Eel

Animal Series

by Richard Schweid

Although it might seem the most mundane of fish when pulled from the mud of creeks or ponds, the eel has one of the most remarkable life-cycles of any animal. European and American freshwater eels are born, according to current scientific knowledge, in the remote depths of the Sargasso Sea, and journey hundreds or thousands of miles to fresh water, in which they spend a decade or so before returning to the ocean to mate and die.

The eel has been a favourite food among humans since antiquity, feeding London's poor during the Middle Ages, and saving the Mayflower Pilgrims from starvation on North America's shore; these days the Japanese alone account for an eel consumption that is worth over a billion dollars a year.

Richard Schweid examines the eel in all its aspects: from its natural history to its past and present market value; its presence and meanings in both art and literature; and its current threatened status. The eel is considered by many to now be on the road to extinction, and despite repeated attempts to farm it - and huge amounts of time and money have been expended on this - it has steadfastly refused to reproduce successfully in captivity, apparently requiring the vastness of the open ocean to begin its long drift towards maturity. Eel contains many little-know facts about this surprising fish, and will appeal to anyone who enjoys well-researched and stimulating natural history writing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Natural History, Mythology, Art, Nature, Science, History

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Abu Hasan محمد عبيد · Rating 4 out of 5]

لم أكن أتوقع أن هذا الكائن الأسود الأملس، الذي كنّا نتربص به ليلا عند نبع ماء في قريتنا لنسترق إليه النظر وهو يخرج على حياء ليسبح قليلا ثم سرعان ما يختفي، يختزن كل هذا التاريخ والحضور

[Islamjawad · Rating 5 out of 5]

ممتاز

[Lucy Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

No my fave in the Animal Series - factually ace but a couple if things grated:

1) the North Sea doesn't go near Northern Ireland and he repeatedly talks about the North Sea and Irish rivers. Look at a map!!!

2) there was a really dismissive tone about fisher people who lived quiet solitary lives - Dude, you've written a book on eels you don't get to judge others!

All in all, good but some dodgy geography and a too judgemental attitude for my taste.

[Kathleen O'Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite book I've read so far in the Reaktion Animal series. I have always loved eels and this book is a fascinating look at how much we still don't know about freshwater eels despite their importance globally as a food source. Highly recommended for the odd person (like myself) who wakes up one day and thinks to herself "I really want to read a book about eels."

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Eels, by James Prosek, I was excited to pick up another book about this fascinating fish. However, this book read more like hodge-podged wikipedia article. Only my love of eels got me from cover to cover.