The Walking Whales

There is an immediacy to Thewissen's writing and an urgency to the excavations, and readers curious about paleontological fieldwork will appreciate the enthusiasm and specificity with which he approaches his subject matter. . . . The whale's evolution and Thewissen's contributions to its study are both extraordinary. -- (10/06/2014) Racily recounted adventures . . . Meticulous comparative work. -- (03/27/2015) Delightful reading . . . Thewissen's book is a fine account. -- (05/06/2015) Mixes memoir, adventure, history, and popular science to tell one of the most fascinating stories to emerge from paleontology in the last quarter century. . . . This is an excellent, accessible summary of a fascinating and fruitful career and a treasure trove of information regarding the first 20 million years of cetacean history that will be used for years to come. -- (04/29/2015) The book alternates between entertaining exploits in the field that reminded me of a gentler version of Indiana Jones and detailed discussions of whale anatomy and evolutionary descent. . . . The author is a good teacher, thorough and with a fine sense of humor. -- (05/06/2015) Thewissen provides an excellent balance between the science and the narrative. . . . an excellent read. -- (07/01/2015) The Indiana Jones of biology is an engaging guide in this marine detective story. . . . The Walking Whales is part biological text, part detective story. -- (01/08/2015) Does a splendid job of showing what it is like to be a palaeontologist. Thewissen's vivid descriptions of fieldwork in Pakistan and India will give readers a clear sense of the joys and frustrations, and the tedium and excitement, that the work entails. . . . Thewissen's book is a perfect introduction to the field. -- (10/14/2014)