New Release: Sea Voices

A cause near and dear to my heart but sadly too far from my mind most of the time is the health of our oceans.  Sea Voices, a new release by editors Duffy and Elizabeth Laul Healey, is a great coffee-table book that shares why the ocean is important, what is already being done to protect it and what needs to happen going forward.  The book uses from one paragraph to three pages to highlight many of the people that are working hard to protect our largest and most important natural resource.  It is presented in a question and answer interview format that really brings forward these important voices for conservation and change -- from scientist Sylvia Earle to musician Jack Johnson, attorney Robert Kennedy, Jr. to surfer Kelly Slater.  You can see a list of all of the contributors at the Sea Voices website.  Though this volume could have done with a bit more editing, the messages presented here far outweigh the errors.  It is inspirational to see so many people from diverse backgrounds using their own special talents to bring about change.

photo by K

Awareness and education are always the first steps toward real change.  Though not all of you may live near an ocean or visit one regularly, there are always ways to become educated and to make a difference.  You can follow @Oceana, @NMSFOcean (National Marine Sanctuary Foundation) or @bluerules (Sylvia Earle), among others, on Twitter.  You can visit a local aquarium and ask about their conservation, breeding and rehabilitation efforts.  You can download Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch guide for your region.  You can make responsible choices to reduce plastic pollution.  And most importantly, you can teach the next generation to be responsible stewards of the ocean.  This book is a great first step in any education process.

Enjoying the world's oceans today and tomorrow,
K


Support our site and buy Sea Voices on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We received a copy for review.

RIP Read #5: New Release: The Wave

When I first picked up The Wave by Susan Casey, I didn't anticipate it being an RIP read.  But the feelings of peril and adventure that I felt while reading of storm-tossed ships and death-defying surfers made this a perfectly scary read!  My paranoia has been renewed about the inevitable giant Pacific Northwest quake and I'm reconsidering thoughts of moving back to Hawaii.

Part science lesson in wave mechanics and weather, part eulogy for ships lost at sea and part travel log of big wave surfers that are looking for elusive hundred-foot giants, this was one of the fastest non-fictions reads I've ever picked up.  The bulk of the narrative follows the surfers with brief forays into the other aspects of this topic.  This makes for a book that should hold interest for anyone who loves and/or fears the ocean.  The book certainly restored my respect for the seas and built my respect of these men and women, scientists and surfers alike, who attempt to master the strongest forces on earth.

You can listen to an interview with Susan Casey and Laird Hamilton (or read a transcript and an excerpt from the book) on NPR here.

Relocating my dreams of an oceanside home,
K


Support our site and buy The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We received a galley for review.

New Release: Winged Wonders

An informative little volume, Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Birds in Human History by Peter Watkins and Jonathan Stockland, is appropriate for nature and history lovers alike.  Divided into chapters for each different bird species, such as the raven, the goose and the falcon, this is a treasure trove of history about birds and their influence on the language and actions of mankind.

Though short, this is definitely not a book to be read in one sitting.  There is a grand amount of information that takes some time to appreciate, absorb and remember.  It's heavy on religious symbolism and biblical references which is no surprise as one of the authors, Watkins, is an Anglican vicar. I love that the naturalist vicar, a common character in many a Victorian novel, still exists.

If you are curious about the origin of the phrase "cloud-cuckoo-land", are looking for avian poetry or are wanting to know about the surprisingly numerous instances of pelican symbolism, this is the perfect book for you.

Swans sing before they die -- 'twas no bad thing
Did certain persons die before they sing.
--Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Looking to the skies for inspiration and knowledge,
K


Support our site and buy Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Birds in Human History on Amazon or find it at your local library.  We received a copy for review.