Synopses & Reviews
The orca — otherwise known as the killer whale — is one of earth's most intelligent animals. Remarkably sophisticated, orcas have languages and cultures and even long-term memories, and their capacity for echolocation is nothing short of a sixth sense. They are also benign and gentle, which makes the story of the captive-orca industry — and the endangerment of their population in Puget Sound — that much more damning.
In Of Orcas and Men, a marvelously compelling mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, David Neiwert explores an extraordinary species and its occasionally fraught relationship with human beings. Beginning with their role in myth and contemporary popular culture, Neiwert shows how killer whales came to capture our imaginations, and brings to life the often catastrophic environmental consequences of that appeal.
In the tradition of Barry Lopez's classic Of Wolves and Men, David Neiwert's book is a triumph of reporting, observation, and research, and a powerful tribute to one of the animal kingdom's most remarkable members.
Review
"It is tragic and unforgivable that humanity, in its arrogance, continues to assert that other animals are mere 'things.' David Neiwert explores the extraordinary intelligence, rich social life, and obvious consciousness of orcas. He points out the psychological cruelty inflicted when an individual is stolen from the wide ocean and incarcerated in a concrete prison for our 'entertainment.'" Jane Goodall, New York Times bestselling author of Seeds of Hope
Review
"Human beings need to learn from and understand the cooperative nature of orca society." Temple Grandin, New York Times bestselling author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human
Review
"One of the most comprehensive works to date for anyone who has become enthralled by this magnificent animal." Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Director of Blackfish
Review
"Humans and killer whales have a long and complicated history, one that David Neiwert describes forcefully and eloquently in this fascinating and highly readable book." David Kirby, New York Times bestselling author of Death at SeaWorld
Review
"A wide-ranging, interesting book that should be required reading for school-aged environmentalists." Kirkus
Review
"A triumph of far-ranging research and vivid storytelling. Eloquent, astute, and compassionate." Brenda Peterson, author of Build Me an Ark: A Life With Animals
Synopsis
In Of Orcas and Men, a marvelously compelling mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, David Neiwert explores an extraordinary species and its occasionally fraught relationship with human beings. Beginning with their role in myth and contemporary popular culture, Neiwert shows how killer whales came to capture our imaginations, and brings to life the often catastrophic environmental consequences of that appeal. In the tradition of Barry Lopez's classic Of Wolves and Men, David Neiwert's book is a triumph of reporting, observation, and research, and a powerful tribute to one of the animal kingdom's most remarkable members.
Synopsis
A celebrated journalist's eye-opening history of orcas, and an exploration of their relationship with human beings, Of Orcas and Men does for whales what Barry Lopez did for wolves.
About the Author
David Neiwert is an investigative journalist based in Seattle. He is the author of many books, including And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border and Strawberry Days: How Internment Destroyed a Japanese American Community. His reportage for MSNBC.com on domestic terrorism won the National Press Club Award for Distinguished Online Journalism in 2000. He is also a contributing writer for the Southern Poverty Law Center.