Rhinos

Changing in character between friendly pachyderm and angry monster, rhinos have exerted a colossal fascination on humans for thousands of years, visible in cave paintings, Dürer's famous woodcut, and the rhinoceros "Jungfer Clara," the protagonist of the first Europe-wide advertising campaign in the 18th century. Lothar Frenz draws a manifold and knowledgeable portrait of this fascinating animal, which is almost a requiem due to the decimated populations.

Natural Histories is the title of this remarkable book series from the Matthes & Seitz publishing house. Each volume deals with a group of animals or plants: not in the form of dry scientific literature, but a passionate narrative. The vivid, multifaceted texts show an awareness that in describing men’s view on nature, something about men themselves becomes visible. Depending on sympathy and personal perspective, the focus is on more or less sympathetic figures from fauna and flora: sheep and wolves, owls and crows, herrings and stinging nettles, to name but a few. Once you have read the respective volume and its conclusive melange of (often philosophical) literature and factual information, a fascination with the subject you will find hard to resist inevitably sets in. Additionally, the series is delighting with its visual and haptic properties. Judith Schalansky, an award-winning book designer, has created petite bibliophile works of art: from the cover and the harmonious illustrations to the thread stitching, the coloured head cut and the beautiful frontispiece. Last but not least, we praise the handy format of the books, making them ideal companions for on the go.