THE WHALE AND THE ALBATROSS could be the story of any of us who come into the presence of someone who awakens a recognition in ourselves. It could be about a friend, a partner, a romantic interest, or someone we meet fleetingly who then appears in our dreams over and over. We feel at home with these rare souls and may feel like we want to spend the rest of our lives in a bubble of time and space with them. However, having our own biological, social, creative, and psychological needs, we may then recognize that our desire to be in communion with these special souls is incompatible with our ultimate need to live our own life to the fullest expression of itself. This means we have to say goodbye, possibly forever. Some goodbyes to others can feel like saying goodbye to parts of ourselves. But if we can gracefully accept the transitory nature of these communions, we can also accept the shifting nature of ourselves and, in turn, continue living to our ultimate joy. This is a story about that process.

Breeding on remote ocean islands and spending much of its life foraging for food across vast stretches of seemingly empty seas, the albatross remains a legend for most people. And yet, humans are threatening the albatross family to such an extent that it is currently the most threatened bird group in the world. In this extensively researched, highly readable book, Robin W. Doughty and Virginia Carmichael tell the story of a potentially catastrophic extinction that has been interrupted by an unlikely alliance of governments, conservation groups, and fishermen. Doughty and Carmichael authoritatively establish that the albatross's fate is linked to the fate of two of the highest-value table fish, Bluefin Tuna and Patagonian Toothfish, which are threatened by unregulated commercial harvesting. The authors tell us that commercial fishing techniques are annually killing tens of thousands of albatrosses. And the authors explain how the breeding biology of albatrosses makes them unable to replenish their numbers at the rate they are being depleted. Doughty and Carmichael set the albatross's fate in the larger context of threats facing the ocean commons, ranging from industrial overfishing to our habit of dumping chemicals, solid waste, and plastic trash into the open seas. They also highlight the efforts of dedicated individuals, environmental groups, fishery management bodies, and governments who are working for seabird and fish conservation and demonstrate that these efforts can lead to sustainable solutions for the iconic seabirds and the entire ocean ecosystem.

Herman Melville’s version of Captain Ahab’s great chase after Moby Dick is considered the “great American novel.” However very few living Americans have read it. It is considered too difficult or too tedious to get through. Herein is Moby Dick’s version of that chase. Besides giving readers a look at the adventure from a different perspective, Moby Dick has attempted to tell the story in a manner that is more enjoyable for the modern reader. Besides meeting all of Herman Melville’s wonderful characters, the driven Captain Ahab, the too-loyal First Mate Starbuck, the conniving Second Mate Stubb, the nasty Third Mate Flask, the colorful harpooneers, Queequeg, Tashtego, and Daggoo, and, of course, Ishmael, the narrator and sole human survivor of the story as told by Melville, you will meet Moby Dick’s parents, his BirthPodMates, and his love, the beautiful MeiWaang. You will discover that sperm whales have an involved and fascinating culture and history. Moby Dick’s life began in the South Pacific Ocean in the year 1800. He meets Captain Ahab for the first time in 1847 on The Line (the Equator), where he severs one of the captain’s legs. The delirious Ahab returns to Nantucket where he bides his time until he can obtain another command. He gets that command, of the Pequod, and with one ivory leg, sets out to seek revenge for the loss of his leg. This is the story of Moby Dick’s birth, calf-hood, young adulthood, and maturity, culminating in the Final Conflict with Captain Ahab in 1850.

Interwoven with recollections of whalers and famous explorers, "Eye of the Albatross" probes the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between man and marine life. Safina's portrait results in an eye-opening look at the health of our oceans. 15 illustrations, 13 maps.

The Whale and His Captors is an important firsthand account of the golden age of American whaling, chronicling both its lore and science as practiced from the inception of the fishery to the mid-1800s. Late in the composition of Moby-Dick, Herman Melville found inspiration in Cheever and his writings that would provide the final flourishes for one of America's classic novels. After exhausting other whaling sources - Beale, Scoresby, Bennett, and Browne - Melville turned to Cheever for chapter titles and organization as well as passages that helped shape, define, and elucidate his great work. This is the first scholarly edition of The Whale and His Captors, accompanied by an introduction and apparatus that clearly elucidates Cheever's treatise on whaling and demonstrates how his writings contributed both to the course of American literature and to our burgeoning understanding of literature's engagement with the natural world.

There's trouble on Pegasus Bay. The usually reliable Stacy the Stork has been plagued by a mysterious eye ailment that prevents him from flying. With his stork colleagues dispersed around the world performing the vital function of delivering babies to expecting human families, Stacy is unable to deliver his precious cargo, the young Joshua Greenslate. In desperation, Stacy turns to his friend Albie the Albatross, but will he be able to complete this most important mission?

THUNDER OF IMMORTALITY THIS STORY IS ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL WERE GODS FIGHT AGAINST DEMON TO PROTECT MOTHER EARTH