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A Fish Caught in Time
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
23 posts | 12 read | 27 to read
The coelacanth (see-lo-canth) is no ordinary fish. Five feet long, with luminescent eyes and limb like fins, this bizarre creature, presumed to be extinct, was discovered in 1938 by an amateur icthyologist who recognized it from fossils dating back 400 million years. The discovery was immediately dubbed the "greatest scientific find of the century," but the excitement that ensued was even more incredible. This is the entrancing story of that most rare and precious fish -- our own great-uncle forty million times removed.
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Bookwormjillk
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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#12booksof2022

Another non-fiction read from #ReadingAfrica

I really enjoy books about exploring and researching the ocean so this book was perfect for me.

Andrew65 Sounds perfect! 2y
50 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraBB
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

I had never heard of the coelacanth but it‘s a fascinating story, a deep dive in prehistoric times. This book is the non fiction account about Smith and his quest to find them in the #Comores.

#ReadingAfrica2022

squirrelbrain I bet that wasn‘t easy to find a book for! 2y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Everyone is reading The same book for Comores so I just followed along 😀 2y
Bookwormjillk I love the thought of a large group of Littens becoming semi experts on an obscure fish found near a small African country. 2y
Librarybelle Totally agree with @Bookwormjillk ! 2y
BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Librarybelle Lol That is quite funny indeed! What books can do! 2y
71 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
Bookwormjillk
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

What a cool book that I would have never run across if it weren‘t for #ReadingAfrica

I thoroughly enjoyed this short non-fiction account of the study of the coelacanth.

(And this was actually fun to read after the #CampLitsy selection Our Wives Under The Sea.)

BarbaraBB It was indeed, I thought so too. The depths of the ocean! 2y
Librarybelle I really need to read this one…so many good reviews!! 2y
66 likes2 comments
blurb
Bookwormjillk
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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My next book for#ReadingAfrica2022 . Looking forward to this one! #Comoros

BarbaraBB It‘ll be my next one too! 2y
46 likes1 comment
review
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

An unusual fish known from the fossil record and believed to go extinct 70+ million years ago was found by an amateur icthyologist in a 1930s fish market, leading to an all-out manhunt for a live coelacanth. This is the story of the fish‘s heroes and a little about its villains (those who “discovered” its mythical medical properties leading to attempts to poach it like ivory). An excellent history if a bit dated. #comoros #readingafrica2022

IamIamIam Woah, this looks so cool!!! 2y
Texreader @IamIamIam I could hardly put it down. Very interesting and well written. 2y
Librarybelle So much love for this one, and because it‘s hard to find another book about Comoros, that‘s probably the one I‘ll read too. 2y
56 likes2 stack adds3 comments
review
Simona
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

I never thought that I will like book about fish … but I did. Till 1938 scientists were convinced that Coelacanths were extinct. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was curator in the small museum, always in the hunt for unusual species, and as soon as she saw to her unknown fish, she contacted the ichthyologist JLB Smith… and the treasure hunt has begun. Surprisingly readable, even a tense story about the fish that is supposed to be a missed link 👇

Simona … between fish and humans, a fish that has possessed quite a few people and caused some international conflicts. 2y
See All 16 Comments
Librarybelle Your review really makes me want to read this! 2y
Simona @Librarybelle It was the only book that I could find for Comoros and I wasn‘t interested in it at all, but what a surprise. Well research, well written and not at all boring. 2y
rockpools *in very small letters* I think I read about 3 pages of my Comoros Book. I‘m doing REALLY badly at this! Glad you enjoyed this one though - always nice to get a good surprise! 2y
BarbaraBB I remember @Hooked_on_books enjoying this book too. I am definitely reading it for Comoros as well! 2y
Simona @rockpools I feel you … although, I already finished book for Czech Republic, and now I only have to read for Solomon Islands and I‘m back on track 😁 Are you saving your power for Booker Prize marathon? 😘 2y
Simona @BarbaraBB If you need it, I can send you the book. It is used book with yellow edges, but still in ok condition. 2y
Hooked_on_books Yes, this one took me by surprise, too! What a great story! 2y
rockpools @Simona Definitely not! The reason I get through the IBP is because translated books are so nice and short…. 🤔… Oh, wait…! No, seriously, one prize list a year is enough. I‘m going to do #campLitsy though. And true to form, haven‘t even started Saturday‘s reading yet! 2y
BarbaraBB That is such a kind offer but I ordered a secondhand copy already. Thank you so much 🤍 2y
Kitta Ooh I love fish and fish science, this seems right up my alley. 🐟 2y
Simona @rockpools You still have enough time 😘 2y
Simona @Kitta Oh, than you definitely need to read it. 2y
53 likes3 stack adds16 comments
blurb
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Status of the #readingafrica2022 challenge. I‘m trying to finish the following for #20in4readathon:

1) When the Ground is Hard (audio), #Swaziland #Eritrea
2) Dark Inheritance (ebook), #EquatorialGuinea
3) A Fish Caught in Time (IRL), #Comoros

BarbaraBB Incredible 🤩 2y
Andrew65 Doing brilliantly 👏👏👏 2y
Freespirit Wow amazing!! 2y
See All 7 Comments
Librarybelle This is so amazing! 2y
Texreader @BarbaraBB @andrew65 @Freespirit @Librarybelle Thanks y‘all! I love coloring in more countries! It feels like such an accomplishment! 2y
Adventures_of_a_French_Reader Great! After having read North to Paradise (about the immigration to Spain of a boy born in Ghana), I just began Walking the Bowl, a non-fiction about street children in Lusaka, Zambia. So far it's quite an interesting read, even if it's a difficult subject to read about. Wish you a speedy recovery ;) 2y
Amiable Great progress! 👍🏼 2y
57 likes7 comments
blurb
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Since I‘m down for the count with my right arm almost immobile until at least next Tuesday, the timing of this readathon is impeccable. Plan: finish all 3 books I‘m reading now for #readingafrica2022:

1) When the Ground is Hard (audio), #Swaziland #Eritrea
2) Dark Inheritance (ebook), #EquatorialGuinea
3) A Fish Caught in Time (IRL), #Comoros

I may try to start my next book for #foodandlit #Colombia, The Fruit of the Drunken Tree

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Good luck, great to have you playing along. 😊 Looks like you are making good progress with #ReadingAfrica 2022. Hope the arm improves soon. 2y
Sapphire I am reading fruit of the drunken tree for Columbia too, but holding off till Wednesday in hopes of finishing Mexican Gothic. Also, cooking Afghan food tonight. It never feels right to move on till I‘ve had the dish! #foodandlit 2y
38 likes2 comments
quote
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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“Homo sapiens first walked on earth only a hundred thousand years ago; the fish before me, suspended in murky formalin, pre-dated modern man by 399.9 million years.“

#Comoros #ReadingAfrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

DrexEdit This book is my pick for Comoros also! Looking forward to it! 2y
39 likes1 comment
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Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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I love getting such a nice descriptive vision of the islands I‘m soon to read about. #Comoros #ReadingAfrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

quote
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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38 likes1 stack add
blurb
Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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I have plans to start the tagged book tomorrow. #Comoros #ReadingAfrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

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Texreader
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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I “needed” to buy something from Amazon today to get my order to be enough for same day delivery—so I decided the tagged book would be that something. Received tonight. #Comoros #readingafrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Cinfhen Ha! I do that!!!! ALL. THE. TIME! 2y
Texreader @Cinfhen Uh oh. It‘s my first time. I‘ve always waited for whenever the delivery would get here but I needed a waterproof sleeve for my arm to be able to take a shower. So now I may be hooked. 😁 (edited) 2y
50 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Simona
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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I have only two short books and two audiobooks in this #weeklyforecast because my week is going to be, mostly, filled with long-working-hours …
Happy reading week♥️

Cathythoughts Lovely picture 💫 3y
BarbaraBB I have planned to read the tagged book soon too! 3y
Simona @Cathythoughts Thank you 😊 3y
See All 6 Comments
Simona @BarbaraBB Surprisingly, but it is interesting! 3y
BarbaraBB That‘s encouraging. I bought it based on @Hooked_on_books review for #readingafrica2022. 3y
Hooked_on_books @Simona @BarbaraBB I was impressed at how engaging this one was. I hope you both enjoy it! 3y
37 likes6 comments
blurb
Simona
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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I‘m playing catch-up with reading challenges … so, here is my March book for #ReadAroundTheWorld and #ReadingAfrica
#weekendreading

Andrew65 Looks a great read. 3y
47 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

The coelacanth is present in the fossil record for millions of years, until it‘s abrupt disappearance 70 million years ago, leading science to conclude it went extinct. But then, in 1939, a museum curator found a modern specimen in a fisherman‘s net. This science detective story is fascinating! I was completely glued to it.

#ReadingAfrica2022 #Comoros

Librarybelle Wow! That sounds very interesting! 3y
LeahBergen I‘ve always been fascinated by the coelacanth! 3y
BarbaraBB Definitely stacked! Gorgeous edition too! 3y
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review
trigeekgirl
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
Pickpick

Sometimes my undergrad degree in Zoology is a little more apparent. This is one of those times, because I found this little book on the search for, discovery of, and science about the coelacanth very interesting. It‘s a bit older (copyright 2000), so there‘s more that we know about the coelacanth now, but it‘s still a good history with some nice humor (and, since the author is British, a few digs at the French!).

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trigeekgirl
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Spider expert. Hobbit. Hopefully he never ran into Shelob...

review
Abailliekaras
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

The story of the coelacanth fish. I didn‘t know what this was but was completely hooked by the story (ha ha). Thought to be extinct, fossils date back 400m years. It may be humans‘ ancestor. One was found in the Comoros islands in 1938, to huge excitement & a quest ever since. Loved the stories of the people involved, especially the amazing Marjorie Courtney-Latimer who saw its significance in 1938. Simon Winchester fans will enjoy. #passportlitsy

Lindy This looks so interesting! 6y
Abailliekaras @lindy it really was! And gave me good sense of life in the Comoros islands, which is the idea of Passport Litsy. All in all a winner! 6y
34 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
mynamerhymes
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Pickpick

Very straight forward, this book described the pivotal events in the discovery of the Coelacanth, a 400 million year old fish species. It gives background on the people involved and context for why people should be excited about this "fossil fish." ?
#nonfiction2018

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mynamerhymes
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth | Samantha Weinberg, Fourth Estate
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Nothing like starting the week out with a new library card.