Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, And Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid

February 15, 2011

Wendy Williams

Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.

PLEASE CALL BAKER BOOKS FOR DETAILS – 508-997-6700

For hundreds of years, squid-giant, colossal, and otherwise-have been demonized as mysterious monsters of the deep. Even today they maintain a mystique, but scientists are gradually discovering some of their long-hidden secrets. Squid have been the source of some of medicine’s most important breakthroughs, and without them, neurosurgeons would be a little less well trained, obstetricians a little less well
informed, and geriatricians much less knowledgeable about the aging process. Squid can help scientists cure Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, develop new antibiotics, and boost the health of babies born by cesarean section.

Kraken, introduces this charismatic, enigmatic, and curious inhabitant of the sea. The pages take the reader on a wild narrative ride through the world of squid science and adventure, along the way addressing some riddles about what intelligence is, what strange creatures lie in the deep, and even how the human brain works. “Kraken” is the traditional name for gigantic sea monsters, and this book, in addition to squid, examines other equally enthralling cephalopods, including the octopus and the cuttlefish, and explores their otherworldly camouflage and bioluminescent abilities. Accessible and entertaining, Kraken is the first substantial volume on the subject in more than a decade and a must for fans of popular science.

About the Author Wendy Williams’s writing has appeared on the front pages of the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Baltimore Sun. She’s also written for the New York Times, Parade Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Science. Williams is the coauthor of Cape Wind, which was named one of 2007’s ten best environmental books by Booklist and one of the year’s best science books by Library Journal. She lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (Published by Abrams)

PLEASE CALL BAKER BOOKS FOR DETAILS – 508-997-6700