Reviews (2)

Beautiful artwork, moving text
This beautiful publication is emotionally inspiring. My family liked it enough to buy extra copies for distant friends who love the sea.

The Song of the Sea.
The Song of the Sea was a wonderfully uplifting book. If you love the ocean and feel a strong pull to the crashing surf, you'll love to sit a read over these thought provoking quotes and beautiful illustrations. I first saw this book at a Bed and Breakfast on a coastal island and had to come home and order it for myself. I know the pages will help me get through till I can go back to the sea myself. ... Read more

Book Description

Part odyssey, part pilgrimage, this epic personal narrative follows the author's exploration of coasts, islands, reefs, and the sea's abyssal depths. Scientist and fisherman Carl Safina takes readers on a global journey of discovery, probing for truth about the world's changing seas, deftly weaving adventure, science, and political analysis.
... Read more

Reviews (28)

Highly informative work dealing with the worlds fisheries
I found this book to provide the most accurate portrayal of the interactions of the different facits of society and how that affects our marine fish populations. In particular, I found Mr.Safinas description of the commercial fishing persona to be in my my experience, profoundly accurate. In particular, Dr. Safina was able to grasp the essence of how the profit motive subverts good men and women and causes them to destroy the very animals their lives depend on. I have been involved with the fisheries of the North Pacific for fourty years, both in recreational and commercial aspects. This is the first literary work that I have come across that so accurately describes the present condition of our salmon populations in real terms, and how that affects the people who depend upon these fish for work and play.

Although I do not have any intimate knowledge of the other areas of the world Dr. Safina deals with in his book, I found it to be very intersting. I found the information that he stated about the salmon situation to be implicitely true. Therefore, I feel safe to say that the information in this book can be relied upon without fail.

An inspirational and engrossing book
An engrossing and inspirational book cateloguing the devastation we are causing to the Oceans and the environment around us. Carl Safina has written a book that anyone who cares for the Ocean and the life within it must read. The balance of his views is remarkable, showing the struggle between the demands of the people who's lives depend on the fishing industry and the devastation we have wrought in the oceans by overfishing and the damage to the environment. The book is also a travelogue as well and describes the different environments and the people who live in them with a travellers eye as well as telling the story of the fishing industry there. It opens up an acedemic and complex subject and makes it accessible to those of us who love the oceans and the environment. One of the best books I have ever read.

Beauty beyond compare
This is one of the most beautiful, powerful books I have ever read. Safina's journey encompasses the entire world and all points of view. His words have inspired me to pursue my dreams and opened up new worlds of knowledge. Now, every time I hear of politicians doing something stupid to the oceans or rivers, I just shake my head and say "'Song' should be required reading for them before they can draft a piece of legislation dealing with the oceans."

McPhee on Red Bull
This book would be twice as good if it were half as long. Evidently the only editors were fawning friends of the author, who must have felt that every observation, no matter how offhand or trivial, needed to be included in the bloated text. This is too bad, because he is a decent writer, knows and cares about fish and fisheries, and the story is compelling. Imagine John McPhee full of Red Bull and vodka and you get the idea.
Also, a book that uses the silly word "waitron" without irony, and "heregia" twice in a hundred pages can be a little precious.

Entertaining Science
Is it a novel, a journey through the seas, or a scientific work describing the demise of fishes around the world while offering policy suggestions? It doesn't matter what kind of book it is- it may be all in one. What matters is that Carl Safina has written a book, Song for the Blue Ocean, which tells the story of living oceans; a book that catches your attention through adventure and interesting characters, witty writing, strong emotion, and terse opinions strewn amongst simple science.

In the preface, Safina mentions that he will be our guide and interpreter, but ultimately we have to make our own decisions regarding what the oceans and their inhabitants really mean to us. Nonetheless, I feel quite comfortable following Safina's lead. After receiving his doctorate in ecology and starting a career as an academic, Safina decided that he needed to take a stronger stand on conservation and scientific policy regarding the world's imperiled fish. He founded and now directs the National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program, and wrote Song for the Blue Ocean merely 10 years after graduate school. Safina has a unique and open perspective on the state of the world's fishes, once as a commercial and sport fisherman, and now as a world-renowned scientist. Personally, I feel quite comfortable allowing Safina's guide and interpretations to influence my own opinions.

Song for the Blue Ocean is split into three distinct sections: the Northeast, the Northwest, and the Far Pacific. In addition, each section focuses on an imperiled species, namely the Giant Bluefin Tuna, pacific Salmon, and coral reefs; nonetheless, Safina is able to depict the bigger picture of the world's fisheries and common problems with these three examples. Not only does the reader get an inside look at fishing culture and the conservationist culture, but we also learn about the bigger picture of fisheries, i.e. externalities of fishing like by-catch, various fishing styles (from spear fishing to cyanide poisoning), the state of these fisheries, and the huge political aspects of fishing. Safina artfully intertwines information about national and international agencies involved in the conservation of fisheries, like CITES and the Endangered Species Act, without it sounding like a lecture. We learn about various species of sponges and coral reef fish, or the difference between steelhead trout and Chinook salmon, during the while we are enchanted by Safina's adventures floating down an icy Northwest river or almost dying of nitrogen narcosis while SCUBA diving 160 feet deep in the Palau islands.

The book flows very smoothly. Safina builds up the story, grasps ahold of your attention, and then leads you through the steps until he has made his point clear. For instance, Safina talks of the beautiful large and diverse trees in the Pacific Northwest, then introduces the concept of a snag- a tree that has died, but continues to stand upright for many years. Once it finally falls, hundreds of species move in, under, through, and around the fallen log. Finally, we understand that clear cutting and second growth forests near rivers do not provide adequate habitat for spawning salmon, which rely on the deep pool behind the fallen snag to deposit their eggs. All the while, this simple chain of events is presented in a very romantic and mysterious way, and it all seems so important. Safina also captures my attention with the conversations between the amazing characters in his book. They are funny, disturbing, happy, sad- they are martyrs, antagonists and clueless. They provide much of the information in the book, but they also provide relief from the continuous science and bleak outlook on the state of the fisheries.

Truthfully, there is not much about Song for the Blue Ocean that I did not enjoy, but Safina does tend to dwell on the past, with a few too many "back in the good old days" stories. This type of talk can be fun and contagious, nonetheless too much of this babble is unhelpful in the context of conservation. Similarly, Safina slips from time to time with sarcastic remarks. Some may find this witty, but I find it ineffective. Enjoyment of this book also depends on what your expectations are, some may find it too political, or others may not find it scientific enough. Safina approaches his journey with an open mind- and this is also the best way to approach his book.

Safina's unique perspective lends itself to an original story. He is a weary scientist in the middle of a debate over the state of the world's fisheries, who wants to discover the truth for himself. His journey takes him to all corners of the ocean, where he meets and listens to real people whose livelihood depends on the fish. His book therefore portrays all angles of the story, which allows the reader to form her own opinion (as Safina wanted). Safina does distinguish between fact and opinion on a regular basis; nonetheless he is not afraid to express his opinion, sometimes very strongly.

This book is for anyone- scientists and non-scientists. Young and old alike. People who want to learn more about the worlds imperiled fisheries will get their fill. Others who are mildly interested in fish, or fishing, or the world's oceans will be entertained. Even people who just pick up the book without any preface will find the writing, unique characters, and Safina's journeys across the Atlantic and Pacific extremely refreshing. This book really is all-in-one. Safina has mastered the art of hybridization, with perfect proportions of science, policy, and adventure. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is intended to pique your interest in exploring our nation's great beaches and to serve as a guide for beach lovers. Because people visit beaches for different reasons, I have included categories such as best swimming, walking, scenic, wilderness, city, sports, novelty, and surfing beaches. Not everyone has a ticket to Hawaii; therefore, the listings are regionalized so that you can find your place in the sun closer to home or while touring. I hope that this book will serve to enhance your pleasure in pursuit of the three S's - sun, surf, and sand. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Terrible Dribble!
This is a terrible list of recommendation's "Best Beaches in the US". 1. Kaunaoa, Hawaii 2. St Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida 3. Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii 4. Hanalei Beach, Hawaii 5. Kaanapali, Hawaii 6. Caladesi Island State Park, Florida 7. Fort Desoto Park, Florida 8. Hamoa, Hawaii 9. Cape Florida SRA, Florida 10. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina 11. St George Island State Park, Florida 12. East Hampton Beach, New York 13. Westhampton Beach, New York

14. Perdido Key SRA, Florida 15. Siesta Beach, Florida 16. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina 17. Hanauma Bay, Hawaii 18. Coast Guard Beach, Massachusetts 19. Carpinteria City Beach, California 20. Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Hanalei Beach, If that beach rates in the top 50 (And it doesn't) I would be surprised. Long Beach Island, New Jersey in the Top 20 Ha, There goes your credibility. I have been to many of your so called best beaches and they are NOT! This is a disservice to those who would plan a vacation based on this lousy group of "BEST BEACHES". I would be greatly disappointed if I thought I was standing on the top #1-20 beach's in the US. I would then plan my escapes outside the US., In search of the perfect Temp.,Water,Sand and Waves "BEACH". From the looks of this list anybody can write a book, I guess you can tell I think the list stinks!

Take my word and find your own Beach Paradise, these guys don't know what the HECK they are talking about! Hawaii at least has the top 10-15 beaches in the US.,If I wrote a book I would put more thought into what I would recomend!

Mr. Slabbaert

No Great Lakes Beaches? Missing Out on Gorgeous Scenes!
I won't recommend this book now because I, too, live among the Great Lakes and just visited two or three beautiful beaches yesterday on Lake Michigan. Guess we'll have to write our own book on these gorgeous works of nature! JP

Beach Book overlooks Great Lakes beaches!
I am an expert on the Great Lakes, and was senior staff for 6 years for Great Lakes United, an international coalition that protects the Great Lakes. I think Dr. Leatherman's book is excellent except one great omission. HE TOTALLY LEAVES OUT THE GREAT LAKES! For those who dont live near them, yes, they have great beaches. The Great Lakes have 3800 miles of shoreline, longer than the entire U.S. Atlantic shoreline. 8-mile long Presque Isle Beach in Pennsylvania is used by millions of people a year. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, near Chicago, is nationally famous. Nottasawaga Beach in Ontario, Toronto's prime summer vacation district, is the longest freshwater beach in the world! NY, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ontario and Minnesota all have long, clean sandy beaches. And they have something ocean beaches DONT have: they are on freshwater (not salty). The Great Lakes are called the Sweetwater Seas, and they are the largest collection of lakes in the world (and contain 25% of the world's freshwater). If Mr. Leatherman wants to be fair and complete, he will expand his book to include Great Lakes beaches in the future edition. ... Read more

Book Description

This book will be an edited volume in which specialists will be invited to write chapters on the major river basins and regions of North America.The introduction will cover general aspects of geology, hydrology, ecology and human impacts on rivers.The book will consist of 21 chapters on the major basins.The chapters will include 3-5 featured rivers of the basin/region as well as 3-7 other rivers to be described in contrast, ina one-page format.Rivers slected for coverage will include the largest, the most natural and the most affected by human impact.

The book will also include a seperate section of color photographs of key river basins and important features of those basins.

A major theme of the book will be the ability to compare one system to another in terms of its physiography, hydrology, ecology, biodiversity and human impacts

* Extensive treatment provides a single source of information for North Americas major rivers
* Regional specialists provide the most authoritative information available
* Full color photographs and topographical maps demonstrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system
* One-page summaries make finding key statistics easy and enables comparisons among rivers ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

A Glimpse at Nature's Wonders
From time to time, Safina does tend to anthropomorphize, but it does make the book more accessible. And at other times he steps back just a little too far from the role he has written for himself. But there is nothing else to criticize in this excellent book.

Five hours northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands by propjet there are series of islands and atolls that are the breeding grounds of tens of thousands of sea birds. Of the many species of birds that breed there, the largest, the one that must be wrapped in the most superlatives, is the Laysan Albatross. And one Laysan Albatross, that Safina names Amelia, is the principle subject and unifying thread of this book.

From Coelridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to the horrifying pollution of our ocean, Amelia is the eye through which we view her astonishing world. Amelia is tagged with a small satellite transmitter, and Safina includes maps showing the travels Amelia makes to feed herself and her chick. The distances beggar the imagination. Through her eyes and her journeys, Safina touches on the host of issues and breathtaking wonders of the the fauna of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

It's a tour de force, and I recommend it to you.

it soars
from the May 16, 2002 edition - [...]

By Colin Woodard

Humans and albatrosses have a lot in common. We both live for many decades, possibly a century. Our reproductive patterns are similar. Albatrosses take as long as 13 years to mature, engage in courtships that can last two years or more, and raise a single chick every other year (or three to four years for some species.) Albatrosses, like ourselves, are found from the Antarctic to the Far North and most places in between.

Of course, we spend our time on earth very differently. Albatrosses spend 95 percent of it at sea, usually in flight. They come ashore only to breed and nest, and even then they are constantly flying off on 2,000- to 3,000-mile foraging runs to collect each feeding for their chick. They can fly for many days without stopping, sleeping on the wing, wandering from tropical to subpolar seas in the course of a single foraging run.

Carl Safina wondered what we might learn about the world if we could see it from their perspective. Now, after shadowing these great birds by foot, ship, and satellite, he has painted a beautiful, awe-inspiring tableau of our world as you've never seen it: an interconnected universe of wind and waves, sun-blasted islands, teeming polar seas, broad-winged birds, and the far-reaching effects of civilization.

"Almost everything about the albatross is superlative and extreme," Safina writes. They're huge, with an 11-foot wingspan. Masters of long-distance flight, they use less energy soaring over a stormy sea than they do while sitting quietly on their nests. They endure equatorial heat and ferocious Arctic storms, sometimes on the same feeding trip. And they travel far: By 50 years of age, a typical albatross has logged nearly 4 million miles.

Tracking them, Safina journeys to beaches covered with egg-laying sea turtles, crystalline Pacific waters filled with prowling tiger sharks, and island tern colonies so vast they're likened to "a white-noise cyclone of sound."

But today, albatrosses' lives are tangled up with those of humans. Though their world is far removed from civilization, they're inundated with pesticides, antibiotics, and hormone mimics. They swallow bottle caps and cigarette lighters, become entangled in drift nets, or drown after seizing one of the millions of baited hooks dragged behind fishing vessels every year.

"Eye of the Albatross" relates some unforgettable scenes. At one point, Safina watches an albatross chick feeding from the mouth of its mother, just back from a 2,000-mile foraging trip. The chick gulps down globs of regurgitated squid and fish eggs, but then the mother has difficulty retching up the next serving. "Slowly, the tip - just the tip - of a green plastic toothbrush emerges from the bird's throat," a sight Safina describes as "one of the most piercing things I've ever experienced." The mother, unable to pass this bit of trash, wanders away from her squawking chick.

The lesson, Safina writes, is that there are no longer any places on earth unaffected by man. "No matter what coordinates you choose, from waters polar to solar coral reefs, to the remotest turquoise atoll - no place, no creature remains apart from you and me."

Fortunately, in some places people are starting to correct the situation. Safina visits Midway Atoll, where the military accidentally introduced rats, which bred voraciously and extinguished entire nesting colonies. But since control of Midway passed to the National Wildlife Service, the rats have been eradicated, and the birds are recovering. In Alaska, Safina goes to sea with Mark Lundsten, a commercial fisherman leading the effort to save albatrosses from hooks. Lundsten has found a simple and cost-effective way to reduce albatross mortality by 90 percent with a combination of weights and streamers.

Safina, who earned a PhD studying seabirds, established himself as a leading voice in marine conservation with his first book, "Song for the Blue Ocean," which drew attention to the environmental catastrophe unfolding beneath the waves. "Eye of the Albatross" is an eloquent sequel, a moving depiction of how interconnected life on this planet truly is.

• Colin Woodard is author of 'Ocean's End: Travels Through Endangered Seas' (Basic).

from the May 16, 2002 edition - [...]

Good Air Days
BOOK REVIEW
Good air days
Carl Safina's portrait of a seabird named Amelia
By Bill McKibben, 9/15/2002
Eye of the Albatross: Visions of Hope and Survival
By Carl Safina
Henry Holt, 377 pp., illustrated.
Until very recently, Samuel Taylor Coleridge could have passed as a scientific authority on the albatross. We knew that they flew a long way, but beyond that the bird was basically an enigma.
No more. Working with field biologists who have begun strapping tiny global positioning units to the birds, Carl Safina has produced a truly magnificent biography of a single bird, Amelia, a Laysan albatross who nests on a small islet northwest of Hawaii. As it turns out, though, to call that islet her ''home'' would be a great exaggeration. As soon as her solitary chick is hatched, Amelia roams far and wide, 25,000 miles through a quadrant of the North Pacific that stretches from the tropics to the Aleutians, as she searches for food to carry home and regurgitate for her growing youngster.
And that is only the beginning. Albatrosses turn out to be remarkable in an almost uncountable number of ways. They are long-lived (the oldest banded birds are at least 60 years old - but it's hard to keep track because they tend to outlive researchers). They can commute in a matter of days between sunbaked equatorial waters and snow-filled Arctic skies without it causing them a problem. And, with wings that lock in place like a switchblade, they are most relaxed in the air. How relaxed? Safina says juveniles appear to ''fly continuously for five years'' before they land to make their first nesting attempts.
As with any great biography, Safina provides plenty of detail about the other creatures that populate Amelia's life. We learn of the monk seals that share her nesting island, of the tiger sharks that prowl its lagoons, of the squid that provide her diet, and of the small band of people that study her species, the academics and volunteers who spend five months at a stretch on these most remote specks of rock anywhere on earth. These are people so devoted that they arrive at the islands wearing clothes freshly pulled from the freezer lest they inadvertently bring ashore some alien grass or ant. It is, in a word, inspiring, a Jacques Cousteau special brought even more vividly to the printed page.
It is also, at times, very depressing. It almost goes without saying that something this beautiful and ancient is embattled. For a long time humans killed albatrosses and other seabirds on purpose, wiping out many species in the search for food. Now, we kill them mostly by accident, but in great numbers: They are pulled beneath the sea to drown when they go after bait attached to the hooks of long-lining fishermen; their nests are washed away when rising seas, pushed by global warming, sweep across their islets; and perhaps most insidiously, they are increasingly hard pressed to find food, perhaps because humans are mining so much of the oceans' protein. Our species already uses 40 percent of the earth's ''primary productivity,'' the plants and animals produced by the solar energy hitting our globe - this book brings home in stark fashion just what that number means.
Safina is no doomsayer, however. As the director of the Audubon Society's Living Oceans program, he has done as much as anyone save Cousteau to change our relationship with the aquatic world. Here he memorably describes a fishing trip in Alaskan waters with a skipper who has developed both strategies and attitudes necessary to prevent hooking the great birds - he and his crew share Safina's wonder in the face of the birds, and make it clear that much, though perhaps not enough, has changed with our species in the last century.
This book should accelerate that change, at least regarding albatrosses, for Safina's picture of the birds is one of the most delightful natural history studies in decades (and one of the most beautifully produced, with the maps and photos necessary for a complete understanding of the text). In the end, what sticks with you is less the birds' athletic feats, but their ... depth. Safina writes that these long-lived animals mate year after year with the same partner. In the first few years, their courtship is exuberant, filled with long and wild dancing sessions meant to demonstrate commitment and fitness. As the years go on, however, and the pair become used to each other, the language of courtship is stripped down to a lovely, regular preening. He describes one pair sitting on the beach ''for many long minutes, nibbling tenderly around each other's faces, taking turns preening each other with extraordinary gentleness, each bird soaking it up as though this is the greatest luxury. ... You sense that is immensely pleasurable for them - something anyone who has ever been tenderly touched would recognize.'' Much the same could be said of this tender, touching volume.
Bill McKibben is a visiting scholar at Middlebury College and the author of ''The End of Nature.''
This story ran on page E8 of the Boston Globe on 9/15/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

Flying Around the World
I found Carl Safina's latest work superb. The passages where the reader explores the sea with the eyes and nose of the albatross are the high points for this reader.You're there, out at sea, hunting with that bird. Only a creative book written by a scientist who writes like a dream could take a person into the body and experience of such a magnificent creature.

More than just winging it
As a vice-president of Audubon, the founder of their Living Oceans program, a contributor on fishery management policy-making, the author of SONG FOR THE BLUE OCEAN, and an early life as a fisherman, Carl Safina is certainly not simply "winging it" when it comes to discussing oceans and their environmental health.

This book is beautifully written and is a passionate call for us to care for our oceans. It offers all the following: natural history, study of a bird species, travelogue, environmental science, oceanography, cultural and economic commentary, and finally, a geography and history lesson. Starting where he always does, Safina begins with a focus on his main interest - the huge ecosystem that is the worlds oceans. We take the perspective of the masters of the oceanic skies - the albatross - and Safina is creative in using a tagged and satellite-tracked individual bird "Amelia" to give us a unique look through the EYE OF THE ALBATROSS.

Safina is somewhat of a romantic visionary and has a gift for the poetic phrase. The images however are not all about beautiful seascapes, tropical islands and exotic ports-of-call. Hardly. His description of a feeding scene between a mother albatross and her chick at a nesting colony is literally gut-wrenching. After being fed by its parent on regurgigated squid "the chick begs for more. The adult arches her neck and retches again. Nothing comes". Although Safina has a penchant for criticizing human economics and uses this case to do so, we can't help but see his point as he continues. "Slowly comes the surreal sight of a green plastic toothbrush emerging from the bird's gullet. With her neck arched, the mother cannot fully pass the straight brush. She tries several times to disgorge it, but can't." The economic message from the perspective of the albatross seems to be that "consumer culture permeates every watery point on the compass."

There is no doubt that the intention of this book is to evoke emotions that will bring about action to ameliorate environmental conditions. To that extent Safina is a scrupulous scientist and he makes us sit up and take note when he says that in addition to the 80 million tons of sea creatures that fishing annually harvests from the worlds oceans, there is a further 20 million tons of "unwanted" fish, seabirds, and marine mammals that gets "thrown overboard, dead." Safina was instrumental in banning drift-nets and is now working to make fishing grounds "sea-bird-safe". He and others are proposing changes in long-line fishing. In Alaska alone 14,000 sea birds are lost annually when they drown after swallowing baited hooks and get entangled in the nets. A change such as dyeing the bait so that birds can't see it would seem to be a fairly straightforward solution. The labyrinth official, diplomatic, and political obstacle course that must be navigated however means that nothing is simple.

Safina is a steady advocate for change and remains optimistic. He keeps us soaring with our bird guide. Why not, as "almost everything about the albatross is superlative and extreme." We learn that they can live for more than fifty years and over a lifetime can log about four million miles flying. They routinely go on 2,000 mile foraging trips. Wandering is not only the name of the largest of the species (diomedea exulans) it is also the most appropriate adjective to describe these wondrous birds. They can be found from the Antarctic to the far north and frequently fly through both tropical and frigid north Atlantic stormy skies in a single voyage.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable journey and an environmentally educational experience with a unique birds-eye view written by an artistic wordsmith. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover and explore worlds containing unexpected life.

As some scientists search for life on the frozen planet of Mars, others are discovering life in unexpected places here on Earth.

Frozen Oceans follows the expeditions of polar scientists in the Arctic and Antarctic as they investigate the life found in and around the ice caps, which cover up to 13 percent of the Earth's surface.

Every year during the harsh polar winter, the surface of the ocean freezes, forming a temporary ice layer called pack ice, or sea ice. The Antarctic is the site of the greatest seasonal event on Earth. In March, the air temperatures drop to as low as -40degF, the ocean, which turns to ice at 28.7degF, starts freezing at the incredible average rate of 2.22 square miles per minute!

This is the first book to explain in non-technical terms and show with color photography the abundance of life on, in and under the ice.

Topics include: - The nature of pack ice - Pack ice regions of the world - Life within a block of ice - Microbiology inside the ice - Mammals, birds and ice.

Scientists are continually being surprised by the abundance of life where no life was expected. For many years, ice was seen as an obstacle to exploration and a threat to life. The ice is now perceived as central to global ocean circulation as well as global climate patterns. Frozen Oceans is a must for anyone with an interest in the polar regions, marine biology and the Earth's environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Mississippi's barrier islands claim some of the most remote and unspoiled sites along the Gulf of Mexico. The distance of East and West Ship Island, Horn Island, Cat Island, Deer Island, and Petit Bois Island from the mainland has sheltered them from extensive development. The inclusion of all but Deer Island in the roster of protected places in Gulf Islands National Seashore Act has assured that they will remain close to their natural state long into the future.

For those who love the seashore, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is an ideal place for adventure. The wilderness islands, the back bays and coastal rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico itself offer pleasure for boaters and nature lovers. This book will guide them to special places in these relatively shallow waters.

Filled with detailed descriptions of many alluring settings, along with directions for navigation to secluded coves and coastal bayous, this book gives tips and pointers for a wide range of boaters, whether their preferred craft is a canoe, a sea kayak, or a luxury yacht.

What are the best and safest routes? What are the weather patterns?How does one select the perfect craft?

Here from an expert who has explored the coastal waters during a period of fifteen years are the answers, rich in anecdotes, along with information on charter boats, excursion boats, and other options for exploring and fishing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Exploring Coastal Mississippi
This is a thoroughly researched and very comprehensive guide to Mississippi's extensive coastal waterways, including detailed descriptions of Horn, Cat and the other offshore islands, with authoritative recommendations for boating, camping, and exploring. The author enriches the book with stories and anecdotes from his many waterways adventures and interesting people he has met. There are also significant details about the area's history, many photographs and an annotated map of the coastal region. Williams' book will be a timeless classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The world's oceans are vast, too vast for their components to be distilled comfortably into the pages of a single book. That said, Richard Ellis, a noted student of all matters pelagic, does an extraordinary job of gathering key points of the oceans' natural and human history in this fact-filled, desk-sized encyclopedia. Starting with abalone ("a large marine gastropod of the genus Haliotis, with a dishlike shell punctuated by a series of holes on the outer edge") and ending with zooxanthellae (a kind of pigmented protozoan that conducts photosynthesis), Ellis offers sparkling discussions on topics ranging from the red-footed booby (whose name, we learn, derives from the Spanish bobo and refers unflatteringly to the bird's apparent stupidity in not fleeing humans) to Captain William Kidd ("one of history's most notorious pirates," whose reputed buried treasures are still the objects of treasure hunters' dreams) and from the Hanseatic League (a seagoing, commercial federation of north German towns that once ruled the Baltic) to scrimshaw ("the carving done by American whalemen on whale bones and teeth or, less frequently, on the tusks of walruses").

Whether beachgoer or deep-sea explorer, if you have any interest at all in the ocean, you'll find this, like Ellis's many other books on sea life and lore, to be a useful and entertaining companion. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Well worth the price...
His previous work shows that Richard Ellis is certainly a man of artistic talent with a broad interest in all things aquatic. With Encyclopedia of the Sea he has tried to bring together as much information as he can about the ocean. Everyone should know that this can't be done in one book, especially of this size. I don't think that this was a serious attempt to produce the master treatise on the ocean. If that is what your looking for look elsewhere (it doesn't exist but good luck).

However, this book is good! Hard to put down even. I have curled up with it a few times randomly going from page to page appreciating the entries chosen and, as always, Ellis' illustrations. You can go from a description of a pirate vessel to a definition of a group of fishes. This book might have the most eclectic batch of information ever gathered in one binding. It should truly be a joy to any person who has a bit of the romantic in their own quest for information. Get it because you want it, not because you need an encyclopedia on the ocean.

A 'must' purchase for any strong science library collection
Ellis is a leading world expert on aquatic life and ocean lore, and his Encyclopedia Of The Sea is an impressive compendium of facts and information gathers years of investigation from various sources to provide the first comprehensive illustrated reference on almost everything known about the sea. The A-Z reference will prove an invaluable guide and a 'must' purchase for any strong science library collection.

great coffee table book
This is a wonderful coffee table book. The pictures are just fabulous- like nothing I had ever seen before. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to look at unique and interesting books. ... Read more

Book Description

"Too many divers and snorkelers pass their time in a daze, swimmingblindly from one big object to the next. They miss out on the myriad beautifuland fascinating small creatures that are there on show for anyone who takes thetime to look."

The marine life of Indonesia is second to none in terms of both the number ofspecies and diversity of forms. There are more species of fish, coral, and moreof almost all marine life groups present in Indonesian waters than in any othercountry. Here is a colorful and scintillating introduction to an astoundingarray of marine life that will arouse the interest of marine enthusiasts,divers, and snorkelers alike.

The guide includes more than 250 magnificent color photographs that explore thewonderous underwater world of the Indonesian archipelago; essential informationon the marine life of the Archipelago, from corals to marine reptiles, seasnails to lobsters, bottomhuggers to pufferfishes, starfish to sea slugs; acomprehensive marine life section that will help readers identify eachparticular species and its habitat. ... Read more

Book Description

THE OCEANS MAKE UP more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface.But they are as mysterious for what they conceal as they are familiar for their ubiquity.Deep below the gentle swell of the waves lies an alien world that even today we have only begun to explore.The quest to know more about this secret domain began in earnest in 1872 when HMS Challenger set sail from Portsmouth, England, to map and sample the ocean floor.

Sailing three and half years and 69,000 nautical miles, the story of the Challenger is the stuff of legend. Scientists and crew alike braved the stifling heat of the tropics for months on end only to suffer the stupefying cold of the Antarctic, enduring danger on the high seas, and risking their very lives in the pursuit of knowledge.As the first sea voyage devoted exclusively to science, the Challenger expedition is perhaps the greatest oceanographic mission of all time, surpassing even Charles Darwin's celebrated passage aboard the Beagle.Indeed, among the more important objectives set before the crew of Challenger was the mandate to gather the evidence necessary to prove or refute Darwin's daring new theory of evolution. Put simply, many saw the Challenger expedition as the ultimate battle between God and science.

The undertaking was nothing short of a roaring success. Challenger dredged up hundreds of samples from the seafloor and mapped enormous areas of undersea terrain.Most startling of all, though, was the revelation that the ocean was much more than a barren graveyard that mutely reflected Earth's past--it was not a silent landscape after all.Instead, they found a gloriously complex ecosystem teeming with life, an ecological and geological treasure trove we could scarcely imagine from our landlocked perspective.

Relying on official documentation and the logs and journals of the ship's scientific staff, her officers, and crew, The Silent Landscape recounts the story of an extraordinary voyage.But neither science nor the seas remain static through the years -- and this book is more than a vivid historical yarn.In the 125 years since the Challenger explored the great oceans of the world, we have learned much more about the hidden mysteries of the deep.So the author, an earth scientist and marine geologist, also brings a 21st century perspective to bear on Challenger's research and discoveries, illuminating the science of that 19th century voyage with the most current oceanographic information available to us.As Challenger sails from the endangered coral reefs of the Caribbean to the trackless depths beneath the western Pacific, The Silent Landscape takes us on an epic journey across time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Traversing three and a half years and 69,000 nautical miles
The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage Of HMS Challenger by Oxford University based earth scientist and science writer Richard Corfield is the true and inherently fascinating story of one boat's 1872 journey and mission to map and sample the ocean floor. This was the first nautical voyage dedicated exclusively to oceanic science. Traversing three and a half years and 69,000 nautical miles, the members of the expedition suffered from suffocating tropical heat to extreme arctic cold. The HMS Challenger and its crew endured hardships and made history in its seminal and ground breaking contributions to human knowledge. A most amazing and engaging true story, The Silent Landscape is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended contribution to academic 19th Century Science History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Start of Oceanographic Endeavor
Probably the most famous scientific sea voyage was that of Charles Darwin in the _Beagle_ from 1831 to 1836. Darwin's findings, after many years of cogitation and hesitation, were the foundation of his _Origin of Species_, but the _Beagle_'s voyage was not one primarily dedicated to science. It was by a naval ship bound for exploration but also for territorial annexation. From 1872 to 1876, however, HMS _Challenger_ circumnavigated the globe for no purpose other than getting scientific information, especially about the sea. In _The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage of HMS Challenger_, Richard Corfield has told the story of this remarkable voyage, but has also taken extraordinary leaps into the science the voyage sparked well into our current century. It is an inspiring story of the importance of pure science.

_Challenger_ was originally a warship, but for its new endeavor, most of its guns were removed to make way for laboratories. The corvette was changed to the first scientific exploration vessel the world had seen. It was a ship on the cusp, with both sails and steam. There was a naval staff to run the ship and the sounding and dredging apparatus, and also the "scientifics," the boffins who were to make the scientific investigation and documentation. There are many first findings reported here, like the "manganese nodules" (which are composed of more than manganese), balls of metallic rock which litter the sea floor like potatoes. The way such stones are formed is still a matter of dispute, but they are of serious interest now to oceanic mining conglomerates. Professor Corfield has told the story of the voyage in sequence, but, as with his section on plate tectonics, he frequently jumps ahead for a century to tell what has been found since the _Challenger_. Just when the reader might be close to an overdose of scientific detail, Corfield lightens the story with quotations from the journals of the members of the crew to reflect on the danger or the tedium of the work.

The official report of the voyage of the _Challenger_ occupied 50 volumes, the last published in 1895. Corfield explains that the voyage laid the foundations for current theories of climate change, global warming, continental drift, and much more. "Its importance can hardly be exaggerated," he says, and part of the appeal of this volume is that _Challenger_'s legacy of discoveries in the twentieth century are so well laid out. But Corfield stresses also that _Challenger_ was a milestone in the history of humanity, a first voyage for knowledge for its own sake. One of the most appealing characteristics of our species, the quest for satisfaction of curiosity, was manifest on this first voyage. It was the start of a grand tradition of oceanic and aerospace exploration. ... Read more

Book Description

Zane Grey, America's master storyteller of the old West, was a passionate angler. He fished as many as 300 days of the year! This collection, first published in 1925, describes his fishing adventures in exotic locales throughout the Pacific region. Illustrated with more than 100 photographs from the author's private collection. These stories capture the drama and excitement that Grey experienced in being the first person to fish many waters-from the Galapagos Islands to Cabo San Lucas-and in being the first to catch and document many new species of fish. No lover of Zane Grey storytelling will want to miss these real life adventures. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Virgin Fishing
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to go back in time and be one of the first to truly fish virgin waters? Wonder, no more! Zane Grey's voyage into the Pacific is truly adventurous. Zane takes us to primitive islands that were not exactly on the map, and finds a tropical world of wonder. At times he and his cronies cannot land a fish, because the sharks are so thick, other times they grow weary of from too many fish. This book is a great treasure. It is like a fine Ky. bourbon, not to be consumed all at once, but sipped and enjoyed. ... Read more

Book Description

Just as humans scale the highest mountains, they also explore the deepest depths of the world's oceans. In this lavish atlas, a variety of maps depict the fascinating geographical landmarks of the ocean floor: volcanoes that rise suddenly from the deep ocean; seamounts and ridges that contain rich mineral deposits; shipwrecks (the Titanic is only one example among many); and marine life in the hidden depths of the ocean that until now has been invisible to humans.

Deep-sea exploration is one of the great achievements of the twentieth century. Expeditions to the bottom of the sea, for example Picard's groundbreaking explorations in a submersible, made sensational news. Still, these excursions to the deepest places on earth were isolated events. It wasn't until after the Second World War that a comprehensive picture of the ocean floor began to emerge. World Atlas of the Oceans brings these images together in a new and truly unique look at the oceans. The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (or GEBCO), contained in this atlas, has never been published. And, relief maps and satellite images of the oceans provide detailed pictures of the hidden recesses of the world's oceans.

World Atlas of the Oceans is the only cartographic work of its kind to document the ocean floor with its mountains, volcanoes, fracture zones, and outline of tectonic plates in such amazing detail. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Atlas Schmatlas
First let me say that this book has a large number of very pretty 'maps.' If all you're looking for is pretty pictures, this book is for you.

That said, I was very disappointed to find no ancillary information with these maps - projection info, scale, date, data source, and vertical exaggeration. All the elements that make a map truly meaninful. Without this information, all these beautiful maps are mearly pictures.

I also think it's telling that one of the captions refers to a picture of a squid as a 'giant octopus.' Anyone who has spent more than ten minutes studying the ocean knows the difference between these two animals. This could just be poor editing.

Overall, this book was a disappointment.

For Random Browsing Only
I have been reading about underwater exploration. A "World Atlas of the Oceans" sounded like the perfect study companion.
I was hoping for a really good, well indexed, collection of maps that covered the entire ocean floor. I was not able to determine how much of the ocean is covered by the included maps.)
The lack of an index to the maps makes it difficult to look up and, go to a map of any particular place. The table of contents lists each map by the title of the short essay that accompanies each map. So, if you have not read and recalled the essay you can't know what map you will find. In fact the entire book is a long series of articles and essays about the oceans. Lots of pretty pictures, and titillating, short introductions to interesting subjects. It IS a beautiful book, and a great intro to our underwater world, that is why I gave this book more than one star.
A map of the 200 beautiful maps would have made this book actually useful. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent ocean guide!
Pacific Intertidal Life is a very comprehensive guide to tidepool creatures found on Pacific beaches. The guide covers: chitons, mollusks, sea stars, urchins, and many more abundant residents of the intertidal zone. The illustrations are accurate and provide superior identification as opposed to photographs. The book will cover the void for landlocked ocean lovers, including desert residents like me. This may also help amateurs progress to the full fledged Peterson, Audubon, and Simon and Schuster guides. Though it is small, the guide contains many various species of the intertidal area, including tidepool fish. It is easy to carry along with you on a long vacation for quick reference. The book is geared toward everyone. Whether purchased by an amateur or a marine biologist with more expertise, the guide will serve each person well in the field.

great entry level guide
Inexpensive guide with black and white drawings and descriptions of 50+ organisms common to the Pacific coast. Kids found it east to use. ... Read more

Book Description

When populations of striped bass began plummeting in the early 1980s, author and fisherman Dick Russell was there to lead an Atlantic coast conservation campaign that resulted in one of the most remarkable wildlife comebacks in the history of fisheries. As any avid fisherman will tell you, the striped bass has long been a favorite at the American dinner table; in fact, we've been feasting on the fish from the time of the Pilgrims. By 1980 that feasting had turned to overfishing by commercial fishing interests. Striper Wars is Dick Russell's inspiring account of the people and events responsible for the successful preservation of one of America's favorite fish and of what has happened since.

Striper Wars is a tale replete with heroes--and some villains--as the struggle to save the striper migrated down the coast from Massachusetts to Maryland. Russell introduces us to a postman at arms against a burly trap-net fisherman, a renowned state governor caving to special interests, and a fishing-tackle maker fighting alongside marine biologists. And he describes how champions of this singular fish blocked power plants and New York's Westway Project that would otherwise compromise its habitat. Unfortunately, those who cheered the triumphant ending to the campaign, as the coastal states enacted measures that enabled the striped bass to make its comeback, have found the peace transitory--there is now a new enemy emerging on the front.

In recent years a chronic bacterial disease has struck more than seventy percent of the striped bass population in the primary spawning waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Malnutrition seems to be a significant factor, brought on by the same overfishing that plagued the bass in the first battle--only this time, the overfishing is devastating menhaden, the silvery little fish upon which the bass feed. Lessons learned during the first conservation battle are being applied here, highlighting a need for a whole new ecosystem-based approach to conserving species.

Book Description

When, as a young man in the 1880s, Benjamin Lundy signed up for unimaginably hard duty aboard a square-rigged commercial sailing vessel -- one destined for a treacherous, white-knuckle passage round that notorious "graveyard of ships," Cape Horn -- he had no idea that his experience would also provide a window into an epochal transition that would fundamentally change a man's relation to the sea.

The Way of a Ship is a mesmerizing account of Benjamin's life on board the square-rigger Beara Head. It evokes both the romance and brutality of that bygone era and illuminates the history of square-rigger seamen and the last days of the "beautiful, widow-making, deep-sea" sailing ships. Derek Lundy's masterful account of his forebear's journey reminds readers what Melville and Conrad expressed so well: that the sea voyage is an overarching metaphor for life itself.

Read by Richard Easton.

Reviews (4)

the way of a ship
i didnt even get through the prologue when i found a poorly researched item,very jarring.then later on i find another .it kind of makes you wonder how well mr lundy does his research.

Fictional narrative with a focus on seamanship
The Way Of A Ship: A Square-rigger Voyage In The Last Days Of Sail recreates a sea voyage on one of the last merchant sailing ships near the close of the 19th century, and provides a satisfying blend of historical reconstruction, fictional narrative, and focus on seamanship. It's hard to easily categorize this account: The Way Of A Ship reads like fiction but couples such with rich historical detail, resulting in a multi-faceted guide.

Fantastic writing
Lundy wrote a book I've been looking long to find.He writes of the day to day life of sailors from the 19th century that is very knowledgable and page turning.I finally got to see what it would have been like.He created characters that I felt interested in and wanted to learn more about.If you've ever wondered what it was like on a sailing ship- Lundy will anwser all your questions, and entertain.Again, a fantastic book!

A compelling blend of maritime history and nautical fiction
Derek Lundy's "The Way of a Ship: A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days of Sail" is in large part a history of blue-water merchant shipping in the late Nineteenth Century with a particular focus on those ships rounding Cape Horn, along with literary meditations by the author upon the works of Melville and Dana and Conrad.But interleaved with the history is Lundy's account of an imagined 1885 voyage around the Horn by his great-great-uncle Benjamin aboard the fictional 4-masted barque Beara Head.It is a harrowing, but by no means atypical voyage aboard a giant iron-hulled square-rigger of the era, its crew kept small by the owners' economies necessary to compete with steamships.This novel-within-a-history is a useful device for conveying the harsh realities of life aboard such a vessel, and Lundy is well up to the challenge of portraying ships and the sea in convincing, highly vivid detail.This will come as no surprise to readers of his earlier book, "Godforsaken Sea: Racing the World's Most Dangerous Waters", about the 1996 Vendee Globe race.

The spark that drove Lundy to write this book is a simple (and perhaps unanswerable) question: how were his great-great-uncle and men like him able to challenge Cape Horn?Even with the strong iron hulls and wire rigging of the 1880's, Cape Horn killed men and ships with a regularity that would dismay the modern world.And if wind and wave were not enemies enough, then inadequate food, terrible living conditions, and hard-driving captains and mates would supply sufficient misery to seemingly make any rational man balk from voluntarily undertaking such a voyage.Of course, not all the seaman aboard were willing volunteers, dockside "crimps" if necessary supplied the required number of drugged and drunken men to fill the meager crew rosters permitted by penny-pinching owners.No records other than family stories and a few old letters survive to chronicle Benjamin Lundy's actual experiences or even to name the ships he sailed on, so his great-great-nephew to better understand the man and others of his ilk decided to reconstruct what his first ocean-crossing voyage might have been like, aboard a square-rigger carrying coal from England to Valpariso, Chile.Coal might seem at first thought an innocuous enough cargo, but in fact it was not.Coal, especially damp coal, often ignited by spontaneous combustion during these lengthy voyages and sometimes even exploded.Very probably quite a few of those big sailing merchantmen that mysteriously vanished at sea were victims of such slow, secret heating, deep in their black holds.Although the young Ulsterman Lundy is a veteran of the coastal trade, the challenges of working such a deep-sea merchantmen were beyond both his experience and his imagination.Derek Lundy crafted his story after intensive research that stretched to include sailing some of the same waters himself, although the author confesses a disappointed relief in not encountering a real gale off Cape Horn.

Between the fiction chapters, Lundy delves into the history of rounding Cape Horn going back to the days of Raleigh and Anson, and of the struggle against a foe even more deadly than the Cape itself: scurvy.He also explores that strange age of transition in the late Nineteenth Century when long distance bulk cargo sailing ships were still battling against the steamers that had already come to dominate shorter routes and the passenger business.Iron (and, later, steel) hulls made possible sailing vessels of a size previously unachievable, so large that even the traditional three masts of ships had to multiply in order to carry sufficient canvas.Merely increasing the size of individual masts and sails proved impractical.As masts grew taller and yards wider, the proportionately larger sails became too hard for the crews to handle.Topsails and topgallantsails were split horizontally into separate upper and lower halves with their own yards, creating the wide but shallow sails so characteristic of photographs of the big merchantmen of this time.

This combination of maritime history and nautical fiction makes for compelling, insightful reading.Lundy well conveys the misery, the fear, the fatigue, the excitement, and even the occasional exhilaration of an experience that would otherwise lie beyond the boundaries of our own lives. ... Read more

Book Description

Americans continue to coexist with nature only warily, in spite of our vaunted environmental stewardship. Nowhere is this complex relationship more visible than in the Mississippi River delta in South Louisiana, the country's largest unpreserved wetland. Here, more than three million acres of marshes and swamps nurture more seafood and produce more oil and gas than any other region of the country except Alaska. Yet this expanse of raw natural beauty, almost unknown outside the region, is in danger of collapse. New Orleans is in particular danger as sea levels rise and the city sinks, leaving tens of thousands of inhabitants to face the consequences if a horrific storm should strike.

Holding Back the Sea intimately and eloquently exposes the vulnerability of this stark land that spreads along the Gulf Coast, as it literally vanishes -- at rate of twenty-five square miles per year, an area the size of Manhattan -- so starved for lack of nutrients, so eroded away by ever more severe storms, and so dredged for canals that it is on the verge of being swallowed by the rising Gulf of Mexico. Holding Back the Sea bears witness to an environmental crisis of staggering proportions that not only threatens this coast but has plunged the people who depend on it into a moral quagmire.

Christopher Hallowell uses this crisis as a window through which to clearly and comprehensively examine a cultural characteristic, or flaw, that Americans have historically exhibited: the reluctance to recognize the finiteness of nature -- as much a part of this country's history as is its people's independence -- while at the same time proclaiming their devotion to it. In Louisiana, this emotional split of using while abusing threatens the entire region's economic foundations and has profound implications for the rest of the country. Louisiana is not alone; its predicament stands beside an array of environmental case studies: clear-cutting in Virginia and Tennessee, exhausting water resources in the Southwest, polluting Chesapeake Bay, filling in wetlands around San Francisco Bay and Long Island Sound, and fouling the Great Lakes.

Through the varied use of narrative voice and rich description, Hallowell, a journalist, writer, and educator, brings into focus South Louisiana's dilemma through the people involved -- from engineers to politicians to scientists to fishermen -- to show both the marsh's and the people's fragility and vitality. There is no more important topic than the way we use nature and our natural resources and our willingness to defer to nature. Holding Back the Sea is at the heart of that conversation.

Reviews (9)

Wake Up !
In the 3+ years since this book's publication, one can only shudder at how much more harm has been done to the bayou region. If legislators and think-tanks continue to fail to address the subsidence problem, at the very least they should be concerned with the potential energy crisis. It may now be too late to defend the Louisiana Offshore Oil Platform (LOOP) and the Port Fourchon facility from even a non-direct hit of a reasonably strong tropical storm/hurricane. Nearly the entire Eastern portion of the U.S. is in danger of having their oil and natural gas supply disrupted. HAVE A NICE SUMMER !

Holding Back The Sea
This book is not simply another environmental thesis. It is a word-portrait of the land sinking and the sea rising and the people who live in between. And unlike many national preserves the Louisiana Coast is rich with industry and the people who live and work in this fragile ecosysytem of the land between the Mississippi River and Texas are acutely aware that it is a very delicate balance between man's use and abuse of this precious national treasure.
The people who have given America Cajun food, Cajun music, Mardi Gras and New Orleans Jazz are responsible fot the catching and distribution of 25% of the seafood consumed in the 48 states. The vanishing wetlands are criss-crossed with 20,000 miles of oil and natural gas pipelines through which flow 20% of our nation's oil, 25% of our nation's natural gas. Additionally,30% of our nation's imported oil is transferred from tankers to pipelines in South Louisiana and then on to consumers in dozens of states. 80% of this nation's offshore production flows from the Gulf of Mexico through a maze of pipelines.
During the last quarter of a century, ending in 2001, Louisiana had lost 30% of its coastline. With 2002 Hurricane Lili and Tropical Storm Isadore have greatly escalated the crisis. According to state officials insured property loss due from these two storms exceeded one billion dollars. Accessing the land loss is a huge task and researchers are working hard to put a number on the acres lost.
Hallowell has spent much of the last two decades trekking around the swamps amd marshes and getting to know the people and their love of this land. He spent countless hours in government meetings and even accompanied people from Louisiana to Washington D.C. where they lobbied for the funds to rescue the Louisiana Coast. Hallowell has a good sense of history and the way people and their cultures have altered their land,.
What sets Hallowell a part from many people who call themselves "environmentalists" is his recognition of the need for man and nature to coexist.
He writes:"Many people have yet to equate a healthy anvironment with a healthy business, a lesson Louisiana's are beginning to understand. In fact, it is the primary lesson that the country can learn from Louisiana. Ultimately, there is little room for separation between business and environment, between environment and people who operate best hand in hand."

Refreshing, but some hyperbole
I am not really much of a conservationist, but I enjoyed this book. Mr. Hallowell presents a convincing argument as to why the nation, as well as Louisiana, should be concerned about restoring, or at least halting the destruction of, Louisiana's coastal marshes and barrier islands.

His treatment of the subject is objective with regard to all parties involved, though he does tend to resort to seemingly unnecessary hyperbole at times. For example, a whole chapter is devoted to what would happen if "the Big One" (hurrican