The Sea Around Us

Rachel's enlightenment is truly seen in this new edition of "The Sea Around Us." The earth is covered in water; the human body contains a large percentage of h20; and most species on the planet cannot survive without it. Thus, the sea is truly everywhere around us. This book is highly recommended for readers of "Silent Spring" and those interested in writings about the natural world. This text in particular may be more suitable than the (1999) prior edition as the photographs herein color the author's thoughts in a delightful way.

Rachel Carson's work is still a great place to get insights on the workings of the ocean. Even with the advancement of oceanography and marine biology, the ocean is still a source of wonder and mystery, and still in need of our protection from abuse. Vast as the oceans are, their ecosystems can still be altered by human activity.

It is difficult to believe that this book is over 50 years old. The recommendations are still valid and elusive today. Only when the general public accepts the need to protect the environment will things change. That is why this book should be required reading for all students.

Rachel Carson, a scientist by trade, writes beautifully about the ocean in this book; it was worthy of the National Book Award, which it won in 1951. Carson takes the time to describe generally what was known about the sea at the time of her writing, and is prophetic in her comments about human impact to the world's oceans. While providing the reader with a general scientific discussion of the sea, she also gives us some magical moments: questions about the lost continent of Atlantis, mysteries about the nature of the deepest ocean bottoms, descriptions of lumninescent creatures surfacing in the remotest areas of open ocean. This book is simultaneously great science and great literature, and is essential reading for anyone interested in marine biology or geology, even decades since its original publication.