This book? Not too shabby. It contained a lot of interesting information, facts and theories about waves, the oceans and climate change. Casey alternates between the science and the "adventure" sides of the ocean experience. For the science piece, she delves into the unpredictable and precarious nature of climate change and the ocean itself. She touches upon famous storms, tsunamis and shipwrecks as well as the mysterious disappearances of ships both large and small. There are a lot of fun facts and trivia bits peppered into the narrative, and although the science can get a little heavy at times, Casey finds a way to keep it accessible. This book was published in 2010, and it's fascinating to think about all that has happened since then, especially with the tsunami in Japan.
As for the "adventure" side, Casey focused on the Big Wave riders, especially Laird Hamilton. This part of the book? Crazy! These surfers are insane! But, it was so cool to read about their adventures and there were some great pictures. If I had one comment about all of this, it would be that I think the author was totally crushing on Laird Hamilton (not that I can blame her!).
I didn't always love the juxtaposition of the two story threads. Sometimes it was jarring to read an "adventure" chapter that ended in a cliffhanger and then turn the page and get a science chapter. I do think it was neat to show both perspectives, but maybe it should have been broken down into Part I & Part II.
Overall, a good read that I would recommend.
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