Book Description

Over 500 photos of tropical freshwater, coldwater freshwater,tropical marine and tropical freshwater fishes. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

An excellent aquarium book...
Although I have read very few aquarium books, this is definitely a very useful resource for aquarists, either freshwater or marine. The book begins with a brief description of the history of fish-keeping, and a little about the physical characteristics and differences between freshwater and marine fish. It also supplies information about the holding capacity of different aquariums and how to set up both freshwater and marine tanks. The maintenance chart and the section on fish diseases and how to select healthy fish is very useful. Various diagrams are also helpful and informative. And the main body of the book has excellent fish photographs, information on max. size, diet, aggressiveness, etc. This is an especially good book for beginning aquarists, but also for those who have kept fish for years. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in aquariums. Dick Mills did a very good job

Excellent photos & fish descriptions but lacking other info
I found the book to be eye-catching, and informative about the specific physical descriptions.

However, I find that much of what I'm looking for isn't in the book-- specifics on water condition needs, behaviors and other details that seem to be included in a number of other aquarium books.

I bought this book nearly a year ago and I'm now back shopping for something a bit more satisfactory to my needs in the way of specifics on the fish.

Also, it is sometimes very scanty on other specifics-- such as diseases. For instance, it doesn't even mention "shims" or "shimmying" which has several causes, one being that the fish has gotten chilled, and other causes as well that are more disease-oriented. One-quarter page of one-line descriptions on diseases without any suggestions on treatment just doesn't qualify as an adequate, all-around aquarium book to me.

Sensational little book, beautifully done
Really a little gem of a book. It's small enough to fit comfortably in your hands and it's just stuffed with information and tasty graphics. The Art Director must have been giggling with delight, the book is really a showpiece. The colorful photos jump off the page and the text is handled in the usual effortless DK manner. Even if you have zero interest in fish, this book is a joy to page through. Beautifully put together.

Ok for the price or a - - 3 stars
Like all DK books this little (72 page) book is very pretty and well organized. Unfortunately it provides little info and also misleads the buyer. At first glance it appears to cover 101 fish ("101 Aquarium Fish" is in large print) but only 40 fish are covered and 5 of these are just different types of goldfish. Of the remaining 61 "Essential Tips" included are: Tip #61-Clubs, discusing joining a club, and tip #45 Choosing Prepacked Food, showing photos of different food types ie flakes (2 types shown), pellets, tablets etc.

Needs a companion book
While this is a good quick reference guide, I have found that I have needed another book for most things. This would probably be good for kids as long as parents have another source for more detailed reference. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive and informative guide to Hawaiian fishes.
Shore Fishes of Hawai'i by Johne E. Randall serves as a valuable resource tool from snorkelers to ichthyological enthusiasts. The introduction gives a brief overview of the Hawaiian history of fishes, biogeographic theories of distribution as it pertains to Hawaiian fishes, and basic information on fish taxonomy. The balance of the book seperates in to sections on each family in a phylogenetic order. Each family section has a brief description of characters, life history, and observational notes. This is followed by a photograph of the species most likely to be seen by snorkelers, divers, and fishermen. Each photograph is captioned with information regarding characters to identify it, distribution and depth where it may be encountered, attainable size, diet, and other miscellaneous information. Each photo is labled with both common name and scientific binomial, as well as author and date of original (or valid) description of the species. Many of the species have photographs of multiple adult phases and juveniles. A glossary of terms follows the last family entry. An index by scientific name, family, common name, and Hawaiian name concludes the book. This book would complement the library of anyone comptemplating visiting Hawaii with an interest in the fishes, anyone with an interest in aquarium fishes, or to divers and ichthyologists seeking a good identification and reference guide. ... Read more

Book Description

Bright Waters, two hundred pages of splendid color, takes divers and non-divers alike into the water to visit the creatures who inhabit the ocean. From the stately sixty foot humpback whale tendingher baby to the timid half inch goby hiding in the coral, from the majestic fifteen foot manta ray to the gaudy inch long nudlbranch, it is a trip well worth taking. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Window to the sea
Bright Waters is a wonderful resource to use when somebody asks - "What kind of things do you see when you are diving?
The book provides an insight into a beautiful and fascinating world that is so often misunderstood and feared. The pictures are clear and well crafted and the author has provided a wonderful window into the underwater world.

Great Pictures
A wonderful coffee-table addition. The two hundred photos of fish, whales, shipwrecks, octopi, and other colorful sea creatures are a delight. Many of the pictures come with accompanying brief text that helps the reader to understand the photo. The book is even more impressive when one understands that the author/photographer is currently 78 years young and took many of these pictures at an age when many of us were just thinking about the La-Z Boy and the television. The book makes me want to get back to scuba diving.

Bright Waters by Nancy Ferguson
A welcome new volume for collectors of top-flight underwater photo books. And a wonderful pictorial introduction to undersea life for the future scuba diver. Amazing shots, representing countless hours of quiet stalking, interspersed with startling chance encounters captured on film.

Bright Waters is, quite simply, magnificent!
"Bright Waters" is an incredible journey to the depths of the ocean that only a scant few ever witness.
From the darkest, most obscure places--lightened only by the color provided by the nature of the underwater species--the author and artist, Nancy Ferguson, shows an uncanny skill with her camera.
Highlights include the perception of an "angel" on the wing of a stingray, a scorpionfish "lollygagging" comfortably on his ocean "lawn," dazzling, living floral arrangements ready to retreat at any second if disturbed and the graceful eel that appears to have snowflakes--living snowflakes--brightening the moment.
This masterpiece has everything from cup corals and angelfish to fish that have put on their clown makeup to further amaze the senses.
You'll see undersea parrots, kissing fish and the bluest of blue on the banner fish.
And, yes, for you jazz fans, there is the unique trumpet fish...but this one looks like a clarinet!
It's an amazing 200 pages!
This creation...this work of art...this opus...deserves five stars...and more!

Too good to pass up
I have the book. I was wowed by the bright colors and informed by the descriptions. I think that this book has tables all over the world with it's name on it. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive guide for fish hobbyists.

A healthy environment is crucial for all aquariums. It is often a challenge to understand what fish need to survive apart from a tank of water and a daily sprinkle of fish food.

The Manual of Fish Health is a fully illustrated and highly informative guide covering: - Maintaining a healthy aquatic environment - Recognizing and coping with pests, diseases, parasites and bacteria - Water chemistry and how to achieve the correct balance for your fish

This book explores vital aspects of health care for all types of fish including freshwater and saltwater, tropical and temperate, and pond and aquarium.

The clear and concise text is abundantly illustrated with underwater photography, charts, and diagrams. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

For those who keep fish as pets
The fish hobby is made up of two different types of people. Some hobbyists do not really bother to understand their fish, they simply buy replacements when the current ones die. The second type of fish-keeper wants to know as much information as he or she can on the types of fishes they keep. This book would be of most value to the second type.

Sometimes, we mistakenly assume that fish are fragile and that there is simply no way to maintain them at optimum health. But that is not the case. Most fish are quite hardy. They can easily be maintained in the home aquarium if attention is given to their particular needs. Even so, from time to time, our fishes do get sick despite of our care. This book will help you diagnose some of the more common diseases that afflict fishes, as well as some possible remedies.

Some of the procedures in the textbook are simply not feasible for the average aquarists. Most of us do not have access to a laboratory. However, there is enough solutions in the book that are easy enough to follow. I highly recommend this book.

All aspects of health care for all types of fishes
Dr. Chris Andrews, et.al.'s Manual Of Fish Health is a basic guide to providing a healthy aquarium environment and should be a part of any fish owner's home collection. It covers all aspects of health care for all types of fishes, both freshwater and marine, and cover pond as well as aquarium environments. Add plenty of charts and color photos and you have a truly comprehensive reference.

A must-have for all fish keepers
I have dozens of books on fish and this is one I can't live without. It's an encyclopedia of fish illnesses and treatments that includes wonderful illustrations and photos. It's simple to understand and yet useful for us advanced aquarists. I answer hundreds of e-mails from my web site every year about fish illness and often refer people to this book. It's interesting enough that sometimes I look it over again!

Excellent diagnosis
One of my gouramis fell ill and a day later pop-eye set in. After trying to diagnose the illness(es) through various fish-related web sites- with no luck- I dosed with both gram-negative and gram-positive antibiotics. Two days later the gourami died, and the other was getting worse. Then, I got this book. In less than a minute I was able to diagnose the remaining sick gourami. In fact, page 162 has a picture of him! Very cool. Now I know what to do to save him (and protect the other fish, too).

This book has excellent discussions on all the important things: water pH, hardness, temperature, the biological filtration cycle, and more. Plus, the photos are real-life, not stupid inaccurate line drawings. I just wish I had bought it two years ago when I started the hobby. It would've saved me a lot of money, both in fish and equipment! The book at first seems pricey, but considering the amount of money you'll save with the information in it, it's cheap! I suggest getting it- and reading it- before buying any fish. But if you already have fish, it's a god-send.

An absolute must have book for the fish keeper!
This was one of the first books I bought when I started keeping fish and 12 years later it's still a wonderful book. This book takes you through how to keep your fish healthy, but more importantly it helps you through the inevitable times when you have sick fish.

With a chapter on recognizing your sick fish, to a chapter on the most common diseases and parasites this book will help you figure out what's wrong with your fish.

Finally there is a chapter on how to treat each type of illness so you don't have to guess on what to do.

This is definitely a book that every fish keeper should have. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

When David James Duncan was growing up in suburban Portland, Oregon, he had no river to call his own, so he would routinely create one by flooding his mother's garden with a hose. He would then revel in his creation until he received the inevitable scolding. The poor kid couldn't help himself: "Running water ... felt as necessary to me as food, sleep, parents, and air," he explains. In time, he exchanged his nozzle for a fly rod and went in search of grander gardens, eventually developing an "interior coho compass" which he has traveled by ever since.

As any reader of The River Why knows, Duncan is a master of the art of writing about fishing--which is also to say life, since the two for him are indelibly linked. But these essays deal with far more than leaky waders and rising trout. Part memoir, part activist treatise, My Story As Told by Water is Duncan's love song to wild places and the creatures which inhabit them. The book's highlight is his powerfully convincing essay "A Prayer for the Salmon's Second Coming," in which he argues that saving salmon is crucial to both man and fish alike: "A 'modern Northwest' that cannot support salmon is unlikely to support 'modern Northwesterners' for long," he writes. In this elegant demand for the removal of four Snake River dams (out of 221 on the Snake/Columbia system), Duncan declares the wild salmon "a holiness, a divine gift," a role model rather than a resource: "Salmon are a light darting not just through water, but through the human mind and heart. Salmon help shield us from fear of death by showing us how to follow our course without fear, and how to give ourselves for the sake of things greater than ourselves."

He also ruminates on the true meanings of "place" and "home"; offers a fable on the 1872 Mining Act, "the most anachronistic and devastating piece of 'corporate welfare' in the world"; and details how Montanans rallied to prevent a giant mining company from extracting gold near the Blackfoot River, the setting of the Norman Maclean classic A River Runs Through It. All in all, My Story As Told by Water is a moving collection by an exquisite writer endowed with wit, compassion, and the rare ability to appeal to both emotion and reason in equal measures. --Shawn Carkonen ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Duncan writes with heart.
My Story as Told by Water covers a varied terrain ranging from environmental activism to the virtues of fly-fishing without a hired guide. The book is really a collection of essays (many published in other books and periodicals) about rivers in the Northwestern United States. Duncan shares much of his early life growing up in neighborhoods just beyond the growing tentacles of Portland, Oregon. He writes openly about this family, including his bitter confrontation over the war in Vietnam with his dad, and the loss of his brother. Given such a backdrop, it's easy to understand how Duncan turned to the solitude of fishing local streams to deal with the pain of his youth.

Later in the book, Duncan finds his stride writing about the not-so-bright outlook facing wild salmon along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. You can almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes as he describes their near exit from his world. He sums up the disaster of the salmon run on the Snake River this way: "The babble of 'salmon management' rhetoric has taken a river of prayful human yearning, diverted it into a thousand word-filled ditches, and run it over alkali. When migratory creatures are prevented from migrating, they are no longer migratory creatures: they're kidnap victims. The name of the living vessel in which wild salmon evolved and still thrive is not 'fish bypass system,' 'smolt-deflecting diversionary strobe light,' or 'barge.' It is River."

Duncan opens his heart to the connections he has to rivers and wild fish. But more importantly, he gives us inspiration for making our own connections to those wild places.

Stereotypical, obvious, pompus
Duncan's textbook rants are so predictable I found myself mouthing the next sentence before I read it. As someone who's work and life is submerged in environmental, water use, and preservation issues I find this type of stereotypical ranting more detrimental to the issues that concern me than most G.W. policies. Duncan preaches to the choir, but his preaching is so over the top it is a turn-off. While I agree with virtually every theme and policy he promotes, his pompus diatribes push me in the other direction. If this book were written 40 years ago it might strike a radical tone and inspire action. In these times it is merely a rehash of the new-age mumbo-jumbo that is so easy for the opposition to tear down.

This book will apeal to two audiences: new-age sheep, and right-wingers looking to bash environmentalists. The rest will find it harder to wade through than Columbia.

Henry Bugbee
For those who are interested in the life and teaching of Henry Bugbee, Duncan's account of Henry's last days makes this book worth reading.

My Story As Told By Water
My Story As Told By Water by David James Duncan was a confusing and overly political way to express the author's love for water. HIs diliverey is good, but he should keep in mind that his readers are reading for entertainment, not to hear about our government's poor decisions.

GRATE BOIK
I LIKE DAVID'S USE OF FICTION BETTER TO PROMOTE HIS ENVIRONMENTALIST IDEAS AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK I MUST SAY I PREFER HIS FICTION....THANKS DAVID FOR A GREAT BOOK AND ENLIGHTENING ME ON THE TROUBLES OF SALMON....ONCE AGAIN I LOVE YOUR WRITING STYLE...

ROD FOSTER ... Read more

Book Description

This guide is the only complete reference to the sharks, rays, and chimaeras found in California's waters-- from the intertidal zone to 500 miles offshore.

o Species accounts give information on habitat and range, natural history, interactions with humans, nomenclature, and further references

o 68 beautiful color illustrations show each shark, ray, and chimaera; accompanying line drawings highlight differences in teeth, underside of the head, and egg cases

o Includes information on the California marine environment, ecology and conservation, and shark biology ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Cut to the Chase
This book reads quickly. It's a collection of newspaper articles. Although I was hoping the book would talk more about the size and behavior of the attacking sharks, the wording is quick, much like the attacks.

A VERY DISTURBING READ
A great book for shark fans like myself. There is not really any info on sharks but on there victems. A truly frighting read for you here the victems words of "let me die" or "help, shark." Just to let you know the book is not a novel but newspaper summeries. Still its a great read on the terror of shark attack victems.

Not the best book about this subject matter
although i am sure Mr. MacCormick went through a painstaking research period to compile the stories for this book, it adds up to only sensationalize on the darker side of the oceans' greatest predator. If you are looking to learn about sharks, go elsewhere.

great book featuring great whites
A good fast reading book. Lots of details of the attacks. Any one who likes skarks should read this book.

Only a newspapers info summary
I expected a more comments-supported summary of shark attacks all over the world. It is not included the famous attack on Albert Kogler, San Francisco, 1959. Only a collection of newspaper notes. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides a thorough introduction to the biology of fishes, covering basic diversity, biology and physiology. Detailed coverage of environmental aspects relating to fish biology is a key feature of this book which will be of great use to students and individuals in fish biology, fisheries, aquaculture and environmental sciences. ... Read more

Book Description

Heiligenberg's pioneering research describes the behavior of one species, the jamming avoidance response in the electric fish Eigenmannia, providing a rich mine of data that documents the first vertebrate example of the workings of the entire behavioral system from sensory input to motor output. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

great, informative book.
If you are interested in great white sharks, this is the book for you. It's fun and informative. I have to disagree with one fact the book gives, however. The great white shark is not the most dangerous predator of the ocean. That would be the killer whale. They are larger, smarter, faster, more agile, and able to hunt cooperatively. Also, very recently a famous marine biologist observed predatory sharks larger than the great white (at least thirty feet long) deep in the Pacific ocean. They apparently live very far down, however, and could never be a danger to humans.

An excellent work about sharks
I have very much enjoyed reading this book again and again, especially in conjunction with the film that the book describes being filmed, "Blue Water White Death", which so far as I am aware has not appeared in video form or I would surely have it in my collection by now. The film is acknowledged to be one of the better shark films in existence, and the book somewhat pales in comparison, but a worthwhile read nonetheless. I have read the hardback edition and now own the paperback. I must say I miss the color plates which are in the hardback edition. I sincerely hope someone will transfer the film to video at some point.

Great adventure
It's wonderful to be able to read the narrative of shark dives from the safety and comfort of home.

This is a great narrative of the expedition to search for the Great White shark...hopefully the numerous "specials" on TV and the recent article in National Geographic will help "save" this treasure of the ocean.

You can't help but get involved with this book, just as exciting and fascinating as any novel.

If you enjoyed this one, try _Snow Leopard_ or _Indian Country_.

Oceanic Adventure
Blue Meridian is one of the great stories of underwater adventure and exploration. It's an account of the first substantial expedition to find and film the great white shark, and was conducted long before this type of film became routine (ala any Discovery Channel shark special). As such, not only is the reader presented with a wonderful and fast-paced story, but they are also exposed to a great deal of the (now) history of SCUBA diving and marine science. Because this was one of the first attempts to deal with sharks at close quarters, many of the techniques for filming sharks were tried for the first time during this expedition, and many of these techniques haven't been tried since (such as open-ocean swimming with feeding oceanic white-tips). There are also some charming anachornisms, such as Peter Matthiessen describing Peter Gimble giving him the "ok" symbol; a symbol now known to every diver, but then apparently new. There's a lot to find in this book. Don't be put off by its short length.

A story like no other
In a time when the thought of swimming with sharks was to have a death wish, five diver/photograghers and one expedition historian set to the high seas in search of the ellusive Great White shark. This book follows the expedition from the cold waters of South Africa, throughout the Indian Ocean, and ultimately to Dangerous Reef, South Australia in search of thier quarry. Matthiessen Beautifully portays the ocean environment as one of danger and excitement. Having candid encounters with Oceanic Whitetips, hand feeding a barracuda, playing with sea lions, and finally discovering the Great White Death. This book is an excellent companion to the film "Blue Water, White Death". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great guide for fish-eaters, fishermen, and scuba divers,
Colour photos of the most common fishes that swim off the Atlantic coast of North, Central, and South America. The information provided includes the fishes' living range, edibility, and if they harbour any toxins. The book can fit into a pocket, and is printed on glossy paper. An interesting read for anyone with an interest in fish.

Know your fish
I found this book to be a delightful help while snorkeling on caribbean vacations. Especially when you're trying to identify the cute and wily little fish which lures you over to where the barracuda boyz are hanging out, then deserts you. Now I know what fish does this to me, thanks to this book. You don't need to be hooked on fish scales to appreciate this publication.

A "fishy" pocket guide for nature lovers.
Great, easy packing travel guide for the nature lover, fisher-person, or snorkeler/diver. Color- illustrated, with concise descriptions, range, and "edibility" of hundreds of Atlantic fishes. This is an economical reference, worth adding to the tourist's carry-on. ... Read more

Book Description

Now available from Waveland Press, this comprehensive, geographically balanced manual offers readers complete hands-on coverage of morphology, identification, and classification, physiological adaptations, and natural history. The book's taxonomic and geographic coverage is impressively broad as well, applying to a variety of fishes and areas: jawless, cartilaginous, and bony, fresh- and saltwater, temperate and tropical, and inshore and offshore. Helpful discussions and explanations introduce the guidebook's collection of well-designed exercises, making the connections between principles and specific inquiries easier to formulate. This approach works to help readers transform memorized facts into concepts that stimulate further explorations. ... Read more

Book Description

Florida contains more exotic amphibians and reptiles than any other U.S. state.Illustrated species accounts detail the history and nature of each, the mode of dispersal, natural history, and present-day habitat and geographic distribution in the state. The impact of these animals is measured by their presence in natural systems of Florida and predator-prey interactions with native and other exotic species. The authors update the list of the documented exotic species in Florida and provide a progress report on new and published natural history information for each established species.An afterword examines the role people have played in the success of these species. ... Read more

Book Description

Here are the authentic voices, vivid recollections and songs of 55 blues musicians. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A celebration of life and nature
John Hersey's book is a treasure. It is conceived as a series of conversations between an accomplished fisherman and a stranger, who, in the beginning at least, is predisposed to dislike fishing as a brutal pastime. But Hersey, page by page, chapter by chapter, lures the stranger (and the reader) into the deep mysteries of the sea and the complex world of ocean life that so many of us take for granted. The detail about the habits of fish, particularly the bluefish, is fascinating, but this is also a celebration of life and the way that man and sea are inter-dependent. Without being sentimental, Hersey teaches us what it is to love oceans, fresh air, and even the brutal cycles of life. If that is not enough, the book is sprinkled with anecdotes, poetry and recipes. A book that cannot but help you appreciate our oceans and John Hersey's skills as a writer.

There's something fishy about this book
This book was given to me late last summer after I had pulled a blue out of the waters of Chatham, Ma.. I am a year rounder on Cape Cod, but I hadn't caught a fish since I was a boy. I was positively giddy for days. The blues are a mean spirited fish. They'll bite a hook with no bait on it when they're feeding. Anyhow, I caught me a fighter (my tale is growing as I type!).

A week or two later, my birthday rolled around and I was given a copy of this book to whet my newfound appetite for angling. I read the book over the course of the winter, a chapter here, a chapter there.

Hersey's portrayal of a summer's worth of fishing trips with The Fisherman and The Stranger is charming, informative & humorous. I learned more than I think I'll ever get to employ about snatching a blue. The notion of the sea's natural progression through the seasons is held dear to The Fisherman.

The narrative format seemed a bit of a stretch at times. The Fisherman's long, fact-filled, oceanic diatribes were hardly conversational. I found myself shrugging this off easily though and accepting the info for what it was.

I guess it would be nice to have the time to fish everyday. Alas, I live a minute from the beach and can rarely find the time to enjoy it. The book inspired me to get back out there this summer and catch me another blue. This time it's going to be a maneater!

If you enjoy the sea, and the life within, you'll learn a little something by reading this book. Happy fishing...

Nicely Done, John Hersey
When I picked up this book, I was a guest at a beach house in Edisto Island, SC. I have a habit of reading the criticism quips before reading, and I found one that fit it perfectly. It was something to the effect of "A book you expect to find in a beach house on a rainy August afternoon, binding mildewed by the ocean air, pages bent from frequent readings, and bits of sand between the pages." That described it exactly, only except it wasn't August. As I said, I picked up the book one day and couldn't put it down. At first, the psuedo-dialogue bothered me, but it really grew on me. The whole premise of the book allows for a real education on fishing, naturalism, and the ways of the world. I have not bought the book, but that is soon to change.

Conversational Fishing Novel
Although technically a novel, as it portrays a conversation that did not really happen, John Hersey's Blues feels more like non-fiction because it is one of the most educational books I have read in recent years. I came away from it with a new appreciation for the fisherman--and the fish.

Composed almost entirely of a conversation between two characters referred to only as Fisherman and Stranger, Blues is a portrait of a fisherman passing his knowledge and love of the catching and eating of the bluefish. Hersey's prose is easily conversational and full of information. Scattered throughout are poems from the likes of John Donne and Robert Penn Warren further illustrating the current topic.

Reading its bound-and-printed form, Blues is a bit stilted. I greatly preferred the Recorded Books reading by Norman Dietz, whose craggy voice perfectly suits the seasoned angler, and, when raising it an octave, portrays the excitement of the stranger during his learning experience.

I found myself wanting to go fishing--and wanting to have fish for dinner--while reading about the different methods of how to cook fish in order to get out the ideal flavor--using varying degrees of simple items like butter and mayonnaise. I never thought I would like a book about fish--and I put off reading this for months--but John Hersey's Blues has once again proven that surprises lurk around every corner, if you're willing to keep an open mind and try new things. I may even seek out Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler--the fishing classic--after reading this.

Great Concept. Poor Execution
As a fisherman and someone who lives near the setting of this book, I loved the subject and the concept (I particularly liked the recipes at the end of each chapter). But I found it very difficult to read because the voice of the Fisherman was too pedantic and preachy. The Fisherman came off as a bag of wind rather than someone to be admired. Eventhough I didn't expect the dialogue between the Fisherman and the Stranger to be a natural everyday conversation, it exceeded even my expectations in how awkward it all sounded. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Aquatic Chemistry text for introductory course
I used this text for a one-quarter introductory Aquatic Chemistry course. The tableau method to solve equilibrium problems was positively received only by about half the students. Other texts used for this course are Pankow and Stumm and Morgan. (None of them were free of difficulties. Stumm and Morgan still serves as the best reference; but readability is a problem for an introductory course.) Morel does a good job in the treatment of metal ion kinetics.

The worst book ever
There aren't many good things to say about this book (except that I got rid of it). You have to read it with the authors around you to get a clue what they're talking about. ... Read more