Chris Lavers is an author, natural historian, and Associate Professor of Ecology and Biogeography at the University of Nottingham. His most popular book to date is, The Natural History of Unicorns. The Washington Post wrote, "Don't confuse this book with cryptozoology..., Lavers is a scientist and a scholar. He isn't trying to prove the existence of an elusive beast. He understands that myths, like hardy plants, grow from their native environment, then get carried abroad and cross-fertilize with indigenous stories elsewhere, producing hybrids whose lineage requires careful untangling."