Spineless
The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
"A book full of wonders" —Helen Macdonald, author of H Is for Hawk
"Witty, insightful. . . .The story of jellyfish. . . is a significant part of the environmental story. Berwald's engaging account of these delicate, often ignored creatures shows how much they matter to our oceans' future." —New York Times Book Review
Jellyfish have been swimming in our oceans for well over half a billion years, longer than any other animal that lives on the planet. They make a venom so toxic it can kill a human in three minutes. Their sting—microscopic spears that pierce with five million times the acceleration of gravity—is the fastest known motion in the animal kingdom. Made of roughly 95 percent water, some jellies are barely perceptible virtuosos of disguise, while others glow with a luminescence that has revolutionized biotechnology. Yet until recently, jellyfish were largely ignored by science, and they remain among the most poorly understood of ocean dwellers.
More than a decade ago, Juli Berwald left a career in ocean science to raise a family in landlocked Austin, Texas, but jellyfish drew her back to the sea. Recent, massive blooms of billions of jellyfish have clogged power plants, decimated fisheries, and caused millions of dollars of damage. Driven by questions about how overfishing, coastal development, and climate change were contributing to a jellyfish population explosion, Juli embarked on a scientific odyssey. She traveled the globe to meet the biologists who devote their careers to jellies, hitched rides on Japanese fishing boats to see giant jellyfish in the wild, raised jellyfish in her dining room, and throughout it all marveled at the complexity of these alluring and ominous biological wonders.
Gracefully blending personal memoir with crystal-clear distillations of science, Spineless is the story of how Juli learned to navigate and ultimately embrace her ambition, her curiosity, and her passion for the natural world. She discovers that jellyfish science is more than just a quest for answers. It’s a call to realize our collective responsibility for the planet we share.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Gorgeous, mysterious, and dangerous, jellyfish bob on waves and litter beaches after high tide. But what are they? A dozen years in the making, Spineless considers and dissects this invertebrate family’s past, present, and future. The book presents a wealth of information, including the facts that some species are arguably immortal and that when jellyfish are kept as pets, they’re liable to vanish. But rather than taking an academic approach, ocean scientist Juli Berwald paints a captivating picture, employing pioneering heroes and heroines, globetrotting research adventures, and even an ostensible antagonist. She humanizes a world that oceanic science is still struggling to grasp.
Customer Reviews
Engaging book about science and a personal journey
I found myself frequently thinking, "Hmm, I'd like to know more about that!" and bopping out of the book to do a web search on something like salps or scuba in the Red Sea. I was sorry when I reached the end.