You’re out walking and spot a cardboard box someone house-moving has left outside their front gate: “Free books. Please help yourself.” That’s how I got this one.
   Quite a book to get for free too; as you’d expect from this publisher, Dorling Kindersley, the production is immaculate—illustrations, layout and all-round design wonderful. It’s actually a field-guide for identification, but simply reading my way through it I’ve learned much about all the various groups of cetaceans, which are these: right whales, rorqual whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, blackfish, dolphins (including river dolphins) and porpoises—seventy-nine species in total. Lovely book. ( )

Detailed handbook

The visual guide to all the world's cetaceans

Picked this up during a trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore earlier this month. This fully-illustrated recognition guide was surely not meant to be read from cover to cover, but that didn't stop me. I found it fascinating to read it straight through, comparing the appearance and behaviours of the different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises. I will probably rarely, if ever, use this book as it was intended to be used--in the field--but I think it would serve one well there. The illustrations are clear, and information identifying each animal is presented in quick-reference bars and labels as well as in paragraph form. A nicely organized, beautifully illustrated reference book for anyone interested in cetaceans. ( )

As a hopeful future marine biologist, the guide provides excellent information on most of the world's cetaceans. Perfect! ( )