Synopses & Reviews
A global journey through the science and wonder of the oceans.
In Tides, 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. Scientific figures, line drawings, black and white photography throughout, and a color photo insert dramatically illustrate this engaging, expert tour of the tides.
Review
"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
Review
"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
Review
"Conservationist Jonathan White combines scientific investigation with personal memoir in this solid examination of the nature of tides and waves." Publishers Weekly
Review
"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
Review
"A wonderfully paced account.... White offers clear explanations of how tides work and scientific giants such as Aristotle, Copernicus ... and others helped us get where we are today." Wall Street Journal
About the Author
Jonathan White is an active marine conservationist, a sailor, and a surfer. His first book, Talking on the Water: Conversations about Nature and Creativity, is a collection of interviews exploring our relationship with nature and features Gretel Ehrlich, David Brower, Ursula K. Le Guin, Gary Snyder, Peter Matthiessen, and others. White is the author of Tides, forthcoming from Trinity University Press, and has written for the Christian Science Monitor, The Sun, Orion, Surfer’s Journal, and other publications. He holds an MFA in creative nonfiction and lives with his wife and son on a small island in Washington State.