P. H. Jacobs
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Unnatural History of the Sea
- By: Callum M. Roberts
- Narrated by: Callum M. Roberts
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
Humanity can make short work of the oceans' creatures. In 1741, hungry explorers discovered herds of Steller's sea cow in the Bering Strait, and in less than thirty years, the amiable beast had been harpooned into extinction. It's a classic story, but a key fact is often omitted. Bering Island was the last redoubt of a species that had been decimated by hunting and habitat loss years before the explorers set sail.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not good as an audiobook
- By B on 02-04-11
- Unnatural History of the Sea
- By: Callum M. Roberts
- Narrated by: Callum M. Roberts
Very engaging re: history, ecology, and policy
Reviewed: 04-27-12
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This book is a vivid, excellently written chronicle of the concept of "shifting baselines", which is an important concept in ecology, conservation, and history. The descriptions of the abundance of marine abundance in decades and centuries past sound almost impossible in the present context of fisheries collapse and biodiversity loss. The author narrates the book, and brings a clear enjoyment to the work- even go so far as to create distinct voices for other "characters" (modern and historical persons quoted) in the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even those who might not think the subject matter is quite for them.
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