Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead.

I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings.

Anything requested and approved will be read and a decent quality review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

First off, thank you to NetGally for the ARC. I'm fascinated by these underwater creatures. I wanted to learn more about octopuses, and this book came in handy. This book did a good job at balancing written description and visual representation. I recommend this book to anyone with a bit of curiosity about our underwater world.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish
by David Liittschwager

4 Stars
My review is based on a 16-page teaser I received from the publisher via Netgalley. The short excerpt promises a fascinating book with the kind of beautiful photography and writing for which National Geographic is well-known. I am confident this will be a great purchase or gift for anyone interested in nature, in particular marine life.

I am grateful to National Geographic and NetGalley for offering this small sneak peek at Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish.

I wanted to see this book for the photography - and it was beautifully done - fabulous shots and unusual views. The essays by the scientists were interesting but not my reason for opening the book. A nice package to explore!

There was virtually no content in there sample that I received, so I am unable to give an opinion. In future, it would be helpful to provide at least the first chapter.

I was given a sample of Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish. This short excerpt sold me on this book. The photos are stunning, gorgeous, and mind-blowing. They are interspersed with essays that sound fascinating about these creatures.

Author David Littschwager's book, Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish, is so fascinating, I bought a hard copy even though I was approved for a NetGalley review copy. The photography is incredible and brings these mysterious sea creatures to life for land-locked readers like me. The text is just as well done; I learned so much about them.
Highly recommended as a coffee table book and a book to re-read and enjoy again and again.

To visit an aquarium is to know the unsurpassed peace and wonder that comes from a proximity to the underwater world. Photographer David Liittschwager (Archipelago, with Susan Middleton) agrees, and his Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish offers a stunning glimpse into this world, a view into those mysterious depths now made accessible from homes or libraries. With a foreword and essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Elizabeth Kolbert, who admires the "stunning, sinuous beauty" that Liittschwager captures with his camera, and additional essays from Olivia Judson and Jennifer Holland, the collection makes wise use of the engaging and informational texts. However, it is the artistry of Liittschwager that will draw readers in, while inspiring awe on every page.

In this brilliantly designed book of photography, truly beautiful to behold, every detail has been considered--the fonts, the judicious use of white space, and the selection and layout of the dozens of vivid photographs. But it is more than just a visual stunner: it also highlights humanity's role in the destruction and preservation of these and countless other species, while simultaneously contextualizing humans within the broader sweep of nature. "When I remember that an octopus has a more efficient eye design than we humans have," Liittschwager explains in the introduction, "I am persuaded that humans are maybe not the pinnacle of evolution, but an untidy work in progress." All art is perspective, and this book invites readers to shift their perspectives toward those creatures not usually seen but still worthy of admiration and protection.

This book was a beautiful illustration of these much misunderstood bread creatures. I loved it, I had no idea there were so many different species of all three.

Octopus, seahorse and jellyfish are three ocean animals that evoke mystery and wonder whenever we can glimpse a look.  Their beauty and diversity reels you in for a closer look.  In Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish photographer David Liittschwager reveals the work of 12 years of specialized photography of these beautiful creatures.   All of the animals are pictured on white backgrounds through a photographic technique of using condenser lenses that allows light to be focused on the camera lens, increasing the contrast allowing for all of the animals' details and intricacies to come forward.  Each chapter focuses on one type of animal and is accompanied by an essay by an expert in the field to give context and information about the animal, it's environment and special features. 

Through the photography, the octopus dances across the page and stares into your eyes.  Their amazing skin texture and tentacles can be seen up close and in astounding detail. The seahorse, seadragon and pipefish are pictured much bigger than their actual size so that their graceful shapes, intricate patterns and delicate features can be appreciated.  A wide variety of jellyfish are featured with close ups of tentacles, bells, and their overall lack of body parts is apparent.  I was intrigued by their many  different forms and ways to reproduce for a creature that seems so simple.  I had no idea that there were eternal jellyfish or that they went through so many different phases to become the final form that we know as a medusa.  Overall, Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish is an amazing display of photography that allows these animals to shine and creates a call to protect these creatures that we share the Earth with. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

This sample shows how stunning this book has the potential to be. I viewed it on the NetGalley app. The photographs feature up-close and distanced images of the featured animals. I was intrigued by the two photos of the comb jelly with different light schemes (one dark and one light). I am looking forward to looking at the published edition.

Thanks to National Geographic and NetGalley for the sample of the uncorrected proof. My reviews and ratings are my own.

I thought I was getting this whole book, but it appeared that it was just a sample. The formatting was also off but with that being said, the pictures were breathtaking and I enjoyed the little snippet about jellyfish. I would love to see the whole book.

The parts of this book that I saw was just breathtaking. The photographs depict the sea creatures in such a wonderful light. Although I wish the sample included more pages, the parts I did see where phenomenal. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to review an ARC sample of part of the book on NetGalley.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish
by David Littschwager
Pub Date: April 5, 2022
National Geographic
I received a sample of Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager, which is scheduled for release on April 5 2022. My review is based on that sample, not the full book.
Thanks to the author, National Geographic, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! The photography is gorgeous.
I drool over sea life anyway, and our library has a saltwater aquarium so I was eager to see this book. National Geographic does such a good job on photos so this was a hit for me. If the text is anywhere as good as the photography we will be pleased to recommend this book!
5 stars

Gorgeous photography, but there appears to be a formatting issue with the ebook: Only the jellyfish essay is visible.

An exquisite and utterly mesmerizing book. The photos are stunning, and I spent a good deal of time going back over them to study them more closely. This book gives the reader a view into the mysterious lives of these beautiful creatures.

This book led me to read more about octopi - I'm never ever going to consume another again in my life. They are incredibly intelligent and it's heartbreaking that they are being farmed for consumption in Europe now. This book may touch your heart as well after you see and learn more about the octopus, seahorse, and jellyfish. You may never think about them in the same way again...hopefully!

I received a sample of Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish by David Liittschwager, which is scheduled for release on April 5 2022. My review is based on that sample, not the full book.

This is a book of photography that reveals the unnerving beauty of three notoriously mysterious sea creatures--the jellyfish, octopus, and seahorse--and how they perceive the world. The jellyfish, the octopus, and the seahorse are among the most wondrous species on Earth--as well as some of the most difficult to document using traditional photography methods. This collection showcases 200 of Liittschwager’s most revealing photographs, paired with penetrating essays that explain how a creature without a brain or without bones perceives the world. Bestselling science writers Elizabeth Kolbert, Jennifer Holland, and Olivia Judson explain the biology and advanced cognitive abilities of these spineless denizens of the deep, exquisitely evoking their unnerving yet undeniable charisma. In these pages, you’ll glimpse a seahorse only half an inch tall, a moon jelly spinning off a snowflake-shaped clone, and the blinking comb jelly, which may be the most ancient living animal on Earth. Both enlightening and profound, this book documents the expanding frontiers of marine science, creating a powerful testament to the value and beauty of these little-seen--and endangered--species.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish is a book that captured and kept my attention with the stunning photography. I was amazed by the images on the page, and then glad to see the information about each of the creatures on the page. While jellyfish might not be my favorite swimming partner, I have always been fascinated by their movements and grace in the water. The brilliance of the octopus and the fragility and size of the seahorse have always captured my attention as well. Getting to see them all in such stunning photographs with some information about their nature that I have not known before made this book a must read for me. I am eager to see it in bookstores and libraries. I think this will be a great book for anyone interested in the subject matter and the photography.

Beautiful photography in this book. Unfortunately the advanced reader copy only has 16 pages, so there was only about one page of text I could read and some pages of photos. What was provided, was beautiful however.

Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish features stunning photography by David Liittschwager - over 200 of his personal best shots from around the world of these fascinating creatures appear in this tome.

Also included are essays by three brilliant, best-selling science writers, throughout, describing how creatures have survived and thrived for so many years without bones or brains.

Enjoy this great coffee table and conversation starter book, especially if you like beautiful photography and marine life. I enjoyed my sneak-peak and picked it up because I had wanted to be a marine scientist in my younger years!

Don’t miss out, you won’t be sorry!

I had a sneak-peak, shortened ARC review copy from NetGalley and National Geographic. This is my honest feedback.
#OctopusSeahorseJellyfish #NetGalley

Author David Littschwager is also a stellar photographer as evinced in 200 gorgeous photographs in Octopus, Seahorse, Jellyfish. Though this is a sample portion of his book, the information it contains is brilliant and breathtaking, an amuse bouche for what is to come.

These marine creatures are amongst the most elusive and beguiling in the world and as such are tricky to photograph. I frequently swim with moon and comb jellies in the Mediterranean and though bumping into squishiness can at first be disconcerting, there is no experience like it. Jellyfish aren't actually fish. Incredibly, they propel themselves without a brain, bones or blood. The octopus is exceptionally intelligent and efficient and the tiny seahorse has very special capabilities. Visiting aquariums is a wonderful way to immerse oneself into their world.

My sincere thank you to National Geographic and NetGalley for giving me a very compelling glimpse into the lives of these beautiful marine creatures! I long to read this book in its entirety.