Abalone: The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California's Iconic Shellfish

What an immersive gift this fine scholar has given us! The book is incredibly well written and researched but, at the same time, is readable and fluid. Vileisis has the scope of a historian, the analytic mind of a naturalist in the wild, the sensitivity of a poet, the beating heart of a marine biologist, and the literary skills to weave all of the stories, epochs, people and political angles into a coherent narrative. The book tells the story of the abalone fishery from prehistory through current modern efforts to bring the animal back from the brink of extinction. It delivers on multiple levels: scientific, human, cultural, political, heroic, artistic and academic. This book would make a fine gift for anyone who appreciates beauty, science, culture, the ocean, or history.

Very well written. However, it makes me want to eat some abalone and they are damned expensive now. Used to eat them in Mexico and So Cal in the 80s. They where on the menu at a restaurant I worked at and we ate the leftovers. That is probably the last time I had some.

I thought I knew allot about abalone. I have enjoyed searching for them most of my adult life. But this book taught me many things. The culture, history, and science. A very well written book. So happy I found it and thank you for writing it. The book was a great experience, also made all my own memories that much more special.

What a wonderful history - the rare book that seriously dives under the ocean to see what happened there. Vileisis is an extraordinary writer and brings to life the story of the abalone in all its ups and downs. I picked it up one morning and didn't stop reading until I was finished. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the ocean or the history of the Pacific coast.

Abalone take on a mythic character in California waters. It has been plucked out of these waters for decades, by commercial harvesters and recreational divers. Vileisis synthesizes a remarkable amount of research into an intriguing story that is important for all of us who are thinking about our near shore waters and our human impact upon them.

This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in history or marine ecology. The narrative is engaging and does not require background knowledge (i.e., it’s not full of jargon), but even those with a lot of existing knowledge are likely to learn more about this shellfish and it’s fascinating history. I highly recommend it!

An outstanding and well researched book on abalone, I highly recommend it for any level of naturalist.

Excellently written exhaustive history of the California abalone

Excelente libro