Zoology

In this engaging book, Nick Pyenson waxes poetic about whales, weaving in often astonishing facts about them (and many other organisms – this book is not just about whales) with a compelling narrative focused not only on these enormous yet enigmatic creatures themselves, but also on the discoveries he and his various scientific teams have made. He highlights both the interdisciplinary nature of science – as his research questions are often at the boundaries of paleontology, ecology, behavior, and physiology, to name a few disciplines – and the collaborative nature of scientific research. He also touches on larger-scale processes like plate tectonics, earth rotations, and ocean currents and how they affect whales. The book is divided into three parts: past (the largest part), present, and future. Each part starts with a historical story, and the main text ends on page 256; the rest of the book consists of a very...