Reviews (22)

Great read
This is an action-packed page turner ala Blackhawk Down.The first 20 pages pique your interest, the next 100 or so are a tad slow but develop the characters, while the last third is hard to put down.The story is this: some unlucky Alaskan commercial fishermen finally have fish jumping in their boat only to go in the drink during a huge storm.The first two Coast Guard helo's can't effect the rescue but the last finally does, too late for two of the crew.The point of view is from both the men in the water trying to stay alive and the Coasties who are trying to save them.

One of the best books I've read
I read this book and could not put it down. Todd Lewan took this story of a rag tag group of fisherman and the dedicated Coast Guard search and rescue crews to a heart pounding conclusion. I spent 30 years flying in Coast Guard aircraft as ahelicopter hoist operator and rescue swimmer. I retired in 1996, but Todd Lewan's writing brought me out of retirement and back in the action.Reading the book actually gave me goose bumps.I knew most of the Coastiesthat he wrote about and he made each and every one of them come to life on the pages with stories that gave insight into their personal lives as well as professional lives.
Redemption, Bravery, and Tragedy in the Worst Possible Conditions
Hurricane force storms occur in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter time. Nothing can sound more ferocious, more frightening, and more foreboding than being in the midst of a hurricane, out in the middle of ocean, in the dead of night, in the freezing waters of Alaska. Yet this is where several fishermen were when they're agingship sunk from underneath of them, and they had to fight it out to stay alive until rescue could arrive. If you ever want to find undying appreciation and awe for Coast Guard rescue helicopter crews, this is the book.
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Subjects:  1. Alaska    2. Alaska, Gulf of    3. Gulf of Alaska (Alaska)    4. La Conte (Fishing vessel)    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Rescue work    9. Ships & Shipbuilding - Shipwrecks    10. Shipwrecks    11. Transportation    12. United States    13. Nature / Oceans & Seas   

Reviews (4)

Admirble
An entertaining and educational effort combining modern day treasure hunting with events from the piratical days of the late 1600's.Clifford and his crew search out and locate the nearly forgotten shipwreck of the 1678 French fleet to conquer the Dutch at a little unknown island by the name of Las Aves, off the coast of Venezuela.
Buccaneers and Underwater Archeology
Barry Clifford has put together an entertaining book that tells two stories linked across 300 years by a maritime disaster that drastically altered the fate of the Caribbean. He interleaves the stories in a successful effort to provide tension and suspense, keeping the reader interested throughout the book. Another engrossing read by expeditioneer Barry Clifford
Another book by the "archeological privateer" Barry Clifford, the oceanic excavator who found the wreck of Black Sam Bellamy's ship the Whydah in the sands off Cape Cod. His writing has improved since he wrote "Expedition Whydah," though he's still not a master with words. No matter, his subjects are always facinating enough I don't mind that the prose can be a bit clunky. Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History - General History    3. Latin America - South America    4. Oceans & Seas    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Shipwrecks    6. Shipwrecks    7. Travel    8. Travel / General   

Reviews (7)

A trip for you mind and soul
Reading Eye of the Albatross is a trip into the air --space filled with poetic descriptions of sunsets, storms, stars.The heroine is Amelia, a Laysan Albatross who has been fitted with a radio transmitter which allows scientists, Carl Safina among them, to monitor where she travels.Her base is Tern Island, part of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.Her flights are mapped for the reader and take her as far as the Bering Sea and the Kamchatka Penninsula.Along the way, various characters are described that make you want to know them.At the end I was pleased with new awareness and sad that this wondrous tale was over.Be prepared to laugh, cry and smile--for a long time.

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

Subjects:  1. Birds & Birdwatching - General    2. Ecology    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Individual Species Of Birds    5. Marine Life    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Oceans & Seas    9. Nature / Marine Life   

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Marine biology    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Ocean    6. Oceanography    7. Oceanography (General)    8. Oceans & Seas    9. Nature / Oceans & Seas   

Reviews (2)

The rape of the oceans by commercial fishing
This is one of the most important books I've read. I have purchased several copies of this book to give away. It speaks up on behalf of those denizens of the oceans that we think should belong in cans and sandwiches or pies or curries, or pet food - yielding their flavoursome goodness of Omega 3 oils - with plenty more replenishing themselves without end. I did know in the back of my head that something was wrong when we put faceless tuna into cat food and no one discusses byecatch on a can except for a "Dolphin Friendly" logo. The appalling horror of millions of tonnes of these things being hoovered up with up to 50 to even 90% of the take being discarded back to the ocean because they are not the target species is spelled out in this book along with the moribund state of just how little we as a species care for the oceans or engage in managing its most vital food resources.
If you love eating fish, you should buy this book!
It is a fascinating, very well written book on a subject most people forget about in spite of how important it is: the food resources of the sea. When I first saw the book I wondered how the author could make an interesting topic out of it...when I started to browse it, I discovered a great amount of information about the wonderful world of the seas, about what so many companies are doing to our resources, about the repercusions hardly anyone is aware of.
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Fisheries    3. Fishery management    4. Fishery resources    5. Marine Life    6. Nature    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Nature / Oceans & Seas    9. The Environment   

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.Ifirst saw this book at a Bed and Breakfast on a coastal island and had tocome home and order it for myself.I know the pages will help me getthrough till I can go back to the sea myself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Inspirational    3. Inspirational - General    4. Inspirational - Gifts    5. Ocean    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Quotations, maxims, etc    8. Religion   

Reviews (1)

Splendid photography
Pantanal - just one word that makes you itch to see for yourself the wonders of this magical wetland in the heart of Brazil! Dozens of caimans lurking in the current, mouths agape; a big jaguar comes stalking through the understory at the shoreline; giant otters appear out of thin air right next to the boat; a tapir crosses the lagoon in marvelous light; a group of hyacinth macaws gathers on a fence of a fazenda, and in the savanna a young giant anteater clings cutely to his mother's fur - wildlife photographers' dreams, subjects everyone exploring the Pantanal with a camera longs for.
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Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. General    3. Natural history    4. Nature Photography    5. Pantanal    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. South America    10. Subjects & Themes - Landscapes    11. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    12. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    13. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/South America    14. Travel - General    15. Wetlands    16. Wetlands Ecology    17. Photography / Travel    18. Wetlands - Brazil   

Subjects:  1. Coral reef ecology    2. Coral reef fishes    3. Ecology    4. Fish    5. Ichthyology    6. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    7. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    8. Life Sciences - Zoology - Ichthyology    9. Marine Biology    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Animal ecology    13. Fishes (ichthyology)    14. Marine & Fish Biology    15. Natural History    16. Science / Marine Biology    17. Vertebrate Zoology   

Reviews (1)

Excellent new edition!
The new edition of the Golden Guide to Seashore Life is an even better rendition of an already great entry in the series! Mollusks, sea stars, chitons, sea birds and many others are featured in this little guide. Surprisingly for a Golden Guide, there are many more species of shellfish and sea stars listed than in the Audubon and Peterson Guides. East Coast & West Coast sea stars add up to twelve species altogether! Very good for this type of guide. Seaweeds and algae are also added. Whenever you see a small piece of kelp or sea moss float by, you will be able to identify it very quickly. Good all around guide. Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Marine Life    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. Plants - General    6. Seashore biology    7. United States   

Reviews (1)

Highly recommended for collections ranging from college holdings to general-interest public libraries
The second edition of HURRICANES joins others in the 'Contemporary World Issues' series to offer a chronology of history, events, legislation and science relating to hurricanes and disaster management. From a worldwide survey of where hurricanes do and do not occur to biographical sketches of notable weather enthusiasts from scientists and researchers to discussions of naming conventions and a world-wide timeline of hurricane events, this is one of the most authoritative references available. Very highly recommended for collections ranging from college holdings to general-interest public libraries.
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Subjects:  1. Environmental Science    2. Handbooks & Manuals    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Hurricanes    5. Natural Disasters    6. Nature    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Oceans & Seas    9. Reference    10. Atmospheric disturbances    11. Current Events / General   

Reviews (1)

An honor and pleasure to read...
This book eminates respect for the natural ecosystems of our shorelines.Visually it left me in awe.I frequently walk the Oregon coastlines and the detailed images are causing me to take a closer look...I am equally eager to explore the text at deeper levels. We are purchasing a copy for evening reading at our beach house and anticipate that it will become a fabulous gift for all those on our list who share our passion for the sea...highly recommended ***** ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. General    3. Intertidal ecology    4. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    5. Life Sciences - Ecology    6. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Oceans & Seas    10. Science    11. Marine biology    12. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    13. Nature / General    14. Photographs: collections   

Reviews (4)

Sweet!
This is a really great book. It explains way more then you would expect for a field guide. It goes in depth about each plant, animals that depend on them and other interesting tidbits that you wont find in any other guide.The awsome illustrations are done so beautifully and true to life no one should have any problems idtentifying plants on the trail. They also truly give this book a nice touch.It's like a book of old documenting new discoveries!

Great book!
This is a must have book if you live in areas with swamps/bogs.Its so accurate I'm just amazed.It is also very easy to use.It has drawings and it talks not only about id of the plants but also their "lifestyle" (e.g. how they reproduce, various ideosyncasies of the plants, insects that are associated etc.)Each plant also has a short section on lore which adds a nice bit of history.I really like the book

Just what I was looking for!
For those people who already kind of know their way around the forest, and are more interested in what they are going to see ASSOCIATED with the plants they see than what an Audobon book says, this is a naturalist's dream come true!Read more

Subjects:  1. Bog ecology    2. Bog plants    3. East (U.S.)    4. Flowers    5. Gardening    6. Gardening/Plants    7. Nature    8. Reference    9. Swamp ecology    10. Swamp plants    11. Trees    12. Wetlands Ecology    13. Applied ecology    14. Biogeography    15. Plant ecology    16. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (11)

Nice Introductory Text
This text gives a good overview of the various scientific disciplines that collectively make up oceanography and technical discussions are kept at a level that won't overwhelm science-phobes but will keep the interest of those more familiar with chemistry, geology, physics, and biology.
I've changed my mind
I have already written a review. I think I may have been sort of mean. Now that I have read the entire book I feel like I should write a new review. I did enjoy the book. The mistakes I refered to in my previous review did not continue throughout the book. I read it to my son at night and he enjoyed it. Overall it was a pretty decent read. So, I've changed my mind.

Riddled with mistakes
Although this is an enjoyable read the book is absolutely riddled with unacceptable mistakes. Carbon dioxide once dissolved in the sea forms the carbonate ion which combines with calcium (not carbonate) to form calcium carbonate (p.12). P.67- the cape of good hope is at the tip of AFrica not South AMerica. And lastly (I have only read to page 80!) the positive charge of the water molecule is on the hydrogen not oxygen (negative on oxygen), and the hydrogens in water don't bind to one another-like charges repel each other , not attract. The hydrogens (+) bind to the oxygens (-) to adjacent molecules!!!!!!!!!! Ugh!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Oceanography    2. Life Sciences - Biology - Marine Biology    3. Marine biology    4. Ocean    5. Ocean Floor    6. Oceanography    7. Oceanography (Specific Aspects)    8. Oceans & Seas    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Mathematics and Science    12. Oceanography (seas)    13. Science / Environmental Science   

Reviews (2)

Stories from time and space
This is a book for filling your head with amazing facts to regurgitate when walking on the beach with friends or children. I can attest to the latter's fascination with tales of astronaut poop, and the origins of ambergris, the fragrant sea-borne product of whale regurgitation.
For beachcombers and all lovers of the sea
"Washed Up" is a beautifully written collage about the tangled, tide-driven world of flotsam and jetsam. Reminiscent of Kurlanski's "History of Salt," the book is well-researched--chock full of history, science, flotsamist characters, and legends of the sea. Sometimes exotic, sometimes quirky, sometimes amazing, "Washed Up" is a marvelous voyage. Author Skye Moody clearly loves the sea, adding her own flotsamist obsessions to carry the reader on a tour both informative and funny. By the time I was done, I understood terms like lagan, wrack, spermacetti, and gyre, but even more, I felt so much the richer and wiser about our indelible human impact on Earth's oceans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beachcombing    2. Marine debris    3. Nature    4. Nature / Field Guide Books    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Seashore biology    8. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    9. Social Science / Popular Culture   

Editorial Review

Long before popular science, there were myths and tales of wonder. Long before there were museums, there were cabinets of curiosities. A new, unashamedly populist generation of TV documentaries isn't afraid to appeal to our fascination with thrilling tales and creepy anecdotes as it outlines what we know of the workings of our world. Some of these programs are sensationalist and lazy. Others do science the greatest of favors by conveying just how little we really understand of our planet and how much more magical it seems as we get to know it. Read more

Reviews (3)

A stunning portrayal of our seas, in words and pictures.
Most of us take for granted those forces of nature that are in play all around us.This book about our seas brings to our attention just how powerful and indifferent nature can be.It will grip you from the firstsentence to the last, and that's not counting page after page of amazingphotographs.

Excellent reading, incredible photographs!
I found this book at a friend's house, while visiting the USA from Toronto, Canada.I read it in one evening, and now can't wait to watch the PBS 4-part special based on it.It has made me view the oceans in a wholenew light.

Beautiful photography, suffers from poor editing
This book is a very informative and interesting discourse on the often capricious and always unpredictable oceans. The book is loaded with beautiful photography and some dramatic weather footage. Accounts ofhistorical events are mostly well written. Unfortunately, this book suffersfrom editorial errors that might appear innocuous, but which begin to bevery irritating after enduring two or three, and downright maddening afterseveral. Case in point: the chapter about tsunamis addresses the GoodFriday (Alaska, 1964) earthquake and subsequent tsunami. There is areference to "the entire west coast of the United States fromVancouver to Denver". Well... last I checked, Vancouver is in Canada,unless one refers to the much smaller town in southern Washington. Worse,Denver is about as coastal as Los Angeles is inland. Further on, CrescentCity, California is described as being in southern Oregon. True, this isnot as bad a gaffe as referring to Denver as coastal, but nonetheless, sucheditorial errors destroy the readability of the book. Perhaps more grave,they serve to illustrate and compound Americans' well-documented lack ofgeographical aptitude. This is understandable in daily conversation, butwholly unacceptable in a publication striving to tackle a rather technicalsubject. There are too many similar errors to document here, and the bookstruggles with poor syntax and general editorial inefficiency. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Nature    2. Nature / Field Guide Books    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Ocean    5. Oceanography    6. Oceanography (General)    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Popular works   

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 withblack and white drawings and descriptions of 50+ organisms common to the Pacific coast. Kids found it east to use. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Marine Life    2. Nature    3. Nature/Ecology    4. Oceans & Seas   

Reviews (4)

Review of "Peru (The Traveller's Wildlife Guides)"
This book is an excellent intro primer for the ecotraveler.Its wildlife focus is mainly amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammalsts.Insects, fish, and plants get some mention.The book's country overview and its major habitat type descriptions, illustrations, and explanations are clear and useful as are the species photos and info.Thoughtful comments and info on conservation issues and ecotourism are included.

Perfect for the Average Ecotourist
The "Traveller's [sic.] Wildlife Guides" are designed for travelers who desire more background on a country's flora and fauna than one can typically glean from a national park brochure or even a good guide.The main strength of these guides is their relatively low price. Illustrated field guides for exotic destinations can easily cost over $60. These guides, by comparison, are a steal at just under $20. The main weakness is that they are not comprehensive. They provide information and illustrations for common birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects, but not for exotic species. Hence, serious birdwatchers will also need to purchase James F. Clements and Noam Shany's "A Field Guide to the Birds of Peru."
Common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
Part the Interlink Books "Travellers' Wildlife Guides" series, Peru provides identification and location information on Peru's most frequently seen animals. This 502 page identification guide offers full-color illustrations of more than 500 of Peru's most common insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Enhanced with a species index, Peru provides up-to-date information on the ecology, behavior and conservation of the animals listed, as well as information on Peru's habitats and the most common plants visitors will encounter. With brief descriptions of Peru's most frequently visited parks and wildlife reserves, this handy, highly portable manual will prove to be an invaluable companion for appreciating the diversity and wonderful of Peruvian wildlife in their native settings.
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Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Ecotourism    3. Guidebooks    4. Peru    5. South America    6. Special Interest - Ecotourism    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel Guides    10. Tropical Ecology    11. Wildlife   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Coastal ecology    3. Coastal zone management    4. Coasts    5. Developing countries    6. Development - General    7. Environmental Science    8. General    9. Public Policy - Regional Planning    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Deltas, estuaries, coastal regions    13. Social Science / General   

Reviews (1)

Superb colour illustrations and photos with evocative text
This stunning, comprehensive guide to coral reefs and islands goes beyond your average natural history book. It takes you beyond the page and transports you to the breathtaking world of coral reefs and islands. Thetext is evocatively written and supported by stunning photographs anddetailed illustrations. Educational and informative. ~A must-have! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Coral reef conservation    2. Coral reef ecology    3. Coral reefs and islands    4. Marine Ecology    5. Marine Life    6. Natural History    7. Nature / Field Guide Books    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Conservation of the environment    10. Pollution of seas & oceans    11. Sea & seashore life   

Reviews (1)

If you love maps,rivers, river life, river facts and photos...............
.....you'll love this book. It is large in a school book fashion.I bought it for my husband who reads maps like books and loves topography/geography/geology.He really liked this tome.It centers on criteria/info on a large number of rivers and outlines the major basins with detailed descriptions of each river, life within and alteration to the flow and course.I was amazed at how many dams have been built- only 2-3 major rivers on this continent flow unimpeded.A few maps could have been clearer ( more contrasting color) but most all are great.....and many beautiful photos .My husband gave it a 5 star rating over all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Hydrology    2. Limnology    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. North America    6. Oceans & Seas    7. Rivers    8. Science    9. Stream ecology    10. Hydrology (freshwater)    11. Science / Environmental Science