Is 'Homo Delphinus' worth buying?

[jvoets]

Who owns a copy of 'Homo Delphinus - The Dolphin within Man' from Mayol?

The cover looks very good, but I could not find the book in a store anywhere in the Netherlands for previewing.
Is it worth buying? Pretty expensive, around 100 Euro, so I don't want to throw away my money.

 

[crazyfrenchmen]

Go ahead

Hi,
i own a copy of homo delphinus in french and it's really a good book. M.Mayol talk about the relationship between mankind and the sea in a way that help us diver and especially freediver to understand better why we're doing this. It also talk about the history of freediving, the biology of apnea through all the species that practice it and also the future of apnea. The big blue was an entertainment movie, "Homo Delphinus" is Jacques's legacy to us. Be carefull, this book is not an instruction manual on dive training and such. It talk about a way of life. So go and get a copy. BTW, amazon.fr sell it in english for 88 Euro and 22 Euro in french...

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Hey everyone,

We'll be publishing an article that provides a review of Homo Delphinus next week. Keep your eyes peeled for it.

 

[Peter Sheard]

Homo Delphinus Review

Hi Guys;

Stephan has a copy of an earlier book review of Mayol's Homo Delphinus from Freediver Magazine (might be what he is referring to above?!?) that he is welcome to release for Deeper Blue readers . . .


Sheard, Peter (2000) Homo Delphinus: the Dolphin Within Man, by Jacques Mayol. (Book review.) Freediver 8: 25. ISSN 1466-089X

I would add that in light of recent tragic events, Homo Delphinus must be cherished as one of the great legacies that Mayol has left us.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Peter,

Indeed - your article is the one I was referring to as the one that we would be publishing next week!

I bought a copy of Homo Delphinus before Xmas from Amazon but haven't had time to read it yet myself, but I know from friends and colleagues it is truly a book to be bought and read.

It is sad but I suspect that sales of the book have increased since the tragic news early this year.

 

[Kirk Krack]

It's a great book and a good perspective on the man. Some info maybe outdated, but it's a must now.

Tanya, Brett and I were lucky enough to get signed ones at it's premeire in Miami several years ago.

 

[ApneaBlue]

Awesome story of Mayol's life and killer photos...Great coffee table book

 

[jvoets]

I can totally agree with that!
Bought the book and enjoyed reading it. It's not a manual but a very nice history of Mayols live as a freediver, mixed with some interesting facts.

 

[efattah]

Get it!

Homo Delphinus is a must-read for serious freedivers. Among the most interesting sections are his accounts of 'lost-time' (6:20 no-limits dive!), and the chapter on mermaids is amazingly informative. It was also pretty funny how he tried to convert a yoga master into freediving (and failed!)

Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[icarus pacific]

I have a pretty good collection of diving related literature, especially vintage era stuff and Mayol's book is near the top of the list for a have to have. It gets a little artsy and at times the man's penchant for self promotion gets a bit much, but then, that was him.... It's informative and thought provoking and worth it's price for no other reason than as a testimate for what he did and what his legacy continues to do for the sport.

sven