Need a great beach read, look no further than The Beach: The History of Paradise on Earth. The authors chart the history of beaches from the time of their formation to the present, examining the shifting significance of beaches to Western cultures through the centuries. Lencek and Bosker are capable historians whose love of beaches shines through in their writing.

With 8+ billion people on the planet, and a high likelihood that 99%+ will visit the beach at least once in their life, whether the ocean, a lake, pond, river or stream, it's easy to see why the beach is "nature's most potent antidepressant" says Lencek. Public or private, hidden corner for solitary musing or crowded place to see and be seen, this intersection of land and water has something for everyone. "It is to the beach," say the authors of this delightful dip into social history, "that we go to reinvent ourselves." 

Hardcover and 352 pages.