Mr Leakey, you'll wish he was your friend too! (My Friend Mr. Leakey - J.B.S. Haldane)

Member Name: raypdaley182

Product:	My Friend Mr. Leakey - J.B.S. Haldane
Date:	06/05/09 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing characters with great illustrations

Disadvantages: Some of the ideas are a little dated

Mr Leakey is a Wizard. No, stop thinking Harry Potter and stop thinking dude in a cloak with a pointy hat too. Mr Leakey is a proper Wizard - he knows magic words, he can conjure stuff out of thin air (no fakery with smoke or mirrors involved unlike your Blaines or Copperfields) and he can turn people into things (he'll even turn them back into people if they truly deserve it), he's just not very good at modern life.

And thats how he meets the teller of his story who saves him from a near death experience (almost getting run over by a car), Mr Leakey is so grateful he invites the man to dinner at his house and thats where we learn more about Mr Leakey.

The story is told from the perspective of the friend he made after being rescued and how they get to know each other better. We learn about Mr Leakeys Djinn (think of a cross between a Genie & an Angel and you are pretty close), his pet dragon (its only a small one though) and his amazing manservant who is also an octopus.

Mr Leakey has some rather unusual ideas on the rehabilitation of criminals (heck if more people thought & acted like Mr Leakey prisons would be a LOT less crowded), he also has some rather unusual concepts about things like fair play and doing unto others. I don't want to spoil how he does any magic, its better you read it and become simply enchanted into the world of Mr Leakey just like I am every time I read the book again.

The stories with Mr Leakey are very well told and will appeal to children of all ages (I liked it when I was 9, I still like it now aged 39. So much in fact I imported my copy from India before they started reprinting it in the UK), its the amazing illustrations of Quentin Blake that really seal the deal as they add a whole new dimension to the stories as you read them. Either Blake has read the book VERY carefully or he was right inside JBS Haldane's head whilst he was writing the stories.

My Friend Mr Leakey is the only childrens book Haldane ever wrote but he was published many times in the scientific & mathematical fields as he was pretty much a genius as far as numbers and science went. His tastes in politics were varied but shouldn't be held against him as anyone with a brain as big as his should be allowed the freedom to whatever political beliefs they choose as he was clearly intelligent enough and well informed enough to make a fair choice for himself.

Haldane lived out his final years in India teaching & researching science and donated all his works to a University Library there, his work has been translated into practically every Indian dialect in existance - it is only thanks to him donating his complete works that this book still exists today so thank Haldane for his philanthropy.

In his will Haldane donated his body to science as he wished to continue aiding in the advancement of medicine after his death, quite a noble thing to do I thought. His book has stood the test of time, some of his ideas may be a little old fashioned but his characters are truly enchanting and you'll be left wishing you had a friend like Mr Leakey too. I know I do.

(this review also appears on ciao)

Summary: JBS Haldanes true masterpiece