Path of the Puma

The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion

By: Jim Williams, Joe Glickman - contributor, Douglas Chadwick - foreword

Narrated by: Jim Williams

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

An expert's view of the big cat's fight to find its wild...

During a time when most wild animals are experiencing decline in the face of development and climate change, the intrepid mountain lion - also known as a puma, a cougar, and by many other names - has experienced reinvigoration as well as expansion of territory. What makes this cat, the fourth carnivore in the food chain - just ahead of humans - so resilient and resourceful? And what can conservationists and wild life managers learn from them about the web of biodiversity that is in desperate need of protection? Their story is fascinating for the lessons it can afford the protection of all species in times of dire challenge and decline.

©2018 Jim Williams and Joe Glickman (P)2019 Random House Audio

A great book!

I'm a wildlife biologist in the American West and I frequently work with cougars. I must say, this book was written by an author with an exceptional amount of experience! I am so happy that I was able to get this book on audio (I already owned a hard copy). Let's get some more of Patagonia's published books in audio format! (e.g. Wolverine Way; Gobi Grizzlies; Track of the Grizzly; etc)

Not all good authors are good narrators

Great book, bad narration. Unfortunately, the author's reading of the book was halting and awkward. I had to take frequent breaks from listening because his cadence was so bad. it very much sounded like he needed more practice and training on how to read aloud. That said, his book is fantastic and I'll likely reread it. For anything else he publishes, though, he should get a professional narrator to do the reading.

pretty good, some minor flaws

This is a worthwhile read, consisting of about 25% cougar natural history, 25% natural history of other species, 25% author bio and stories, and 25% conservation. Some minor issues include repetitive language and characterization of pumas, some wrong info about evolution (the author confuses miocene and pleistocene), and unnecessary author bio stories. Puma stories and info are about 50% about Montana and surrounding states and 50% about Patagonia. Overall, a pretty decent book.

Very informative and entertaining!

I surely loved it! Packed with information and great storytelling, this audiobook is worth a listen!

Wondeful adventure, inspiring

I am an avid wildlife appreciator. This book has inspired me to look into many of the organizations that wish to bridge existence between human and beast. I now have added to my bucket list a trip to Patagonia, and glacier national Park. Re-wild… beautiful concept.

Good breadth and decent scientific explanations

I work in Jim's field, so I am a bit biased. Jim does a good job introducing readers to wildlife science but sometimes his explanations are too simple. For example, he often uses a single study to explain a phenomenon that applies to pumas everywhere. He would do the reader well by describing the complexity and circumstances surrounding the research, instead of making generalized claims.

I found myself ocassionally cringing when a behavior he observed in Montana is used to describe pumas everywhere. He clears some of this up by comparing and contrasting pumas in South America, but the reader might be left believing pumas in both regions exhibit identical behaviors.

Overall, this is a good book for anyone interested the science of pumas and wildlife conservation.

Super read

This was an interesting audio book. Interesting to learn about these elusive cats. I’ve seen two before one dead hit by a car and laying on a sidewalk by a busy road. The other slowly crossed the road we were on in a rural area. Both in central Florida. Beautiful animals.

A researcher’s story

I felt the book was more about the author than information about the cat. I learned more about mountain lions reading other nature books on bears.

Inspiring

Patagonia has been on my mind for some time. This book as fueled that thirst! Gained A more broad outlook on wildlife and the inter connections of all the species that gained for the puma. So grateful for this one!

amazing full of information!

loved it. Not only did Williams write a phenomenal book, he did a great job narrating it as well!

Excellent

Brilliant to hear some positive and optimistic, if cautious, example of a recovering predator. the book takes you expertly across the Americas painting a full picture of the kandscaoe and the lives that bring it to life.