Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 9/3/2015 + 909 more book reviews

Fascinating exploration of weird sea life! Each chapter revolves around a theme (e.g. sea life in extreme temperatures, crustaceans, and so forth) with descriptions of several types of creatures, as well as a section on how the critters benefit humans (economically, as a source for medicines, etc.) There are also brief but obligatory chapters on how humans are harming the inhabitants of the oceans, and suggestions on ways to help that are both big and small. Zoo and aquarium favorites such as penguins and belugas are covered here, but most of the chapters focus on the weird and slimy. And yes, there are plenty of descriptions of sex!

Ellen Prager writes with humor and an obvious love of her topic. Although published by a university press, it is aimed towards the curious casual reader. Those with little knowledge of marine biology should not be intimidated. There are also several plates of interesting pictures. (I won't call them "beautiful" because one is of a hagfish exuding slime over a bucket.)

This is a wonderful and lively book. Highly recommended!

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details