street associated with snakes in some way. Throughout the book, snakes are used as a metric to illustrate the ways in which humans negatively impact the environment. Slither is well researched, as evident by thr extensive sources and notes at it's end. That said, some of the content may cause readers to feel bogged down with technical details. Snake lovers will find this an enjoyable read, and, hopefully it will convince other readers to become l-if not snake lovers, then at least snake-conservers.

Snakes: you either find them endlessly fascinating or are petrified of them.

Snakes have been maligned ever since the beginning and the story of the Garden of Eden. We can understand why: even today many humans die by snakebite or constriction. They represent a significant danger in the environment.

Yet, as with all living creatures, they exist for reasons, fill ecological niches, and, as we are learning, are incredibly adaptable and interesting in their biology and behaviors.

In Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World (galley received as part of early review program), Stephen Hall compellingly describes the history of herpetology, how herpetologists old and new became easily obsessed with snakes, and explores many of the aspects of snake biology which prominently feature in present research. Throughout the work he also includes stories of the “snake road,” often featuring local cultures and communities and the ways they fear, respect, and revere snakes.

In this book I learned garter snakes are actually venomous with decently potent venom; they’re just unable to envenomate humans with their bite. Considering how many garter snakes used to live in my old house in Illinois, it was still not a little unsettling, and yet the cohabitation we experienced did not lead to any real harm.

The author does well in this book at encouraging at least a respect for the compelling biology of snakes: we have already developed certain kinds of medicine on the basis of how certain forms of snake venom work, and who knows what other treatments may be made possible through similar such forms of research. Scientists have only recently really deeply explored snakes and their biology, and there’s a lot which can still be learned in this discipline. There’s much to be learned regarding snake venom, their metabolism, how they sense the world, how they reproduce, how they move, and, yes, as can be seen with pythons in Florida, how well they can adapt to different environments.

But there’s also a darker note throughout the book: everyone, from lay people to scientists, are noting how there seem to be fewer snakes around these days. And this is not even in comparison with many generations ago: it seems to be a quite recent phenomenon. Sure, many people may not feel too sad if snakes go extinct. But we do well to respect and honor snakes and their role in our ecosystems, and in general work to encourage better stewardship of the world with which we have been entrusted.

Slither, by Stephen S. Hall, is a wide-ranging and fascinating look at snakes, labeled in the subtitle, “nature’s most maligned creatures.” By the time the reader finishes Hall’s work, I don’t know if they will like snakes if they do not already, but they will certainly respect and admire them.

After an introduction that offers up Hall’s own youthful enthusiasm for snakes, and two more general chapters, each of the remaining main chapters deals with a different specific element, including venom, snake metabolism, their sensory system, reproduction, movement, and their impressive ability to adapt. Scattered between these more science/fact-based chapters are a series of interludes titled “snake road”, each of which takes us (unsurprisingly) to a different road associated with snakes (usually in combination with humans). These include a road in Rome with an ancient sculpture commemorating the of a snake brought from a temple of Asklepios the Healer to hopefully end a deadly plague, and another in Italy that is the setting for an annual snake festival procession.

Slither is full of utterly fascinating material. The section on locomotion focuses particularly on the spellbinding gait of the sidewinder, which seems to defy physics and common sense (as one scientist says, if you watch them too long you go mad) and the complete failure of us humans to try and emulate it in a robot meant for search and rescue. One of the more amazing points in here is the snake’s ability to adjust just how much of their body surface contacts the side they’re moving over — on the fly, within milliseconds, and to a degree of precision measured in tenths of a percent. The same level of precision crops up again in the discussion of their sensory capabilities (think about being able to distinguish something on “opposite sides” of a blade of grass. Meanwhile, I guarantee you’ll think differently about snakes after learning why the females might take pleasure in the sexual act (particularly given how brutal it can be on them). And if you think of snakes as ice-cold loners, you might be surprised as some of the revelations on their sociability, such as how some snake mothers care for their young for weeks after their birth or let other snake moms “babysit” (and that they are picky about which ones). Or on how many of the scientists that work with them argue each snake has its own personality.

The segments on snakes in human culture are also highly interesting, whether it be their association with the aforementioned Asklepios, their better-known role in Christian mythos, or on the flip side of Christian views, the pre-eminent role the serpent cult played in Mesoamerican societies. A degree of reverence for the snake and also for its representation of the natural world, both of which we seem to have lost, much to our own detriment and far more to the detriment of those creatures, including snakes, we share the world with (though less so day after day) as we destroy their habitats, declare them invasive (as if they built ships and planes to attack our shores rather than arrive via our own machinations), and force them to try and adapt to a crazily-accelerating global temperature.

The book is detailed, clear, and informative throughout, and the information side is enhanced by Hall’s engaging voice, particularly as he dips into his own experience, whether it’s looking for snakes as a child in his Michigan neighborhood or traveling with a group of python hunters in the Everglades for this book. I also appreciated that as much admiration as Hall has for snakes, he doesn’t ignore their deadliness as well, giving us a number of statistics on fatal bites, the lethality of their venom, and some vivid personal accounts from those who have suffered bites.

As noted, while I like to think some people who “hate” snakes (a response Hall explores in terms of whether it might be hardwired in us from our earliest days) will change their minds after reading this, that’s probably unlikely. But also as mentioned, it’s hard to believe they won’t come away marveling at them and (hopefully) wanting them to stick around, even if they prefer it not be in their backyards. Well recommended.

Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

I did mostly enjoy this book, and Hall's passion about the subject really is obvious in his writing. I also really appreciate how many direct interviews he did with many scientists/researchers that did a lot of the studies and experiments he discusses in the book.

The book did get a little too technical and in the weeds for me, which wasn't a large deal. I did also think it took a little bit to get started, but once it got there I was good to go!

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for allowing me to read this book & share my thoughts!
Now, one of my character flaws is choosing books based on covers. So, I know why I picked it up. But, in all honesty, this book was written in a way that was engaging and fun. It's definitely a book for snake lovers, but I encourage others to read as well, especially if you have a fear of them. I didn't care much for snakes myself, but after this book, I was very impressed by their design/purpose. It was eye-opening to learn more about them. They are actually pretty cool! Then, they each have such uniqueness among themselves and their abilities.
For example, I learned what a Black Mamba's venom does to the human body at a biological level. It was insane.

I also enjoyed how the author added information/stories of their influence on different cultures. They range from all over the world, like Kukulcan, Quetzalcoatl, and Jörmungandr.

Overall, I loved it. Like all living creatures, they deserve our respect. It was a great mix of research brought together to give a different perspective on these slithering creatures!

I've always been interested in learning more about snakes so this was a very fitting & informative read. Highly recommend for everyone interested in snakes and their history. They truly are very misunderstood and I think this book does a great job at combatting some of those stereotypes.

"Slither" is detailed and informative. Each chapter shares different facts abut snakes along with their mythology and cultural significance. I would recommend this for any natural science and/or snake lover. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date: April 22, 2025.

#Slither

If you love snakes, this is the book for you. This is a very in depth read on the history of snakes. It includes short stories about snakes. This is not for the casual reader.