Customer Reviews

Sealife: A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment

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A "must have" for both armchair and amateur naturalists with a keen interest in the marine world. I'm a scuba diver who lives in the Pacific Northwest but takes vacations around the world. The joy of this book is that it begins with the beginning--the origination of the oceans, including a bit of tectonic theory--and progresses to a detailed description of many of the genera in the oceanic realm. It's not a detailed guide to my particular corner of the world, but as a general guide to the world's oceans it can't be beat for both it's breadth and depth. This is a beginner's book with some real 'meat' to it! I highly recommend it.

While not intended primarily as a textbook, I have used SeaLife as the text in my introductory oceanography class for the past two years. The authors present their ideas clearly and the illustrations are well done. An adequate index is furnished.

although not a "complete" guide, a wonderful book for every sea-loving creature! wonderful pictures and informative text for every amateure or pregraduate student

This is an absolute must have if you are looking for a quick explanation of all aspects of ocean life. The authors have done a thorough job of making short, detailed explanations to almost anything you might be looking for. This book is basically a fun to read encyclopedia of marine life.

I first ran into this book in the bookstore of the Institute of Oceanography at La Jolla, California. I was tempted to buy it, but put it off for a while because I live very far inland and could not justify the purchase. I later bought it elsewhere, but passed it on to my daughter who lives much closer to a sea coast and gets out there occasionally. I was glad to give it to her because after going over this volume for a few months I can say that this is probably the best first book for anyone interested in marine biology. It is certainly very beautifully designed and well written.

The color plates and great black and white drawings really illustrate this book in a way that is seldom seen in such works. Numerous details are covered in the text that are backed up by the superb illustrations. The plates of marine habitats and their inhabitants were especially effective in this regard.

If you can get just one book on marine biology, this would be it!

Sealife : A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment by Geoffrey Waller is the best single volume guide to the marine eviroment. It was published by the Smithsonian Institution, which should speek for its self. Inside is pages apon pages of text and diagrams on subjects from ocean trenches to marine otters. It includes beautiful color plates of vertabrates and invertabrates in there natural habitat. This book is a must for any one who works with or enjoys ocean life.