The Sea around Us

by Rachel Carson, Robert D. Ballard (Introduction), Brian J. Skinner (Afterword)

Overview

Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us was a phenomenal success. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapulted her book to first place on The New York Times bestseller list, where it remained on top for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It stayed on the list for more than a year and a half and ultimately sold well over a million copies, has been translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary, and won both the 1952 National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal. This commemorative edition has over 130 beautiful, full color illustrations from all over the world -- everything from breaching whales, Christmas Tree worms and phosphorescent shrimp, to fur seals, flashlight fish, and giant squid. The volume features a foreword by Carl Safina, president and founder of the Blue Ocean Institute; an introduction by explorer Robert D. Ballard, renowned for his role in finding the Titanic as well as for his discovery of life around deep-sea hydrothermal vents; and an afterword by Brian J. Skinner, an eminent geologist and former president of the Geological Society of America.

The book itself remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. Carson's writing teems with stunning, memorable images -- the newly formed Earth cooling beneath an endlessly overcast sky; the centuries of nonstop rain that created the oceans; incredibly powerful tides moving 100 billion tons of water daily in the Bay of Fundy. Quite simply, she captures the mystery and allure of the ocean with a compelling blend of imagination and expertise. For anyone who loves to wander the shore, sail the ocean, or ponder what lies beneath the waves, this illustrated special edition of The Sea Around Us will make a perfect gift.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195147018
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	11/13/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	10.25(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

The late Rachel Carson was for many years a marine biologist and then editor-in-chief of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. She was also the author of Silent Spring, Under the Sea Wind, and At the Edge of the Sea. Jeffrey Levinton teaches at the State University f New York at Stony Brook and is the author of Marine Ecology. Ann Zwinger is the author of A Desert Country Near the Sea, Beyond the Aspen Grove, and Run, River, Run.

Table of Contents

	Preface to the 1961 Edition	vii
	Acknowledgments	xiv
	Foreword	xvi
	Introduction	xviii
Part 1	Mother Sea
1	The Gray Beginnings	3
2	The Pattern of the Surface	21
3	The Changing Year	39
4	The Sunless Sea	53
5	Hidden Lands	77
6	The Long Snowfall	97
7	The Birth of an Island	109
8	The Shape of Ancient Seas	127
Part 2	The Restless Sea
9	Wind and Water	143
10	Wind, Sun, and the Spinning of the Earth	169
11	The Moving Tides	187
Part 3	Man and the Sea About Him
12	The Global Thermostat	207
13	Wealth from the Salt Seas	229
14	The Encircling Sea	243
	Afterword	260
	Credits	274

Editorial Reviews

"A majestic edition, incorporating attractive photographs, a preface, foreword, introduction, and an excellent afterword by Brian J. Skinner. The pages are broad and smooth and heavy; turning them, you feel you are in the presence of greatness.... The prose is true and fluid and above all evocative, and delivers all the passion and wonder it did a half-century ago.... This book should be read first and foremost because it has permanent artistic value, because it is literature. And I mean literature in the best sense: popular, beautiful, deeply moving.... Carson's legacy is proof that science books matter, that good prose can change the world."—Anthony Doerr, The Boston Sunday Globe

"Her book remains fresh, in part because of her ability to convey scientific insight in vivid poetic language—but, perhaps more important, because what she has to say is still so relevant today."—Scientific American

"Magnificent—beautifully done, a real work of art. I'm enjoying reading Carson's book for the third time. Carl Safina's brief note summed it best—we read to remember her. What a wonderful writer."—Glenn Vanstrum, author of Saltwater Wilderness

"Perfect reading can be found in wonderfully oversized books.... In this new commemorative edition, readers who have never experienced Carson's sparkling prose or deep insight will have the opportunity to do so, with the added attraction of superlative color photos of everything from breaching whales to phosphorescent shrimp. There's also a new introduction by Robert Ballard, an afterward by Brian J. Skinner."—Dave Wood's Book Report

From the Publisher

Carson's 1951 paean to ocean life was a surprising smash hit. It remained on the New York Times best sellers list for more than a year and a half, holding the top spot for the first six months. This gorgeous commemorative edition is illustrated with roughly 130 photos and artworks from around the world. If your existing copy is looking ragged, replace it with this beauty. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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