Description: During research on African monkeys, David E. Jones' accidental love affair with the dragon began. Spotting a picture of the monkey's predators-an eagle, a leopard, and a python-he unwittingly combined the features from all three into one beast. Amazingly, this mythical and monstrous creature was instantly recognizable.

An Instinct for Dragons represents Jones' search for the mysterious origin of the dragon. In a vast synthesis of art, mythology, history, and anthropology, Jones discovers that the dragon is, in fact, a universal image. Not only does virtually every culture in the world have a name for it -- smok in Polish, tatsu in Japanese, unktena in Cherokee -- but dragons everywhere share many of the same characteristics: multiple heads, blazing eyes, earthshaking roars, fiery breath, abduction of princesses. Spanning dragon lore from all places and periods, he scrutinizes sightings and references from the Loch Ness monster to the internet, as well as dragon inscriptions on cave walls, cliffs, and pots to form a stunning conclusion: Our fear and fascination with dragons is a direct result of the predators who threatened our evolution.

Captivating, myth-breaking, and eloquent, An Instinct for Dragons decodes the ancient puzzle of the oldest, and fiercest monster.

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