SKU: 34825723489

Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone

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Description

Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a BackboneA former ocean scientist goes in pursuit of the slippery story of jellyfish, rediscovering her passion for marine science and the sea's imperiled ecosystems. Jellyfish have been swimming in our oceans for well over half a billion years, longer than any other animal that lives on the planet. They make a venom so toxic it can kill a human in three minutes. Their sting microscopic spears that pierce with five million times the acceleration of gravity is

A former ocean scientist goes in pursuit of the slippery story of jellyfish, rediscovering her passion for marine science and the sea's imperiled ecosystems.

Jellyfish have been swimming in our oceans for well over half a billion years, longer than any other animal that lives on the planet. They make a venom so toxic it can kill a human in three minutes. Their sting--microscopic spears that pierce with five million times the acceleration of gravity--is the fastest known motion in the animal kingdom. Made of roughly 95 percent water, some jellies are barely perceptible virtuosos of disguise, while others glow with a luminescence that has revolutionized biotechnology. Yet until recently, jellyfish were largely ignored by science, and they remain among the most poorly understood of ocean dwellers.

More than a decade ago, Juli Berwald left a career in ocean science to raise a family in landlocked Austin, Texas, but jellyfish drew her back to the sea. Recent, massive blooms of billions of jellyfish have clogged power plants, decimated fisheries, and caused millions of dollars of damage. Driven by questions about how overfishing, coastal development, and climate change were contributing to a jellyfish population explosion, Juli embarked on a scientific odyssey. She traveled the globe to meet the biologists who devote their careers to jellies, hitched rides on Japanese fishing boats to see giant jellyfish in the wild, raised jellyfish in her dining room, and throughout it all marveled at the complexity of these alluring and ominous biological wonders.

Gracefully blending personal memoir with crystal-clear distillations of science, Spineless is the story of how Juli learned to navigate and ultimately embrace her ambition, her curiosity, and her passion for the natural world. She discovers that jellyfish science is more than just a quest for answers. It's a call to realize our collective responsibility for the planet we share.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Published: 11/06/2018
ISBN: 9780735211285
Pages: 352
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.90d
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SKU: 34825723489

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Leigh Evans
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Fun for dogs
Color: Green/Alligator, Size: Small
Smaller than I expected, but the two little dogs love it! They love shaking it, making it squeak, tugging it against each other & chasing it when I throw it to fetch. They often sleep laying on it.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2026
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AngelKlein2275
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 3
WEIRD feature - requires a water bottle
Color: Cow, Size: Large
Cute, but buyer beware. Maybe the description said this, but who would think to read for this.... You have to insert an empty bottle (like an old water bottle) for it to make the crinkle noise. There is a velcro spot at the base where you can open it and insert the water bottle for the noise factor and your dogs entertainment. I've yet to do that, but feel like my dog is gonna figure out the velcro and get the bottle out in no time. Seems like a waste of money. I could just give her an empty water bottle without the toy for free.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Alice
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Best dog toy!
Color: Multicolor/Alligator & Wild Duck, Size: Medium, Color: Multicolor/Alligator & Wild Duck, Size: Medium
Best dog toy! Most dog toys lady maybe a week or less but this one has been going strong for almost 2 months. Both the squeekers still work on both toys i purchased. My vizsla loves ti squeek and carry it around. We added an empty water bottle in the pocket cavity for some extra fun! Yes, we are still on the same water bottle! Fantastic durability.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
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Amy Jo
Boise, US
★★★★★ 3
Shows wear quickly
Color: Multicolor/Sheep & Cow, Size: Medium
These are cute but not holding up as well as I had hoped. Quality is ok and the Velcro has held up great. The fabric just isn’t as good as it could be. They are much larger than expected.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2026
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Rachel
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Super Sturdy with hours of fun.
Color: Wild Duck, Hare, Squirrel & Alligator, Size: Small
I got the small ones that you cannot put a water bottle in. These toys have held up way better than expected. I am dog sitting a very rough with toys dog named Chunk. He tears up ever. Single. Toy my dog (Ted) has. I bought new ones just for chunk. These appealed to me with the no stuffing, They were cheaper, and have a squeaker. Everything chunk needed. They arrived on time and I thought I wasted my money. They were super soft, like too soft. They felt flimsy and weak. Like 5 minutes with chunk and they be dead. 2 hours with my dog and they would have a rip. So far 2 of them (I set two out) have lasted the whole weekend. The bunny looks very rough and disgusting, but no rips, the squeakers still work, and no random fluff everywhere. I am going to wash the bunny once chunk leaves. My very careful doggo Ted loves them too. He throws them up in the air and catches them, plays tug of war with them, and no rips. They are super sturdy. He can’t wait until Chunk leaves (chunk is 2 and Ted is 12-13) so he can play with them.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2026

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