Book Description

Book Description

Identifying Marine Phytoplankton is an accurate and authoritative guide to the identification of marine diatoms and dinoflagellates, meant to be used with tools as simple as a light microscope. The book compiles the latest taxonomic names, an extensive bibliography (referencing historical as well as up-to-date literature), synthesis and criteria in one indispensable source. Techniques for preparing samples and containing are included as well as hundreds of detailed, helpful information. Identifying Marine Phytoplankton is a combined paperback edition made available by popular demand of two influential books published earlier--Marine Phytoplankton and Identifying Marine Diatoms and Dinoflagellates.

Key Features
* Contains hundreds of illustrations showing critical characteristics necessary for proper identification, plus keys and other guides
* Provides up-to-date taxonomic revisions
* Includes species from around the world
* Updates synthesis of modern and historical literature presented by active researchers in the field
* Compiles literature from around the world into one handy source ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The awesome beauty of small things.
Expanded revision of the 1984 Guide. I live in New Jersey & this wonderful book is one of the best teachers for my home waters.

"Life in Chesapeake Bay" is organized to take the reader from an overview of bay ecology, across the sand beaches, around the piers & pilings, into the intertidal zone, through shallow waters, marshes & then out toward deeper waters. Illustrations are clear line drawings. The scholarship never leaves the reader gasping for air. There's a highly informative glossary & species list.

"Life in Chesapeake Bay" makes a strong pro-environmental statement by showing us the diversity, poetry & interconnectedness of life (including humans) at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the fragility of this great inter-weaving of water, tide, sand & mud. It teaches us the awesome beauty of small things that exist right in front of out eyes.

Bob Rixon ... Read more

Amazon.com

Frantic and entertaining in a guilty sort of way, Nights of Ice is like Endurance on steroids. The book presents eight true stories of disaster and survival involving commercial fisherman off the coast of Alaska (said to be one of America's most dangerous occupations). Included are tales of subzero temperatures, 100 mph winds, 60-foot-high waves, boats encased in ice and capsized, men trapped underwater, and other horrors. Author Spike Walker, who interviewed many of the survivors in compiling this book, is no stranger to such tales of the high seas; he worked as a commercial fisherman off the Alaska coast and wrote about it in Working on the Edge.

Nights of Ice begins promisingly enough but unfortunately gives way to a sensationalism that cheapens the whole affair: "At that moment, Bruce Hinman's past life flashed before his very eyes. Launched instantaneously through time, he watched the events of his life play out before him...they flashed and froze there in his consciousness, in a kind of nostalgic collage of all that had once mattered in his life." As a result, there are a lot of unintentionally funny moments. Despite its problems, though, Nights of Ice is fun to read, and lovers of true-adventure stories or those interested in the dangers of the Alaskan fishing industry should enjoy it. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (9)

entertaining subject--marginal writing
I read this on a trip to Alaska, so I got into it's "spirit" on location. The stories are quite entertaining, but when writers make junior-varsity comments and mistakes, it makes me wonder about the veracity of the actual stories:
1) Does everyone see their entire lives flash before their eyes when they are near death?
2) Some guy's one-year old child asks him if he is Santa Claus upon his return from an ordeal at sea. Clearly Spike has never spent time with a one-year old; not only can very few of them speak more than a word or two, but this one is so eloquent and knowledgeable that he thinks the old man is Kris himself!
3) The helicopter pilot makes it to a "small village airport" just before running out of fuel (which means it must have been between 5-10 minutes from the rescue locale since they only had 30 minutes of fuel left before the rescue attempt(hmmmm), but somehow a C-130 can get in and out of there to send them home while the chopper gets an inspection (hmmm hmmmm).
I'll leave it at that...

Nights of Ice ... Spike Walker is great read
Having lived my entire life in and around Seattle, In March 2001, I ventured North to Alaska to visit my daughter and her family. While there I picked up "Nights of Ice".

Spike Walker's subject matter is, first of all, relevant to anyone who has lived near the sea. The Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, as one non-fisherman said, "I can't drink it all and I'm damned sure I can't swim that far."

Life at sea in a boat, rolling and plowing through the next wave, gets into some folks blood. I'm sure it's that way with fishermen and women but the money don't hurt either. In any case its a perilous life.

Nights of Ice takes us along for a ride with people, real people, who have experienced the worst the sea has to offer. Walker's intimate knowledge of workin' the boats has us searching for lights in a "can't see your hand in front of your face" stateroom, attempting, frantically, to pull on the survival suit. We are terrified of the boat goin' down with us still on board. We gasp for air and our heart seems to stop when we hit the 37 degree water. We, along with actual survivors, use every ounce of strength and resource our bodies are able to muster in order to survive.

Nights of Ice and its individual, sometimes heroic, stories are an adventure in itself.

This book will make you shiver!
I enjoyed this book alot. All the stories deal with survival at sea in the waters off Alaska. The stories are kind of repetitive but if you like the first one you'll like the rest. The thought of finding one's self in the frigid Alaskan waters will make you pull an extra blanket on while you read. My only real complaint is that I would have liked more details on the fishermen involved (background, etc) so it wouldn't just have been names floating out there in the ocean. Overall, highly recommended adventure reading.

An excellent read if you like action.
Great book! Not quite up to the first book, "Working on the Edge", but great. The author spares the reader all the scientific, high-tech bs of the "Perfect Storm", and gets down and dirty.

Hard to put down!
I have heard that King Crab fishing was dangerous. Spike Walker lets you know exactly what it is really like. I have a whole new respect for those who bring in our King Crab! This book brought many a tear. ... Read more

Book Description

The essential book for beach-combers and divers, this guide explores more than 705 seashells, living mollusks, abalone, periwinkles, conchs, limpets, oysters, clams, mussels, and cockles found on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of North America and the West Indies. The photographs are arranged by shape and color, making identification quick and easy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ultimate shell reference.
The Audubon Guide to Seashells is one of the best known and most reliable field references. Whether beachcombing, snorkeling over a reef, or searching a tidepool, this guide will come in handy for all those locations. Many seashells are listed in this guide, coming out at more than 600 in all. The shells are a feast for the eyes, coming in all shapes, colors, and patterns. The best and most admirable family covered are the Limpets. From dull green to stunning black and white striped, this is the most detailed and beautiful family listed in the book. Cone snails are also covered very well. The main question here is: Why does the book have negative ratings? Flipping to the back for details may be tiresome for lazy readers. There is nothing unprofessional about the book in any way. It VERY professional and a good recommendation.

Very non-professional
First, book has very poor illogical structure and
second, how come no author names, and this book
is written by Smithsonian zoologist!
Very unprofessional.

The Ultimate Seashell Reference
This excellent guide has unique detailed information on seashells found on the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America as well as well as the West Indies. A picture paints a thousand words, not to mention a fully coloured photograph of each of the 705 different species of seashells or living mollusk. In addition to these detailed photographs, the author of the book managed to include original and useful information on every seashell, revealing how each seashell is unique. Some of these information cannot be found in any other book, making this book essential to every seashell collector. 671 seashells are covered in full detail with notes provided on 200 others. This amazing book consists of 896 pages of detailed photographs and extensive text showing the great diversity of American seashells. To be a qualified seashell collector, you have got to get this book! Don't wait any longer, purchase the book from Amazon! ... Read more

Book Description

If humankind were given a mandate to do everything in our power to undermine the earth's functioning, we could hardly do a better job than we have in the past thirty years on the world's oceans, both by what we are putting into it-millions of tons of trash and toxic materials-and by what we are taking out of it-millions of tons of wildlife. Yet only recently have we begun to understand the scale of those impacts.

Defying Ocean's End is the result of an unprecedented effort among the world's largest environmental organizations, scientists, the business community, media, and international governments to address these marine issues. In June 2003, in the culmination of a year-long effort, they met specifically to develop a comprehensive and achievable agenda to reverse the decline in health of the world's oceans.

As conservation organizations begin to expand their focus from land issues to include a major focus on preservation of the sea, it is increasingly apparent that we have to approach marine conservation differently and at much larger scale than we have to date. What's also clear is the magnitude and immediacy of the growing ocean concerns are such that no one organization can handle the job alone.

Defying Ocean's End is a bold step in bringing the resources needed to bear on this vast problem before it is too late. It offers a broad strategy, a practical plan with priorities and costs, aimed at mobilizing the forces needed to bring about a "sea change" of favorable attitudes, actions, and outcomes for the oceans-and for all of us.

Book Description

Reviews (9)

Leaves a lot to be desired.
The author is a good writer, BUT, where in this piece of nonfiction are the index, bibliography, and footnotes. There are other books on the same subject that one should spend money on, not this one.

Outlaw Sea
Disappointed. Title is great, but content is lacking. Mostly an excruciating recap of some notable maritime tragedies rather than a discussion of the issues associated with governance of the seas, UNCLOS, inability of coastal states to manage their coastlines, flags of convenience, etc.

A Free Sea, and a Dangerous One
As Melville knew, we look to the sea as a symbol for freedom, and "freedom of the seas" is proverbial. But freedom at sea can lead to such manifestations as piracy, and not just in the swashbuckling days of yore; it could also lead to corporate irresponsibility and malfeasance. William Langewiesche's _The Outlaw Sea: A World of Freedom, Chaos, and Crime_ (North Point Press) collects and expands upon his previous magazine articles on this theme. All of us are dependent upon international trade, and few of us understand how it works or in what ways it is working badly or dangerously, unless we hear about a capsizing or an oil spill. There are a lot more of those than we hear about, and a lot more crime on the sea than even governments acknowledge. Langewiesche's book is a fine way for lubbers to get to know how traditional maritime freedom is endangering them.

Before World War II, ships were customarily built in a country, were registered in that country, flew the flag of that country, and sailed for the profit of businessmen in that country. Ironically, the United States began the current anarchical system in a pretense of neutrality during the pre-Pearl Harbor war, registering in Panama ships bringing needed supplies to Britain. The practice became widespread in the succeeding decades, with many ships now sailing under "flags of convenience." They might be registered in countries that have no navy and even no coastline, and the countries involved can get relatively small fees, which are actually almost pure profit. The countries don't pursue administrative niceties like taxes, labor laws, safety inspections, and so on, and the corporations which own the ships don't mind avoiding such things, either. Among the cases described here are a too-old ship (with full inspection documents) broken in half by stormy seas. Pirates can take advantage of the lax laws by making a ship disappear; capture, repaint, rename, and reflag the vessel, and it vanishes from the seas. Seas are big, ships leave no tracks, and patrol ships and aircraft can see only a tiny percentage of any hunting ground. Policing the oceans from such attacks is not now possible.

The longest episode in the book tells of the _Estonia_, a giant luxury ferry that sank in the Baltic in 1994, with a loss of 852 of 989 passengers and crew. A victim of faulty design, poor maintenance, or even a bomb (none of the extensive investigations afterwards has satisfied everyone), the narrative here of well-chosen characters trying to escape from the swiftly-sinking ship is fast and terrifying. The book ends with a part of the maritime business that few people ever consider: what happens to the worn-out ships? Salvaging used to be a thriving business in our country and others; reclaiming the metal and reusing it was good for profits and good for the environment. However, showing the same pattern of lack of regulation and reduction of the job to the cheapest source available, shipwrecking has gone to places like India, where poorly equipped and poorly paid workers are glad of the job, even if it means almost constant danger from the unplanned movement of heavy objects or the inhalation of poisons. The shipping industry, Langewiesche writes, is "not exactly a criminal industry, but it is an amoral and stubbornly anarchic one." This is a deeply disturbing book, written with cool detachment. Technology and international organizations have not made improvements in the way the vital global trade is conducted. Profits are more important than anything, the sea promises the freest of trading, no one seems to be learning from the lessons described here, and no one should expect these dangerous situations to be changed anytime soon.

Where civilization falls apart
William Langewiesche's excellent book could be seen on one level as just a collection of harrowing, if wonderfully told, sea stories. His writing, though vivid, is understated, and can carry as much freight, so to speak, in one or two sentences as some writers pack into entire chapter. Even on this very superficial level, this title is both riveting and educational reading.

But the deeper you look into this book, the more there is to uncover. I read it during a news cycle when the threat of seaborne terrorism was once again in the headlines, and it was certainly sobering to see how easily how ships in what one reviewer called "the low end of the shipping industry" can disappear almost at will from the world's seas, reappearing in a new port under a new name, with a new flag, and even a markedly different appearance.

Langewiesche's key point is that the world's oceans are an outlaw place -- in the original, literal definition of the word as outside the protection, or even beyond the reach, of law. On the high seas, each ship is to one or another degree, its own absolute monarchy. When crimes occur, where can they be prosecuted -- by whom, and under what authority? (The author's recounting of one memorable case where modern-day pirates were tried in India vividly proves his point.)

Law and order tend to break down at sea in another way too, as the sinking of the ferry Estonia made clear. As the ferry began to go under, Langewiesche tells how civilization fell apart under the simple and inescapable need for survival. Thieves even began stealing jewelry right off the bodies of their fellow passengers -- before themselves going to their deaths, appropriately enough. Disaster at sea provides horrible proof for how thin the veneer of civilized society really is.

All this makes for disturbing, as well as fascinating, reading. The ocean is a world where few humans feel at home, and fewer would be able to survive for any length of time if their comfortable ships or planes were taken away from them. William Langewiesche's understated but revealing book illuminates this world in a way that should replace romantic visions with a very sobering understanding of reality.

This is the best book I've read in a while.
How do you pronounce this man's name? He has a wonderful way with words and I think I am going to subscribe to the Atlantic Monthly just so I can read more of his writing. This book was really scary at times and I couldn't put it down. What I like most about the author is that he doesn't try to force his opinions on the readers. Or if he does, it isn't obtrusive. His description at the end of the shipbreaking yards in India are incredible and I would love to see pictures of them. ... Read more

Book Description

Enter the delicate, complex world of underwater life through extraordinarily detailed, hand-drawn illustrations and newly updated text. The Marine Biology Coloring Book will serve as an excellent resource and guide.

• The process of coloring will focus your attention and leave a visual imprint on your memory.

• Details on the natural coloration of the plants and animals illustrated will help you create an accurate picture of the ocean world.

• The text provides a clear introduction to major marine environments as well as an examination of the lifestyles and interactions of the organisms that inhabit them.

• This expanded edition offers vital information on ocean currents and global weather, including an explanation of El Nino, the deep-sea realm, and the newest deep-sea diving research vessels.

Enjoy the process of creating your own beautiful, full-color reference while you explore a fascinating hidden world. Both the serious student of marine biology and the weekend beachcomber will gain a better understanding of ocean life by coloring The Marine Biology Coloring Book.

Reviews (4)

These aren't run of the mill coloring books
This might be the greatest way to self teach a topic ever devised! You have to follow the instructions. What the authors want you to do is read along as you color the book. Each coloring page has an associated page of text. As you read the text it makes reference to certain parts of the drawing. You can't help but learn. The topics range over all areas and habitats of marine biology and hit all the key points covered in any introductory class. They are grouped by habitat, physiology, ethology and again by taxonomic groups. As far as learning style? If you where isolated in the middle of the dessert with this book and a decent set of color pencils then you would come out with an excellent broad base introductory knowledge of marine biology. It would go well with any beginners course also. Don't let the "coloring book" title fool you, a child of five wold enjoy it but an adult would be able to reap all the rewards as well.

everyone loves coloring!
Being a high school teacher, i use this book and the biology coloring book to supplament my class text. It offers very insightful text to accompany each picture. The pictures are very detailed with complete coloring instructions. I was skeptical at first to use it, but the students really get excited about it and seem to get a great deal from finishing them.

Very helpful
I am a college student who found this to be a great secondary resource. Many of the form and function and reproductive strategy summaries contain great information that I have not found in textbooks. The coloring pages are great too, if for no other reason than they reiforce what the organisms look like.

Improves your test scores incredibly!
This is a fantastic way to learn about biology...and remember it! Anyone--adults or children--taking a class in marine biology should definitely pick it up ... Read more

Book Description

In the 1930s, while the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression sent most of America into the doldrums, a lively intellectual and artistic community formed in the West, revolving around three legendary friends: Ed Ricketts, John Steinbeck, and Joseph Campbell. Steinbeck immortalized Monterey’s bohemian spirit in Cannery Row, but the area’s true lifeblood was his best friend and mentor, Ed Ricketts.

Today he’s usually remembered as "Doc"—the beer-drinking philosopher-scientist who presides over Monterey’s population of "whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons ofbitches" in Cannery Row—but Ricketts was actually a trailblazing ecologist who did seminal work in the emerging field on the Pacific coast. His two books, Between Pacific Tides and Sea of Cortez (coauthored with Steinbeck), are still considered classics. This is a thoughtful and revealing portrait of symbiotic friendship, a suspenseful tale of adventure at sea, and the story of how an unbecoming, outcast scientist became a legend in the annals of American literature.

This book contains over 60 illustrations, including photos, maps, and line drawings. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Almost perfect story of Edward F. Ricketts
This book is a result of considerable research by the author and is very well written. I believe that it is an essential text for anyone interested in the Steinbeck Cannery Row era.

The weakness of the book lies in the author's presentation of Ricketts as the primary contributing influence over Steinbeck and even Joseph Campbell. While there is no doubt about Ricketts' contributing influence, Steinbeck and Campbell were contributing and teaching influences on Ricketts and if alive, I believe he would agree.

Like Ricketts argument regarding individual creature influence on the tide pool, the primary influence on Steinbeck and Ricketts was the "Row" as the meeting place, a considerably more complex human tide pool. Steinbeck (and Campbell) brought as much to Ricketts as he did with them. More importantly the individual elements of the row such as Carol Steinbeck, the bums, market owner Wing Chong, and the whores consciously and unconsciously influenced the row and as a result, each other. This Ricketts-like, more holistic perspective seems to have escaped the author. The book is fascinating reading in any case.

This Doc Rocks
Tamm does an excellent job of separating the fictionalized Doc of "Cannery Row" fame from the flesh and blood self-made scientist/adventurer that was Ed Ricketts. "Beyond the Outer Shores" combines rip-snorting travelogue, narrative biography and gossip into the lives of Ricketts, John Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell. Easily the best Ricketts book out there. Highly recommended for all aficionados of real-life adventure tales, and indespensible for Steinbeck and Campbell fans.

"What's Up, Doc?"
Ed Ricketts "Doc" ever heard of him? Me neither, but after roaring through first time author, Eric Enno Tamm's portrait of the fraternal relationship between America's beloved John Steinbeck and this shadowy almost mythological figure I can't help but feel the loss of his violent and tragic passing more than half a century ago. It's often said that "no man is an island" and nowhere is this more true than in the case of writers. Ed Ricketts was to John Steinbeck (and Joseph Campbell) what Neal Cassidy was to Jack Kerouac. If America's legendary literary tradition is to endure we need not only more great writers and their muses but books like Tamm's "BEYOND THE OUTER SHORES" to memorialize their friendships. ... Read more

Book Description

Updated enlarged 2nd Edition of Reef Fish Identification Galapagos is a comprehensive field guide to the fish life in the rich waters that bath the Galapagos Archipelago. This book is the third in the series of Reef Fish Identification books by the authors. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The source
Paul Humann is IT when it comes to identification guides. This Galapagos ID book is no exception. It is as complete as they come, the photos are fantastic and the details are right on. Particularly useful are the notes on the abundance of each fish and the location, since so many fish have similar appearances and because the locations can help delineate one fish from another.

I tried a few others. Don't bother, go with this one.

The new 2003 Edition
I have been waiting for the new edition for about 6 months. Meanwhile I have purchased other Fish Identification books on the Galapagos, and it's true that the format of the Humann/DeLoach books is much more organized - putting all of the information in one place.
I had read in another review here that the new Reef Fish Identification Galapagos book that would come out in late 2003 would also contain Cocos and Malpelo islands. However, after a first scan through this edition, it appears to only cover Galapagos. I was a little disappointed in this - but still give it 5 stars because after all, it is exactly the high quality one would expect from this series. Having Cocos and Malpelo would have been a bonus.

Top notch and usable Galápagos fish ID field guide
Paul Humann's now out-of-print book is part of an easy-to-use, photo-illustrated series of fish and invertebrate identification books. Information is given to differentiate species, habitat and location, as well as sizes- and often, photos of different color / life phases are shown. Great for snorkellers and divers. Its replacement is not due until late 2003, and then it will cover Cocos and Malpelo Islands as well as the Galápagos Islands. When it arrives, I will undoubtedly give it my highest recommendation, with all the others in the series- well done, Paul and Ned!

For those who want a more in-depth tome, I recommend Jack Grove's "The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands" (Hard, 936 pages, 1.94" x 10.35" x 7.27" , Stanford University Press, 1997; ISBN 0804722897, cost US$130.00) - THE definitive Galápagos fish identification book for those desirous of more comprehensive information, but by its size and price, no lighweight field guide for novices.

A "must have" for snorkelers in the Galapagos
I took Humann's book on Galapagos reef fish identification on a recent cruise of the islands after reading through it twice. We had the opportunity for lots of snorkeling, and the snorkelers on the trip borrowed my Reef Fish Identification: Galapagos constantly during the entire trip.

The organization of the book (mainly by shape), the superb photographs, the very clear diagrams indicating diagnostic characteristics, and the descriptions make this a very easy book for the layman to use. The coverage appears to be essentially complete; there were very few fish we were unable to identify. Tropical fish often show a great deal of variation, a point that Humann discusses and illustrates as needed. The book also includes information on the ranges and depths at which the fish are likely to be found, which is very helpful.

If you are a snorkeler or scuba diver and are planning a visit to the Galapagos, by all means take a copy of this book. Better yet, take two copies--one to use yourself, and one to loan out, because it will certainly be in demand.

Definitely a "must have" for those who plan to explore the waters of these fascinating islands.

Galapagos Rule!
I bought this book in the Galapagos, not knowing it existed, and it was a great investment. Humann's marine ID books are some of the best I've seen. They are easy to read, and use, there is enough biological data for the more-than-enthusiast diver or snorkeler, and I really enjoyed the species check list in the back of the book. I plann on buying his trio set before my next trip to Florida. If you get the once in a lifetime oppurtunity to visit the Galapagos, buy this book, and have a great trip in one of the worlds most amazing and spiritual places. Cheers. ... Read more

Book Description

The authors of The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth, the best-selling history of everyone's favorite place, are back with a breathtaking visual companion. From moody, craggy coastlines to serene swathes of turquoise water and white sand, Beaches is an astounding photographic survey of the ineffable allure of paradise on earth. This spectacular collection of images from renowned photographers, including Robert Misrach, Joel Meyerowitz, and Art Wolff, stirs the spirit, capturing the mutable beauty of sand, sea, and sky. Throughout, concise and poetic pieces of historic and scientific lore unveil little-known facts and curiosities. With an astonishing range of vision, Beaches evokes the idiosyncratic beauty of the world's most stunning coastlines. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Retreat in Itself
The is a stunning book. The photos come from diverse parts of the globe and diverse coastal landscapes. At first, I was skeptical of the small-ish size. But the photos are very high quality and beautiful to look at. Maybe someday I'll get around to looking at the text?

Now and then, I pull the book off the shelf and flip through the photos -- an instant retreat to the shore. Great for anyone who loves the sea but can't be there very often.

BEACHES - A POEM
BEACHES -- the book [revised] When my eyes grow too dim to read, this book will be at hand to refresh my spirit, eyes, and memories.

Reminders of the beaches I have seen, and many not-seen scenes. I see familiar translucent jewel green waves and turquoise bays, ice blue coves in Oregon, huge translucent waves curving to meet the sea, another deep blue wave with incredible froth, like crystals suspended high above its majestic curve -- golden grassy sea shores, blazing sunsets -- also purple sunsets, one at Brighton pier, and other channel scenes -- rocky Brittany shores and White Dover cliffs, and curves and caves and coruscated sands. There is a tide pool like a giant blue eye with sun-bronzed eyelids -- white iceberg-rocks floating in a mirror-sea -- one real iceberg, a huge dollop of meringue reflected in a heliotrope bay --

An endless treasure.

Beyond the Most Beautiful Beach Scenes You've Seen
Review Summary: Take the most talented photographers in the world. Review thousands of their best color beach photographs. Select a few dozen. Fill in with intriguing, inspirational essays about the origin, geology, physics, terms, and biology of beaches plus describe great beach activities like surfing. The result is a stunning work that makes you wonder how come you've never seen a beach scene as beautiful as these. It's the most fun at the beach you can have without going out into the sun!

Review: "The beach, after all, is among the most challenging and rewarding of photographic subjects . . . ." The shifts between land, water, and sky are often subtle. The light has an enormous influence on the colors and the mood of the scene. Light changes swiftly. The activity of the waves changes even faster. In many cases, a photograph is capturing a unique and fleeting moment, almost like a snowflake about to melt on your hand, that could not otherwise be as fully appreciated. While the editing could have selected scenes built around the nostalgia of your own experiences at beaches, the book instead takes you around the world and to rare moments to see beaches as you will probably never see them in a lifetime, even if you visited these same sites. I was particularly impressed by the scenes of waves (which must have been taken from surf boards) and through rocks.

The editorial selection criteria were intriguing: To show "how the beach might see itself if it were to ponder its own face without the intermediary of the human eye." That concept would not have occurred to me, and I am sure I will think about all scenes in nature differently in the future as a result. I am sure you will, too. Next, the editors looked for "the most crystalline, intelligent, and evocative portrait . . . ." They also wanted the book to show a "shining range of visual sensiblities." This sense is nicely captured by looking at scenes from dawn to dusk, and from full sun to fog. Panoramas alternate with tight shots of a single element. The book is not limited to ocean beaches. Estuaries, rivers and lakes are also pictured. When in doubt, the book's editors seem to have selected the images with the highest levels of unusual color, along with stunning compositions from unusual angles.

My favorites in the book are Art Brewer's Talava Arches on Niue Island in the Cook Islands, A. Blake Gardner's shot of Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, Michael Ventura's image of Natural Arches in Bermuda, Craig Tuttle's Tide Pool at Bandon State Park and his shot of Ecola State Park both in Oregon, Ron Romanosky's beautiful Newport Beach, California, Daryl Benson's Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Peter Lik's Australian shots of Orpheus Island in Queensland and Twelve Apostles in Victoria, and Joe Cornish's North Yorkshire Coast in England.

After you have bathed in the beauty of these rare natural wonders, I suggest you think about other rare moments that you may never experience. What are they? How can you seek them out? Can others help you? One of the great wonders of books, videos, and recordings is that they can bring us into extended communion with sights, sounds, and feelings that we have not directly experienced.

Let choosing rare, rewarding moments be a guide to your fulfillment!

Simply beautiful
Seldom I come across a photographic book so vivid and inspirational. The layout, color, and organization as well as the printing quality of the book is of first grade. A truly must for nature photography lovers.

Breathtakingly beautiful
This book is gorgeous. The photographs are astonishing, and convey the authors' love of the beach. Only a couple photos features people, and they're way in the background. This is a good thing. (The book is not coffee-table size, but that's okay with me, because I can keep it with me in my bag for a mood-lifter every day.) The beaches are far more lovely, important, and lasting than we humans! I'm betting that many readers will be inspired to plan their next vacation to get near some of these beaches after viewing this book. Perhaps some will also be inspired to behave in an environmentally responsible manner in their lives. Let's preserve our planet's natural beauty while we still can! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Biology of Marine Birds provides the only complete summary of information about marine birds ever published. It both summarizes and analyzes their breeding biology, ecology, taxonomy, evolution, fossil history, physiology, energetics, and conservation. The book covers four orders of marine birds: penguins (Sphenisciformes); albatross, shearwaters, petrels (Procellariiformes); pelicans, boobies, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, cormorants (Pelecaniformes); and gulls, terns, guillemots, auks (Charadriiformes - Families Laridae and Alcidae). Two summary chapters address the biology of shorebirds and wading birds and their lives in the marine environment.This comprehensive book contains numerous summary tables that give you exhaustive information on various aspects of their life histories, breeding biology, physiology and energetics, and demography. It also discusses research techniques and future research needed, providing a guide to ornithologists and students for research projects. Written by acknowledged experts in this field, Biology of Marine Birds is the ideal resource. The authors not only present known information, but provide new analyses and insights into marine bird biology. You will find no other book that covers all the major seabird groups and all the major topics with this depth of detail. Whether you are studying, researching, or managing marine environments, you will find yourself reaching for this resource repeatedly. ... Read more

Book Description

This book holds appeal for divers, laymen, romantic, and dolphin lovers alike, regarding man's spiritual connection to the sea. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Disappointing
I am a great admirer of Mr. Mayol. Since a child I felt always impressed about his contributions to science and conservationism. However, I just felt so disappointed when I read Homo Delphinus. Through it, he tries to cover many topics, but in such a superficial way that it made me anxious for not getting into any point at all. And his theory about the "homo delphinus" is only a collection of cliches and general thoughts.
With respect to the book itself, it lacks the quality of modern books and the photography has been poorly incorporated.
I am sure many people will love this book, but I expected far more from such a remarkable man as Jacques Mayol.

A MUST
Being a diver and a fan of the sea, having met Jacques Mayol the guru of breath-hold dives in Oct 2001 in Elba and upon learning that this famous book was now available in English, the next day I procured one from this site. Having since learnt of Jacques's passing on the 22nd of Dec 2001 I feel that anyone who dives or simply loves the sea and its creatures should get hold of this very remarkable book - before it goes out of production.
A fantastic book with lots of beautiful photographs that takes the reader through Jacques' early life, his reactions in the form of questions and answers to the movie "The Big Blue" and his techniques on apnea, his travels and inventions and his views on the purity of the ocean and man's endeavour to demolish anything remotely beautiful. A fantastic book to have and to keep for future generations of a man who seems to much prefer living with the creatures of the sea than with homo sapiens on land.

interaction between one man and the sea
Jacques Mayol launches first book in the United States

Idelson-Gnocchi Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Jacques Mayol's first book published in the United States, "Homo Delphinus - The Dolphin within Man". This large format, gorgeously photographed volume, is the culmination of a lifetime of personal oceanic experiences by Jacques Mayol, easily one of the most accomplished free divers of his or any other generation.

Jacques Mayol, holder of a dozen world breathhold diving records, was the first man to descend to 100 meters (330 feet), a feat he accomplished in 1976. He followed this with yet another record breaking drop to 105 meters (346 feet) at the age of 56. A Frenchman born in China, Jacques Mayol now splits his time between homes on the island of Elba in Italy, the island of South Caicos in the Turks & Caicos and a full life in Japan. He is a practitioner of Yoga, Zen and other Oriental life philosophies, essential disciplines he incorporates into his free diving practices.

Homo Delphinus demonstrates an exceptional personal vision of the interaction between one man and the sea. It also provides a superb explanation of how the separate disciplines of science and philosophy come together to allow these extraordinary free diving explorations of the ocean. This theme goes hand in hand with Jacques' deep abiding love for the ocean and it's inhabitants, particularly dolphins. He spends much of the book exploring both the affection and the similarities existing between man and dolphin, a heartfelt search for "the dolphin dormant in all of us".

The adventures in Jacques' life were chronicled in the landmark Luc Bresson film 'The Big Blue'. He has been the subject of numerous national and international broadcast interviews and print features. Jacques is also one of the world's leading authorities on 'apnea', a phenomenal physical discipline which reduces heart rate and respiratory functions, thus

allowing him to perform his remarkable diving feats. Free diving aficionados worldwide recognize and thank him for his insight, his developments of the sport and for his accomplishments. At 72 years of age, Jacques still revels in the ocean, swimming and diving virtually every available day.

Idelson-Gnocchi Publishing is based in Napoli, Italy where it has been publishing specialized Scientific Publications since 1908. The company now has offices in both Italy as well as in Florida.

Exciting.
"how exciting it was to read about how it felt to come up from a dive, to have his own experience written down on the page, just the way he experienced".

Underwater Magic
Having struggled to read Homo Delphinus in French it is great to have Jacques Mayol's incredible story available in English. For anyone interested in Free Diving, Mayol is already well known, and in Homo Delphinus he reveals the history of his record breaking dives to 100 metres without air, and his passionate belief in man's connectedness to the marine world. The photographs in the book are stunning. It is difficult to say that the book will appeal to everyone, simply because its scope is so broad, covering everything from mammal physiology to yoga to environmentalism, but for that very reason it is the kind of book you can dip into again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

"The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place." A book to be read for pleasure as well as a practical identification guide, The Edge of the Sea introduces a world of teeming life where the sea meets the land. A new generation of readers is discovering why Rachel Carson's books have become cornerstones of the environmental and conservation movements. New introduction by Sue Hubbell. (A Mariner Reissue) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Simply Beautiful
Having never heard of Rachel Carson except in relation to "Silent Spring", I was pleasantly surprised on first reading her writing in this book by the masterly and near-poetic elegance of her prose. Written in the 1950s, before nature documentaries allowed most of us to see the wonders of marine life with our own eyes, Carson's ability to introduce those wonders to us through evocatively-written description alone (with occasional illustrations) remains truly amazing. The problem is that a generation raised on visual stimuli would probably find it quite difficult to sustain enough patience to go through the whole book, since it does make substantial demands on one's sense of imagination. I found myself struggling by the time I had finished two chapters - even though each chapter is generally about a different kind of seashore (rock, sand, or coral reef), trying to visualise one fascinating organism after another just got rather tedious and confusing. My recommendation to other readers would be to maximise your enjoyment of this book by reading it at the seaside, or in conjunction with a relevant documentary on the Discovery Channel.

A Book to Read at the Beach
This is just the thing for the beach. Carson presents a fascinating introduction to the life which exists between high and low tide zone between Maine and Florida. The writing is clear and literate making the book accessible to non-technical types, such as myself.

Informative as a textbook, entertainment like a novel
I just finished this and I can't wait to read the rest of the author's work. Carson has a gift for describing the world around her and a command of the language that few seem to appreciate today. This is basically a natural history book written as if it where a novel. In "Edge of the Sea" she describes seashores, the environment and how it defines the animals and plants that a visitor will see. She concentrates on America's East Coast. The text left me with a longing to be there. Where modern writers would use pictures, Carson uses words. This book would be good (4 stars) for anyone who enjoys written imagery. If you already love the sea then it deserves 5.

A Book written By Rachel Carson
I thought this book was very mature and detailed. She is an excellent writer and I am doing a report on her! She was a wonderful person. And I enjoyed this very much. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

loved it..
This book made me wish to venture into the field of cetology. No other text to date comes close to revealing the lives of the four most studied species of cetacean( the bottlenose dolphin,killer whale,humpback,and sperm). It speaks of just about all the behaioral aspects of these wonderful creatures and more. Altough, i suggust you don't start with this book to learn about cetaceans. This book is only for those who have a high interst in these animals. Besides that, i absolutely enjoyed this book edited by the greatest minds of cetology of our time.

A very imformational book on cetaceans
This book goes into orcas, bottlenose dolphins, sperm whales, and humpbacks. It goes into every detail about their lives. Any piece of information you could possibly want to know about these animals is in this book. But it is heavy reading. Definately not an easy read, but very informative. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A PERFECT 5 - WISH I COULD GIVE IT MORE
WHATEVER I SAY CAN IN NO WAY PREPARE YOU FOR THE WEALTH OF MAGNIFICENT, BEAUTIFUL,AND INFORMATIVE INFORMATION (TEXT, PHOTOGRAPHS, ILLUSTRATIONS) CONTAINED IN THIS INCREDIBLE SERIES OF BOOKS. GET THEM ALL. YOU WON'T BE SORRY. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE NEW TO THE SUBJECT OR AN EXPERIENED PRO.

Absolutely beautiful book with stunning photography
This book is incredible.. there is so much information to learn from it, and it's worth every word. Accompanied by fantastic photography, it's something for absolutely everyone

I'd give it 4 stars right away!
I loved this book! It told me many new things about the underwater life (which I know tons about). It also challenged me to do a lot more thinking while I read. And wow! its by the SCUBA man himself, Jacques Cousteau!

the book was great!!!!!
i think the book was great. it helped me alot with my report and taught me alot about the life of Cousteau

Wonderful, fascinating look at the ocean realm
First, a disclaimer of sorts: I love the ocean. I love the smell of it, the sound of it, the romance of it, and the amazing inhabitants that reside in it. I am an aquarium nut and love skin diving.

Now, to the book: Ocean World is an appropriate name for this book. This planet should have been called Sea instead of Earth, since the majority of the planet is ocean. Jacques Cousteau describes this world in an engrossing, almost poetic fashion. The color photographs are wonderful. You will learn much about the endlessly fascinating realm of the sea. ... Read more