fictionfan's review against another edition
4.0
‘There is a tide in the affairs of men…’
In this book, Callum Roberts sets out to argue the case that man is damaging the oceans of the world in ways that may be irreversible if not addressed quickly and determinedly. Prof. Roberts track record as a marine biologist and environmentalist is impressive – as well as a Hardy fellowship in conservation biology at Harvard University, he was awarded a fellowship by the Pew Environment Group, (one of the organisations behind the setting up of the new Global Ocean Commission) in marine conservation.
Roberts starts with a history of the oceans since the planet was formed, showing how previous episodes of warming, changes in acidity levels, etc., have had huge effects on the animals that live there. He then gives a very detailed account of the history of man’s interaction with the sea, through fishing, shipping and pollution amongst other things. As he piles detail on detail, his argument that we are causing major and probably irreversible damage is completely convincing and thoroughly depressing. Some of the images he provides, of mass piles of discarded plastic gathering in the ocean gyres, of dead zones caused by chemical pollution, of coral reefs bleaching and dying, of life at the bottom of the seas being destroyed by trawling, are stark and horrifying. Of course we knew all this, but Roberts pulls it all together for us and shows us the consequences, so that no-one reading this book could be left feeling that this is a problem that can continue to be ignored.
It is only in the last couple of chapters that Roberts offers solutions and not unsurprisingly these are fairly straightforward – to set up protection zones, to reduce the flow of chemicals and rubbish into the seas, to combat global warming. Straightforward but not easy, though Roberts also gives examples of some major advances that have been made over the last decade or so. (Who would have expected George Dubya to come out of a book like this as one of the heroes? Apparently he set up huge protected zones before he left office.) Roberts finishes the book by listing some of the many organisations working towards marine preservation and giving an idea of the approach each organisation is taking.
I did not find this an easy or enjoyable read. It was hard work in places as Roberts piled on more and more evidence to back his arguments, sometimes with greater detail than I felt necessary. However, the message of the book is a vitally important one and Roberts has succeeded in getting that message across. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in environmental matters – and that should really be everyone, shouldn’t it?
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
In this book, Callum Roberts sets out to argue the case that man is damaging the oceans of the world in ways that may be irreversible if not addressed quickly and determinedly. Prof. Roberts track record as a marine biologist and environmentalist is impressive – as well as a Hardy fellowship in conservation biology at Harvard University, he was awarded a fellowship by the Pew Environment Group, (one of the organisations behind the setting up of the new Global Ocean Commission) in marine conservation.
Roberts starts with a history of the oceans since the planet was formed, showing how previous episodes of warming, changes in acidity levels, etc., have had huge effects on the animals that live there. He then gives a very detailed account of the history of man’s interaction with the sea, through fishing, shipping and pollution amongst other things. As he piles detail on detail, his argument that we are causing major and probably irreversible damage is completely convincing and thoroughly depressing. Some of the images he provides, of mass piles of discarded plastic gathering in the ocean gyres, of dead zones caused by chemical pollution, of coral reefs bleaching and dying, of life at the bottom of the seas being destroyed by trawling, are stark and horrifying. Of course we knew all this, but Roberts pulls it all together for us and shows us the consequences, so that no-one reading this book could be left feeling that this is a problem that can continue to be ignored.
It is only in the last couple of chapters that Roberts offers solutions and not unsurprisingly these are fairly straightforward – to set up protection zones, to reduce the flow of chemicals and rubbish into the seas, to combat global warming. Straightforward but not easy, though Roberts also gives examples of some major advances that have been made over the last decade or so. (Who would have expected George Dubya to come out of a book like this as one of the heroes? Apparently he set up huge protected zones before he left office.) Roberts finishes the book by listing some of the many organisations working towards marine preservation and giving an idea of the approach each organisation is taking.
I did not find this an easy or enjoyable read. It was hard work in places as Roberts piled on more and more evidence to back his arguments, sometimes with greater detail than I felt necessary. However, the message of the book is a vitally important one and Roberts has succeeded in getting that message across. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in environmental matters – and that should really be everyone, shouldn’t it?
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
k_phin's review against another edition
4.0
In short: please read this. It's important to understand what's going on in our oceans.
A recent issue of the Economist focused on this book, and as I was looking for a comprehensive overview of the state of our oceans, I picked it up at the library. The first part of The Ocean of Life goes into detail on the problems that humans have created: overfishing to the point that we don't even realize the abundance of fish that used to be in the sea; pollution such as plastics, nutrient flows from agriculture and pharmaceuticals; climate change including the heating and acidification of oceans; noise pollution, an effect that I certainly hadn't thought of before; the introduction of non-native and invasive species and the decline in diversity; and more. The second half of the book focuses on the ways we can work to save the oceans, from reducing our use of plastics and reducing emissions to setting aside more marine reserves to allow space for the flora and fauna to regrow. The author ends on a positive note, but it's clear that there's a difficult challenge ahead. We face tough odds in trying to preserve what we have left. The Appendices recommend some great resources to figure out how you can do your part in preserving the oceans.
While it's not gripping in the manner of many popular nonfiction novels, if you grasp what the author is saying about our world, the book should hold attention throughout. My only negative review is that I wish I had a condensed version to pass off to more skeptical friends who might not be willing to put in the time for this longer read. Nonetheless, more people should be aware of how the growth of the human race has affected oceans, so I hope this review will encourage someone to read this book.
A recent issue of the Economist focused on this book, and as I was looking for a comprehensive overview of the state of our oceans, I picked it up at the library. The first part of The Ocean of Life goes into detail on the problems that humans have created: overfishing to the point that we don't even realize the abundance of fish that used to be in the sea; pollution such as plastics, nutrient flows from agriculture and pharmaceuticals; climate change including the heating and acidification of oceans; noise pollution, an effect that I certainly hadn't thought of before; the introduction of non-native and invasive species and the decline in diversity; and more. The second half of the book focuses on the ways we can work to save the oceans, from reducing our use of plastics and reducing emissions to setting aside more marine reserves to allow space for the flora and fauna to regrow. The author ends on a positive note, but it's clear that there's a difficult challenge ahead. We face tough odds in trying to preserve what we have left. The Appendices recommend some great resources to figure out how you can do your part in preserving the oceans.
While it's not gripping in the manner of many popular nonfiction novels, if you grasp what the author is saying about our world, the book should hold attention throughout. My only negative review is that I wish I had a condensed version to pass off to more skeptical friends who might not be willing to put in the time for this longer read. Nonetheless, more people should be aware of how the growth of the human race has affected oceans, so I hope this review will encourage someone to read this book.
melissabalick's review against another edition
Much like A Brief History of the Sea but with further updates. That book was formative for me, it influenced my life in some significant ways. This one would likely do the same for some people if they read it. It doesn’t seem to be widely-read, however. Shame. The world is doomed.
glamourfaust's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely thorough and depressing account of all the damage we have done and continue to do to our oceans and how it affects climate change and threatens our future.
lauracooper's review against another edition
4.0
A concise compendium of the impending catastrophe, but does support the fishing industry and even gives pointers for buying "sustainable" fish from supermarkets, though the rest of the book easily leads to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a sustainable fishing industry, and gives very little consideration to the idea of giving up seafood all together.
kieranyes's review
3.0
Just personally, think I found this a bit of a slog because I already know the subject matter well and had heard most if it before. Although it was also quite repetitive, it doesn't detract from how it is interesting and well written though.
maliear's review against another edition
5.0
If you give even the smallest crap about the health of our oceans, you should read this book!
More...