Tides - by Jonathan White (Paperback)

About the Book

A global journey through the science and wonder of the oceans

Book Synopsis

In Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean, writer, sailor, and surfer Jonathan White takes readers across the globe to discover the science and spirit of ocean tides.

In the Arctic, White shimmies under the ice with an Inuit elder to hunt for mussels in the dark cavities left behind at low tide; in China, he races the Silver Dragon, a twenty-five-foot tidal bore that crashes eighty miles up the Qiantang River; in France, he interviews the monks that live in the tide-wrapped monastery of Mont Saint-Michel; in Chile and Scotland, he investigates the growth of tidal power generation; and in Panama and Venice, he delves into how the threat of sea level rise is changing human culture--the very old and very new.

Tides combines lyrical prose, colorful adventure travel, and provocative scientific inquiry into the elemental, mysterious paradox that keeps our planet's waters in constant motion. Photographs, scientific figures, line drawings, and sixteen color photos dramatically illustrate this engaging, expert tour of the tides.

Review Quotes

"A phenomenal book -- probably one of the smartest books about a spirit I've ever read." -- The Toronto Star

"A rich story... engaging." -- The Wall Street Journal

"A lively exploration of the heritage, culture, practices and politics that shape Mexico's most famous export. Martineau introduces producers using traditional agricultural and distillation methods, shows readers why they're worth preserving, and outlines the challenges facing anyone concerned with the quality and sustainability of tequila, mezcal and other agave spirits." -- The Kansas City Star

"Martineau journeys through Mexico interviewing producers of the agave-based spirits tequila and mescal. She's dismayed that international beverage distributors now design and market Mexico's signature alcoholic drinks and that techniques of mass production too often sacrifice integrity and authenticity." -- Foreign Affairs

"Martineau argues convincingly that good tequila resembles wine more than it does its fellow liquors. She writes of agave plantations as if they are vineyards, with variations in climate, slope, soil, and moisture resulting in variations in the plants that are, in turn, discernible in the distilled product. She co-opts the precious French word terroir and applies it to her subject with no intended loss of dignity." -- The Los Angeles Review of Books" Conservationist Jonathan White combines scientific investigation with personal memoir in this solid examination of the nature of tides and waves."-- Publishers Weekly

"Anyone inclined to take the movement of the tides for granted will think twice after reading this wide-ranging study from a conservationist and avid sailor... White's heightened awareness of the planet's "cosmic beat" is bound to make readers more sensitive to the mysteries of what might otherwise seem commonplace."-- Kirkus Review

"[Jonathan White's] writing can be gorgeous.... prose that's as beguiling as it is informative."-- The Oregonian

"Tides is a circumnavigation - tides are simultaneously the protagonist and antagonist. Wrecker of havoc and deus exmachina. And perhaps what's most interesting is White's narrative surrounding how each part of the world has adapted to their unique tidal variations. Tides aspires to inspire a new appreciation for a global natural process that most ocean enthusiasts take for granted."-- The Internia

"A wonderful bit of writing... wonderfully descriptive... a travelogue and an adventure story."-- Helen Palmer, host of Living on Earth

"Jonathan White is not only an accomplished storyteller, but a rare exemplar of the marriage of technical lucidity with stylistic grace."-- Alan Littell, Ocean Navigator

"A grand mix of science history, ocean lore and literary travel writing."-- Seattle Times

"Fascinating account."-- Epoch Times

"A fascinating work of literary nonfiction, rich with characters, stories and scenes from around the globe. White considers the book to be 'a life's work, ' one that took him more than 10 years to complete. He doesn't simply examine the mysteries of the tides, he brings readers on his adventure -- one filled with wonder and surprises and fed by White's relentless curiosity."-- Bangor Daily News

"As a surfer and sailor, Jonathan White pays attention to tides. But he didn't really understand them until he traveled around the world to meet people and see places where the ebb and flow, the rise and fall, shape lives and tell epic stories. His new nonfiction book, Tides, is the result."-- San Diego Union-Tribune

"[Jonathan]...you write like an angel....Lovely, lyrical writing."-- Michael Krasny, host of The Forum on KQED

"The sailor-surfer-conservationist takes us on a global travelogue-scientific expedition."-- Sacramento Bee

"A fascinating read."-- Portland Press Herald

"A captivating examination of all things tidal." -- Anchorage Daily News

"Jonathan White's tidal explorations drew me in with just the right mix of science, history, and storytelling, propelled throughout by the author's infectious curiosity and sense of wonder. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, and filled with unexpected connections and discoveries, Tides is a splendid book;highly recommended." -- Thor Hanson, author of Feathers and The Triumph of Seeds

"I loved this book. Jonathan White weaves the science throughout his travel stories so that the reader is not inundated with mathematical and scientific theories. I recommend it to both scientists and nonscientists." -- Sally Warner, PhD in physical oceanography, Oregon State University

"One of the most fascinating, engaging, relevant, and impeccably brilliant books I have ever read. It has profoundly changed my sense of the earth, the oceans, the sky, and how they are deeply interwoven with the course of human thought and history." -- Richard Nelson, author of The Island Within

"Newton's death mask, bore tide waves on a Chinese river, a grounded sailboat in Alaska, a French monastery, the slowing of the earth's rotation, world-class surfing, alternative energy, and more come together in Jonathan White's wonderful Tides, a book for every lover of the sea and for those who think-- mistakenly-- that tables and charts contain everything worth knowing about the perpetual rise and fall of the sea."-- Bill Streever, author of And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind: A Natural History of Moving Air

"Tides is easy to read, easy to follow, erudite. White beautifully integrates his personal experience into the science, keeping me grounded in the present as a reader and making the tides not just personal but passionately alive. I expect to read it again and again. Pass it on, recommend it, give it as a gift!" -- Pam Loew, Turtleback Books

"Jonathan White provides us in this fine, fascinating book with a clear understanding of the infinitely complex and wild nature of our planet's tidal forces in all their mystery and beauty." -- Peter Matthiessen, from the foreword

About the Author

Peter Matthiessen (1927-2014) was an American novelist, naturalist, wilderness writer, and CIA agent. A co-founder of the Paris Review, he was a 2008 National Book Award winner. He was also an environmental activist. His nonfiction, notably The Snow Leopard, featured nature and travel, as well as American Indian issues and history, including his study of the Leonard Peltier case, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. His early story story "Travelin' Man" was made into the film The Young One directed by Luis Buñuel, and his novel At Play in the Fields of the Lord was made into a 1991 film. He lived in Sagaponak, New York.