Appeared in DIVER March 2006
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FEEDING ON WHALE FACTS
Whales and Dolphins of the World, Book by Mark Simmonds, New Holland
The ideal book to review is one that can be described with a single word. In the case of Whales and Dolphins of the World, that word is 'accessibility'.
There are numerous publications on the subject of whales and dolphins, reflecting our fascination with animals that we view as kindred spirits, but this book has plainly been crafted to make the science surrounding cetaceans accessible to all.
This is achieved by a canny progression of chapters throughout the book, creating a narrative that has the structure of a thumping story and yet is based on solid science. As such, we are introduced to whales and dolphins in the early stages of the book, learn more about their remarkable adaptations in the next few chapters, then discover why our own relationship with them is so complicated, and finally learn about the story today - modern populations, conservation issues and the future.
For those such as myself who are habitual skip-readers, each chapter has a neat bullet-point summary covering the essential points. This is a splendid idea, as it leaves ample time to view photographs that are consistently excellent,
with each page seeming to sport a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Like a feeding orca I raced through this book, feasting on juicy facts, and then returned to ingest huge chunks that I filtered through the baleen of my brain at leisure.
The fact that all royalties go to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society made the whole experience all the more pleasurable. This is a wonderful book!
Monty Halls
# Whales and Dolphins of the World by Mark Simmonds (New Holland, ISBN 18433062120). Hardback, 160pp.£24.99 |
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