SCIENCES

Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World

by Todd McLeish
Univ. of Washington. 2013. 216p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780295992648. $29.95. NAT HIST
COPY ISBN
Having since childhood been in love with Narwhals (the males of which have one horn, giving them a magical aura), author McLeish (public information officer, Univ. of Rhode Island; Basking with Humpbacks) spent years pondering their oddities, grace, lore, and biological reality. Finally taking an opportunity to join a team of researchers in Canada and visiting an Inuit hunting camp in Greenland, he had the chance to transform his boyhood fantasies into the stuff of real life. Unlike some other biological/journalistic stories, McLeish's book is not cluttered with distracting detail or a confusing, jumpy narrative but instead is a tightly written piece that richly and ably tells the past and present—and hints of the future—of these marvelous, endangered, long-toothed animals.
VERDICT Although lacking in the more formal documentation of a scientific work (there is a bibliography but no further reading recommendations or notes), this will nonetheless be a good title for academic as well as public libraries. The clarity and strong narrative will well serve both students and enthusiasts of biological studies, ecological concepts, marine life, conservation, and similar topics.
Reviewed by Susan E. Brazer, Salisbury Univ. Lib., MA , Oct 01, 2013
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024
by McKibben, Bill & Jaime Green
NONFICTION

Hungry Beautiful Animals: The Joyful Case for Going Vegan
by Halteman, Matthew C.
NONFICTION

The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs
by Smith, Richard
NONFICTION

Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future
by Beiser, Vince
NONFICTION

The Church of Stop Shopping and Religious Activism: Combatting Consumerism and Climate Change Through Performance
by González, George
NONFICTION

Not My Type: Automating Sexual Racism in Online Dating
by Williams, Apryl
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?