Dolphin

Alan Rauch

ISBN 10: 1780230893 / ISBN 13: 9781780230894

Published by Reaktion Books, GB, 2013

About this Item

Humans love dolphins, and dolphins, it seems, love us: they have been known to encircle swimmers under attack by sharks. Yet although we think we know dolphins well, in fact most people are quite ill-informed about how they evolved, how they function as organisms and how they have interacted with humans for millennia. Dolphin offers a comprehensive view of the animal, describing both its remarkable zoology and its social and cultural history.For centuries dolphins were believed to protect sailors and, by extension, became emblematic of safe travel, kindness and charity. In ancient Greece dolphins featured on coins, and it was considered a good omen for them to follow in a boat's wake. In Hindu mythology the dolphin is associated with Ganga, the deity of the Ganges river. From the television series Flipper to the films The Day of the Dolphin and Johnny Mnemonic and books such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which dolphins are represented as much more intelligent than humans, dolphins have captivated humans since time immemorial.In Dolphin Alan Rauch draw on years of experience working with and studying dolphins to provide thoughtful insights into the ways in which we have interacted with and interpreted this delightful creature over the centuries.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781780230894

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Dolphin
• Publisher: Reaktion Books, GB
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1780230893
• ISBN 13: 9781780230894
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

From Flipper to SeaWorld, dolphins have long captured our hearts. We love these friendly, intelligent mammals, and they seem to return our feelings—they enjoy interacting with swimmers and have been known to encircle people under attack by sharks. Despite our familiarity with dolphins, though, we remain ill-informed about how they evolved, how they function, and how they have interacted with humans for millennia. Dolphin dives into the dolphin’s zoology, as well as its social and cultural history, to offer a comprehensive view of these delightful creatures.

 
Drawing on his years of experience working with and studying dolphins, Alan Rauch explores their propensity to live in pods and their ability to communicate through a variety of clicks, whistles, and other vocalizations. He examines their long relationship with humans, describing how they became the emblem of safe travel and charity, that the ancient Greeks featured them on coins, and that Hindu mythology associated them with Ganga, a river deity. As the rise in popularity of dolphinaria during the 1960s allowed the public access to dolphins, they became central characters in films like The Day of the Dolphin and Johnny Mnemonic and outsmarted humans in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Packed with images and thoughtful insights, Dolphin is a revealing look at one of our favorite sea creatures.

About the Author

Alan Rauch is professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.