[1] The Encyclopedia of Monsters is a book about creatures from folklore, legend, and documented sightings.
[2] In the January 1992 edition of Dragon (Issue #177), John C. Bunnell thought this book would be "of considerable value to gamers in search of creatures and plots on which to hang adventures."
Although Bunnell found the subject matter to be wide-ranging, he thought that Cohen's summaries sometimes tended towards oversimplification.
That sometimes makes the material sound more authoritative than it really is, and it tilts the books away from unbiased reportage into the realms of speculation."
While Bunnell cautioned readers to treat the book as popular journalism rather than scholarship, he concluded by recommending the book, saying, "Everyone from AD&D game campaigners to players of espionage and near-future games should find useful accounts in Cohen’s compilations.