Moby-Duck by Donovan Hohn - ISBN: 9780143120506
Paperback
Lost bath toys spark an epic, whimsical journey across the globe.

Moby-Duck

The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea & of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists & Fools Including the Author Who Went in Search of Them

$40.84

  • Paperback

    416 pages

  • Release Date

    28 February 2012

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Summary

A compulsively readable narrative of whimsy and curiosity-“adventurous, inquisitive, and brightly illuminating”

When the writer Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. But questions can be like ocean currents: wade in too far, and they carry you away. Hohn’s accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive arena of shipping con…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780143120506
ISBN-10:0143120506
Author:Donovan Hohn
Publisher:Penguin Putnam Inc
Imprint:Penguin USA
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:416
Release Date:28 February 2012
Weight:386g
Dimensions:24mm x 140mm x 215mm
A-Format
B-Format
Moby-Duck by Donovan Hohn - ISBN: 9780143120506
140 × 215 mm
C-Format
A4
mm / in
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“The book [is] by turns light-hearted and serious but always a pleasure to read … “Moby-Duck” is highly readable and, importantly, alive with a sense of intellectual curiosity. Indeed, what Melville did for whaling, Hohn has done for plastic bath toys lost at sea.”
-“The Boston Globe”
“Hohn cleverly uses the deceptively whimsical premise of chasing a little plastic duck to provoke a massively complicated and thought-provoking conversation. Who knew spilled bath toys could be so important?”
-“Chicago Sun-Times”
“ … he writes always entertainingly, often gorgeously.”
-“Dallas Morning News”
“Donovan Hohn ships out with an engaging Moby-Duck … an exploration in every sense [Moby-Duck] will remind readers of the best of John McPhee and Ian Frazier. And maybe, even, of the weird and wonderful Herman Melville himself.”
-“The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer”
..“. entertaining but also philosophic … [Donovan Hohn’s] quest is puckish, profo
” … he writes always entertainingly, often gorgeously.”
-“Dallas Morning News”
“Donovan Hohn ships out with an engaging Moby-Duck … an exploration in every sense [Moby-Duck] will remind readers of the best of John McPhee and Ian Frazier. And maybe, even, of the weird and wonderful Herman Melville himself.”
-“The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer”
..“. entertaining but also philosophic … [Donovan Hohn’s] quest is puckish, profound and as irresistible as the yellow bath toy itself.”
-“People”
..“. dazzling … Hohn seems to have it all: deep intelligence, a strikingly original voice, humility and a hunger to suss out everything a yellow duck may literally or metaphorically touch.”
-“The New York Times Book Review”
“Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating…[“Moby-Duck”] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry.”
-Janet Maslin, “The New York Times”
“Delightfully wide
.”.. entertaining but also philosophic … [Donovan Hohn’s] quest is puckish, profound and as irresistible as the yellow bath toy itself.”
-“People”

.“.. dazzling … Hohn seems to have it all: deep intelligence, a strikingly original voice, humility and a hunger to suss out everything a yellow duck may literally or metaphorically touch.”
-“The New York Times Book Review”

“Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating…[“Moby-Duck”] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry.”
-Janet Maslin, “The New York Times”

“Delightfully wide-eyed…A gladdening, artful journey of discovery.”
-“Kirkus” (starred review)
“Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating…[“Moby-Duck”] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry.”
-Janet Maslin, “The New York Times”

“Delightfully wide-eyed…A gladdening, artful journey of discovery.”
-“Kirkus” (starred review)

About The Author

Donovan Hohn

Donovan Hohn is a journalist whose work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and Outside. He is currently the features editor at GQ. Moby-Duck was nominated as the runner-up for the 2011 PEN/ E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Hohn lives in New York City.

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