Eloquence of the Sardine
Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
If we were able to listen under water, what would we hear? What would we learn? How would it change us?
With erudition and charm, marine scientist and orator Bill François takes us on a deep dive into the secret lives of the world’s aquatic creatures, from musical whales and immortal eels to the cod that discovered America and the herring that almost caused a military conflict —to name but a few. We hear the songs of seahorses and scallops, eavesdrop on the conversations of lobsters, and swim in the glow of the fluorescent jellyfish.
A poetic blend of ancient myths, modern science, and storytelling through the ages, Eloquence of the Sardine is an invitation and guide to a dreamlike underwater world where the legends are often more believable than the incredible reality.
This is nature writing at its best —informative, captivating, and accessible, with a personal angle, about an endlessly fascinating and still mysterious subject.
A seafood platter or a day at the beach will never be the same.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Marine scientist François surveys underwater creatures of all sorts in his illuminating debut collection of 15 essays that lay bare his fascination with deep waters that teem with crab, shrimp, and "scarlet sea anemones didn't dare touch." In "Before," the author fondly remembers the first time he saw a live sardine, "shining and silvery, with an electric blue line like a garland along its back." "Are Fish Good at School?" sees François marveling at the brainpower of octopuses and facetiously comparing what he learned (or didn't) in classrooms with fish, who learn "all they need to know" without school. "In Tune with the Tuna," meanwhile, roughly charts the ubiquity of the fish as food, from school cafeteria tuna fish sandwiches to fatty tuna served in pricey sushi restaurants, and in"Hold an Eel by the Tale," François tags along with a "gang of Parisian street-fishers" who pick locks and trespass to get a look at the Seine's inhabitants. François's tone is conversational, and his passion and excitement are contagious: "Have you ever seen a live sardine? Few people know just how lovely a live sardine is." The result is a fun deep dive into marine life.
Customer Reviews
Nature writing as storytelling
The underwater soundscape. How fish navigate by smell and taste as well as sound. What life might be like in the regions beyond light. The mystery of sardines. Reading this book will awaken you to the wonders and mysteries of the world beneath the waves.
Even in translation, this book is eloquent and beautiful. I took my time to savor reading it, immersing myself in its underwater stories.