Article: Tuna tale

Tuesday September 1, 2009

Tuna: Love, Death And Mercury
Author: Richard Ellis
Publisher: Vintage, 368 pages

THIS book by marine researcher and illustrator Richard Ellis will forever change the way we think about fish, fishing and the dangers inherent in the seafood we eat. The bluefin tuna is one of the world's biggest, fastest and most highly evolved marine animals, as well as one of its most popular delicacies.

Now, however, it hovers on the brink of extinction. Ellis explains how a fish that was once able to thrive has become a commodity – and how the natural world and the global economy converge on our plates.

With updated information on mercury levels in tuna, this is an ode to one of nature's greatest marvels and a serious examination of a creature and a world at risk.

The Flooded Earth
Author: Peter Ward
Publisher: Perseus Books Group, 272 pages

SPECIES extinction expert Peter Ward describes in intricate detail what the world will look like in 2050, 2100, 2300 and beyond. In a blueprint for a foreseeable future, Ward also explains what politicians and policymakers around the world should be doing now to head off the worst consequences.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf 1 September 2009