Adored, worshipped, exploited, killed—the elephant and its relationship with humans is fraught withmany emotions. With its funny trunk, majestic tusks, portly body and playfulness, the elephant isfull of contradictions. Is it a friend to man, like the elephant from old films such as Haathi MereSaathi (1971), or has this friendship come at a great cost for the elephant? What do we learn of theelephant’s life from documentaries like The Elephant Whisperers (2022), which fetched its makersan Academy Award?In The Elephant Book: Myths, Folklore and True Stories, meet elephants from myths, history andnews stories, introducing you to different facets of their significance in culture, religion and politics.