The Sea is one of twenty-five volumes in the Life Nature Library. Published by Time-Life books in the 1960s, this series portrays the many aspects of the natural world. Despite its age, The Sea is a good, basic introduction to oceanography. Topics covered include the history of oceanography, the sea floor, waves, tides, currents, life in the sea, and how humans have used and will likely use the sea for food, energy, and minerals. As with other books in this series, there are many awesome illustrations which supplement the reading. The chapter on sharks was especially fascinating. An appendix of important dates in ocean exploration is included. If you want a highly readable, non-technical book on the ocean then this book is for you. ( )

Despite their importance to mankind, the earth sciences have traditionally lagged behind the laboratory sciences. Perhaps the most backward subdivision of the earth sciences has been the obscure subject of oceanography, in which an attempt is made to advance our understanding of one particular part of our environment, namely the large fraction of our globe that is covered with salt water. The ocean is basic to all life. Therefore it is entirely fitting that this first volume in the Life Nature Library should be about the sea. This handsome book supplies a lively introduction to a fascinating subject.

Though the title of this book should be "The Ocean," since it is about oceans and not seas, this is, in many ways, an excellent resource. I learned an incredible amount about the sea as an entity- its geography, its currents, the phyla of its lifeforms. My only critiques have to do with the date this was published- the seventies. It talks about the great possibilities in terms of using the ocean's resources, especially in terms of oil, but, other than a little bit of information about how whales are endangered, completely ignores the many environmental problems our oceans are facing today. It also discusses sharks as dangerous, menacing creatures, in some sort of reaction against treating them as less dangerous prior to that time. The netting done in Australia, which has killed thousands of non-man-eating sharks, is described as a great idea. Both environmentally and with its treatment of sharks, this book is way off, but it is otherwise loaded with great information. ( )

LIFE nature series. ( )