By giving this book 3 stars, essentially a “C” if I were grading it for a class like I did decades ago, I’m calling this book average. And I blame both the publisher and the author for this mediocre grade. First, the publisher. There are only two illustrations in the book: a black and white photo of a salmon and a black and white drawing of one. Where are the color plates showing us the different species? Where are the maps delineating the rivers, the dams, the states, and the provinces, and which salmon live or lived where? This lack of basic resources is simply inferior publishing. Next, the author. His writing is not only repetitive, but anecdotal, almost picaresque in the sense of “let’s travel here and see what we run into.” I didn’t particularly like this style, or any of the characters in the book, but there was one aspect of the book I really did like. It forced me to drive to the supermarket and buy whatever salmon I could find. It was a farmed Atlantic salmon fillet for $25.50, which all the characters in the book would turn up their noses at. I smoked it over apple wood and it was delicious.
Great Subject, Mediocre Book
