The Octopus's Garden: Hydrothermal Vents and Other Mysteries of the Deep Sea (Helix Books) (Hardcover)

by Cindy Lee Van Dover (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA?Van Dover gives an accessible account of her experiences as an oceanographer and as the first woman to pilot the research submersible ALVIN. Scientists use ALVIN to descend to the sea floor and observe firsthand geologic features such as trenches and hydrothermal vents as well as the flora and fauna that brave this harsh environment. The author emphasizes the need for further study in this field, especially the revolutionary hypothesis that the origins of life on Earth occurred at ancient submarine hydrothermal vents. Her experiences as a pioneer woman in what had been a man's field and on the frontier of human knowledge of the world's oceans will fascinate aspiring oceanographers and engineers. Van Dover brings an intriguing and largely unknown science, deep water marine biology, to a level that will appeal to any student.?Hilary Stevens, Earthwatch, Watertown, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Van Dover describes a wondrous abyssal life as rich and productive as that of coral reefs and shallow seas, and presents clear geological explanations for the sources of the hydrothermal vents and black smokers that provide the nutrients to sustain such denizens as giant tubeworms, blind shrimp, mussels, and crabs. As interesting as the science, however, is the author's account of her attainment of the unique dual rank of both scientist and pilot of the Alvin research submersible. It is evident that the scholarship demands, the around-the-clock work schedules, the claustrophobic diving conditions, and the potential for danger that she encounters rival the complexities and pressures challenging the astronauts, and establish that she, indeed, has the "right stuff." A well-written, upbeat story of an obstacle-strewn pursuit of a dream. Brenda Grazis

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 183 pages
• Publisher: Perseus Books (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201407701
• ISBN-13: 978-0201407709
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,181,038 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now available in paperback!, November 24, 2001

By	"oceanfire" (Mesa, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book on deep sea exploration! If you can find it, the hardcover version is definitely a keeper for future reference. In response to the review above...I believe that "Deep-Ocean Journeys" by Cindy Lee Van Dover is the paperback version of "Octopus's Garden" ("Deep-Ocean" is still available in-print). Also, if you enjoyed this book, read William Broad's "The Universe Below".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scientist and adventurer, October 21, 2006

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Of course, science is itself an adventure, but Van Dover went far beyond the usual. Among other things, she became one of the few dozen people on earth rated to pilot Alvin, the deep-sea submarine. That elite group is almost as small as the cadre of space shuttle pilots, and Van Dover was the first woman to enter that group.

This isn't directly about her science or her adventure, though. It's a bit harder to nail down, but I think it answers a question that many people don't think to ask of scientists: why do you do it? The pay isn't great, the bureaucracy can be crushing, and the rigors of career-building often conflict with family-building. And, I hate to say it, but it's not always a friendly world for a woman - especially the hairy-chested world of piloting the deep-sea submersibles. Some abstraction like "love of knowledge" can't really explain why someone does it.

Van Dover conveys parts of it, though. Science, if you're doing it right, gives a daily experience of awe that defies description. There's an added excitement in the physical challenge of deep sea exploration, and a marvellous freedom in stepping outside the map of what is known. She manages to convey that about as well as words can hope to. Sometimes, her writing doesn't rise to the level of her inspiration. That might be asking too much of any mere mortal, though. She does well enough, and speaks clearly to a non-scientific reader about what it is that keeps her going.

//wiredweird

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chorus of Tubeworms, September 19, 2006

By	flying squid (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

Although no longer in print, I found a used copy of this captivating book. Join oceanographer Cindy Lee Van Dover, pilot of the Alvin, on an adventure to the deep-sea floor. The book is rich in detail with evocative black and white drawings. Especially enjoyable is the chapter: "A Chorus of Tubeworms" - "crimson plumes bloom atop long white tubes that emerge from cracks in glossy black lava...each worm a prize specimen arranged in a formal garden."