Gold Fish

WINNER OF THE 2017 NASW SCIENCE IN SOCIETY JOURNALISM AWARD

A FINALIST FOR THE 2017 PEN/E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD

LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE

A LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

“[An] immensely satisfying story full of surprises and suspense… Things get weird fast.”

—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“[An] engaging tale of obsession and perseverance… Voigt’s passion in pursuing her subject is infectious, as is the self-deprecating humor she injects into her enthralling look at the intersection of science, commercialism, and conservation.”

—★ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW, PICK OF THE WEEK, AND A BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER

“Not since Candace Millard published The River of Doubt has the world of the Amazon, Borneo, Myanmar and other exotic locations been so colorfully portrayed… A compelling must-read.”

—★ LIBRARY JOURNAL, STARRED REVIEW, AND A BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

“With the taut suspense of a spy novel, Voigt paints a vivid world of murder, black market deals and habitat destruction surrounding a fish that’s considered, ironically, to be a good-luck charm.”

—DISCOVER

“This book starts with a ‘bang’ – a murder to be exact – and the momentum just keeps going from there. The Dragon Behind the Glass is a gripping blend of investigative journalism, science, international crime, travelogue and history… You don’t need to know anything about tropical fishes or fishkeeping to be totally riveted by this informative page-turner.”

—FORBES, THE 10 BEST CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT BOOKS OF THE YEAR

“Curiously edifying… Comprehensively researched and gracefully written.”

—THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“The most fun I’ve had reading in ages.”

—VOX

“Enthralling… [A] story that reads more like fiction.”
—PUREWOW, THE ULTIMATE SUMMER BOOK GUIDE
“[A] spirited debut [and] a fresh, lively look at an obsessive desire to own a piece of the wild.”

—KIRKUS

“An epic in the Jane Goodall vein.”

—THE COURIER MAIL

“A masterpiece! Emily Voigt has raised the bar for anyone who thinks they can tell a good fish story. What an extraordinary and extraordinarily well-told tale. Voigt brings such wonderful humor, adventure, and hard science to this subject, I found myself unable to put the book down.”

—BRYAN CHRISTY, AUTHOR OF THE LIZARD KING: THE TRUME CRIMES AND PASSIONS OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST REPTILE SMUGGLERS 

“Few writers can match the intelligence, charm, wit, and sheer audacity that Emily Voigt brings to bear in this highly readable and important book… With a page-turning plot and a cast of vivid characters, The Dragon Behind the Glass shines a powerful light on the international trade in endangered species.”

—SCOTT WALLACE, AUTHOR OF THE UNCONQUERED: IN SEARCH OF THE AMAZON’S LAST UNCONTACTED TRIBES

More Press

A journalist’s quest to find a wild Asian arowana—the world’s most expensive aquarium fish—takes her on a global tour through the bizarre realm of ornamental fish hobbyists to some of the most remote jungles on the planet.

Order the Book   More about the Book

Emily Voigt is a journalist based in New York specializing in science and culture. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, onEarth, and Isotope: A Journal of Literary Nature and Science Writing, as well as on the programs Radiolab and This American Life. The recipient of a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, she holds degrees in English Literature and Journalism from Columbia University. Her first book, The Dragon Behind the Glass, won the 2017 Science in Society Journalism Award from the National Association of Science Writers.

EVENTS