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Flotsametrics And The Floating World: How One Man's Obsession With Runaway Sneakers And Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science (2009)

by Curtis Ebbesmeyer(Favorite Author)
3.77 of 5 Votes: 1
ISBN
0061558419 (ISBN13: 9780061558412)
languge
English
genre
publisher
Smithsonian
review 1: It's an account of the career of Curtis Ebbesmeyer and it is an interesting introduction to ocean science. Perhaps the most-surprising aspect of it is that Ebbesmeyer revives a lot of research on floating objects from earlier maritime eras. The 1800s were years when many people used floating bottles and other objects to research ocean currents. And Ebbesmeyer digs into what Christopher Columbus knew about flotsam arriving in Portugal and the Azores, which led him to speculate that Asia was much closer by ship than generally believed. Ebbesmeyer gives the reader a good sense of how currents move and interact in the modern oceans. And, about how much trash is moving in today's oceans. Curt keeps a "flotsametrics" website but at this writing has let it get stale, with th... moree last blog postings two years old.
review 2: If you are willing to tolerate some dry chapters and passages that probably only an oceanographer would truly appreciate, there are treasures to be found in this book. Ebbesmeyer tells some wonderful true stories that teach interesting information about the sea. There are also passages which are very poignant and poetic- deeply moving, wonderful, and insightful. Overall, I would recommend the book as a "good read." less
Reviews (see all)
bbofdifam
not the most thrilling read but good stuff about how our understanding of ocean currents has evolved
rashidnaveed7
This was a great book! It was a little dry at the beginning, but I'm so glad I stuck with it.
Killer_X_D
I'm an oceanographer and a beachcomber. Of course I loved it!
kat
NPR Science Fridayvery informative and FUN!
Latha
Interesting stuff.
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