{"product_id":"beautifully-grotesque-fish-of-the-american-west-9780803265233","title":"Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West","description":"\u003cp\u003eFisherman Mark Spitzer takes readers on an action-packed investigation of the most fierce and fearsome freshwater grotesques of the American West ever to inspire both hatred and fascination. Through the lenses of history, folklore, biology, ecology, and politics, \u003ci\u003eBeautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West\u003c\/i\u003e depicts the environmental destruction plaguing the most maligned creatures in our midst while subtly interweaving Spitzer's experiences of personal tragedy and self-discovery. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Join Spitzer as he noodles for flathead catfish in Oklahoma, snags paddlefish in Missouri, trotline- and electro-fishes American eels in Arkansas, studies razorback suckers in Arizona, bounty hunts for pikeminnows in Washington State, attends a burbot festival in Utah, stirs up Asian carp in Kansas, and breaks the state record for the largest yellow bullhead ever caught in Nebraska. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e By examining freakish links in a vital chain and working with specialists in the field, Spitzer portrays a planet in environmental crisis and dispels the illusion that our actions don't result in long-term, toxic consequences. Spitzer offers models for fisheries and provides other sources of hope in this informative epic of redemption that ultimately celebrates the wild and resilient beauty and remaining possibilities of the American West.Watch a book trailer. Visit the \u003ci\u003eWhere in the West is Mark Spitzer?\u003c\/i\u003e blog series for additional reading and a look at more photographs not included in the book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMark Spitzer\u003c\/b\u003e is an associate professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas\u003ci\u003e. \u003c\/i\u003eHe is the author of several novels, poems, essays, and literary translations, including \u003ci\u003eSeason of the Gar: Adventures in Pursuit of America's Most Misunderstood Fish\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eReturn of the Gar\u003c\/i\u003e. Spitzer has consulted for Nat Geo's \u003ci\u003eMonster Fish\u003c\/i\u003e and appeared on Animal Planet's \u003ci\u003eRiver Monsters\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bison Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50503860420882,"sku":"9780803265233","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_58979d25-5a7f-455f-90a2-7399a31adf76.jpg?v=1730801128","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/beautifully-grotesque-fish-of-the-american-west-9780803265233","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}