Blog entries

Interviewed for Eleftherotipia—One of the Highest Selling Greek Newspapers

Doug Abrams — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 02:03:16 +0100

With my book coming out in the Greek edition, Giannis Triantafillou, a journalist for Eleftherotipia, one of the highest selling greek newspapers, asked me for an interview. It's been such a wonderful journey to connect with people all around the world about this project. The interview is below:

1) Why and how did you decide to write a book with this subject?
I write my novels because I have a question to which I desperately need to know the answer. One cold wRead More...

Grant Offered to Develop Eye of the Whale as Outreach Tool

Doug Abrams — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:44:39 +0100

I can’t believe that the novel has already been out for a year and that the paperback will be out at the end of September. The whole experience of researching and writing the book—learning about the dangers to all life, right along with my characters—has been quite an adventure. I have also been honored to speak at conferences in Mexico and the Netherlands and be on the NPR radio programs "Forum" and "Here and Now." I am so excited to able to share with you thatRead More...

Eye of the Whale has been published in Greece!

Doug Abrams — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:43:14 +0100

Here is the cover of the Greek edition! While I've been enjoying a wonderfully rejuvenating and relaxing time with my family in Mexico for the last three weeks, my publisher in Greece has been busily getting the book to print. It is a great joy for the book to come out in Greece, a country that Read More...

World Oceans Day--There is Only One Ocean

Doug Abrams — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:40:57 +0100

World Oceans Day--The Deepwater Disaster should help us all to see the fragility of the oceans and that our oceans everywhere are in peril from our environmental decisions. The petrochemical civilization we have created is not just destroying the oceans with crude oil spills and ocean acidification through global warming, but also as a result of chemical pollution throughout the entire marine food web. Killer whales off the coast of California have incredibly high concentrationsRead More...

You Won't Believe It, But It's True: Read the Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale

Doug Abrams — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:58:18 +0100

Maria is a dear friend and colleague, so I was inclined to like her book, but I had no idea how powerful and important it would be. Maria's family helped pioneer organic farming in America and have done as much as anyone to develop sustainable agriculture through the research farm as well as their book and magazine company. So it's no surprise that she is an avid gardener and lover of the land, but Maria has taken the struggle to develop a life-sustaining relationship with the land tRead More...

Help Save Devan's Life

Doug Abrams — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:48:05 +0100

I wrote Eye of the Whale because several of my friends children were being born with birth defects and being diagnosed with cancer. I wanted to know what was happening to our children and why there was such an increase in childhood cancer (a 26% increase between 1973 and 1999 and a 61% in crease in acute childhood lymphocytic leukemia). One of the children that inspired this book and that was a constant companion as I was writing was Devan Tatlow. Devan was diagnosed with leukeRead More...

The New Harpoon

Doug Abrams — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:24:46 +0100

What does garbage in whales have to do with our children's health?

A gray whale that washed up in Seattle had garbage in its stomach ranging from sweat pants to plastic bags to surgical gloves to a golf ball. Is this just a bizarre symptom of a dirty planet? It is bizarre but unfortunately not uncommon, and it actually speaks to a much more serious problem in our oceans and in all life, including our children. Pollution is the new harpoon that is increasingly killingRead More...

Off to the Netherlands and Mexico

Doug Abrams — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:47:10 +0100

I will be reading/speaking in April at the Wetsus Conference in the The Netherlands about Eye of the Whale. The conference is a gathering of about 120 people from fourteen universities and eighty companies in Europe who are all working on ensuring sustainable water for our world. It is a great privilege to speak to this extraordinary group of scientists. Next stop is Cancun, Mexico to address a conference being held by the great international non-profit, The Ocean ConservancRead More...

Eye of the Whale to be published in...

Doug Abrams — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:45:37 +0100

It's probably one of the most thrilling experiences as a writer: to see ones words translated into a foreign language. So far Eye of the Whale has been translated into Swedish, Greek, Chinese, Arabic, and now Dutch. Thank you to all my foreign publishers and to readers around the world!

Best Author in Santa Cruz?

Doug Abrams — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:41:10 +0100

I was honored to win the reader award for best author in Santa Cruz by the Santa Cruz Metro. While I appreciate the votes by readers, I must say that there are many great writers in our fair city (Laurie King and Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston among others). In truth, it's probably not possible to pick best writers and best books, since what people enjoy reading is so deeply personal and varied. So thank you all and let's celebrate all writers who pour their heart into their work.

Time to discuss the Perils of Plastic

Doug Abrams — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:39:07 +0100

There was a great piece in Time Magazine this week on the Perils of Plastic and the pervasiveness of endocrine disruption/environmental toxins in our lives, in our homes, and in our bodies.

http://snipurl.com/va3fs

Cancer From the Kitchen

Doug Abrams — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:46:48 +0100

Nicholas Kristoff strikes again with another great piece about the danger of endocrine disruptors, and uses some of the same science that is in my novel, Eye of the Whale. Check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/opinion/06kristof.html?_r=1 . Even tells you what plastics to throw away.

Whale Songs Changing

Doug Abrams — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:28:56 +0100

In my novel I was hypothesizing a dramatic change in whale songs. Well now one has been detected in blue whale songs. Check it out: http://snipurl.com/tjiw1 [www_dailymail_co_uk]

The Garbage Gyre & Your Seafood

Doug Abrams — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:20:59 +0100

Here's a powerful article in the NYTimes on the plastic gyre in the Pacific Ocean and the efforts to understand the trash that we have dumped in the ocean (and the chemicals that are now leaching into the water, being consumed by the fish, and then returning to us in our seafood. http://snipurl.com/tib3k

Great Blog Review by Chadwick Prichard

Doug Abrams — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:57:48 +0100

Eye of the Whale by Douglas Carlton Abrams is an action-filled eco-thriller that occupies the extremely unique niche of novels based on real-life environmental concerns. Abrams tells the detailed and adrenaline-pumping story of Marine Biologist Elizabeth McKay's quest to decipher the mysterious song of the humpback whale that had swum up the Sacramento River, an event with serious implications for mysteries of the animal kingdom.

As Elizabeth continues her search for the meRead More...

Great Blog Review by Michelle Kokopelli

Doug Abrams — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:53:15 +0100

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009"Eye of The Whale" ReviewThis week I read one of the best novels that I've read in a VERY long time. A couple of weeks ago I found Dr. Greene's Blog and there was an amazing post by Doug Abrams called, "An Unprecedented Experiment on our Children." After reading the post, I knew I wanted to read more by this author. So, I contacted him and he graciously sent me a copy of his latest fact-based novel, "Eye of the Whale."

When I first beRead More...

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

Doug Abrams — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:26:35 +0100

I wrote a piece about how I discovered the dangers of toxic chemicals as I was working on Eye of the Whale and dangers I discovered for a site called Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. Great site that is an important part of the growing movement to end toxic pollution in our world and in our children. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/5N67af. They also used a fun picture of a "daddy day" when my kids were young.

Blogs: Alice Shebecoff and Dr. Greene

Doug Abrams — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0100

Lots of great activity in the blogosphere. Alice Shebecoff, the author with her husband, Philip, of the brilliant expose, Poisoned Profits, reviewed Eye of the Whale. Her own book is brilliant and names names in a way that the novel couldn't. Unfortunately, she's in a perfect position to explain that the villainy in the book is not fictional.

Also, had a great week blogging on green pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene's site, and had an opportunity to talk about Read More...

Belugas: Clever & Playful Sentinels of the Sea

Doug Abrams — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:56:11 +0100

I read this article about belugas with a mix of delight and sadness. These ocean cousins are so clever and creative and playful. Check out this photo of them blowing rings. And lots more images at this interesting article that calls them the cleverest creatures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218916/Lovely-bubbly-Beluga-whales-oceans-cleverest-creatures-arent-spot-fun.html

The sadness comes from realizing that belugas in the Hudson Bay are nRead More...

Saving Van Jones, Saving Our Planet

Doug Abrams — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:42:23 +0100

Dear Friends,

Van Jones is one of the most important voices in the White House for our planet and a green economy. Perhaps it is not surprising then that fearful people, who are invested in the status quo are attacking him. Glen Beck and other disciples of propaganda (repeat a lie enough and people will believe it) are going after him viciously. Here's a letter explaining the issue from my dear friends John and Ocean Robbins. I hope you will read it and do what you canRead More...