Venom Doc

Steve Irwin meets David Attenborough in this jaw-dropping account of studying the world's most venomous creatures.

Venomologist Bryan Grieg Fry has one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth: he works with its deadliest creatures. He's been bitten by twenty-six venomous snakes, been stung by three stingrays, and survived a near-fatal scorpion sting while deep in the Amazon jungle. He's received more than four hundred stitches and broken twenty-three bones, including breaking his back in three places, and had to learn how to walk again. But when you research only the venom you yourself have collected, the adventures—and danger—never stop.

Bryan's discoveries have radically reshaped views on venom evolution and contributed to the creation of venom-based, life-saving medications. In pursuit of venom, he has traveled the world collecting samples from Indonesia to Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. He's encountered venomous creatures of all kinds, including the Malaysian king cobra, the Komodo dragon, and the funnel-web spider. Bryan recounts his lifelong passion for studying the world's most venomous creatures in this outlandish, captivating memoir, where he and danger are never far apart.

"Jam-packed with wildly entertaining behind-the-scenes stories of how Bryan became an expert on venom and the trials and tribulations of a life in science. Brilliant, flamboyant, and sometimes controversial, this is the story of his life, warts and all. This book is thrilling and thought-provoking! Bryan's memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in herpetology." —Nigel Marven, BBC television host