Book Reviews

By William Rossiter

Our personal fascination with whales, dolphins, porpoises and the oceans has been built on thousands of years of myth, remodeled over the last three decades by books, TV documentaries and many other resources that tell the stories and teach the facts better than ever. Think about it: reality is more magical than myth. Besides the new facts and awesome visual imagery, there is our inescapable knowledge that all life on the planet is linked, and that we have a role to play. Do you look at some of the stuff today and think: "Wow! If I had had this as a child!" Will the next generation be better tuned to what's around them because of these always-improving resources? Well, OK, let's get real. Isn't it time for an exciting video game? Will someone please develop a video game where you can swim deeply with dolphins and whales, and learn about the seas, and of course save the world at the same time? No explosions allowed.

Between Species, Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond is a book of real-life lessons for anyone who wants to meet a dolphin. It's an assortment of unique, eclectic epiphanies in the lives of people who have had extraordinary experiences with dolphins, and one special whale. You'll be carried through the gamut of the human-dolphin bond, from wild encounters to captive travesties, as each contributor shares their very personal accounts with an obvious, open honesty. This is a very thought-provoking book, full of lessons of what to do and not to do if you're ever blessed with an opportunity to meet a mutually curious dolphin. Edited by Toni Frohoff and Brenda Peterson, Sierra Club Press, 2003, $24.95.

The World of Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises, Natural History and Conservation, is another in the superb collection from Voyageur Press. The text and facts are from British cetacean expert Tony Martin, who shows his fascination with cetaceans from the very start, as he drifts along in a kayak and is surprised by two feeding gray whales near Russia. Designed to guide anyone through a very current and accurate introduction to cetaceans, even the experts will find something new and fascinating on every page. The photographs are incredible, setting a new standard, and easily worth the price all by themselves. If I had been given a book like this when I was a teenager.... Voyageur Press, 2003, $24.95

The World of Sea Turtles must have mention in Whales Alive! because the book is impossible to even glance through without enticing us to relish the unique beauty of sea turtles, and certainly care about them. This is a one-man book, written and photographed by Doug Perrine, a gifted observer of nature with obvious professional abilities, which he uses to communicate what he cares about. With evocative and compelling images Doug takes us on his worldwide journey, describing what makes each turtle special, and why their ancient majesty and current problems deserve our concern. Voyageur Press, 2003, $29.95