Book of the Week #16

Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid by Wendy Williams (Abrams Image, 2011)

"Kraken is the traditional name for gigantic sea monsters, and this book introduces one of the most charismatic, enigmatic, and curious inhabitants of the sea: the squid. The pages take the reader on a wild narrative ride through the world of squid science and adventure, along the way addressing some riddles about what intelligence is, and what monsters lie in the deep. In addition to squid, both giant and otherwise, Kraken examines other equally enthralling cephalopods, including the octopus and the cuttlefish, and explores their otherworldly abilities, such as camouflage and bioluminescence. Accessible and entertaining, Kraken is also the first substantial volume on the subject in more than a decade and a must for fans of popular science." (publisher's website)

Squid, beyond those found on menus aren't prevalent here in New Hampshire, but Wendy Williams (who lives in Mass.) will be at Gibson's on Thursday, April 21, 2011 talking about this book so I decided this would be a good book-of-the-week. It's about giant squid--how could I resist that?