Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid

Resumen del libro

Did you know that your brain bears a strong resemblance to that of the giant squid and that studying the squid's brain may offer insight into a cure for Alzheimer's? Environmental journalist Williams ("Cape Wind") traces sightings of the giant squid throughout the centuries. This sea monster was long dismissed as a legend until a 19th-century naturalist reeled in one of the organism's ten appendages. Discussion of the anatomy, physiology, reproduction, evolution, and taxonomy of "Architeuthis" is provided, along with accounts of the author's visits to various scientific laboratories and descriptions of research studies being conducted on the animal. VERDICT This volume provides background information to whet readers' curiosity and can be supplemented by Richard Ellis's "The Search for the Giant Squid", which is a more comprehensive study. On its own, this serves as a good introduction to the subject for general readers and an inspiration to young people interested in marine biology. Judith Barnett, Pell Marine Science Lib., Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.