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Jan Zalasiewicz's Top Book Recommendations

Want to know what books Jan Zalasiewicz recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Jan Zalasiewicz's favorite book recommendations of all time.

1
A Silent Spring for oceans—from “the Rachel Carson of the fish world” (The New York Times) 

The sea feeds and sustains us, but its future is under catastrophic threat. In this powerful and ambitious book Callum Roberts—one of the world’s foremost conservation biologists—tells the story of the history of the sea, from the earliest traces of water on earth to the oceans as we know them today. He offers a devastating account of the impact of overfishing, deep-sea mining, pollution, and climate change and explains what we must do now to preserve our rapidly...
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Recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz, and 1 others.

Jan ZalasiewiczHe has made an in-depth study of the history of fishing, and environmental pollution. (Source)

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2
The scientific exploration of the ocean is an extraordinary story. Hundreds have climbed Everest yet only two people have descended, in a homespun 'bathyscaphe', to the very depths of the deepest sea chasm. Amazing oases teeming with life have been found in deep sea volcanic vents but we have hardly begun to identify their resident species. We know that sea currents control our climate but we don't know how. Ocean scientists are pretty sure that we could reverse the greenhouse effect by manipulating plankton blooms with doses of iron ... but fear we might trigger an ice age in the act. more
Recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz, and 1 others.

Jan ZalasiewiczAs a popular book on oceanography, it’s very hard to beat. (Source)

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3

The Sea Around Us

Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. Rachel Carson's rare ability to combine scientific insight with moving, poetic prose catapulted her book to first place on The New York Times best-seller list, where it enjoyed wide attention for thirty-one consecutive weeks. It remained on the list for more than a year and a half and ultimately sold well over a million copies, has been translated into 28 languages, inspired an Academy Award-winning documentary, and won both the 1952 National Book Award... more
Recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz, and 1 others.

Jan ZalasiewiczIt’s beautifully written: it’s poetic, evocative, and creates an air of mystery. (Source)

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4

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Go 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Sterling's Illustrated Classics series, and see Jules Verne's fantastic water-world as never before: through more than 70 stunning steampunk images illustrated by the incredible William O'Connor. Originally published in 1870, Verne’s amazing adventure is one of the earliest sci-fi novels ever written—and one of the most popular. Come on board the Nautilus and plunge below the waves with Captain Nemo on a voyage of exploration and imagination. less

Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Alan KayA formative book in so many ways. (Source)

Jan ZalasiewiczRe-reading it recently, I was struck not just by its dynamic plot, but also by how much science he smuggled in. (Source)

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