Moby-Duck - by Donovan Hohn (Paperback)

About the Book

A revelatory tale of science, adventure, and modern myth, "Moby-Duck" is the true story of 28,800 bath toys lost at sea, and of the beachcombers, oceanographers, environmentalists, and fools, including the author, who went in after them.

Book Synopsis

A compulsively readable narrative of whimsy and curiosity- "adventurous, inquisitive, and brightly illuminating" (Janet Maslin, The New York Times).

When the writer Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few 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. Hohn's accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive arena of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of Arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories. Moby-Duck is a journey into the heart of the sea and an adventure through science, myth, the global economy, and some of the worst weather imaginable.

Review Quotes

"The book [is] by turns light-hearted and serious but always a pleasure to read ... "Moby-Duck" is highly readable and, importantly, alive with a sense of intellectual curiosity. Indeed, what Melville did for whaling, Hohn has done for plastic bath toys lost at sea."
-"The Boston Globe"
"Hohn cleverly uses the deceptively whimsical premise of chasing a little plastic duck to provoke a massively complicated and thought-provoking conversation. Who knew spilled bath toys could be so important?"
-"Chicago Sun-Times"
" ... he writes always entertainingly, often gorgeously."
-"Dallas Morning News"
"Donovan Hohn ships out with an engaging Moby-Duck ... an exploration in every sense [Moby-Duck] will remind readers of the best of John McPhee and Ian Frazier. And maybe, even, of the weird and wonderful Herman Melville himself."
-"The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer"
..". entertaining but also philosophic ... [Donovan Hohn's] quest is puckish, profo

" ... he writes always entertainingly, often gorgeously."
-"Dallas Morning News"
"Donovan Hohn ships out with an engaging Moby-Duck ... an exploration in every sense [Moby-Duck] will remind readers of the best of John McPhee and Ian Frazier. And maybe, even, of the weird and wonderful Herman Melville himself."
-"The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer"
..". entertaining but also philosophic ... [Donovan Hohn's] quest is puckish, profound and as irresistible as the yellow bath toy itself."
-"People"
..". dazzling ... Hohn seems to have it all: deep intelligence, a strikingly original voice, humility and a hunger to suss out everything a yellow duck may literally or metaphorically touch."
-"The New York Times Book Review"
"Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating...["Moby-Duck"] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry."
-Janet Maslin, "The New York Times"
"Delightfully wide

.".. entertaining but also philosophic ... [Donovan Hohn's] quest is puckish, profound and as irresistible as the yellow bath toy itself."
-"People"

.".. dazzling ... Hohn seems to have it all: deep intelligence, a strikingly original voice, humility and a hunger to suss out everything a yellow duck may literally or metaphorically touch."
-"The New York Times Book Review"

"Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating...["Moby-Duck"] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry."
-Janet Maslin, "The New York Times"

"Delightfully wide-eyed...A gladdening, artful journey of discovery."
-"Kirkus" (starred review)

"Adventurous, inquisituve and brightly illuminating...["Moby-Duck"] works as a lively travelogue as well as a voyage of discovery and philosophical inquiry."
-Janet Maslin, "The New York Times"

"Delightfully wide-eyed...A gladdening, artful journey of discovery."
-"Kirkus" (starred review)

About the Author

Donovan Hohn is a journalist whose work has appeared in Harper's Magazine, The New York Times Magazine and Outside. He is currently the features editor at GQ. Moby-Duck was nominated as the runner-up for for the 2011 PEN/ E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Hohn lives in New York City.