Lobster

Animal Series

by Richard J. King

Other than that it tastes delicious with butter, what do you know about the knobbily-armoured, scarlet creature staring back at you from your fancy dinner plate? From ocean to stock pot, there are two sides to every animal story. For instance, since there are species of lobsters without claws, how exactly do you define a lobster? And how did a pauper’s food transform into a meal synonymous with a luxurious splurge? To answer these questions on behalf of lobster the animal is Richard J. King, a former fishmonger and commercial lobsterman, who has chronicled the creature’s long natural history. 
  Part of the Animal series, King’s Lobster takes us on a journey through the history, biology, and culture of lobsters, including the creature’s economic and environmental status worldwide. He describes the evolution of technologies to capture these creatures and addresses the ethics of boiling them alive. Along the way, King also explores the salacious lobster palaces of the 1920s, the animal’s thousand-year status as an aphrodisiac, and how the lobster has inspired numerous artists, writers, and thinkers including Aristotle, Dickens, Thoreau, Dalí, and Woody Allen. Whether you want to liberate lobsters from their supermarket tanks or crack open their claws, this book is an essential read, describing the human connection to the lobster from his ocean home to the dinner table.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Natural History, Nature, Science

216 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2011

About the author

Richard J. King is the author most recently of Sailing Alone: a History and Ocean Bestiary: Meeting Marine Life from Abalone to Orca to Zooplankton. He is also the author Ahab's Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick, Lobster, The Devil's Cormorant: A Natural History, and Meeting Tom Brady. King has published widely on maritime topics in scholarly and popular magazines. Read more at http://richardjking.info.

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional book. Not just a light overview but an in-depth look at the lobster and it’s interaction with the human world. Accessible and highly enjoyable writing, with a great use of graphics throughout.

[Nicholas Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broad overview of the lobster: its biology and role in history, culture, and economy (though largely Western-centric). Clear, conversational tone and full of delightful images pulled from publications, art, and film.