Lads Before the Wind : Diary of a Dolphin Trainer [Paperback]

Karen Pryor (Author), Konrad Lorenz (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2004

This classic adventure story will delight anyone who loves animals and the sea. Lads Before the Wind is also the most readable book written on the new science of training and communicating with positive reinforcemnet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published in 1975 by Harper & Row, this updated and expanded edition of Lads Before the Wind: Diary of a Dolphin Trainer relates ethologist Karen Pryor's vivid and engaging adventures with dolphins from the early '60s to the present day. Considered a pioneer in dolphin behavioral and communication training, Pryor (Nursing Your Baby; Don't Shoot the Dog!) takes the reader behind the scenes of her scientific research and to Brazil, where she meets fishermen who work symbiotically with dolphins to drive fish to their nets. B&w photos throughout.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Pryor, a recognized expert in dolphin training, has developed many of the animal-friendly methods that have become standards. In this enlarged edition of her 1975 original, she describes her early days in the field and how that evolved into her later research in animal communication.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: Sunshine Books, Inc.; 4th Expanded edition (March 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890948047
• ISBN-13: 978-1890948047
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #337,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karen Pryor is a behavioral biologist with an international reputation in two fields, marine mammal biology and behavioral phsychology. She is a founder and leading proponent of "clicker training," a training system based on operant conditioning (isolate wanted behaviors and ignore the unwanted) and the all-positive methods developed by marine mammal trainers. Clicker training is now in use world wide with dogs, cats, horses, birds, zoo animals, and increasingly with humans, in the teaching of sports and athletic performances and developing behaviors in autistics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating..., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lads Before the Wind: Diary of a Dolphin Trainer (Paperback)

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever had the privilege to read. As a youngster interested in animals, I must've checked this book out of my local library every 6 months for several years. When I came across a copy in a used bookstore several years ago, I yelped with joy at a chance to own it.

This book is an account of Karen Pryor's experiences learning about operant conditioning in order to train porpoises and whales at the newly opened Sea Life Park in Hawaii. The historical account is fascinating all on its own, but I treasure this book because of its discussion of training not just porpoises, but truly any animal, with positive reinforcement. I loved the way she and her colleagues freely borrowed from their experiences with one species to apply them to others -- the sections on training Trainers and training Otters are not only hilarious, but also terribly insightful into how 'animals' of all species learn.

I work with horses, and have found the philosophies I learned from this book have helped me enormously with not only horses, but also dogs and even people. This is a classic reference for anyone who works with any species of animal.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for any serious trainer., December 3, 1998

By 

Elizabeth TeSelle ([e-mail]) (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lads Before the Wind: Diary of a Dolphin Trainer (Paperback)

I read *Lads* through the first time like a novel, glued to every word. The second time, I underlined it and wrote in the margins. Now I refer to it all the time, dipping in and out. It's one of my favorite dog training books -- and it's not even about dogs! A must-read for anyone who thinks they know it all about training -- and for those who know they don't!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book-a must have!, June 12, 2002

By 

"dolphingrl1331" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lads Before the Wind : Diary of a Dolphin Trainer (Paperback)

This book provided a great insider's look to what is means to be a dolphin/marine mammal trainer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering this for a career path. I know I am and that this book has helped me gained a great perspective and tips on dolphin training. The stories are really touching and before you know it, you're feel like standing right next to the author feeding and playing with the dolphins. This book is a definite must-have!