A must read for those interested in sheep and wool
This book is old (1983), and I have been waiting almost 30 years to buy it. When it first came out it cost $50; now it cost $70 but worth every penny. Yes, some of it is outdated, but it's fascinating to read about nomads in the Middle East and West Central Asia 30 to 40 years ago, and know what's happening there now. The history, of course, never goes out of date. Ryder is the quintessential wool biologist, historian, and anthropologist, and I have not read a book on sheep and wool that doesn't reference him. He writes in a companionable style that makes the 800+ pages of text book easy to read. This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in sheep and wool. Ryder presents sheep and wool history from domestication to the development of today's breeds. He emphasizes the importance of sheep to man throughout every civilization that ever existed, including our own.