I first discovered this little oyster pearl (sea reference intended) of a book in Maria's new release non-fiction section and was immediately intrigued by the title. "What an incredibly specialized genre" was my first thought. After reading it, I wish I could buy it for every person on the planet.
It's a gorgeous book comprised of 19 chapters--that may be more aptly called meditations--on social movements as compared to the practices and principles of our marine-mammal cousins. Each chapter title and subsequent text invites the reader to explore the concepts of "remembering," "collaborating," and "going deep." These are made rich through the lessons and natural history of marine mammals, though they apply to all "breathing, kindred souls," who have also endured a violent history of domination.
Alexis Gumbs seamlessly weaves together stories (such as how the mammalian dorsal fin evolved in the sea) to create this part marine mammal ecological guidebook and part collection of poetic musings, which call us all to sit in silence and breathe.
One aspect (of many) that I loved about this book is that the reader may jump from one section to another, as I believe Gumbs intended. There is no need to read it linearly. The last section of the book lists activities and exercises readers may partake in, solo or in a "pod squad," as Gumbs puts it, that correlate to each of the 19 previous chapters.
Chock-full of profound lessons on inquiry and transformation, Gumbs invites us to stay on the path of visionary action and, like our marine-mammal brethren of the sea, to keep evolving.
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