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Fathoms: The World in the Whale
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78/99
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28/99
Readers' Rating Index
87/99
Scholars' Citation Index
92/99
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About This Book
When writer Rebecca Giggs encountered a humpback whale stranded on her local beachfront in Australia, she began to wonder how the lives of whales shed light on the condition of our seas. Fathoms: The World in the Whale blends natural history, philosophy, and science to explore: How do whales experience ecological change? Will our connection to these storied animals be transformed by technology? What can observing whales teach us about the complexity, splendour, and fragility of life? In Fathoms, we learn about whales so rare they have never been named, whale songs that sweep across hemispheres in annual waves of popularity, and whales that have modified the chemical composition of our planet's atmosphere. We travel to Japan to board the ships that hunt whales and delve into the deepest seas to discover the plastic pollution now pervading the whale's undersea environment. In the spirit of Rachel Carson and Rebecca Solnit, Giggs gives us a vivid exploration of the natural world even as she addresses what it means to write about nature at a time of environmental crisis.
Reviews
"With fresh perceptions and cascades of facts, Giggs considers our ancient and persistent whale wonderment, high-tech whale hunting, the 1970s Save the Whales movement, global warming, mass extinction, and pollution, including the oceanic plastic plague."
"In the cascade of mini-essays that results, Giggs comes off as much as a cultural critic as a naturalist ..."
"In lyrical language, Giggs leads readers on a journey through underwater cultures and the place of whales in the chain of life."
"Giggs ends Fathoms much where she began with people gathered to view yet another dead whale."
"Hoare, favors paragraphs lacquered with luminous detail, and the authors share a talent for copious research."
"Giggs's writing has an old-fashioned lushness and elaborateness of thought."
"Can you feel compassion for whale lice?"
"Whereas many of today's nonfiction writers exalt screen-ready narrative as the pinnacle of the form, Giggs is more versatile and innovative in her approach, melding journalism, history of science, and nature writing with intimate recollections, fanciful jaunts, and insightful contemplation ..."
"In the whale, Giggs truly does find the world ..."
"An adventurous explorer, the author immerses readers in an Australian whale watching tour and then dips into the deep international waters of Japan, where whaling ships flourish."
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