Playing with Fish: And Other Lessons from the North

By Robert J. Wolfe

According to the Yup'ik Eskimo of Alaska, fish are not to be played with. It's an adage instilled in children that's as basic as looking both ways before crossing the street, but at its heart lies a concern for nature. Yup'ik traditions are tested each generation by this people's struggle for survival, the admonition not to play with fish has been further tested by the arrival of sport fishing from the south. Worlds are colliding--whose will emerge unscathed? Robert J. Wolfe, a cultural anthropologist from California, spent twenty years in Alaska documenting the traditional hunting and fishing practices of Alaska Natives. During that northern sojourn he discovered much about sustainable relationships between people and nature and about the basis of meaningful communities. In Playing with Fish he has crafted a series of thought-provoking essays on nature, culture, and the human condition that convey unsuspected lessons from the North. In contrasting California and Alaska--worlds far apart yet connected by peoples, cultural traditions, and ecology--Wolfe not only draws distinctions between compass points, he also conveys memorable stories about nature and life. He depicts bears and humans as both neighbors and ancient adversaries, and how cultural views about bears can destroy or preserve those relationships. He shows us Alaskan villages where security is found not in locks but in neighbors, unlike electronically sealed suburban California homes, their lawns studded with security signs. And he describes the peaceful resolution of conflict between California bird hunters and Eskimos of the Bering Sea coast over declining geese numbers, where small humanizing acts tipped the balance in favor of cooperation. Blending insights into subjects as diverse as music and chaos theory, Wolfe challenges readers to reflect on their own personal conduct within nature and within our multicultural world. Playing with Fish is a delightful and insightful collection of modern parables that offer a new way of looking at cultural and ecological issues, reminding us that the road between two worlds is always a two-way street.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816524858
• ISBN13: 9780816524853
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A wonderful read ...............

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.......... So much that I read it straight through one evening. It was difficult (IMPOSSIBLE) for me to put it down. Bob Wolfe has a wonderful, easy-to-relate-to writing style that reminds me very much of essays written by E.B. White. Based on his life experiences while living and couducting research in rural Alaska, the book is "down to earth," very much like a conversation with him; familiar, witty, funny and from the heart. I'll read this one again.

A must read!!

Robert Wolfe's Playing With Fish is a must read! This beautifully written collection of essays is seamlessly tied together through the sensitive, thoughtful, and entertaining voice of the author. Reminiscent of Edward Abbey's works, this book discusses the profound connections and relations between man and nature in an ever-industrializing world, and the significance of culture within it. One of the best books I own! As a cultural anthropologist and a lover of stories, I heartily recommend this book!!