Although not exactly what I was expecting, this book was in interesting read about the Chinese naturalists and their involvement in how the West first came to know the giant panda. This book detailed many historical facts about how Western naturalists, with the aid of a couple of Chinese, moved through China and collected many specimens for display in the US. I recommend it to anyone who has a deep interest in the giant panda and the history behind our current love affair with these black and white bears.