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Remarkably little is known about the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. So little, in fact, that scientists and philosophers have, for centuries, been obsessed with what has become known as the “eel question”: Where do eels come from? What are they? Are they fish or some other kind of creature altogether? Even today, in an age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don’t understand what drives them, after living for decades in freshwater, to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. They remain a mystery.
Drawing on a breadth of research about eels in literature, history, and modern marine biology, as well as his own experience fishing for eels with his father, Patrik Svensson crafts a mesmerizing portrait of an unusual, utterly misunderstood, and completely captivating animal. In The Book of Eels, we meet renowned historical thinkers, from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud to Rachel Carson, for whom the eel was a singular obsession. And we meet the scientists who spearheaded the search for the eel’s point of origin, including Danish marine biologist Johannes Schmidt, who led research efforts in the early twentieth century, catching thousands upon thousands of eels, in the hopes of proving their birthing grounds in the Sargasso Sea.
Blending memoir and nature writing at its best, Svensson’s journey to understand the eel becomes an exploration of the human condition that delves into overarching issues about our roots and destiny, both as humans and as animals, and, ultimately, how to handle the biggest question of all: death. The result is a gripping and slippery narrative that will surprise and enchant.
A Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize
National Bestseller
Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award
Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
A New York Times Notable Book
One of TIME’s 100 Must Read Books of the Year
One of The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Nonfiction Books of the Year
One of Smithsonian Magazine’s 10 Best Science Books of the Year
One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Nonfiction Books of the Year
A New York Times Editor’s Choice
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Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World
2020, HarperCollins Publishers
in English
0062968831 9780062968838
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El evangelio de las anguilas
2020, Libros del Asteroide, S.L.U.
Tapa Blanda
in Spanish
8417977414 9788417977412
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The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World
May 26, 2020, Ecco
hardcover
0062968815 9780062968814
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The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World
May 05, 2020, Harpercollins, HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing
audio cd
1094156302 9781094156309
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The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World
May 05, 2020, HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing, Harpercollins
audio cd
1094156299 9781094156293
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Book Details
Edition Notes
Source title: L'Évangile des anguilles (Romans étrangers (H.C.)) (French Edition)
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- Created January 8, 2021
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July 29, 2024 | Edited by Vivienne | Subtitle, brief description |
September 18, 2021 | Edited by Jenner | Merge works |
January 8, 2021 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from amazon.com record |