The Sea Around Us

New York: Oxford University Press, 1951. Octavo in green DJ, vii, 230 pages, page 229 unopened, b&w illustrations, charts; 22 cm. Very mild rubbing to spine head and foot, faint soiling to boards and fore-edges, very gentle rubbing to corners, pages are bright, binding is tight, almost one inch closed tear to front DJ-top edge, quarter inch clipped tear to front DJ-rear edge, tiny clipped tear (less than quarter inch) to rear DJ-top edge, half inch closed tear to rear rear DJ-rear edge, light sunning to DJ spine, pale soiling to rear DJ, else Near Fine(-) in Very Good DJ. No price printed on DJ flap. . Hardcover.

DJ protected in archival mylar sleeve. 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; giant squids battling sperm whales hundreds of fathoms below the surface; and 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. Reintroducing a classic work to a whole new generation of readers, this Special Edition features a new chapter written by Jeffrey Levinton, a leading expert in marine ecology, that brings the scientific side of The Sea Around Us completely up to date. Levinton incorporates the most recent thinking on continental drift, coral reefs, the spread of the ocean floor, the deterioration of the oceans, mass extinction of sea life, and many other topics. In addition, acclaimed nature writer Ann Zwinger has contributed a brief foreword. Today, with the oceans endangered by the dumping of medical waste and ecological disasters such as the Exxon oil spill in Alaska, this illuminating volume provides a timely reminder of both the fragility and the importance of the ocean and the life that abounds within it. Anyone who loves the sea, or who is concerned about our natural environment, will want to read this classic work. Contents: The gray beginnings -- The pattern of the surface -- The changing year -- The sunless sea -- Hidden lands -- The long snowfall -- The birth of an island -- The shape of ancient seas -- Wind and water -- Wind, sun, and the spinning of the earth -- The moving tides -- The global thermostat -- Wealth from the salt seas -- The encircling sea. Series: Schieffelin collection. Oceanography.