The Sea Around Us remains as fresh today as when it first appeared over seven decades ago.  Rachel Carson's genius for evoking the power and primacy of the world's bodies of water remains almost unmatched.  The newly formed Earth cooling beneath an endlessly overcast sky, the centuries of nonstop rain that created the ocean, giant squids battling sperm whales hundreds of fathoms below the surface, the power of the tides moving 100 billion tons of water daily in one bay alone, the seismic waves known as tsunamis that periodically remind us of the oceans' overwhelmingly destructive power, etc.

Originally published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most influential books ever written about the natural world.  Rachel Carson's ability to combine scientific insight with poetic prose catapulted her book to the top of The New York Times best-seller list, where it remained for more than a year and a half.  Ultimately it sold well over a million copies, was translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary  and won both the National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal.

The ocean is the life source on this planet and it is being imperiled, by climate change, overfishing and plastic pollution.  Carson's book provides a timely reminder of both the centrality and fragility 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 or re-read this classic work.

With a new introduction from Sylvia Earle, founder and President of Mission Blue.  Soft cover and 204 pages.