The Philosopher Fish
Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire
New edition
9781684582389
9781684582372
Distributed for Brandeis University Press
The Philosopher Fish
Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire
New edition
An updated new edition of Richard Adams Carey’s illuminating journey across the globe to uncover the secrets of the sturgeon.
From the acclaimed eco-journalist Rick Carey comes a fascinating chronicle of a fast-disappearing fish—and of the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on it. Since the days of the Persian Empire, caviar has trumpeted status, wealth, prestige, and sex appeal. In this remarkable journey to caviar’s source, Carey immerses himself in the world of the sturgeon, the fish that lays these golden eggs. The sturgeon has a fascinating biological past—and a very uncertain future. Sturgeon populations worldwide have declined seventy percent in the last twenty years. Meanwhile, the beluga sturgeon, producer of the most coveted caviar, has climbed to number four on the World Wildlife Fund’s most-endangered species list. A high-stakes cocktail of business, crime, diplomacy, technology, and the dilemmas of conservation, The Philosopher Fish is the epic story of a 250-million-year-old fish struggling to survive.
This new edition includes new chapters bringing up to date the story of this elusive and mysterious fish, and the people involved with both preserving and exploiting it.
From the acclaimed eco-journalist Rick Carey comes a fascinating chronicle of a fast-disappearing fish—and of the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on it. Since the days of the Persian Empire, caviar has trumpeted status, wealth, prestige, and sex appeal. In this remarkable journey to caviar’s source, Carey immerses himself in the world of the sturgeon, the fish that lays these golden eggs. The sturgeon has a fascinating biological past—and a very uncertain future. Sturgeon populations worldwide have declined seventy percent in the last twenty years. Meanwhile, the beluga sturgeon, producer of the most coveted caviar, has climbed to number four on the World Wildlife Fund’s most-endangered species list. A high-stakes cocktail of business, crime, diplomacy, technology, and the dilemmas of conservation, The Philosopher Fish is the epic story of a 250-million-year-old fish struggling to survive.
This new edition includes new chapters bringing up to date the story of this elusive and mysterious fish, and the people involved with both preserving and exploiting it.
Reviews
Table of Contents
Preface
1. The Hero Descending
2. The World Is Not Enough
3. Flavors of the Divine Horizon
4. The People of the Sturgeon
5. Situation Unpleasant
6. A City of Water
7. Poor Man’s Lobster
8. Russian California
9. A Poetry of Place
10. The Iron in the Garden
11. Thieves World
12. The Blood of the Earth
13. A Capacity for Wonder
14. The Gilded Morsel
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Index
1. The Hero Descending
2. The World Is Not Enough
3. Flavors of the Divine Horizon
4. The People of the Sturgeon
5. Situation Unpleasant
6. A City of Water
7. Poor Man’s Lobster
8. Russian California
9. A Poetry of Place
10. The Iron in the Garden
11. Thieves World
12. The Blood of the Earth
13. A Capacity for Wonder
14. The Gilded Morsel
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Index
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