When Donovan Hohn first heard the remarkable story of
how 28,904 bath toys spilled into the Pacific en route
to the US from China and have been washing up along
beaches throughout the world ever since, he decided to
find out more and assumed he would interview a few
oceanographers, talk to some 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.' Setting out on a series of journeys to track the
renegade rubber ducks, Moby-Duck is an adventure into
the heart of the sea through science, myth, the global
economy and some of the worst weather imaginable, and
the riveting story of an accidental odyssey which pulled
Hohn into the secretive world of shipping conglomerates,
the daring terrain of Arctic researchers, the lunatic
risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy domain of
Chinese toy factories. With each new discovery, Hohn
learns of another loose thread, and with each successive
chase he comes closer to understanding where his
castaway quarry comes from (and where it is
heading...).In the grand tradition of Tony Horwitz and
David Quammen, Moby-Duck is a compulsively readable
narrative of whimsy and curiosity for anyone who is
interested in obsession, travel, plastic, and that great
American novel, Moby-Dick. |
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