Moby-duck : an accidental odyssey : the true story of 28,800 bath toys lost at sea and of the beachcombers, oceanographers, environmentalists, and fools, including the author, who went in search of th
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Book Overview
Selected by "The New York Times Book Review" as a Notable Book of the Year A revelatory tale of science, adventure, and modern myth. When the writer Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. But questions can be like ocean currents: wade in too far, and they carry you away. Hohn's accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive world of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of Arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories. "Moby-Duck" is a journey into the heart of the sea and an adventure through science, myth, the global economy, and some of the worst weather imaginable. With each new discovery, Hohn learns of another loose thread, and with each successive chase, he comes closer to understanding where his castaway quarry comes from and where it goes. In the grand tradition of Tony Horwitz and David Quammen, "Moby-Duck" is a compulsively readable narrative of whimsy and curiosity.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0670022195
ISBN13:9780670022199
Release Date:March 2011
Publisher:Viking
Length:416 Pages
Weight:1.44 lbs.
Dimensions:1.4" x 6.4" x 9.3"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Your enjoyment will depend greatly upon how well you can abide the author's voice
Published by AKNM , 3 years ago
There is some information to be found here, but as with most nonfiction, how much you enjoy it is dependent on how well you get along with the author. I would check it out of the library and read it once for the informative bits, but alas, I did not need to own it. The author is not a scientist, nor a manufacturer, nor a sailor, nor in any of the professions relevant to the facts of the story; so he must needs be an interviewer and reporter, which is not his profession, either. He is a runaway English teacher who seems to be compelled to travel the world in a quest to avoid spending time with his small child. It frankly left a bad taste in my mouth that wasn't effaced by his reported qualms about constantly running off and leaving his wife to oversee their child's milestones alone.
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