Rating: 
Summary: Easy Science; Fascinating Read
Review: "A Fish Caught in Time" is one of those slim books you pick up to read because it sounds somewhat interesting and will add to your volume of knowledge. How can any book about a fish first 'discovered' sixty years ago be really very interesting? Well, it is not only fascinating, it is the kind of book you keep putting down so you won't finish it too fast--this one you don't want to end. Samantha Weinberg chronicles the extremely unlikely sets of coincidences that first led the world to realize there was a living fossil--a fish that had been declared extinct 85 million years ago. The people involved become very human and likeable. Their tenacity and genius as well as their frailities are kindly portrayed. The politics which surrounded collection and examination of further specimens are discussed with tactful realism. The technical scientific study of this incredible fish is presented in an informative and lively way. The reader learns truly fascinating, mind-boggling facts about this fossil in ways that excite the mind. When details about skeletons and DNA hold the lay reader enthralled, it's clear Weinberg has written with passion about her subject. The Coelacanth went from being understood as an extinct fish found in many fossils to a fish, alive and well, with its organs, skeletal, blood and nerve systems providing incredible and valuable information about the development of the entire animal kingdom that probably couldn't be found any other way. Last but not least, A Fish Caught in Time, different than most 'nature' books does not leave the reader with a sad sense of helplessness. It leaves one with an uplifted sense of awe and with love for this wonderful fish of 100 million years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story - Great Fun for Ichthyologists
Review: Although the basic facts of the search for living coelacanths have been widely known for many years, this book did a wonderful job of filling in many gaps about the people involved in the search, the habitats used by the coelacanth and the evolution, biology and ecology of the species. Inclusion of the recent discovery of a second population of coelacanths in Indonesia certainly reinforced the conviction that there are tremendous discoveries just waiting to be wrested from our oceans. Indeed, I just heard an as-yet unconfirmed report that a third population of coelacanth has been discovered. Every time I take a class onto the ocean, I harbor a tiny hope that maybe I'll find something equally fantastic. I hope that the author has a chance to revise this book in the future to include the results of further studies on the fish.The only real problem with the book was the cover, which presented an artistic rendition of a fish that looked like a genetic engineering experiment run amok! My graduate students sure had fun picking out the problems: a salmon head grafted onto a coelacanth body, with a protrusible mouth bordered by maxillary bones.....and lots of other ichthyological oddities. If the book is revised/reprinted, I hope the cover presents an accurate picture of this fantastic fish.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Definitely, a great book. Strongly recommended. Having recently caught interest in serious reading on evolution, and natural history, I was amazed at the way the Author takes you thru the history about Coelacanth research. From page 1, it captures one's interests and gives an idea about the work of some great explorers and the developments in ichthyology. Certainly a well researched book. Although, I would have preferred a more thorough material on various aspects on the development of theory of evolution, nonetheless the book is a masterpiece. Samantha Weinberg has done a great job of making this book extremely interesting, exciting and complete unpudownable. It definitely has increased my interest and fascination about this "Strange and Beautiful Fish". I have made a note to go and look it up in the Meuseam of Natural History, NYC.
Rating:
Summary: The fish that got the headlines
Review: Ever since I was given my first book on prehistory when I was five, the coelacanth has been a pet subject of admiration to me. So I was pleased to indulge in the dramatic tale of The Fish Caught In Time, even though I think I might have preferred a more in-depth (if I may say) explanation of how, for example, the fish managed to survive for 70 million years without being noticed or leaving fossils behind. Of course I realise such fishy questions might not have answers and, more generally, big scientific treatises might answer those questions and plenty more in nicely abstruse language... But they probably wouldn't make it to the window presentation in bookstores and I won't go looking for them either. Nice effort!
Rating:
Summary: Behold a Living Dinosaur!
Review: Hairy Hominoids and Big Foot, Giant Fish and Loch Ness Monsters, Gigantic Birds and other strange creatures - Science Screams "Neigh!!, Evolution has made them extinct!" but this book is what proves science wrong. In fact Darwin once believed that in order for evolution to work these relics of the past should be with us today, but he never could prove it. Then in 1938, Marjorie Courtney-Latimer, a museum curator, discovered an odd looking fish on board a trawling boat in South Africa... a fish that was thought extinct for 400 MILLION YEARS! Could it be that this Coelacanth was nothing more than an artefact of evolution fished up from the depths of some frozen suspended animation? When science searched for populations of this fish it suddenly appeared in the Comoros and then later on near Java. Not only had they found a living fossil but they had also found what could prove to be the missing link. The Coelacanth, because of its structure is a very good candidate for a fish that could eventually walk on land. Its fins even look like legs. Not only was the Coelacanth a good candidate for reptiles and mammals but as the precursor to mankind and here man holds the Coelacanth in his arms! The book however is not really about crytozoology. It is all about the Coelacanth, its discovery by Marjorie Courtney-Latimer in 1938, the science and pursuit of the fish that followed as Professor J.L.B Smith sought to find more specimens. The politics of international law and science trying to find and acquire the first live Coelacanth and the subsequent analysis of the Coelacanth underwater in late 20th century by new wave submersibles. "A Fish Caught in Time" reads like a great adventure story and is a must for anybody looking for a very interesting topic with some red hot escapades to boot. The characters in the search span some 60 years and are all fully fleshed out. It is Coelacanths, Coelacanths and more Coelacanths along the way. This is a mandatory read for anyone even remotely interested in evolution. It speaks volumes about what science has yet to learn and how many of its 20th century evolutionary claims are in fact clearly wrong and the real scientists are those who the extra mile in the face of blunt reason and logic. A wonderful book! A wonderful, wonderful book!
Rating: 
Summary: It kind of makes you wonder.
Review: I had read an account a few years back about the initial discovery of the coelacanth off the coast of South Africa and the tracking down of its habitat to the waters around Madagascar. It captured my imagination. It was great to find out that the story didn't end with the Madagascar discovery. Upon reading this book, I was thrilled to hear about the confirmation of coelacanths living off Indonesia. The theory put forth in the book that there might be populations in the Philippines or even off the Atlantic coast of the United States stirs the imagination as well. The book is very easy to get thru. It gives you just the right amount of scientific information and includes more human elements, namely the stories of the people involved in discovering, studying and protecting the coelacanth. Something like this definitely makes you wonder. I mean, if a fish that was thought to be extinct for millions of years escaped detection by humanity till the beginning of the twentieth century, what else might still be out there?
Rating:
Summary: Who (or what) are we??
Review: I highly recommend anyone interested in evolution, physical anthropology, or interested in fish for that matter. The book does not go deep into the anatomy or evolutionary history of the coelacanth, but delves into the history of the difficult search, knowledge, and evolution of this enlightening fish. This book is extremely well written. Samantha Weinberg has succeeded in what many authors would fail at writing. The first fossil was discovered in 1839. The actual living fish was found 100 years later by a young 20-something year old Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938. By the end of this book one should be hooked on finding more information about the coelacanth and evolution (they give birth to live fish!). By reading this book one can also better appreciate the evolution of scientific exploration as well. If further interested about coelacanths, visit dinofish.com. . .
Rating:
Summary: Who (or what) are we??
Review: I highly recommend anyone interested in evolution, physical anthropology, or interested in fish for that matter. The book does not go deep into the anatomy or evolutionary history of the coelacanth, but delves into the history of the difficult search, knowledge, and evolution of this enlightening fish. This book is extremely well written. Samantha Weinberg has succeeded in what many authors would fail at writing. The first fossil was discovered in 1839. The actual living fish was found 100 years later by a young 20-something year old Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938. By the end of this book one should be hooked on finding more information about the coelacanth and evolution (they give birth to live fish!). By reading this book one can also better appreciate the evolution of scientific exploration as well. If further interested about coelacanths, visit dinofish.com. . .
Rating:
Summary: Race for a Fish
Review: In a South African town, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, a museum curator, finds a strange fish with unique fins. J.L.B Smith identifies the fish as a coelacanth, which originated from 400 million years ago and thought to become extinct with the dinosaurs. Samantha Weinberg describes how the 'scientific find of the century' triggered debates over evolution. The race for the ancient animal is portrayed with firsthand accounts and entrancing detail in A Fish Caught in Time. After the scientific world reached word about the coelacanth, expeditions and searches were initiated in hopes of claiming it for themselves. Smith traces the origin to the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, and generous awards were set up, alerting fishermen of the great creature. Despite a fight between France and South Africa, one and soon several more were discovered through techniques, some derived from a couple amazing inventions by Hans Fricke and others. However, the question of evolution remains: did the coelacanth evolve from the sea to be the first creature to walk on land? The portrayal of many such questions leads the readers diving through the pages, informed of many new facts but through the element of a story. In fact, the reader can relate to the work as a thriller, pondering, 'what will happen next?' Weinberg clearly displays a love and fascination of the living fossil, using her talent as a British reporter who writes for American, African, and European periodicals and newspapers. From the eyes of renowned people involved with the search of the coelacanth, she shows the arduous process that goes along with a new scientific discovery'having to piece together the facts, finding the money for research funding, and convincing and competing against others. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer states a problem dealing with the coelacanth, 'It really is a remarkable creature, and I hope that the new interest in it will prompt us to find a way to save it, once and for all.' On the other hand, the book's chapters are somewhat disconnected from each other, making each seem like a separate narrative. The reader may find that the chapters are too long, the format of the book uncomfortable, and the illustrations do not effectively depict the points attempted to be conveyed. However, the criticism is minor, and Weinberg does a great job informing the public of the search and discovery of the ancient fish. It is evident that she spent much time on the topic, not even being a scientist. Besides the information scattered across the story, the appendix at the end gives more background information of the coelacanth. In addition, the tale makes me wonder'if a 400 million year old fish had survived all this time, what else is hiding out there?
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: Ironically, I discovered this book after a night on a boat in Monterey, where new friends discussed marine life and human arrogance in assuming all forms of life have already been found. This book was a topper to an intriguing question, namely, what the heck else is out there? I've been fascinated by the Coelacanth since I accidentally read a National Geo article in a car shop. Even if you don't care a whit about this fish, read the book anyway, as it also points out how jealousy and overzealousness on the part of humankind might just make the Coelacanth really extinct this time around.
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