Beach Haven

​BLACK INVENTORS IN THE AGE OF SEGREGATION
By Rayvon Fouché
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003, 225 pages
Review by Michael Beach
 
In this work the author shares the personal stories of three specific African American inventors in attempt to call into question several myths often perpetuated about black technologists. The ideas are how a patent equals financial success, people of color invent purely to uplift the race, or that Black-patented objects are the first of their kind. Fouché approaches these myths by building a narrative about each of three inventors that contradict one or more of them. The inventors are Granville T. Woods, Lewis H. Latimer, and Shelby J. Davidson.
 
This approach by Fouché goes a long way to dispel the inventor-as-hero narrative which has been put in question by other writers about other inventors without the race angle included. In this work race is certainly part of the narrative, but not exclusively the narrative, making the complexity of both the inventors and others they interact with more nuanced, and enlightening. Fouché approaches this historical and sociological work in this way in order to show three different people with three different personalities, cultures and motivations. In other words, they are each a unique person and not some sort of imagined icon.
 
The work would appeal to those with interest in technology, sociology, racial studies, and history. Fouché connects with readers through clear language, personal stories of the three inventors, depicting and dispelling ideas commonly held in both the African American and majority communities. The strength of the work comes through the individual lives depicted, and how these men fit into larger societies. They are juxtaposed to other prominent Black leaders that they were at odds with. Their histories do show how they were at times helped by race, and at times hamstrung. Perhaps a deeper look at societal trends that inspired the inventor-as-hero myth, and in particular the black-inventor-as-hero myth may have add more insight into Fouché’s main argument. One could argue, given the documented experiences, how the effects of these inventors’ efforts perpetuated these beliefs at least at some level, and were not just debunking.

THE DEVIL’S POOL
By George Sand
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1903 - P.F. Collier & Son Company, 1917, 105 pages
Review by Michael Beach
 
This version of the work is included in a series of writings published as Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction. Despite the ominous sounding title, the work is a quaint snapshot look into rural life in the French berry region. It may come as a surprize to others as it did to me that the author, despite the name, was a French woman.
 
A recent widower with three growing children sets out to find a new wife at the urgings of some of his neighbors. A well-intentioned father-in-law of Germaine points him in the direction of a well-to-do young lady of marrying age in another part of the region. As he travels to meet her, his oldest son, Pierre, joins him and despite his best efforts he cannot get the youngster to return home. Along the way they meet a young lass named Mary from the rural district where the intended lady lives. She and the son become fast friends. The trio get lost after taking a break near the small body of water baring the story’s titular name. They camp there for the night and resume travel the next day.
 
Mary agrees to care for the boy as Germaine advances to the home of the potential bride. This lady is of the upper set. The widower is a farmer. He quickly learns there are other suitors on hand and the coquettish intended is not of his sort. He returns to Pierre and Mary and the friendship resumes as they travel home. As you might guess, the friendship leads to love and the book ends with Germaine and Mary happily married.

​EMPERORS OF THE DEEP
By William McKeever
Harper One, 2019, 311 pages
Review by Michael Beach
 
This work is subtitled Sharks – The ocean’s most mysterious, most misunderstood, and most important guardians. The author’s major claim is closely associated with that subtitle noting his intent as “an urgent call to protect them, a celebration of sharks as remarkable apex predators, supersensory navigators, and humankind’s greatest ally in nature” (p. 10).
 
Among many examples and justifications, McKeever notes how ecosystem culling by sharks makes marine life stronger and more abundant. For example, in the presence of an apex predator, prey behavior adjusts in ways that ensures the most healthy and adaptive survive to pass on genetic characteristics.
 
The author notes how he makes his arguments in order to “raise awareness about the massacre of sharks around the world” (p. 295). His hope is to appeal to policy makers, fisheries, and sea food consumers to take actions that would curtail bad behavior by people who exacerbate the human and environmental impact of bad practices related to sharks.
 
McKeever shares specific examples that clarify the points he makes. From sports fishing tournaments, to human enslavement on industrial fishing boats, impact by and to humans supplement the argument to the impact to sharks and the larger maritime ecosystem. At times he also seems to praise more radical groups. Such an approach may make it difficult for the policy makers he is hoping to sway. Along with his nod to Greenpeace or scientific organizations such as the South Africa Conservancy, he often points to ‘illegal’ fishing activities without reviewing what regulatory efforts have come about to define what fishing is legal or not. Sharing good efforts in this area as examples could persuade countries less involved to consider similar approaches.
 
For those like me who are interested in areas of science, technology and society there are plenty of examples of how science, technology, policy, economics, and cultural perspective ultimately influence each other around shark-related environmental concerns. McKeever gives both hopeful and discouraging examples from various parts of the world.