The Elephant's Secret Sense: The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa
| AUTHOR | O'Connell, Caitlin |
| PUBLISHER | University of Chicago Press (09/01/2008) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Paperback (Paperback) |
Description
While observing a family of elephants in the wild, Caitlin O'Connell noticed a peculiar listening behavior-the matriarch lifted her foot and scanned the horizon, causing the other elephants to follow suit, as if they could "hear" the ground. The Elephant's Secret Sense is O'Connell's account of her groundbreaking research into seismic listening and communication, chronicling the extraordinary social lives of elephants over the course of fourteen years in the Namibian wilderness.
This compelling odyssey of scientific discovery is also a frank account of fieldwork in a poverty-stricken, war-ravaged country. In her attempts to study an elephant community, O'Connell encounters corrupt government bureaucrats, deadly lions and rhinos, poachers, farmers fighting for arable land, and profoundly ineffective approaches to wildlife conservation. The Elephant's Secret Sense is ultimately a story of intellectual courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. "I was transported by the author's superbly sensuous descriptions of her years spent studying the animals. . . . Conjures a high-class nature documentary film in prose."-Steven Poole, Guardian "A ride as rough and astonishing as the roads of the African floodplain."-Joan Keener, Entertainment Weekly "A successful combination of science and soulfulness, explaining her groundbreaking theory of how elephants use seismic communication. . . . O'Connell's account is studded with sympathetic insights and well-turned phrases."-Publishers Weekly "This fascinating book reads like a fast-paced detective story of a scientific discovery and adventure set in contemporary Africa. . . . By the end, O'Connell takes her rightful place among the leading biographers of the African elephant."-Iain Douglas-Hamilton, author of Among the Elephants
This compelling odyssey of scientific discovery is also a frank account of fieldwork in a poverty-stricken, war-ravaged country. In her attempts to study an elephant community, O'Connell encounters corrupt government bureaucrats, deadly lions and rhinos, poachers, farmers fighting for arable land, and profoundly ineffective approaches to wildlife conservation. The Elephant's Secret Sense is ultimately a story of intellectual courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. "I was transported by the author's superbly sensuous descriptions of her years spent studying the animals. . . . Conjures a high-class nature documentary film in prose."-Steven Poole, Guardian "A ride as rough and astonishing as the roads of the African floodplain."-Joan Keener, Entertainment Weekly "A successful combination of science and soulfulness, explaining her groundbreaking theory of how elephants use seismic communication. . . . O'Connell's account is studded with sympathetic insights and well-turned phrases."-Publishers Weekly "This fascinating book reads like a fast-paced detective story of a scientific discovery and adventure set in contemporary Africa. . . . By the end, O'Connell takes her rightful place among the leading biographers of the African elephant."-Iain Douglas-Hamilton, author of Among the Elephants
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780226616742
ISBN-10:
0226616746
Binding:
Paperback or Softback (Trade Paperback (Us))
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
264
Carton Quantity:
28
Product Dimensions:
6.34 x 0.57 x 8.94 inches
Weight:
0.79 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Bibliography,
Index,
Price on Product,
Maps,
Table of Contents,
Illustrated
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Science | Life Sciences - Zoology - Mammals
Dewey Decimal:
599.674
Library of Congress Control Number:
2008009048
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
While observing a family of elephants in the wild, Caitlin O'Connell noticed a peculiar listening behavior-the matriarch lifted her foot and scanned the horizon, causing the other elephants to follow suit, as if they could "hear" the ground. The Elephant's Secret Sense is O'Connell's account of her groundbreaking research into seismic listening and communication, chronicling the extraordinary social lives of elephants over the course of fourteen years in the Namibian wilderness.
This compelling odyssey of scientific discovery is also a frank account of fieldwork in a poverty-stricken, war-ravaged country. In her attempts to study an elephant community, O'Connell encounters corrupt government bureaucrats, deadly lions and rhinos, poachers, farmers fighting for arable land, and profoundly ineffective approaches to wildlife conservation. The Elephant's Secret Sense is ultimately a story of intellectual courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. "I was transported by the author's superbly sensuous descriptions of her years spent studying the animals. . . . Conjures a high-class nature documentary film in prose."-Steven Poole, Guardian "A ride as rough and astonishing as the roads of the African floodplain."-Joan Keener, Entertainment Weekly "A successful combination of science and soulfulness, explaining her groundbreaking theory of how elephants use seismic communication. . . . O'Connell's account is studded with sympathetic insights and well-turned phrases."-Publishers Weekly "This fascinating book reads like a fast-paced detective story of a scientific discovery and adventure set in contemporary Africa. . . . By the end, O'Connell takes her rightful place among the leading biographers of the African elephant."-Iain Douglas-Hamilton, author of Among the Elephants
This compelling odyssey of scientific discovery is also a frank account of fieldwork in a poverty-stricken, war-ravaged country. In her attempts to study an elephant community, O'Connell encounters corrupt government bureaucrats, deadly lions and rhinos, poachers, farmers fighting for arable land, and profoundly ineffective approaches to wildlife conservation. The Elephant's Secret Sense is ultimately a story of intellectual courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. "I was transported by the author's superbly sensuous descriptions of her years spent studying the animals. . . . Conjures a high-class nature documentary film in prose."-Steven Poole, Guardian "A ride as rough and astonishing as the roads of the African floodplain."-Joan Keener, Entertainment Weekly "A successful combination of science and soulfulness, explaining her groundbreaking theory of how elephants use seismic communication. . . . O'Connell's account is studded with sympathetic insights and well-turned phrases."-Publishers Weekly "This fascinating book reads like a fast-paced detective story of a scientific discovery and adventure set in contemporary Africa. . . . By the end, O'Connell takes her rightful place among the leading biographers of the African elephant."-Iain Douglas-Hamilton, author of Among the Elephants
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Author:
O'Connell, Caitlin
Caitlin O Connell is a faculty member at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her work has been featured in the "New York Times", "Boston Globe, National Geographic, "and "Discover, "among many others. She lives in San Diego.
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