About the Book
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, a 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.
About the Author :
Rachel Carson was named by Time magazine one of the top 100 Scientists and Thinkers of the twentieth century. A biologist, writer, and ecologist, she also wrote Under the Sea Wind and Silent Spring, one of the seminal books of the environmental movement in America. She was a charter member of the Ecology Hall of Fame.
Carl Safina is recipient of the Pew Scholars Award in Conservation and the Environment as well as a John Burroughs Medal. He is also a MacArthur Fellow.
Robert D. Ballard is best known for his discovery of deep-sea wrecks such as the Titanic. The president of the Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Connecticut, he led the 1977 expedition that first found life around hydrothermal vents in the sea floor, a major scientific discovery. He is Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and the Director of the Institute of Archaeological Oceanography.
Brian J. Skinner is Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Yale University and a past president of the Geological Society of America. He co-edited The Oxford Companion to the Earth.
Review :
"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
"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
"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
"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."--Library Journal
"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
"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
