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sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
A quite long, quite thorough narrative that centers on the death of a highly experienced sea world trainer who was killed by the orca ("killer whale") she had worked with for many years.
The author, a veteran journalist, is admirably even-handed. Although his major sources are marine mammal advocates, this is because SeaWorld itself refused to talk to him.
The book raises good questions: is it right to keep animals in captivity? What does an employer owe employees who willingly take jobs that involve mortal risks? I would have liked to see more conceptual discussions of these issues and could have done without the details on who drank which beer when.
I'd also have liked a few photos, illustrations, and maps.
Bottom line: you might end up skimming here and there but this is good reporting on a worthwhile topic.
The author, a veteran journalist, is admirably even-handed. Although his major sources are marine mammal advocates, this is because SeaWorld itself refused to talk to him.
The book raises good questions: is it right to keep animals in captivity? What does an employer owe employees who willingly take jobs that involve mortal risks? I would have liked to see more conceptual discussions of these issues and could have done without the details on who drank which beer when.
I'd also have liked a few photos, illustrations, and maps.
Bottom line: you might end up skimming here and there but this is good reporting on a worthwhile topic.
pixiewilo's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard to sum this book up in a short review, but I shall try.
If you don't know what the big fuss about seaworld is then... read the. Book, if you don't know how you feel about whale captivity... Read the book, if you want the truth about what really happens at seaworld behind the pr wheel then... Read the book.
The book is incredibly well researched and is just a must read for anyone with a heartbeat.
If you don't know what the big fuss about seaworld is then... read the. Book, if you don't know how you feel about whale captivity... Read the book, if you want the truth about what really happens at seaworld behind the pr wheel then... Read the book.
The book is incredibly well researched and is just a must read for anyone with a heartbeat.
anxiousshorebird's review against another edition
4.0
David Kirby does an excellent job of presenting a well-rounded argument. Although clear from the beginning that this is not an unbiased report, but an anti-cap argument, Kirby does not leave you thinking that the pro-caps are without any sort of argument. This is necessary for such an argumentative book to be credible.
The writing was very engaging and well-done. It remained an interesting story and not just a spewing of facts. It did get a bit confusing as it was not entirely chronological, sometimes making the reader wonder what was going on when. It's possible that there was too much detail of things such as Naomi's life or the OSHA trials, but there would not have been a comprehensive knowledge presented to the reader without these details.
All in all, it was a very dense book. Not something for casual reader, and that is what made it such a beautiful and potentially very influential book.
The writing was very engaging and well-done. It remained an interesting story and not just a spewing of facts. It did get a bit confusing as it was not entirely chronological, sometimes making the reader wonder what was going on when. It's possible that there was too much detail of things such as Naomi's life or the OSHA trials, but there would not have been a comprehensive knowledge presented to the reader without these details.
All in all, it was a very dense book. Not something for casual reader, and that is what made it such a beautiful and potentially very influential book.
themadmadmadeline's review against another edition
3.0
I know my shtuff about captive killer whales and this one was 1) a little boring 2) not reeeeally well written and 3) needed a family tree of all the whales, cuz damn, I was confused.
arielle17's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book - I want to read more books like it. I felt like I learned from it, and like it did sway my opinion on the topic. It was nicely written and well researched. However, I did find it had a tendency to re-tell stories too soon after they had first been told - a nice reminder of which whale we are talking about is not the same as a two-paragraph rehashing of something that happened in the last chapter.
maresib's review against another edition
4.0
I’ll be thinking about this book for a very long time. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is that some of the data was presented so repetitively.
franziskera's review against another edition
3.0
Especially the first 2/3ds are very interesting, in particular the history of killer whale research in captivity and in the wild in contrast to the circus shows at seaworld. The last third dragged a little. All in all 3,5 stars.