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  • Salmon

  • A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate
  • Written by: Mark Kurlansky
  • Narrated by: Mark Kurlansky
  • Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (16 ratings)

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Salmon

Written by: Mark Kurlansky
Narrated by: Mark Kurlansky
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Publisher's Summary

In what he says is the most important piece of environmental writing in his long and award-winning career, Mark Kurlansky, best-selling author of Salt and Cod, The Big Oyster, 1968, and Milk, among many others, employs his signature multi-century storytelling and compelling attention to detail to chronicle the harrowing yet awe-inspiring life cycle of salmon.

During his research, Kurlansky traveled widely and observed salmon and those who both pursue and protect them in the Pacific and the Atlantic, in Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Japan, and even the robust but not as frequently visited Kamchatka Peninsula. This world tour reveals an eras-long history of man's misdirected attempts to manipulate salmon and its environments for his own benefit and gain, whether for entertainment or to harvest food.

In addition, Kurlansky's research shows that all over the world these fish, uniquely connected to both marine and terrestrial ecology as well as fresh and salt water, are a natural barometer for the health of the planet. He documents that for centuries man's greatest assaults on nature, from overfishing to dams, from hatcheries to fish farms, from industrial pollution to the ravages of climate change, are evidenced in the sensitive life cycle of salmon.

Kurlansky's insightful conclusion is that the only way to save salmon is to save the planet and, at the same time, the only way to save the planet is to save the mighty, heroic salmon.

©2020 Mark Kurlansky (P)2020 Random House Audio
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What listeners say about Salmon

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a somber and enlightening book

This book brings to light one of the greatest issues of our current time that has gone almost completely unnoticed by today's society. I am a fisheries and wildlife biologist, I have taken over 6 years of acidemia and at no point were the entire and multiple perspectives of this issue presented to me in such a clear and understanding way. please read this!

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    4 out of 5 stars

good read

There were some minor inaccuracies about ecological science that I pick up but otherwise a very well researched piece of literature about an embattled and critical species. The story is written in an interesting way that spans time and place, cementing the importance of this fish across our entire human story. The author sprinkles the text with recipes which is a novel touch and from a technical standpoint ties a lot of the chapters together with a common distraction. The book paints a dark picture though, and ends off with the insinuated need for some sort of socialist population control or other cap on growth, which is a take that many will find highly contentious.

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Excellent!

As an early-career fishery biologist, I found this book to be hugely informative. Kurlansky's "Salmon" encompasses salmon biology, taxonomy, ecology, paleontology, and anthropological importance, as well as the threats that they face and potential solutions. This book was fantastic.

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Amazing

I was amazed with the history of the salmon. Listening to the old stories of Europe and there salmon cultures was incredible I had no idea. I really liked how mark added recipes in the book also. You can tell mark lost steam in his performance reading the book and at times I as expecting him to yawn. But I guess reading one subject relentlessly for 8 hours would be tough. I would recommend this book to anyone who is an angler or someone who likes history. Well done mark I look forward to reading or listening to some of your other work!

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