There"s nothing like a salmon plucked fresh from the waters of the Pacific Northwest. But this precious fish is more than a foodstuff, more than a commodity, says Natalie Fobes. "It is a theme that cascades relentlessly through [the] spirits" of Native Americans, Russians, Japanese, fishermen, biologists, and salmon farmers, an enigmatic creature that has shaped the culture of the Pacific Rim since ancient times. "What is it about the salmon that touches a person"s soul?" asks Fobes. Whatever it is, she has captured it on film. The photographer complements her eye-opening color images with poetic word pictures, augmenting the eloquent essays by Tom Jay and Brad Matsen.