A review by lafate
The Founding Fish by John McPhee

informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

Note: the book itself is 5 stars. The narration needs a sound engineer. It might be better read in paper or ebook. 

I really enjoyed this book and generally enjoyed the author reading it, but what is going on in the studio afterwards? They did nothing to get rid of noises made by McPhee while reading. The 3 stars for performance is on the audiobook producer! 

I loved the book. I knew nothing about shad and gave never eaten any. No shad come up the river near where I live - it has been dammed since the 1630s. The dam itself is historic. 

McPhee is a genius at making what could be a boring subject interesting. He weaves his experiences, science, environmental concerns, history, and the fishing experiences of others into this book. He talks about George Washington's troops, fish brought out west, the roe of the female shad, fish hatcheries, and more. Sometimes there is a little humor that comes in a McPhee book. 

After listening to the book I'd like to try eating shad, but not roe. He's got recipes at the end for anyone who wants to try cooking. 

If you can handle the lack of audio engineering, listen a little faster for better results, then enjoy the book.