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| Souls in the Sea: Dolphins, Whales, and Human Destiny | 
| Author: Scott Taylor
Publisher: Frog Books
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $3.82
You Save: $16.13 (81%)
New (19) from $3.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 342653
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 330
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 1583940715
Dewey Decimal Number: 599.5
EAN: 9781583940716
ASIN: 1583940715
Publication Date: February 21, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new copy!
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Product Description
Dolphins have long been attributed with intelligence, but do they have souls? Self-awareness? Compassion? Scott Taylor, Director of the Cetacean Studies Institute, investigates the history, mythology, and science surrounding these creatures and emerges with a resounding yes. And not only do whales and dolphins merit our attention and respect in their own right: they are an index to what our future as a species can be.
In this multi-faceted cetology compendium, Taylor surveys the portrayal of dolphins and whales in works of literature as disparate as Moby Dick and Sumerian legend, examines biologist John Lilly's research on interspecies communication, and explores the benefits of dolphin-assisted swimming therapy for disabled children and adults. Looking at the world from the perspective of one of these "souls in the sea," Taylor suggests that cetaceans are an ideal bridge between humanity and nature. Poetically written and thoughtfully illustrated with photos and drawings, Souls in the Sea is a comprehensive celebration of the biology, history, and mystique of dolphins and whales.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Unique Book April 21, 2008
This book somehow manages to put together some of my favorite subjects. It includes chapters on Gnosticism and spirituality and ancient earth history. The author is knowledgeable on these subjects and weaves them in well with the core subject of dolphins and other cetaceans. I will highly recommend this book to people with similar interests.
 A meta-story for us all, beyond the world of dolphins and whales July 29, 2007
I would like to recommend the amazing book, "Souls in the Sea", as an excellent resource, especially for anyone wanting to look beyond the standard fare. This is a book that has set new standards for multi-dimensional research. It is an example of what we need in so much of our study, ie, meta-research into many fields, disciplines, and experiences that can add up to a much more well-rounded view. In this case, the world of dolphins and whales is brought into an entirely new light, one that opens our eyes to the interdependent system of life in which we are all embedded.
The author has given us insight into biology, history, many forms of science, mythology, economics, social systems, religions, as well as contemporary work in the healing arts, where dolphins are being used in therapy. The areas this book covers is amazing, yet it is readable, funny in parts (the four elements!), and inspiring.
The amount of research is astonishing. As a reader of books about dolphins and whales, I have collected many. I recognise some of Taylor's references, but have been delighted to find so many that add to my understanding.
This book is classified under nature and psychology. A curious combination...
The reason, I believe, is because it delves into our own human mindset, our way of seeing the world, our sense of history, human importance, our relationship to the natural world, and as a result of this, our destiny.
I note that none of the other reviewers have commented on the third part of the title, Human Destiny. This is one of the reasons why I recommend this book so highly, to friends and other researchers: it takes us beyond our normal view of ourselves, it goes deep into the relationship we have with nature and ourselves, and offers a way of seeing ourselves that can only help us.
Taylor gives us both science and myth, facts and personal feelings. He shares a rare glimpse into a personal story, one that seems almost painful to him, as he discovers a dramatic change in his views, stimulated by an encounter with a dolphin. This story, both believable and revealing, takes us into a much deeper area. We have to, as readers, explore our own feelings, pre-judgements, and assumptions about what we think we understand about dolphins and our relations with them. Taylor has given us all a gift.
Read this book. Read it carefully. Listen to what it brings up, and consider how you see the world. Maybe those "Souls in the Sea" do have something important to share with you.
A very grateful reader....
 Not a sound source... April 28, 2005
9 out of 14 found this review helpful
Scott Taylor writes a book full of anecdotal stories to support his own beliefs of dolphin behavior, cognition, and physiology.
I thoroughly enjoyed his recounting of dolphin mythology and legend along with some of the personal experiences others have had with dolphins.
As far as his his other claims, however, I am quite disappointed. He attempts to back up some of his theories of dolphin intelligence with factual information, but leaves out significant details that would otherwise disprove his theory. Oftentimes he draws wild conclusions that don't quite make sense, with a tendancy to compare two completely unrelated things. Many of the facts he lays out to support certain claims are far from accurate. Also, he tends to include only information that supports his beliefs, while ignoring parts of a text that make his claims appear more insignificant.
For example, he cites Karen Pryor's studies into dolphins demonstrating creativity, saying dolphins and humans are the only ones who can do this sort of behavior. He has, in fact, ignored her other story in the same book about successfully performing the exact same experiment with chickens.
Another example is his claim that dolphins (and other cetaceans) are the only other animals other than humans to mate face to face. Off the top of my head, I know that cuttlefish and seahorses do the same. I'm sure there are other members of the animal kingdom to mate this way.
If you're looking for a feel good book about dolphins, this is for you. If you're looking for a text based in fact, this one misses the mark by far.
Herman Melville would love this book October 17, 2003
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I place Scott Taylor's "Soul in the Water" next to Moby Dick on my Cetacean book shelf. He has done a vast amount of research and followed some of the tantalyzing loose ends surrounding Cetacean studies. This book dares to go "deeper" (no pun intended) than other books on this subject. For those of you who have stared into the deep and made contact with whales and dolphins and felt the great mystery ....this book is for you.Yours truly,
Allan Armstrong
Senior Editor of Scholarisland
Soulful and Intense May 17, 2003
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful and much-needed piece of work. At last The Legend of the Golden Dolphin has broken free of the oral tradition and found a good home in this elegantly researched and beautifully written book. Although, of necessity brief, it is nothing more than an alternative history of the world--life seen as a complex braiding through time of cetacea and humanity--the ultimate goal, the fullfillment of our mutual destiny. Firmly titling the book, 'Souls in the Sea', makes sure the reader knows the author's viewpoint is both wide-ranging and spiritual in outlook. According dolphins and whales high intelligence is the first step in understanding that these ocean-going mammals, our genetic cousins (we are, as the book points out, genetically closer to cetaceans than we are to the higher primates) also have lives of the Spirit. Grasping this is a far cry from loving dolphins because they are cute (although for some it's a good start) and demands that we radically review our whole approach to the other species. This book will open eyes, blow minds, reassure some and antagonize others. Thousands of years of cultural conditioning, of implicit species domination, needs be dispensed with in the far deeper realization that we share this planet with other intelligent sentient beings with spiritual realities of their own. Time is short...Will the willing sacrifice of cetacea finally awaken old OGO The Fox to our species true responsibilities? Hold to your center and open your heart.
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