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readingjag's review against another edition
4.0
This was a terrific look at the problems we've unleashed on our oceans thanks to a combination of overfishing, climate change, and pollution. It's cataloged as a kid's book, so it's incredibly readable. I sort of think it should be required reading for everyone. The solutions are complex, and Kurlansky does a great job of showing all sides of the story. He points out that fishermen and environmentalists are actually on the same side, here. I took off one star because the lack of footnotes and citations really bothered me. There are so many statistics and facts presented and I could have really used sources.
adewey_20's review against another edition
5.0
This was such an interesting and important read! Even though it's for ages 9+, I think it's something more people should read. As you can tell by the title, the book tells and informs you what would would happen if fish went extinct. And BTW it's not good and could happen within the next 50+ years. What can we do to help? Start off by reading this book so you're educated. Only eat fish that come from sustainable fisheries. Eat fish that are lower on the food chain (like sardines, anchovies, and herrig). And you can also contact state representatives and the president about your concerns and hopefully they can do something about. And you can educate others via social media, joining clubs and organizations.
hywar's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book in a book group with some of my sixth-grade students for our nonfiction unit.
Kurlansky did a great job getting them hyped up about the fishing industry, and making them aware of some of the many problems within our oceans. They also really enjoyed the short graphic novel section at the end of each chapter. The sudden font changes were almost more annoying than they were helpful - some pages suddenly had giant colored font that they said took them out of the reading experience.
In general, my biggest issue was that it seemed like a book that, although marketed towards younger kids wasn't written in a way to be accessible to them. My students almost put the book down after the intro because it was so technical and hard for them to understand. They kept plugging through, but it seemed like in each chapter there were a lot of sections where they really needed to search outside the book to fully understand what was being said. A lot of the visuals in the book seemed like extra bonus information, instead of supporting the details on the page.
I don't know that I would give this to my students to read again, but it's not a bad book for older students or adults to read if they want an intro to the issues within the fishing industry.
Kurlansky did a great job getting them hyped up about the fishing industry, and making them aware of some of the many problems within our oceans. They also really enjoyed the short graphic novel section at the end of each chapter. The sudden font changes were almost more annoying than they were helpful - some pages suddenly had giant colored font that they said took them out of the reading experience.
In general, my biggest issue was that it seemed like a book that, although marketed towards younger kids wasn't written in a way to be accessible to them. My students almost put the book down after the intro because it was so technical and hard for them to understand. They kept plugging through, but it seemed like in each chapter there were a lot of sections where they really needed to search outside the book to fully understand what was being said. A lot of the visuals in the book seemed like extra bonus information, instead of supporting the details on the page.
I don't know that I would give this to my students to read again, but it's not a bad book for older students or adults to read if they want an intro to the issues within the fishing industry.
reading_rachel's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great nonfiction read for middle school, full of pictures and accessible information about how fishing has such a huge impact on the environment.
ignimbrite's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up because it combines a few of my interests - fisheries management and comic books! - without realizing it was written specifically for middle school / high school students. I'm not sure it really succeeds as a comic book - the illustrations didn't always feel very well integrated into what felt much more like a text book - but it was in informative explanation of the magnitude and complexity of global fisheries challenges. Reading a book like this makes me so sad, though, about the world we are leaving for our children.
charlibirb's review against another edition
5.0
Great book for younger folks or interested adults about the state of the fisheries in the world, with a balanced look at scientists' and fishermens' observations and opinions. Very well done.
turrean's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating, and disturbing, look at the death of Earth's oceans due to overfishing, pollution, and global warming. Loved the serial comic that came between the factual stuff. The typography was interesting, too. Occasionally I felt as if I was being "yelled at," with the type increasing in size in statements Kurlansky particularly wanted to emphasize, but I finally realized that was exactly what he wanted to do--yell, that is--for us all to pay attention. The book was a great partner read for Young Man and the Sea by Philbrick.
nicolesottiriou's review against another edition
3.0
While the information is interesting and I did enjoy the pictures as well as the side information, I found the suggestions of what we could do at the end of the book to really fall flat. I also would have appreciated a chapter on what impact having low fish populations would have on the world at large. It really needed this information to make a more compelling case.