Chapter 1: Your Inner Fish

When first receiving the task to read Your Inner Fish I didn’t have any specific expectations or ideas about what the book would open my mind to. After reading a couple pages, the book didn’t really have a hold on me. With the conclusion of the first chapter however, my view changed.

Within the first chapter, I found the level of dedication from the author as well as all paleontologists in general inspiring. After reading about the great lengths that they would go to just to find a new species or uncover a few new bones, it made me understand what kind of person a paleontologist has to be. They have to be very patient and tolerant because their work never guarantees anything. It was different to read about and learn about someone who goes for something such as finding fossils with no promise of success. That’s why with the discovery of Tiktaalik, the waiting for the author was parallel to the waiting I had since the opening of the book. That’s why I think that it’s important to understand what stance the author is coming from in a book-so that the reader can truly understand the meaning of accomplishment of the author.