Customer Reviews

Between Species: Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally, a book that looks at dolphins and people from a scientific perspective and not just the standard New Age hype. It was exciting to read essays by the leading experts in this field - some of the world's leading nature writers and dolphin biologist together. The writers aren't afraid to take an honest look at how we influence dolphins, which may be surprising for those who frequent Sea World waiting for a free ride from a dolphin. Instead, look forward to a seminal collection about how far (or little) we've come since John Lilly first spoke about human dolphin communication 25 years ago.

Just read the blurb about the contributors of this very fine and thoughtful anthology. I have a sinking feeling I must be the "newage" person quoted as playing reggae music to belugas using tibetan gongs. That negative description is so far off-base of what I actually described in the book, that it demands a rejoinder. Yes I have used music, for over 30 years, to interact systematically with wild whales, as an active and direct experiment in interspecies communication. This work has been sponsored by the likes of the Smithsonian, the European Union, National Geographic, The Russian academy of Sciences, The World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, The US Navy, and a long list of private foundations. Over the course of the long term experiment, I have worked with musicians of many persuasions, genres, and nationalities including a few reggae musicians, and Tibetan Lamas (they didn't play gongs). The basic premise of this work is that, since everybody seems to agree that whales are both highly intelligent and acoustically perceptive, might music be an appropriate and positive means of building a relationship that shares the best of human culture?

This book was amazing. It was an elegant yet honest exploration of swimming with dolphins and dolphins in general. It was like taking an outdoor class with some of the world's best and most varied dolphin experts around the world. Nowhere else can I learn about dolphins in original pieces by Jean Michel Cousteau, Marc Bekoff, Sy Montgomery, Kathleen Dudzinski, Diane Ackerman, John Lilly, Paul Spong, and other stellar dolphin pioneers. I'm a marine biologist and yet I learned things about dolphins and interspecies communication that I never have learned anywhere else. It opened my eyes to new things about dolphins and people ... how dolphins save human lives, how people save dolphins, and how people can even unintentionally hurt dolphins because they want to be so close to them. I drank this book up, and when I see dolphins now, I relate to them so much more. The only downfall was that the book had some sad notes, but that is how the real life of a dolphin is. Overall I thought it was incredibly inspiring and I felt like I'd been swimming with dolphins for years after reading it!

This book touched me so deeply. The stories are powerful and incredibly moving. It's a must read for anyone who calls themselves an animal lover. I have a new found respect and insight for the dolphins, as well as, the people who put themselves at great risk to save them. I, like many others, merely think about helping these wonderful creatures... thank God there are actually people out there that walk the talk and are making a difference for the lives of these amazing and beautiful beings. This book has lifted my spirits and inspired me in way that no other book has done before. Bravo!