Page 13 - Boca Exposure - July '20

Boca Exposure, Page 13
Book Review

What A Fish Knows: The Inner Are We Smart Enough One of the most “shocking” facts in the book (pun
Lives Of Our Underwater to Know How Smart intended) relates to the way a species of elephantfish that
lives in river and coastal basins of western and central
Animals Are? by Frans
Cousins de Waal Africa communicate with each other by high-speed
Gifts of the Crow: electric organ discharges (EOD). Studies have shown
By Nils A. Shapiro How P e r c e pt i on, them to have an astounding ability to discern pulse time
“Jonathan Balcombe Emotion, and Thought differences down to a millionth of a second! “This rivals
vividly shows that fish Allow Smart Birds to echolocation by bats as the fastest form of communication
have feelings and Behave Like Humans by in the animal kingdom.”
deserve consideration John Marzluff and Tony Think about it: a millionth of a second! I had to put the
and protection like other Angell book down at that point, marveling at the communication
sentient beings.” – The Buzz Sting Bite: Why system of this small fish in Africa that I had never even
Dalai Lama We Need Insects by Anne heard of.
One of the great joys Sverdrup-Thygeson I will offer one more brief excerpt from this
of having the privilege A Day in the Life of extraordinary paperback volume (which, by the way,
of writing these review Ancient Rome by Alberto Angela includes an interesting section of color photographs)
columns – 175 as of this The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search just to give you another example of the rich array of
issue – has been the opportunity to discover books that for the Good Life by Bettany Hughes
taught me more about the subjects that fascinate me than This month’s selection, What a Fish Knows, is Book Review on page 14
I ever learned throughout my school years, including another of these: a remarkable scientific work written
college ... and to share such experiences with my readers in a highly readable, non-technical style. Its author,
in the hope that some of you will find them equally Jonathan Balcombe, is the director of animal sentience
rewarding. at the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy.
As many of you know by now, I prefer nonfiction He has appeared on numerous television shows, including
over fiction, and my tastes lean strongly to books about the National Geographic Channel, and is a contributor to
animals and nature in general, as well as early American The New York Times and other publications.
history and ancient world (generally Greek or Roman) For anyone who has ever had a simple bowl with a Providing expert specialized care
history. Once in a while, a really good novel or more goldfish as a child, or a more complex home aquarium for over 25 years
current theme finds its way into my reading schedule. with many tropical fish, and wondered whether they
But my real hope is that when I read a book which, recognize the human faces staring at them ... or whether • Commitment to Treatment and
for me, becomes a truly life-changing or awakening to believe the fishermen who claim that fish don’t feel
experience, I am able to express those feelings adequately pain from the hooks used to catch them ... or whether Diagnosis of Retina, Macula and
enough in my review to motivate you to obtain that book some fish like to be petted by humans ... or whether it’s Vitreous
for yourself and derive the same wonderful benefit. important to be careful in selecting which fishes can
Dozens of books that I have reviewed fit into this live together in a home aquarium and which cannot,
category, but I will name just a few here as a reminder: including individual personalities ... or whether fish can • Personalized Patient Care
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They hear and “speak” to each other underwater ... or whether
Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter fishes have intelligence, a range of emotions, and a real
Wohleben memory (not just the three seconds that are generally • Several Locations for Patient
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into credited by people to goldfish) ... these and hundreds Convenience
the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery of other questions are answered in this fascinating book
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses by that covers not only finned fish but octopuses, rays, eels,
Daniel Chamovitz shellfish and others. • Advanced Treatment for Macular
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