Essentials of Oceanography (with OceanographyNOW, InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) [Paperback]

Tom S. Garrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0495113727 | ISBN-13: 978-0495113720 | Edition: 4

The ocean affects all aspects of our lives--Tom Garrison will show you how in this new edition of ENHANCED ESSENTIALS OF OCEANOGRAPHY and its accompanying online learning resources.. Garrison takes you on a vivid exploration of the ocean--from submarine canyons to zooplankton, global warming, the growing plastics problem, and our changing coastlines--and explains oceanography's most important concepts. Garrison's friendly approach helps you understand the complexities involved in how we study and use the ocean. You'll explore topics like Hurricane Katrina; the devastating December 2004 earthquake in the Indian Ocean and the resulting tsunami; the Moon and its connection to the ocean; the power of the ocean to influence weather; and uses and abuses of the ocean. Your purchase includes online access to OceanographyNOW, on online learning tool that helps you save time studying and improve your success in the class. You'll also have access to InfoTrac College Edition's online university library.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Before reviewing the book I was convinced that all introductory oceanography texts were basically the same. But Garrison is clearly superior, and the illustrations put it over the top."

About the Author

Named Outstanding Marine Educator by the National Marine Technology Society, Tom Garrison writes market-leading textbooks that enliven students' interest in the ocean, as well as a regular column on ocean education for the journal OCEANOGRAPHY. His knowledge, combined with a gift for engaging writing, has garnered Tom an Emmy Award for his work on the OCEANUS television course and a prestigious Excellence in College Teaching Award from the Salgo-Noren Foundation. The OCEANUS television course has been recently revised as THE ENDLESS VOYAGE for PBS, and Garrison again served as a writer and science advisor for that program. Tom's books, born out of his desire to share his excitement about the ocean with others, are widely used at colleges and universities throughout North America, Asia, and Australia. These oceanography texts have allowed him to reach beyond the walls of Orange Coast College and into the minds and imaginations of tens of thousands of students.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 4 edition (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495113727
• ISBN-13: 978-0495113720
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography

More About the Author

Named Outstanding Marine Educator by the National Marine Technology Society, Tom Garrison writes market-leading textbooks that enliven students' interest in the ocean, and he contributes a regular column on oceanography education for the journal "Oceanography." His knowledge, combined with a gift for engaging writing, has garnered Tom an Emmy Award for his work on the "Oceanus" television course and a prestigious Excellence in College Teaching Award from the Salgo-Noren Foundation. The success of the "Oceanus" television course has led to the recent development of a new telecourse, "The Endless Voyage" produced by Intelecom, with Garrison again serving as a writer and science advisor for that program. Tom's texts, born out of his desire to share his excitement about the ocean with others, are widely used at colleges and universities throughout North America, Asia, and Australia. His oceanography texts have allowed him to stimulate the minds and imaginations of hundreds of thousands of oceanography students over the last decade.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars lovely illustrations, January 24, 2006

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essentials of Oceanography (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Paperback)

Let me say right away that this book is rather abbreviated. If you really are intently interested in oceanography, try Garrison's full text. But this Essentials text will convey enough of the field to let you decide if oceanography is a pursuit for you.

The treatment is roughly at a freshman level in university, or perhaps for an advanced high school course. Some prior knowledge of chemisty and physics is assumed, in order for there to be any intelligent discussion of many aspects of oceanography.

The text also is well illustrated. The subject is one that readily lends itself to many photogenic shots. While this may sound frivolous to some, to others it has always been one of the attractions of oceanography. There are indeed some lovely photos scattered through the book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a science-minded person? This book's for you., July 11, 2009

By 

S. Graceffa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essentials of Oceanography (with OceanographyNOW, InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) (Paperback)

Fantastic, easy-to-understand book jam-packed with photos and illustrations to bring concepts to life for people like myself who aren't science-minded at all. The author speaks in layman's terms and uses a lot of analogies that work perfectly. Some of my college texts are so hard to understand that I don't even bother trying to read them after a few pages in. This book, however, made me feel extremely able to understand concepts and also extremely able to retain them. A+ for Garrison's oceanography book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, July 3, 2008

By 

ecoanthrogirl "Mindy V." (Wichita, KS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essentials of Oceanography (with OceanographyNOW, InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) (Paperback)

The book was organized well, easy to read and contained a lot of interesting information. A great intro to Oceanography text. I used it in a short-term telecourse and it was invaluable.