Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science [Paperback]

Robert Kunzig (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0393320634 | ISBN-13: 978-0393320633 | Publication Date: October 2000

A vivid, up-to-date tour of the Earth's last frontier, a remote and mysterious realm that nonetheless lies close to the heart of even the most land-locked reader.

The sea covers seven-tenths of the Earth, but we have mapped only a small percentage of it. The sea contains millions of species of animals and plants, but we have identified only a few thousand of them. The sea controls our planet's climate, but we do not really understand how. The sea is still the frontier, and yet it seems so familiar that we sometimes forget how little we know about it. Just as we are poised on the verge of exploiting the sea on an unprecedented scale—mining it, fertilizing it, fishing it out—this book reminds us of how much we have yet to learn. More than that, it chronicles the knowledge explosion that has transformed our view of the sea in just the past few decades, and made it a far more interesting and accessible place. From the Big Bang to that far-off future time, two billion years from now, when our planet will be a waterless rock; from the lush crowds of life at seafloor hot springs to the invisible, jewel-like plants that float at the sea surface; from the restless shifting of the tectonic plates to the majestic sweep of the ocean currents, Kunzig's clear and lyrical prose transports us to the ends of the Earth.

Originally published in hardcover as The Restless Sea. "Robert Kunzig is a creator of what oceanographer Harry Hess once referred to as 'geopoetry.' He covers vast tracts of time and space and makes his subjects electrifying."—Richard Ellis, The Times [London] "The Restless Sea immediately surfaces at the top of the list of journalistic treatments of oceanography. . . .The book opened my eyes to numerous wonders."—Richard Strickland, American Scientist  "When you head for the coast this summer, leave that trashy beach novel at home. Instead, pack Robert Kunzig's book. Because just beyond your rental cottage lies the restless sea, where three-mile-tall mountain ranges criss-cross the ocean floor, and deep trenches harbor mysterious creatures. . . . The book is easy to read, and will bring you up to date on the startling discoveries oceanographers have made during the past few decades."—Phillip Manning, The News and Observer [Raleigh, North Carolina] ] "Anyone who loves the sea should read this book."—Sebastian Junger 8 pages of color, 20 black-and-white illustrations

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone who loves the sea should read this book. -- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm

Hard to put down. . . . holds our interest with a grip that would do credit to Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. -- Times Literary Supplement, Richard Shelton

Like the oceans themselves, Kunzig's book is large and contains multitudes . . . . Compelling. -- The Guardian, Jon Turney

Robert Kunzig has an epic saga to tell and he does it with flair and an infectious excitement. -- Daily Telegraph, Maggie Gee

There can be few better introductions to our watery planet... -- Financial Times, Simon Garfield

When you head for the coast this summer, leave that trashy beach novel at home. Instead, pack Robert Kunzig's book. -- Phillip Manning, The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina

[I]mmediately surfaces at the top of the list of journalistic treatments of oceanography. . . . opened my eyes to numerous wonders. -- Richard Strickland, American Scientist

[Kunzig] covers vast tracts of time and space and makes his subjects electrifying. (Richard Ellis, The Times [London] -- Richard Ellis, The Times, London

About the Author

Robert Kunzig is European editor of Discover magazine, based in Dijon, France. His writing about the ocean has won the AAAS-Westinghouse Science Journalism Award and the Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393320634
• ISBN-13: 978-0393320633
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring the oceans, September 3, 2001

By 

Mark Baird (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science (Paperback)

Exploration is sexier than understanding. That's probably why we say Newton discovered the laws of motion, rather than understood the relationship between mass, force and velocity. Amongst the many disciplines of science, perhaps none is so dominated by exploration as oceanography.

In this book, Robert Kunzig takes us on a tour of the exploratory deeds of ocean scientists that has lead us to our present knowledge of ocean science. From young scientists camped on coral cays, to biologists in deep-sea submersibles, and geologists climbing South American mountains, this is an exciting and fascinating read.

I would recommend this book for anyone wishing to learn about oceanography in an easy to read format. But really, this book is for people who want to get excited about oceanography. Perhaps you are considering a career in oceanography, or you are a professional oceanography, or just like science? No matter. I think you will come away feeling inspired by the deeds of marine scientists, and the ocean itself.

If I felt one dissappointment, it was that the issue of global climate change, and the role of ocean scientists in this critical science, was not given their due. I think we understand more about the climate than Kunzig gave us credit for. But this is a book about exploration, and climate change, sadly, is for the future.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, June 8, 2001

By 

Dan Myers "BillyD" (Combine, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science (Paperback)

I bought this book thinking it was a follow up to the authors previous book, 'the restless sea'. However it is the same, now with pictures. If you have a choice between the two I recommend the new one. The pictures and illustrations are a great. Instead of imagining what he is talking about you can see it for yourself. I hope he does eventually have a follow up book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book!, November 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mapping the Deep: The Extraordinary Story of Ocean Science (Paperback)

I ought this book this book in Britain over he summer (before it was released in America) and it kept me reading it the whole way back to America. It has just about everything you could ever want about oceanography. It covers biology, geology and so many things I can't really name. I suggest to anyone, even if you don't know about oceanography or don't care to know, this is the perfect book for anyones collection.