Il delfino

Animal Series

by Alan Rauch

Con le sue acrobazie acquatiche, la sua figura elegante e sinuosa, la natura socievole, le raffinate strategie di comunicazione che lo caratterizzano, il delfino ha da sempre affascinato l’uomo ed è penetrato durevolmente nella sua vita e nel suo immaginario. Questo libro ci immerge nella storia biologica e naturale dell’animale e, al contempo, nei molteplici aspetti della sua penetrazione nel mondo mitologico, artistico e culturale, cercando di approfondire le ragioni dell’attrazione millenaria che ci lega a queste straordinarie creature, dall’iconografia del mondo mediterraneo alla dea fluviale del Gange, dai bestiari alle storie naturali illustrate, dalla letteratura alle arti e alla cultura di massa. Con 91 illustrazioni, 75 a colori

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Avesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed, in-depth book about dolphins - from their physiology to their history, you can understand everything about them as of 2013 - through reading this, I have found out all about their physiology, zoology, evolution, adaptation, species, history, mythology, intelligence, social behaviours (such as befriending other species such as whales and even playing with them!), echolocation, dangers (such as how they get trapped in nets when we farm tuna and end up dying, and through pollution and exploitation), and dolphins in popular culture.

I definitely recommend this for anyone interested in learning more about dolphins.

[Ryan Fohl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only an appetizer that left me hungry for more.
Dolphin encounters are not as benign as they seem.
I loved reading about dolphins in myth, and groups that believed they were descended from or related to dolphins.

What I learned: There is a town/salt mine in Australia called “useless loop” it’s near “monkey mia.”
David Wynn’s girl with a dolphin is my new favorite sculpture. An epargne is a type of fabulous serving tray, that looks like it belongs in a Dr Seuss book. Dolphins swim fastest when they are porpoising. Dolphin echolocation is sensitive enough to identify that humans, like dolphin babies, have lungs and need air. Dolphins are capable of erection at will, and they can use their tool as a tool.

[El Rato Pequeño · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fourth book in the Reaktion animal series, and thus far my favorite (Edit: ultimately bested by Donkey). Really nice writeup on dolphins (and to a small extent, other cetaceans as well) from multiple angles, from the biological over the historical to the cultural, dedicating a lot of space to describe their unique physiological characteristics as well as their long and complex relationship with humankind in history, myth and Seaworld. Alan Rauch's writing is concise, easy to digest and he clearly shows himself as passionate and well-read about the subject.