Synopsis
Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapaulted her book to first place on The New York Times best-seller list, where it ruled for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It remained 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 classic work remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. Carson's writing teems with stunning, memorable images—the newly formed Earth cooling in perpetual gloom 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. Carson describes the hidden mountains and canyons of the ocean deeps and how they are now being mapped; the ceaseless power of the winds, waves, and currents; the meaning of the ocean to humanity—the heritage of the sea that we carry in our bodies—and the riches to be found in every cubic mile of seawater ($93,000,000 in gold alone). In short, she captures the mystery and allure of the ocean with a compelling blend of imagination and expertise.
This Special Edition features a brand new chapter written by Jeffrey Levinton, a leading expert in marine ecology, who 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 Anne Zwinger has contributed a brief foreword.
Today, with the oceans endangered by 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.
