The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 288 pages
• Published by: Sierra Club/Counterpoint March 10, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1578051479
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1578051472
• Book Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Weighs: 10.4 ounces

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Wildlife biologist Chadwick's fascination with whales began when he found himself floating nose to nose with an inquisitive humpback off the coast of Maui. Since that heady experience, he has traveled the seas with whale researchers, becoming ever more enchanted with these great mammals. In this compelling book, he records what he has learned and observed of five whale species, including the humpback, described by Melville as "the most gamesome and light-hearted of all the whales"; the bottlenose, an exceptionally intelligent whale that can dive to great depths; and the orca, misnamed the "killer" whale, a very social whale that does not attack humans. As he observes the whales' habits and listens to the sounds they use to communicate with each other, Chadwick (The Fate of the Elephant) struggles to remain objective. But this is difficult. Whales have such a complex assortment of lifestyles, cultures and social relationships, it's hard to avoid anthropomorphizing them, especially since they seem to be as curious about humans as humans are about them. The author's enthusiasm for these extraordinary creatures effectively draws the reader into the whales' underwater environment and makes a powerful case for increased efforts to preserve that environment. Six black and white illus. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
This is a water planet--around 75 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water, most of it in the oceans. Whales are found in this marine environment, and although they are the largest animals to ever evolve on the planet, less is known about them than was known about their terrestrial counterparts over a century ago. Wildlife biologist and author (The Fate of the Elephant, 1992; True Grizz, 2003) Chadwick realized his lack of knowledge about whales and began to follow scientists as they observed them. Concentrating on five species, he conveys an abundance of cetacean natural history. Starting with humpbacks, famous for both their aerial displays when breaching and their underwater songs, he then investigates the lesser-known northern bottlenose whale; the family-oriented and misnamed "killer," the orca; the minke, most common of the great whales; and the gigantic blue, which can top out at over 100 feet long. The awe engendered by these awesome mammals, their intelligence, and their adaptations to ocean life shines through in quotes from researchers and Chadwick's obvious fascination. Will find an immediate readership. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye with Whales (Hardcover) When I was very young (about five years old) in addition to insects I was in love with sea monsters- squid, octopi, manta rays, sharks and of course whales. What fascinating creatures! After I became a biologist, specializing in arthropods, I sill found sea life of major interest and so it was that I joined a whale-watching cruise to the Coronados Island off Tijuana, Baja California, that was offered as a side trip after a scientific meeting in San Diego. It was a great experience (we saw about 2 dozen gray whales, including one pod that swam right by us in the late afternoon). Until now I have been generally disappointed with books on the subject of whales as they somehow did not seem to capture the real experience of seeing a whale in real life and in the process express the actual atmosphere of it all. Douglas Chadwick has changed all that. His book "The Grandest of Lives: Eye to Eye With Whales" is a labor of love and it shows. His descriptions of experiences with, and the biology of, five examples of the Cetacea- the blue whale, the humpbacked whale, the orca, the minke whale and the northern bottlenose whale are golden! He captures the whales, their environment, and the people who study whales, so that you can almost catch the smell of the sea and the cries of sea birds. Most importantly he explores the mysterious lives of his subjects in a way I have seldom seen in any book. This is the next best thing to actually going out on a whale watch and a excellent read in preparation for going out to sea or after you have returned. Chadwick also investigates the "scientific whaling" industry in which whales are "harvested" for "scientific research" by some of the countries who are members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The meat usually ends up on store shelves, sometimes including meat from species that are not even allowed to be taken for "science." He is pretty accurate in his observations and presents the views of the people who are involved in whaling as well as the reasons against such practices. This activity, along with overfishing of other marine organisms, and pollution and bycatch problems, is rapidly leading to the depletion of ocean life in some areas. However, whales are increasing in numbers along the Pacific coast of the United States and Mexico and a few other places where the whales are better protected. Whales are wonderful creatures and if, after you have read this book, you are not impressed by them and the need to protect them I would be very surprised. These are indeed, the grandest of lives!