THE SEA AROUND US by Rachel Louise Carson Oxford University Press
"Beginnings are apt to be shadowy," Rachel Carson writes in the opening line of The Sea Around Us, "and so it is with the beginnings of that great mother of life, the sea." When she accepted the National Book Award for this classic in 1952, she said, "If there is poetry in my book about the sea, it is not because I deliberately put it there, but because no one could write truthfully about the sea and leave out the poetry." And there is poetry in the way this dean of American science uses words. It is like being sung to about the restless scope and biodiversity of the ocean. Read it not because you have to, but because you'll want to.
50 WAYS TO SAVE THE OCEAN by David Helvarg Inner Ocean Publishing, Inc.
John Ruskin once said, "Education does not mean teaching people to know what they do not know; it means teaching them to behave as they do not behave." David Helvarg opens our eyes to how everyday actions impact the planet and what simple modifications and inventive outreaches we can make to ensure that future generations will enjoy the ocean and its inhabitants. Plus, the resource guide offers information on how to get involved through organizations, Websites and other media.
THE LAST DIVE: A FATHER AND SON'S FATAL DESCENT INTO THE OCEAN'S DEPTHS by Bernie Chowdhury Chowdhury takes you on the tragic dive of Chris and Chrissy Rouse, a father-son buddy team obsessed with exploring an unidentified German U-boat off New York. This look into the risky realities of cave and wreck diving draws a clear line between recreational and extreme scuba diving. This is a must-read for anyone interested in adrenaline-igniting adventures.
THE OCEAN WORLD by Jacques Cousteau Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
More than the diver's idea of a sexy coffee-table book, this definitive guide serves as a marine encyclopedia offering 18 chapters that cover communication, reproduction, evolution and other habits of the residents of the seas. Over 385 luscious photos educate and evoke wanderlust.
SHARKS by Jonathan Bird Evans Mitchell Books
Impress your dive buddies with knowledge about sharks fish that have been swimming for over 350 million years. Learn to identify species, and introduce yourself to the more unique varieties (tassled wobbegong shark, anyone?) thanks to Jonathan Bird's intimate portraits. Read about behavior patterns, such as threat posturing (a good one to know for divers), and learn about shark anatomy, such as what a nicitating membrane is. Order at jonathanbird.net and request a custom signature.
