Ebb and Flow: Tides and Life on Our Once and Future Planet

by Tom Koppel

Ebb and Flow was named one of 2007's "best science books" by Peter Calamai, science editor of the Toronto Star [Dec. 30, 2007]. He calls it a "wonderful resource book. Tom Koppel seems to have visited or read about every place with unusual tides and water currents, yet he wears this scholarship lightly."

Tides have shaped our world. They have carved out shorelines, transformed early life on Earth, and altered the course of human civilization. Tides frustrated Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, and aided General MacArthur. They govern the way our planet moves, provide us with an alternative source of energy, and may be aggravating global climate change.

Drawing on science, history, and personal memories, Koppel's fascinating book engages and enlightens, demonstrating that a subject we take for granted affects all our lives. He weaves together three grand narratives, exploring how tides impact coasts and marine life, how they have altered human history and development, and how science has striven to understand the surprisingly complex way in which tides actually work.

Genres: Science

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great book describing well the enigmatic tidal anomalies of the planet. Of course they are not anomalies since they are to some extent consistent in situ. However my understanding was increased dramatically, my appreciation for the myriad factors determining outcome stretched beyond my narrow perception. It was a fascinating discussion, researched well and presented in a fairly easy to comprehend manner. And I still don't really get how the tides work. Admittedly I read this years ago, but it has stayed with me. I'll read it again.