Tides

January 2, 2017
Conservationist White (Talking on the Water) combines scientific investigation with personal memoir in this solid examination of the nature of tides and waves. He looks at how tides are affected regularly by the moon and how they in turn affect both humans and sea life. White grew up surfing, diving, sailing, and fishing in coastal waters, and for years navigated the Pacific Northwest archipelago aboard his schooner, Crusader. Setting out to learn more about the tides, he identifies four zones of tidal exposure: the splash zone and the high, middle, and low intertidal zones. Sections about monster swells near Half Moon Bay, Calif., prove especially fascinating. At a spot named Mavericks, 20-foot waves attract surfers from around the world every winter. White also describes the changing tide in Venice, Italy, where residents have for decades dealt with flooding in lower elevations and consider its vicissitudes a normal feature of life. With an eye on the future, White outlines ways in which tidal energy can be “harnessed as a source of heat and light,” citing the importance of a supportive government and the need for strong renewable energy policies—ideals with which many readers will agree. Color photos.

Maintaining a pleasant, engaged pace, Dan Woren narrates this sweeping yet intimate meditation on tides. The author visited the sites of remarkable tidal phenomena around the world to experience them personally and to speak with experts; Woren performs their remarks with lightly applied accents, which some listeners may find off-putting. The pronunciation of technical and foreign words is handled with only a few minor missteps. The printed book contains photographs, maps, and figures, which are not included in the audio presentation. Although these illustrations do contribute to one's understanding of the astronomical and physical forces that create and shape tides, these concepts are adequately explained by the text, and Woren delivers them with understanding and authority. D.L.Y. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine