per cognitionem veritatis and Encyclopedia of Lake and River Monsters

I was asked what "per cognitionem veritatis" up in the header bar meant.  It's Latin and means "Through Knowledge Truth" and no, that was not my school motto which was Opportunitas tempus est "Time for Opportunity" -I guess "opportunity" to learn!

And I learnt when I purchased Encyclopedia of Lake and River Monsters by James Foster Robinson.  A big disappointment.  Slim book (124 pp) but it is an A-Z of lakes and rivers where unidentified aquatic animals have been seen.  Nothing really in depth and what I was surprised at was the fact that there are no illustrations or even alleged photographs of these animals.

Compared to Bayanov's Bigfoot Research The Russian Version Robinson's book is the contents label on a tub of ice cream.  Nothing we didn't already know from many other books on lake and river creatures, some omissions.  The book blurb reads:






"The lakes and rivers of the world are said to harbor monsters. Many look like dinosaurs from another age. Others are snake or eel-like while some are human-like amphibians. These monstrous creatures come in all sizes and shapes, not to mention color. They exhibit many different mannerisms from hostility to inquisitiveness to total disregard. Legends and stories can be found about them in all the folklore of different cultures around the world. Today the experts calculate that there are over two hundred and fifty lakes inhabited by some sort of creature. This Encyclopedia of Lake and River Monsters has been compiled to provide a starting point for those who are interested in pursuing the subject."

Maybe I'm just getting jaded but I could have written this in a week and included illustrations and photographs.

Disappointing.