BookReview:FourFish

Whatsitabout?

FourFish
isanonfictionbookaboutthefourfish:salmon,seabass,cod,andbluefin
tuna.Itsaninformationalbookaboutthefarming,industrialization,science,andrealityofthese
fish,wovenintoanonfictionbiography.
Theintroductionopensupwiththeauthor,PaulGreenberg,andhowhecametobe
interestedinfish.Hismothersawfishingasamanlyactivity,awaytobuildcharacter,andso
shemadehimfish.Paulsmotheralwaysboughtsmallcottagesoncollapsingestatesandshe
alwaysboughtcottagesnearbystreamsorrivers.Paulsfavoritefishingholestartedbeing
empty.Atagethirteenheboughtaboat,searchingforanewfishingspot.Hewentoutonhis
boatmoreandmore,heendedupteachinghimselfhowtonavigate,themigrationalpatternsof
fish,andtobemoreindependant.Hestartedsellinghissurplusfishoutofthebackofhiscarin
themiddleschoolparkinglottomakeenoughmoneyformoregastogofishing.Heeventually
startslosinghisfascinationwithfisharoundageeighteen.Atseventeenheleaveshishomeof
LongIslandSoundandattwentyhismothersoldhisboatbecausehenevertoucheditagain.At
agethirtyfivehegetsacallfromhismother,whohestartedgrowingapartfrom,andfindsout
shehaslungcancer.Hedecidestodedicatehistimetoherforthreemonths.Hismomseesthe
strainshesputtingonhimandtellshimtogofishing.Thisstartsthereturnoffishinginhislife.
Whenhegoestofishforthefirsttimeindecades,hefindsoutthefishingcommunityhas
changed.Themigrationalpatternsarealldifferent,andcatchinganyamountoffishhasbecome
vastlymoredifficult.Paulgoestoafishmarkettogetmoreacquaintedwiththecurrentfish
worldandrealizesthatnomatterwherehegoesthesamefourfishkeeppoppingup,evenif
theydontmatchthearea.Thefishworldhaschangedandisfocusedonthedomesticationand
controloverthefourfish,andiswhatleadstheoutlinefortherestofthebook.Eachchapter
focusesontheonetypeoffish.
Thesecondchapteristitledsalmon.Paulstartsbyintroducingthedamofthe
ConnecticutRiver,andgoesontotalkaboutthewildsalmonthatusedtotravelthroughit.He
describesthemigrationalpathofsalmonandhowtheyactuallyevolvedtostoptraveling
throughtheConnecticutRiverduetothedam.Wefindoutthatmostofallthesalmonweeatis
actuallywildsalmon,itsfrozenandshipped,evenatthemosthighinrestaurants.Themain
sourcesofwildsalmonleftintheworldareeasternRussiaandAlaska.Hereminiscesaboutthe
summerof2007andhowanAlaskanfishtradernamedJacGadwillinvitedhimtojoininthe
heightofthekingsalmonrun,whichtookplaceinthelongestsalmonriverintheworld.He
meetsJacGadwillgoesonajourneyinthesmallYupik,anindigenoustribe,town.Youseethe
patternofPaulvisitingaplacerelatedtothefishandgoingonajourneywithanindividualwho
inviteshim.Ashedescribeshisjourneyhealsodescribesthehistoryofsalmonandits
domesticationbyhumans.Attheendofithegoesbacktoapresenttimeanddescribeshow
thesalmonsituationhasdrasticallyworsenedandtheYupikpeoplearefacingtroubleswith
starvation.
Thethirdchapter,titledseabass,opensupwithaflashback.Hisstepmotherandhim
areeatingatanItalianrestaurantandshesexcitedabouthernewfavoritedish,seabass.He
asksthewaiterwhereitcamefromandtheyallareunsure,theyanswerwith,Maybethe

Mediterranean?orEurope?.Hegoesontoeventalkabouttheoriginsofthewordseabass,
thegenusofcertainfish,andwhymanreliedonseabass.Israelbecomeshisnextdestination,
asthehomeforseabass.HemeetswithYonathanZoharanddiscusseshowIsraelcameto
dependonseabass.HealsotellsthestoryofThanasisFrentzos,atallGreekmarinebiologist.
HisresearchinthefielddocumentedtheseabasssituationinGreeceandhowtheywere
changing.NextisJoshGoldman,amaninMassachusettswhoresearchedfishfarming.Joshs
goalwas,insteadofartificialselectionleadingtothefarmedfishforman,hewantedtofinda
naturalpartnerfishforman.
Thefourthchapterdealswithcod.Hestartsbytalkingaboutabookhisfamilyread
called
Cod.
HedescribeshowAmericancorporationsrelentlesslypursuedcoduptothe
1970s.Theirmethodgrewstrongerandstronger,biggerboatsandbiggernets.Insteadof
meetingupwithsomeone,heactuallygoesbyhimselfonapartyfishingboatintheGeorges
Bank.Aftercatchingtwocoolersworthofcodheendshisfishingadventure.Paulgoesonto
talkaboutthedemandforcodintheworldversushowmuchweactuallyneed,giving
informationonhowthepopulationofcodareaffectedbymankind.Nowherecallshistalkswith
AndyRosenberg,anecologistattheUniversityofNewHampshire,onthestabilizationofthe
fishmarket.TheSustainableFisheriesActplaysabigroleinthedemandoffishandallowing
themtoreproduce.NextupisTedAmes,afishermanfromPortland,Maine.TedAmestalks
abouthowcodgottotheterriblesituationtheyreintoday.Throughthisjourneyofcodyoure
ledtolearnthatthereisafishthatsuitstheindustrialhabitat,thatbeingtilapia.
Thefinalchapterdealswithtuna.ItbeginswithPaulsigningupforthefishingboat
called
TheExplorer
.Herecountswhathedidthatdayandhowhehadjuryduty.Helivedinan
apartmentinNewYorkatthetime.Onhiswaytojuryduty,herevealsthatverydaywas9/11.
Herecallshowhesawthetwintowersfallandhowhestayedinhisapartmentforweeksafter.
Thedayhereservedonthefishingboatcomesupandheboardsit.Theshipsgoalistuna.
Duringhisfishingtripontheboat,theresareallywelldescribedsceneinwhichhecatcheda
largebluefintuna.Heusesthiseventtoleadintothediscussionoftuna.Firstly,hetellsyouof
theetymologyofthewordtuna,thenitsphysicaltraits,andfishinghabitsrelatedtotuna.Next
youlearnaboutthesushiindustryandhowtunabecamesuchabigthing.Thetunapopulation
hasbeendamagedandPaulstateswhywemustprotectit.Inordertoprotecttuna,wehaveto
lookatotheraquaticcreaturesthatalsoneedprotection,likethewhale.Hedescribesthe
taxonomyofwhalesandtheirexploitation.Whaleswerebadlyendangeredbutweresavedbya
campaignthatraisedawareness.Paulsaysthesamethingcouldhappenfortuna,asitalso
happenedwithswordfish.HelatervisitsamannamedSims,inHawaii,aresearcherin
aquaculture.Inordertosolvethetunaproblem,Simsseesthefishcalledkahalaasthesolution.
Theonlyproblemwouldbepopularizingthefish.
Afterthislongjourneycomparingthepopulationsandsituationsofvariousfish,Paul
endswithprovidingthewaytofindasolution.Inordertopreservethepopulationsofvarious
fishwemustsetpriorities.Aprofoundreductioninfishingeffort,theconversionofsignificant
portionsofoceanecosystemstonocatchareas,theglobalprotectionofunmanageable
species,andtheprotectionofthebottomofthefoodchain,aretheprioritiesweneedtosetfora
stableenvironment.Inpursuitofanewspeciesoffishtodomesticatehealsosetsome

guidelines:efficiency,nondestructivetoawildsystem,limitedinnumber,adaptable,and
functionalinapolyculture.

Howisitrelevanttoclass?

Ifsomeoneweretoreadthisbookduringoursectiononevolutionthenmostofwhat
yourereadingisextremelyrelevant.Wordsfrombiologyclasswillpopupfrequently:taxonomy,
species,hormones,ATP,artificialselection,andetc.Youlearnaboutdifferentspeciesoffish,
howtheyhavebeenaffectedbymankind,theirdomestication,andwhatstatetheyarecurrently
in.Theauthorweavesinallofthisinformationasheretellsdifferentjourneysheshadinhislife.
Thosejourneysfeellikeafamilymembertellingyoustoriesfromtheirlife.Asyoureadabout
eachspeciesyoucanconnectittowhatyourelearninganditreallymakesthebookabetter
read.Yougetmorefamiliarwiththetermsashegoesoverthesametopics,butforeach
specificfish.

WhatdidIthinkaboutit?

ThebookwasoneofthetoughestreadsIvehad.Itsnotabadbookbyanymeans,but
aswithallbooks,aconnectionwithitmakesitmoreenjoyable.FishingisntsomethingIm
passionateabout,butwasfamiliarwith.Ididnthaveastrongconnectionwiththebookstopic,
soitmadeitmoredifficult.Theauthorsdryofficeesquesenseofhumormadeitsmoother,as
thatsthehumorIcanenjoy.Theauthorswritingstyleconsistedofanaboveaverage
vocabulary,subtlehumor,anddense.WhatImeanbydenseis,hecouldgoonforanytopicfor
pagesandpages.Everysentenceisveryconnectedashedescribesmultipledetailsofone
event.Youalsogetthefeelasifhessomeonefromthehistorychannel,nationalgeographic,or
AnthonyBourdain.Itsalmostasifhesbeinginterviewedorhestalkingtoyou.

FinalThoughts

Outoffivestars,Iwouldgivethisbookathreeandhalf.Thebookissolid,itsgot
positivereviewsaswell.TheonlyreasonImgivingitsuchamiddlescoreisbecauseofmy
personalenjoymentwithit.Ifyouwereamarinebiologistyoudeatthisbookup.However,Ihad
noconnectionwiththebook,soitwasntasenjoyable.Ialwayskeptinmindthatthisbook
wouldbelovelyfortherightperson,Ijustwasntthatperson.Thecontentwasgreat,detailed,
andnumerous,itsalearningexperience.