1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thorough appraisal of this popular mammal., December 11, 2004
This review is from: The Greenpeace Book of Dolphins (Paperback)
As anyone might expect from the Greenpeace stable, the emphasis here is on conservation - and so it should be! Commencing with a chapter headed "What is a Dolphin?", I cannot think of a better way to start any book on any factual subject than by describing precisely what that subject is. So, having left the reader in no doubt as to what this book is all about, we then go from strength to strength as it describes the creature's; Evolution, Family Tree, Anatomy, Behaviour, Swimming, Relations, Intelligence, Echolocation and instances of Stranding. And that's just from part one entitled "The Nature of Dolphins."
From this point onwards, the reader benefits from having just received a great education into these endearing mammals. It is, therefore, with a greater understanding of the creatures in general that we now move on to learn about, All Ocean Species, Artic Species and Northern Ocean Species. It is here we encounter the Pakistan and Yangtze River Dolphins and the even rarer Vaquita from Mexico (to mention but three). Along the way we are taught of man's threat - both deliberate and accidental, and that threat is quite disturbing.
Altogether, this is a book packed with information supported by outstanding colour photography and diagrams. It is a book which brings home a message loud and clear and is one that should be read by anyone who has ever been thrilled by the sight of Dolphin.
NM
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good basic overview of dolphins!, February 7, 2005
I was lucky enough to stumble across this book at a book sale in Colorado. It's a great introduction to learning about dolphins and similar cetaceans. There is even a helpful taxonomic chart in the appendix. The book is split into 3 basic sections - 'The Nature of Dolphins', species information, and human impacts on dolphins. You would assume from the "Greenpeace" title that the book would be full of subjective descriptions, but surprisingly they stick to just the biological facts during the first 2 sections of the book. That makes it a great choice as a beginning cetacean biology book for anyone.
The first section teaches about Cetacean evolution, dolphin anatomy (including an anatomy diagram), behavior, echolocation, intelligence/communication, and similar dolphin basics. It also dispels and discusses the real facts about some of the popular romantic myths about their intelligence and social behavior.
The second section gives details about each of the species within the Delphinidae family (dolphins, porpoises, and killer whales) worldwide. Like a field guide, it is split up into different categories based on habitat location. For example, all arctic species are presented in one section, all coastal species are in another section, etc. At least one color picture or sketch is given for each species, along with size and color description, habitat description, and a few paragraphs about what makes that species unique. I found this section of the book the most helpful.
The third section of the book covers the impact that humans have had on dolphins. This is the only section with obvious bias and subjective wording. The book was published in 1990, so a couple of the facts may be a little outdated now, but still helpful to know. Most of the human practices mentioned are still going on and thus still relevant. Some of the pictures in this section are very graphic and might disturb children or adults. This section of the book covers hunting practices around the world, secondary dolphin mortality caused by the fishing industry, U.S. and Soviet military use of dolphins, captivity for entertainment purposes (such as Sea World), and finishes with descriptions of dolphin conservation projects worldwide by Greenpeace and scientists.
I am in the process of considering a career in marine biology, and found this book helpful as a beginning point on my quest to learn about dolphins. The wording is easy to understand, so I think even people with just a casual interest in cetaceans would learn a lot from it. If you can find it, I recommend buying this book for a good overview of dolphins/toothed whales.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
