Moon by Whale Light: And Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians, and Whales

"The many colors were in the ever-bluing sky, in the cloud formations, the muted light, the midnight sun, the auroras dancing over still waters with icebergs and crash ice, and in areas that dazzled like small hand mirrors, through which black-and-white penguins dove." ~ pg. 233 Diane Ackerman is a woman who throws herself into her research with a sense of abandon. She blends her own experience with mythology and interesting facts and turns each journey into an exciting adventure. In this book she explores the worlds of bats, crocodiles, whales and penguins. When discussing bats she writes so beautifully you can almost imagine having a bat as a pet, and some people do. They seem cuddly and cute! This was a surprise and anyone who is afraid of bats should read the first section. Not only are they loveable, they help to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for trees. The section on whales is magestic and awe inspiring. We learn about whales that "sail" and learn about various whale behaviours. Diane swims with a mother and a baby whale and they seem to be watching her as much as she is observing them. To complete the book, a section on penguins looks at how they live in captivity vs. how they live in the wild. A close encounter with an attacking leopard seal adds excitement to the story about Antarctica. In each story, Diane Ackreman shows incredible bravery and makes you long for your own nature adventure. If you love this book, you may also enjoy: A Natural History of the Senses Cultivating Delight: A Natural History of My Garden An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain ~The Rebecca Review Once I held a baby bat in my hands as a child in Africa...

I think this was the first book by a naturalist that I ever read (and it was many years ago that I first read this book) that was utterly enchanting and engaging. Most books of this nature are didactic with occasional leaps into literary writing. Ackerman, in contrast, balances fact with fancy and reality with conjecture; she balances personal experience with the universal; she asks original questions that have no known answers; she merges conversation with conservation; she gives us a sense of who she is without losing the thread of what she's writing about. Not being particular scientific, I was surprised to find myself clinging to every word, reading the book straight through in perhaps two nights of bedtime reading.The chapters on diverse topics can be read separately as individual essays, but there's a sense of progression of Ackerman's life that lends a personal touch to the book. These wonderful essays found their first home in The New Yorker. Subjects are all over the map: bats, alligators, penguins, and of course the whales of the title, which reads like a misprint - but isn't. In the process, Ackerman underscores man's responsibility to act in the protection of the world's other creatures: we are but one among many (and we're hugely outnumbered, BTW).Besides being a perfect melding of animal lore, objective study, and conservation, The Moon by Whalelight is an example of nonfiction storytelling at its best.

Here is an author I would like to call and thank. Not only is she articulate, poetic and interesting, but her fascination with and love for her subjects shines in every essay she writes. Here is the very special world of a woman who sees with the clarity of a scientist and writes with the perception of a poet. Moreover, she writes from her own experiences hanging out in front of bat caves, tackling 500 pound alligators and cuddling baby penguins in refrigerated nurseries. Nothing stops her and not much phases her, but a lot of what she sees and experiences makes her stop and think. It is the thinking that attracts me as much as her stories. She is hard at work on her own vision of the world and the place human beings occupy in it. It is a vision worth considering. Expect to be drawn with lyrical, insightful writing into the worlds of the creatures Ackerman studies, but expect to find yourself looking down the throat of some tough questions as well. I always come away from one of her books with some new thoughts to chew on. This book shouldn't be missed.

This book is like an adventure from the coast of America to the long mystery Nile River and finish up in the Antarctic. Each person in this world has an individual characteristic and an individual life; animals are the same. From small creature like bats to large creature like whale each has its own life and living habit. By reading this book, I obtain a lot of informative scenes which the author, Diane Ackerman, describes it beautifully. I love this book because the author portrays the attractive living environment and the living habit of the bats,whales, crocodiles and penguins. Every one should read this book. I highly recommend this book for those student who need to read a non-fiction science book. Here is a little information for all students: "This is a wonderful science book." Don't panic if you have to do a non-fiction book report next time. "The Moon by Whale Light" is your best choice.

This book reveals the uniqueness of each species it spotlights. A beautifully written book that is packed with little known facts about these wondrous creatures. If you enjoy this book, check out Ms. Ackerman's other titles: "A Natural History of Love", "A Natural History of the Senses" where she continues to deliver thought provoking information with sensually written text.