A landmark book by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols on the remarkable effects of water on our health and well-being.Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? In Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols revolutionizes how we think about these questions, revealing the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success. Blue Mind not only illustrates the crucial importance of our connection to water - it provides a paradigm shifting "blueprint" for a better life on this Blue Marble we call home. Read more

The first edition of Florida's Living Beaches (2007) was widely praised. Now, the second edition of this supremely comprehensive guide has even more to satisfy the curious beachcomber, including expanded content and additional accounts with more than 1800 full-color photographs, maps, and illustrations.It heralds the living things and metaphorical life along the state's 700 miles of sandy beaches. The expanded second edition now identifies and explains over 1400 curiosities, with lavishly illustrated accounts organized into Beach Features, Beach Animals, Beach Plants, Beach Minerals, and Hand of Man. Read more

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A brilliant, soulful, and timely portrait of a two-hundred-year-old crabbing community in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay as it faces extinction. A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post, NPR, Outside,Smithsonian, Bloomberg, Science Friday, Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Review of Books, and Kirkus "BEAUTIFUL, HAUNTING AND TRUE." — Hampton Sides •  “GORGEOUS. A TRULY REMARKABLE BOOK.” — Beth Macy • "GRIPPING. FANTASTIC." — Outside • "CAPTIVATING." — Washington Post • "POWERFUL." — Bill McKibben • "VIVID. HARROWING AND MOVING." — Science • "A MASTERFUL NARRATIVE." — Christian Science Monitor • "THE BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR."  — Stephen L. Carter/BloombergTangier Island, Virginia, is a community unique on the American landscape. Mapped by John Smith in 1608, settled during the American Revolution, the tiny sliver of mud is home to 470 hardy people who live an isolated and challenging existence, with one foot in the 21st century and another in times long passed. They are separated from their countrymen by the nation’s largest estuary, and a twelve-mile boat trip across often tempestuous water—the same water that for generations has made Tangier’s fleet of small fishing boats a chief source for the rightly prized Chesapeake Bay blue crab, and has lent the island its claim to fame as the softshell crab capital of the world.Yet for all of its long history, and despite its tenacity, Tangier is disappearing. The very water that has long sustained it is erasing the island day by day, wave by wave. It has lost two-thirds of its land since 1850, and still its shoreline retreats by fifteen feet a year—meaning this storied place will likely succumb first among U.S. towns to the effects of climate change. Experts reckon that, barring heroic intervention by the federal government, islanders could be forced to abandon their home within twenty-five years. Meanwhile, the graves of their forebears are being sprung open by encroaching tides, and the conservative and deeply religious Tangiermen ponder the end times.    Chesapeake Requiem is an intimate look at the island’s past, present and tenuous future, by an acclaimed journalist who spent much of the past two years living among Tangier’s people, crabbing and oystering with its watermen, and observing its long traditions and odd ways. What emerges is the poignant tale of a world that has, quite nearly, gone by—and a leading-edge report on the coming fate of countless coastal communities. Read more

With simple organization, this guide tells the individual stories of 213 shelled mollusks using descriptive accounts, distribution maps, and color photographs. Accounts feature glimpses of each seashell's former life as a living creature. The organization and descriptions as well as the photographs make shell identification easy. Read more

Winner • Pulitzer Prize for History Winner • Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction Finalist • National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction) A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, NPR, Library Journal, and gCaptainBooklist Editors’ Choice (History) Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for ExcellenceIn this “cri de coeur about the Gulf’s environmental ruin” (New York Times), “Davis has written a beautiful homage to a neglected sea” (front page, New York Times Book Review). Hailed as a “nonfiction epic . . . in the tradition of Jared Diamond’s best-seller Collapse, and Simon Winchester’s Atlantic” (Dallas Morning News), Jack E. Davis’s The Gulf is “by turns informative, lyrical, inspiring and chilling for anyone who cares about the future of ‘America’s Sea’ ” (Wall Street Journal). Illuminating America’s political and economic relationship with the environment from the age of the conquistadors to the present, Davis demonstrates how the Gulf’s fruitful ecosystems and exceptional beauty empowered a growing nation. Filled with vivid, untold stories from the sportfish that launched Gulfside vacationing to Hollywood’s role in the country’s first offshore oil wells, this “vast and welltold story shows how we made the Gulf . . . [into] a ‘national sacrifice zone’ ” (Bill McKibben). The first and only study of its kind, The Gulf offers “a unique and illuminating history of the American Southern coast and sea as it should be written” (Edward O. Wilson). 26 illustrations Read more

Along California's coastline, the Pacific Ocean is rising and pressing in, imperiling both wildlife and the maritime towns and cities that millions of people call home. In California Against the Sea, Los Angeles Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia asks: As climate chaos threatens the places we love so fiercely, will we finally grasp our collective capacity for change?Xia, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, investigates the impacts of engineered landscapes, the market pressures of development, and the ecological activism and political scrimmages that have carved our contemporary coastline—and foretell even greater changes to our shores. From the beaches of the Mexican border up to the sheer-cliffed North Coast, the voices of Indigenous leaders, community activists, small-town mayors, urban engineers, and environmental scientists commingle. Together, they chronicle the challenges and urgency of forging a climate-wise future. Xia's investigation takes us to Imperial Beach, Los Angeles, Pacifica, Marin City, San Francisco, and beyond, weighing the rivaling arguments, agreements, compromises, and visions governing the State of California's commitment to a coast for all. Through graceful reportage, she charts how the decisions we make today will determine where we go tomorrow: headlong into natural disaster, or toward an equitable refashioning of coastal stewardship. Read more

This scientifically accurate yet utterly charming field guide to the Pacific coast intertidal zone introduces readers to a world populated by spectacular wildlife.Explore 150-year-old giant green anemones that paralyze their prey with their petal-like tentacles; sunflower sea stars that traverse the tide pool floor on twenty-four limbs; orange-tipped, opalescent sea slugs that dabble in cannibalism; and much, much more. Small enough to fit in a back pocket during a beach hike, this guide contains concise descriptions of tide pools' most common residents, noting each organism's size and zonation, as well as a few of its fascinating (and sometimes grotesque) habits. Full-color illustrations reminiscent of prints by Ernst Haeckel help tide poolers with easy identification, and tips for viewing help you explore the abundance that tide pools have to offer. Read more

Compiled from decades of visiting beaches along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts collecting fossils and conducting extensive research, A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils is the definitive guide for amateur collectors and professionals interested in learning more about the deep history they tread on during their vacations. Authored by Bob, Pam, and Ashby Gale, this guide offers over twelve hundred high-quality color photographs and detailed descriptions of more than three hundred fossil specimens found on beaches from Texas, east to Florida, and north to New Jersey. The book includes descriptions and identifying information for the fossil remains of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish. Because the tides provide a new beach to explore every day, and beachcombers need immediate comparison for identification, the Beachcomber’s Guide is essential for quick and easy reference. And while the seemingly infinite varieties of shark teeth form much of what beachcombers find on their sandy strolls, this guide also illuminates the fossilized remains of species that walked in a different world. From glyptodonts (a giant, prehistoric armadillo) and giant sloths to the intricately patterned remains of the ancestors of manta rays and pufferfish, this book not only teaches its readers not only what treasures to look for but how to look for them. Read more

Beached is a Decorative Book for display on coffee tables, shelves, living room, table, bookshelf or fireplace mantle. This book is intended for decoration and has NO CONTENT INSIDE. Interior pages are dot lined and DO NOT CONTAIN words or pictures.Add style and class to any room with a stack of decorative books. Beached adds the perfect touch of whimsy to your coastal design theme featuring a unique matte cover with all over photography of shells and starfish. We recommend displaying it boldly on its own or stacking it with at least 2 other books for a striking visual effect perfect for your Living room, Den, Bedroom, Dining room, Guest room, Beach House, Cottage, Vacation property, Home staging and more!Beached is part of the Beach House Series and offers natural beauty and charm to your design plan. Explore the Beach House Series (by clicking the link above) for complimenting books or create your own unique arrangement with other books by Chic Decor Design House / CDDH Publishing.Beached specifications:300 pages (dot lined)Matte coverSpine contains the title Read more

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle beckon curious beachcombers with miles of wave-swept Gulf coastline. These beaches offer more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery—they are alive! As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life-forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here?Living Beaches of the Gulf Coast satisfies a beachcomber's curiosity within a comprehensive yet easily browsed guide. The guide is written in a familiar style and is illustrated with distribution maps and hundreds of color photos. Accounts include beach anatomy, coastal phenomena, and shoreline animals, plants, and geology. Hundreds of seashells are depicted as well as other interesting animals, flowers, historical structures, beach sands, and beach art. The authors suggest a variety of beach scavenger hunts and recommend hints for beachcombing success. Read more

From the bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, the revised and reissued edition of her beloved book of essays describing her forays along the Delaware shoreFor three years, Jennifer Ackerman lived in the small coastal town of Lewes, Delaware, in the sort of blue-water, white-sand landscape that draws summer crowds up and down the eastern seaboard. Birds by the Shore is a book about discovering the natural life at the ocean's edge: the habits of shorebirds and seabirds, the movement of sand and water, the wealth of creatures that survive amid storm and surf. Against this landscape's rhythms, Ackerman revisits her own history--her mother's death, her father's illness and her hopes to have children of her own.This portrait of life at the ocean's edge will be relished by anyone who has walked a beach at sunset, or watched a hawk hover over a winter marsh, and felt part of the natural world. With a quiet passion and friendly, generous intelligence, it explores the way that landscape shapes our thoughts and perceptions and shows that home ground is often where we feel the deepest response to the planet. Read more

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Georgia and the Carolinas beckon curious beachcombers with over 600 miles of wave-swept Atlantic coastline. These beaches offer more than a sandy stroll amidst stunning scenery—they are alive! As ever-changing ribbons of sand, these beaches foster unique life-forms and accept beguiling castaways from a vast marine wilderness. Mysteries abound. What is this odd creature? Why does the beach look this way? How did this strange item get here? Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas satisfies a beachcomber's curiosity within a comprehensive yet easily browsed guide covering beach processes, plants, animals, minerals, and manmade objects. The guide is written in a familiar style and is illustrated with distribution maps and over a thousand color photos. Read more

Take a closer look into the secret worlds of the intertidal zoneA spectacular variety of life flourishes between the ebb and flow of high and low tide. Anemones talk to each other through chemical signaling, clingfish grip rocks and resist the surging tide, and bioluminescent dinoflagellates―single-celled algae―light up disturbances in the shallow water like glowing fingerprints.This guidebook helps readers uncover the hidden workings of the natural world of the shoreline. Richly illustrated and accessibly written, Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon illuminates the scientific forces that shape the diversity of life at each beach and tidepool―perfect for beachgoers who want to know why.Features include• profiles of popular and off-the-beaten-track sites to visit along the Greater Salish Sea, Puget Sound, and Washington and Oregon coasts• the fascinating stories behind both common and less familiar species• a lively introduction to how coastal ecosystems work and why no two beaches are ever alike Read more

Easily Identify the Living Things You Find in the Intertidal Zone of the Pacific Coast! Enjoy learning to identify organisms of the rocky reefs and tide pools of the Pacific coast―from Alaska to Baja, California―with this guide from authors Ron Russo and Pam Olhausen. With this handy, easy-to-use book, you'll be able to identify a wide variety of intertidal life in no time. And its small size makes it just right for fitting into your pocket or pack when you go for a walk along the coast. Features: Illustrations with line drawingsInformation to help readers identify various life forms of the intertidal zone along the Pacific coastlineIn-depth discussion about this specific, unique environment and its creatures Read more

The World of the Salt Marsh is a wide-ranging exploration of the southeastern coast―its natural history, its people and their way of life, and the historic and ongoing threats to its ecological survival.Focusing on areas from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Cape Canaveral, Florida, Charles Seabrook examines the ecological importance of the salt marsh, calling it “a biological factory without equal.” Twice-daily tides carry in a supply of nutrients that nourish vast meadows of spartina (Spartina alterniflora)―a crucial habitat for creatures ranging from tiny marine invertebrates to wading birds. The meadows provide vital nurseries for 80 percent of the seafood species, including oysters, crabs, shrimp, and a variety of finfish, and they are invaluable for storm protection, erosion prevention, and pollution filtration.Seabrook is also concerned with the plight of the people who make their living from the coast’s bounty and who carry on its unique culture. Among them are Charlie Phillips, a fishmonger whose livelihood is threatened by development in McIntosh County, Georgia, and Vera Manigault of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a basket maker of Gullah-Geechee descent, who says that the sweetgrass needed to make her culturally significant wares is becoming scarcer.For all of the biodiversity and cultural history of the salt marshes, many still view them as vast wastelands to be drained, diked, or “improved” for development into highways and subdivisions. If people can better understand and appreciate these ecosystems, Seabrook contends, they are more likely to join the growing chorus of scientists, conservationists, fishermen, and coastal visitors and residents calling for protection of these truly amazing places. Read more

Dream of escaping to an island, for the slower pace and stunning views? This illustrated love letter to the Pacific Northwest's iconic islands--focusing on Puget Sound, the San Juans, and Canada’s Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island--charms and educates travelers, locals, and armchair adventurers alike.A PACIFIC NORTHWEST BESTSELLER!Kick back, relax, and get On Island Time. This quirky illustrated travel guide showcases the hidden delights, natural wonders, and singular history of Washington and British Columbia's islands, from the author of bestselling The Best Coast, A Road Trip Atlas: Illustrated Adventures Along the West Coast's Historic Highways. Get ready to visit:PUGET SOUNDBainbridgeVashon-MauryWhidbeyThe South SoundSAN JUAN ISLANDSFidalgoSan JuanOrcasLopezBRITISH COLUMBIAVancouver IslandThe Gulf IslandsThe Sunshine CoastFeaturing hundreds of illustrations and hand-drawn maps, On Island Time is bursting with ideas aplenty for island-hopping excursions, like the best place for pie and steamed mussels on Whidbey Island, the most picturesque hikes in the San Juans, and the town on Vancouver Island to visit for salmon angling. Chock-full of unusual facts, hidden history, and roadside attractions, On Island Time celebrates a slower lifestyle that is diverse, fascinating, and altogether magical. Read more

For those who don't know their mollusks from their bivalves, this guide is the ideal introduction to the most familiar and unique types of seashells found in the marine eco-regions of North America. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 85 species and includes a marine ecoregion map. This guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for use by seashell collectors as you walk along your favorite beach. Made in the USA. Read more

Rice & Ducks is the story of South Carolina's coastal lowlands and those who owned them and prospered. It is about the people who harnessed the tides and engineered an intricate system that produced an extremely lucrative agricultural enterprise. It is an account expressed in rare photos, exquisite paintings and precise words of hard work by legions of hardy women and men -- their real names lost, their anglicized ones assigned -- who timbered, ditched, diked and sowed a spectacular patchwork of muddy fields day after day, generation after generation for more than 200 years. Read more

The Pacific Northwest coast is home to one of the most diverse displays of intertidal marine life in the world, including sponges, clams, snails, crabs, sea stars, sea anemones, jellies, fishes, seaweeds and more. The New Beachcomber’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest is a portable and easy-to-use reference for searching out and identifying the hundreds of species of seashore life found on the beaches of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Southeast Alaska.Covering the Pacific Northwest’s most common shoreline-dwelling flora and fauna, the guide gives in each entry a detailed description of appearance and habitat accompanied by colour photos for easy identification of any creature you might encounter as you explore your local beach. Simple but essential information on tides and the various habitats within the intertidal zones is also provided to assist beachcombers in exploring safely with minimal ecological impact. The New Beachcomber’s Guide even contains up-to-date descriptions of the best beachcombing sites and when to visit them―you may even find your new favourite exploration grounds!Thoroughly revised and packed with handy and accessible information, this guide belongs in the beach bag or backpack of any avid naturalist, amateur beachcomber or adventurous family. Read more