The Eloquence of the Sardine The Secret Life of Fish & Other Underwater Mysteries

About this book

Bill François' Eloquence of the Sardine is a charming narrative nonfiction book about the secret lives of fishes.

If we listen to the ocean, what do we hear? What can it teach us? How can it change us?

Written by a marine scientist (and winner of French eloquence competitions), The Eloquence of the Sardine of narrative non-fiction blends Bill François' personal story with that of sea creatures to create an original and exciting work. In poetic prose, he describes his unlikely journey from being a Parisian child, afraid of the water and crippled by self-consciousness, to an eloquent and self-assured young man with a passion for the ocean and all who inhabit it. In doing so, he tells the stories of sardines, anchovies, eels, suckerfish, and whales (to name a few), and demystifies these creatures' fascinating conversations.

A mix between science and storytelling from the past and present, The Eloquence of the Sardine is an invitation to dive deep and learn from the secrets of the ocean.

Originally published in French in 2019 as Éloquence de la Sardine: Incroyables Histoires du Monde Sous-Marin.

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Biography

Bill François is a physicist passionate about the marine world. He studied at the ENS school in Paris and then devoted himself to research on hydrodynamics. The eloquence contests he won, like the Le Grand Oral on France 2, propelled him to become passionate about his other world: that of words. He mixes these universes to relay the importance of protecting our oceans.