When I first heard about this summer assignment, I thought it was going to be one of those tedious books that literally kill you to read, but I was surprised. In the beginning, I wasn’t fascinated at all, but as I read page by page I slowly got lulled in. Shubin starts off the novel talking about his dream to trace the history of fossils and discover new things about our past. I didn’t enjoy it at first, but as he started talking about how human anatomy and fish correspond I started liking the book. The pictures describing the process of evolution really interested me as he describes the progression of fish to humans. Through this we see Shubin in search for his inner fish. His journey to the Arctic is really captivating. What really intrigued me is when Shubin said he would rather be in the Arctic then in Hawaii. Why? Because he is searching for something many people would find him deranged for doing, but why the Arctic? He mentions that in order to find fossils, it has to be in the their criteria: age, type, and exposure. He finds that the rocks in the Arctic are even older than those in the Greenlands and Pennsylvania. Not many people would risk their lives in cold climate conditions in search of a fossil. It sounds completely absurd when truly it shows Shubin’s dedication. The discover of his fish Tikaatik, meaning “large freshwater fish” was really compelling to hear about and it comes to show how he loves doing something most people won’t do.
So far, I like how Shubin talks about the discovery of his fish and how he came upon it. It really got me hooked and I loved it. Once the novel became so interesting to read, I couldn’t put the book down. I hope to see him continue this flow of writing and keep up his charismatic tone. Can’t wait to see what is in store for chapter 2!
-Mitasha Sujan
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