Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World's Greatest Non-Event

Rose's supposed contempt, expressed in his subtitle, for the 1988 story of the international effort to free three grey whales trapped in freezing waters outside of Barrow, Alaska, is belied in the way he really tells his story. Instead of conveying the senselessness of the effort, he demonstrates an unexpected empathy not just toward these sea creatures but also toward the oil company executives, Greenpeace activists, Eskimos, businessmen, and military officers who heroically worked to save the whales, and the journalists who brought the story to the world's attention. This is not a book about waste and hype; the story, compellingly told, is one of hope and kindness--that people were able to direct our low and high technology toward the saving of three whales.