Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea by Kennedy WarneMy rating: ★★★★☆
A copy of this book was provided for free via Netgalley for the purpose of review.
Mangroves are something that I can honestly say I have never considered when it comes to climate change and environment destruction. For all my concerns about the rainforest, the ozone layer, the warming polar regions, and the seemingly infinite other environmental or planetary health issues I'm aware of, disappearing mangroves were never on my radar before Let Them Eat Shrimp--to the point that I didn't recognize that the titular tragically disappearing rainforests of the sea were mangroves in the first place.
As such, I went into Let Them Eat Shrimp with almost zero previous knowledge--only a vague awareness of what mangroves actually are, not a clue about shrimp farming, and very little knowledge of almost all of the countries in which mangroves grow. So Let Them Eat Shrimp was an eye-opening experience; it's one of those books that makes me, at least, wish I had a lot more time and money to donate to all the social, political, and environmental causes that resonate with me. And it's certainly one of those books that I can say I'm thrilled to have read and wish more people would read; at the very least, I'd like to see the critical condition of the world's mangroves register on far more people's radar than it does now. Hell, I'd like to see more people know what mangroves are, period.
Let Them Eat Shrimp was a captivating and richly described look into the world of the mangrove, from its destruction to its flora and fauna to the people who still make their livelihoods by hunting and gathering in these disappearing rainforests. I highly recommend the book to anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist, anyone with an interest in or curiosity towards mangroves, or even anyone who might want to know more about the shrimp they bought for dinner.
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