Orrin H. Pilkey's Books

The Last Beach

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,J. Andrew G. Cooper

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Last Beach is an urgent call to save the world's beaches while there is still time. The geologists Orrin H. Pilkey and J. Andrew G. Cooper sound the alarm in this frank assessment of our current relationship with beaches and their grim future if we do not change the way we understand and treat our irreplaceable shores. Combining case studies and anecdotes from around the world, they argue that many of the world's developed beaches, including some in Florida and in Spain, are virtually doomed and that we must act immediately to save imperiled beaches. After explaining beaches as dynamic ecosystems, Pilkey and Cooper assess the harm done by dense oceanfront development accompanied by the construction of massive seawalls to protect new buildings from a shoreline that encroaches as sea levels rise. They discuss the toll taken by sand mining, trash that washes up on beaches, and pollution, which has contaminated not only the water but also, surprisingly, the sand. Acknowledging the challenge of reconciling our actions with our love of beaches, the geologists offer suggestions for reversing course, insisting that given the space, beaches can take care of themselves and provide us with multiple benefits.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

391

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

082237594X

ISBN 13

9780822375944

Living by the Rules of the Sea

By: David M. Bush,Orrin H. Pilkey,William J. Neal

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Living by the Rules of the Sea

By: David M. Bush,Orrin H. Pilkey,William J. Neal

Living by the Rules of the Sea is a primer for people living along the nation's coastlines, those considering moving to the coast, or those who want a greater understanding of the risks and dangers posed by living at the seacoast. Published as part of Duke University Press's Living with the Shore series, but without a direct focus on the coastline of one particular state, this book is intended as an overall guide to coastal physical processes, risk assessment of potential property damage from coastal natural hazards, and property damage mitigation. Over the past twenty years, the authors have mapped and studied most of the barrier islands in the United States and have experienced coastal processes such as storms and shoreline retreat at close range. They represent a coastal geology/oceanographic perspective that is decidedly in favor of preserving the natural protective capabilities of the native coastal environment. While strongly anti-engineering in outlook, Living by the Rules of the Sea does provide a review of coastal engineering techniques. It also examines methods of repairing damage to the natural environment that lessen the prospect of further property damage. Finally, it employs a more inclusive "coastal zone" approach rather than simply concentrating on a more narrowly defined shoreline. Barrier islands are viewed as part of a larger system in which changes in one part of the system--for example, the mining of sand dunes or dredging offshore for beach replenishment sand--can have profound effects on another part of the system, predictable effects even though they may not be visible for years or decades. A comprehensive handbook with references to recent storms including hurricanes Andrew, Gilbert, Hugo, Emily, and Opal, Living by the Rules of the Sea is designed to help people make better and more informed choices about where or if to live at the coast.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

200

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822317966

ISBN 13

9780822317968

Living with the Coast of Alaska

By: Owen K. Mason,William J. Neal,Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Living with the Coast of Alaska

By: Owen K. Mason,William J. Neal,Orrin H. Pilkey

Another shore book that suggests ways to cope, not only with disasters at the coast but with the frequent hazards encountered inland. Part of the Living with the Shore Series.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

380

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822320193

ISBN 13

9780822320197

The Beaches Are Moving

The Drowning of America's Shoreline

By: Wallace Kaufman,Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Beaches Are Moving

The Drowning of America's Shoreline

By: Wallace Kaufman,Orrin H. Pilkey

Our beaches are eroding, sinking, washing out right under our houses, hotels, bridges; vacation dreamlands become nightmare scenes of futile revetments, fills, groins, what have you—all thrown up in a frantic defense against the natural system. The romantic desire to live on the seashore is in doomed conflict with an age-old pattern of beach migration. Yet it need not be so. Conservationist Wallace Kaufman teams up with marine geologist Orrin H. Pilkey Jr., in an evaluation of America's beaches from coast to coast, giving sound advice on how to judge a safe beach development from a dangerous one and how to live at the shore sensibly and safely.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

354

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822382946

ISBN 13

9780822382942

The Last Beach

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,J. Andrew G. Cooper

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Last Beach

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,J. Andrew G. Cooper

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

391

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

082237594X

ISBN 13

9780822375944

Useless Arithmetic

Why Environmental Scientists Can't Predict the Future

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Linda Pilkey-Jarvis

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Useless Arithmetic

Why Environmental Scientists Can't Predict the Future

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Linda Pilkey-Jarvis

Noted coastal geologist Orrin Pilkey and environmental scientist Linda Pilkey-Jarvis show that the quantitative mathematical models policy makers and government administrators use to form environmental policies are seriously flawed. Based on unrealistic and sometimes false assumptions, these models often yield answers that support unwise policies. Writing for the general, nonmathematician reader and using examples from throughout the environmental sciences, Pilkey and Pilkey-Jarvis show how unquestioned faith in mathematical models can blind us to the hard data and sound judgment of experienced scientific fieldwork. They begin with a riveting account of the extinction of the North Atlantic cod on the Grand Banks of Canada. Next they engage in a general discussion of the limitations of many models across a broad array of crucial environmental subjects. The book offers fascinating case studies depicting how the seductiveness of quantitative models has led to unmanageable nuclear waste disposal practices, poisoned mining sites, unjustifiable faith in predicted sea level rise rates, bad predictions of future shoreline erosion rates, overoptimistic cost estimates of artificial beaches, and a host of other thorny problems. The authors demonstrate how many modelers have been reckless, employing fudge factors to assure "correct" answers and caring little if their models actually worked. A timely and urgent book written in an engaging style, Useless Arithmetic evaluates the assumptions behind models, the nature of the field data, and the dialogue between modelers and their "customers.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

397

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231506996

ISBN 13

9780231506991

Vanishing Sands

Losing Beaches to Mining

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Norma J. Longo,William J. Neal,Nelson G. Rangel-Buitrago,Keith C. Pilkey,Hannah L. Hayes

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Vanishing Sands

Losing Beaches to Mining

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Norma J. Longo,William J. Neal,Nelson G. Rangel-Buitrago,Keith C. Pilkey,Hannah L. Hayes

In a time of accelerating sea level rise and increasingly intensifying storms, the world’s sandy beaches and dunes have never been more crucial to protecting coastal environments. Yet, in order to meet the demands of large-scale construction projects, sand mining is stripping beaches and dunes, destroying environments, and exploiting labor in the process. The authors of Vanishing Sands track the devastating impact of legal and illegal sand mining over the past twenty years, ranging from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to South America and the eastern United States. They show how sand mining has reached crisis levels: beach, dune, and river ecosystems are in danger of being lost forever, while organized crime groups use deadly force to protect their illegal mining operations. Calling for immediate and widespread resistance to sand mining, the authors demonstrate that its cessation is paramount for saving not only beaches, dunes, and associated environments but also lives and tourism economies everywhere.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

197

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1478023430

ISBN 13

9781478023432

Retreat from a Rising Sea

Hard Choices in an Age of Climate Change

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Linda Pilkey-Jarvis,Keith C. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Retreat from a Rising Sea

Hard Choices in an Age of Climate Change

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Linda Pilkey-Jarvis,Keith C. Pilkey

This sobering examination of climate-change and the disastrous effects of rising sea levels explains what must be done to avoid the worst outcomes. By the end of this century, hundreds of millions of people living at low elevations along coasts will be forced to retreat to higher and safer ground. Because of sea-level rise, major storms will inundate areas farther inland and will lay waste to critical infrastructure, such as water-treatment and energy facilities, creating vast, irreversible pollution by decimating landfills and toxic-waste sites. Retreat from a Rising Sea explains in gripping terms what rising oceans will do to coastal cities—detailing the specific threats faced by Miami, New Orleans, New York, and Amsterdam. This policy-oriented book then lays out the drastic actions we must take now to remove vulnerable populations. Aware of the overwhelming social, political, and economic challenges that would accompany effective action, the authors consider the burden to the taxpayer and the logistics of moving landmarks and infrastructure, including toxic-waste sites. They also show readers the alternative: thousands of environmental refugees, with no legitimate means to regain what they have lost. The authors conclude with effective approaches for addressing climate-change denialism and powerful arguments for reforming U.S. federal coastal management policies.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

253

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231541805

ISBN 13

9780231541800

How to Read a North Carolina Beach

Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Tracy Monegan Rice,William J. Neal

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

How to Read a North Carolina Beach

Bubble Holes, Barking Sands, and Rippled Runnels

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Tracy Monegan Rice,William J. Neal

Take a walk on the beach with three coastal experts who reveal the secrets and the science of the North Carolina shoreline. What makes sea foam? What are those tiny sand volcanoes along the waterline? You'll find the answers to these questions and dozens more in this comprehensive field guide to the state's beaches, which shows visitors how to decipher the mysteries of the beach and interpret clues to an ever-changing geological story. Orrin Pilkey, Tracy Monegan Rice, and William Neal explore large-scale processes, such as the composition and interaction of wind, waves, and sand, as well as smaller features, such as bubble holes, drift lines, and black sands. In addition, coastal life forms large and small--from crabs and turtles to microscopic animals--are all discussed here. The concluding chapter contemplates the future of North Carolina beaches, considering the threats to their survival and assessing strategies for conservation. This indispensable beach book offers vacationers and naturalists a single source for learning to appreciate and preserve the natural features of a genuine state treasure. Southern Gateways Guide is a registered trademark of the University of North Carolina Press

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

184

Publisher

UNC Press Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1469619679

ISBN 13

9781469619675

Lessons from the Sand

Family-Friendly Science Activities You Can Do on a Carolina Beach

By: Charles O. Pilkey,Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Lessons from the Sand

Family-Friendly Science Activities You Can Do on a Carolina Beach

By: Charles O. Pilkey,Orrin H. Pilkey

Ever wonder where sand comes from? Or why shells are colored differently? Or how to estimate the size of a wave? Featuring more than forty fun hands-on activities for families with children, Lessons from the Sand reveals the science behind the amazing natural wonders found on the beaches of North Carolina and South Carolina. Easy-to-do experiments will help parents and kids discover the ways water, wind, sand, plants, animals, and people interact to shape the constantly changing beaches we love to visit. Featuring colorful illustrations and clear instructions, most activities require nothing more than an observant eye and simple tools found at local stores. You will learn about geology, weather, waves and currents, the critters that live on our beaches, and the environmental issues that threaten them. Chapters also include indoor activities for rainy days and activities for nighttime discovery. This book will become an indispensable companion for families, teachers, and students heading to the Carolina coast for years to come.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

330

Publisher

UNC Press Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1469627388

ISBN 13

9781469627380

Global Climate Change

A Primer

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Keith C. Pilkey,Mary Edna Fraser

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Global Climate Change

A Primer

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Keith C. Pilkey,Mary Edna Fraser

An internationally recognized expert on the geology of barrier islands takes on climate change deniers in an outstanding and much-needed primer on the science of global change and its effects.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

161

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822351099

ISBN 13

9780822351092

Sea Level Rise

A Slow Tsunami on America's Shores

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Keith C. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Sea Level Rise

A Slow Tsunami on America's Shores

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Keith C. Pilkey

The consequences of twenty-first-century sea level rise on the United States and its nearly 90,000 miles of shoreline will be immense: Miami and New Orleans will disappear; many nuclear and other power plants, hundreds of wastewater plants and toxic waste sites, and oil production facilities will be at risk; port infrastructures will need to be raised; and over ten million Americans fleeing rising seas will become climate refugees. In Sea Level Rise Orrin H. Pilkey and Keith C. Pilkey argue that the only feasible response along much of the U.S. shoreline is an immediate and managed retreat. Among many topics, they examine sea level rise's effects on coastal ecosystems, health, and native Alaskan coastal communities. They also provide guidelines for those living on the coasts or planning on moving to or away from them, as well as the steps local governments should take to prepare for this unstoppable, impending catastrophe.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

135

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1478005122

ISBN 13

9781478005124

The Rising Sea

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Rob Young

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Rising Sea

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Rob Young

On Shishmaref Island in Alaska, homes are being washed into the sea. In the South Pacific, small island nations face annihilation by encroaching waters. In coastal Louisiana, an area the size of a football field disappears every day. For these communities, sea level rise isn’t a distant, abstract fear: it’s happening now and it’s threatening their way of life. In The Rising Sea, Orrin H. Pilkey and Rob Young warn that many other coastal areas may be close behind. Prominent scientists predict that the oceans may rise by as much as seven feet in the next hundred years. That means coastal cities will be forced to construct dikes and seawalls or to move buildings, roads, pipelines, and railroads to avert inundation and destruction. The question is no longer whether climate change is causing the oceans to swell, but by how much and how quickly. Pilkey and Young deftly guide readers through the science, explaining the facts and debunking the claims of industry-sponsored “skeptics.” They also explore the consequences for fish, wildlife—and people. While rising seas are now inevitable, we are far from helpless. By making hard choices—including uprooting citizens, changing where and how we build, and developing a coordinated national response—we can save property, and ultimately lives. With unassailable research and practical insights, The Rising Sea is a critical first step in understanding the threat and keeping our heads above water.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

225

Publisher

Island Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1597266434

ISBN 13

9781597266437

Living with the East Florida Shore

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Living with the East Florida Shore

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

More than one transplanted Floridian has paid $150,000 for a beautiful condominium with a sea view only to learn that, to keep the building from becoming part of the view, considerable additional money must be spent to build and repair seawalls or to pump up new beaches by dredging sand from offshore. Most of Florida's beachfront property lies on narrow strips of sand called barrier islands, which are low in elevation and subject to flooding during storms and hurricanes. Some of the construction is poor, adding to the problems facing homeowners, most whom came from other parts of the country with little awareness of the hazards of beaches. In Living with the East Florida Shore, Orrin H. Pilkey, Jr., of Duke University, along with his co-authors, has described the varied problems that confront the east shore of Florida today.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

296

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822305151

ISBN 13

9780822305156

The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands

Restless Ribbons of Sand

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands

Restless Ribbons of Sand

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

The North Carolina Shore and Its Barrier Islands is the latest volume in the series, Living with the Shore. Replacing an earlier volume, this thoroughly new book provides a diverse guide to one of America's most popular shorelines. As is true for all books in the series, it is based on the premise that understanding the changing nature of beaches and barrier islands is essential if we are to preserve them for future generations. Evidence that the North Carolina shore is changing is never hard to find, but recently the devastation wrought by Hurricane Fran and the perilous situation of the historic lighthouse at Cape Hatteras have reminded all concerned of the fragility of this coast. Arguing for a policy of intelligent development, one in which residential and commercial structures meet rather than confront the changing nature of the shore, the authors have included practical information on hazards of many kinds--storms, tides, floods, erosion, island migration, and earthquakes. Diagrams and photographs clearly illustrate coastal processes and aid in understanding the impact of hurricanes and northeasters, wave and current dynamics, as well as pollution and other environmental destruction due to overdevelopment. A chapter on estuaries provides related information on the shores of back barrier areas that are growing in popularity for recreational residences. Risk maps focus on the natural hazards of each island and together with construction guidelines provide a basis for informed island management. Lastly, the dynamics of coastal politics and management are reviewed through an analysis of the controversies over the decision to move the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and a proposed effort to stabilize Oregon Inlet. From the natural and historic perspective of the opening chapters to the regional discussions of individual barrier islands, this book is both a primer on coastal processes for the first time visitor as well as a guide to hazard identification for property owners.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

348

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822322242

ISBN 13

9780822322245

The World's Beaches

A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,William J. Neal,James Andrew Graham Cooper,Joseph T. Kelley

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The World's Beaches

A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,William J. Neal,James Andrew Graham Cooper,Joseph T. Kelley

Take this book to the beach; it will open up a whole new world. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps, and graphics, it explores one of the planet’s most dynamic environments—from tourist beaches to Arctic beaches strewn with ice chunks to steaming hot tropical shores. The World’s Beaches tells how beaches work, explains why they vary so much, and shows how dramatic changes can occur on them in a matter of hours. It discusses tides, waves, and wind; the patterns of dunes, washover fans, and wrack lines; and the shape of berms, bars, shell lags, cusps, ripples, and blisters. What is the world’s longest beach? Why do some beaches sing when you walk on them? Why do some have dark rings on their surface and tiny holes scattered far and wide? This fascinating, comprehensive guide also considers the future of beaches, and explains how extensively people have affected them—from coastal engineering to pollution, oil spills, and rising sea levels.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

301

Publisher

Univ of California Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0520948947

ISBN 13

9780520948945

Escaping Nature

How to Survive Global Climate Change

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Charles O. Pilkey,Linda P. Pilkey-Jarvis,Norma J. Longo,Keith C. Pilkey,Fred B. Dodson,Hannah L. Hayes

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Escaping Nature

How to Survive Global Climate Change

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Charles O. Pilkey,Linda P. Pilkey-Jarvis,Norma J. Longo,Keith C. Pilkey,Fred B. Dodson,Hannah L. Hayes

Industrial and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly warming Earth’s climate, unleashing rising seas, ocean acidification, melting permafrost, powerful storms, wildfires, floods, deadly heat waves, droughts, tsunamis, food shortages, and armed conflict over shrinking water supplies while reducing nutritional levels in crops. Billions of people will become climate refugees. Hotter temperatures will allow tropical diseases to spread into temperate regions. Higher levels of CO2, allergens, dust, and other particulate matter will impair our physical and mental health and even reduce our cognitive abilities. Climate change disproportionately affects the world’s poor. It also harms Nature, and could ultimately trigger a sixth mass extinction. In Escaping Nature, Orrin H. Pilkey and his coauthors offer concrete suggestions for how to respond to the threats posed by global climate change. They argue that while we wait for the world’s governments to get serious about mitigating climate change we can adapt to a hotter world through technological innovations, behavioral changes, nature-based solutions, political changes, and education.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

239

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1478027576

ISBN 13

9781478027577

A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Mary Edna Fraser

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands

By: Orrin H. Pilkey,Mary Edna Fraser

Although these islands are vastly different in many ways, they also share many common features.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

348

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231119704

ISBN 13

9780231119702

Living with the Coast of Maine

By: Joseph T. Kelley,Alice R. Kelley,Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Living with the Coast of Maine

By: Joseph T. Kelley,Alice R. Kelley,Orrin H. Pilkey

Maine is known for its rockbound coast and pristine shoreline. Yet there is more to this shore than rocky cliffs. This book describes the origin of the more common "soft coast" of eroding bluffs, sand beaches, and salt marshes. A central theme is the formation of the present shoreline during the current ongoing rise in sea level and the ways in which coastal residents can best cope with the changes to come. Although it is not widely known, Maine is experiencing a rapid, uneven drowning of its shore at the same time that coastal development is at an all-time high. The authors explain how the shoreline is changing and provide a series of highly detailed maps that show the relative safety of particular locations on the coast. Specific guidelines for recognizing various safe and unsafe coastal settings are presented, as are recommendations for sound construction techniques in hazardous coastal areas. Photographs and drawings illustrate the danger of living too near the shoreline, and an up-to-date review of Maine's regulations governing coastal construction is simply and readably described. A bibliography of important coastal literature is also included, as well as a guide to federal, state, and local sources of information.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

196

Publisher

Duke University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0822308649

ISBN 13

9780822308645

The World's Beaches

A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The World's Beaches

A Global Guide to the Science of the Shoreline

By: Orrin H. Pilkey

Beaches occupy a magical place in the human consciousness. We fish from their tidal waters, run with our children on the cushioning sands and dream of what waits over life's horizon as we gather for a sunset. But there is much more to be known of these coastal wonderlands. Learn in The World's Beaches their critical function as a delicate ecosystem, how to read the signs left by winds, waves, plants and animals of the beach. Discover the surprising ways our irreplaceable beaches are increasingly threatened and what must be done to save them."—Rob Lowe, Actor “Ask 100 people their views about beaches and you'll get 100 love stories. We all love the beach. The World's Beaches delivers a comprehensive view into what a beach is, why it exists and how they are increasingly at risk."—Jim Moriarty, CEO Surfrider Foundation "Read this book and you'll never look at a beach in the same way. From waves and crab tracks, to sand, gravel and climate change, this book is filled with engrossing details to remind humankind of its enduring love of beaches worldwide.”—Miles O. Hayes, Coastal Geomorphologist, Research Planning, Inc. “Beach visitors around the world will want to own this superb collection of images and explanations of how the beach works. It’s a must-read book for anyone wanting to know more about these dynamic natural resources.”—Robert A. Morton, United States Geological Survey (USGS) "We now have an outstanding, lively, readable, well illustrated and thorough resource to lead us towards a deeper understanding of the how beaches form and function and what we should be concerned for in their future. This book should be everyone’s pillow and companion for the day at the beach."—Dr. Harold R. Wanless, University of Miami "The more you know about a place the more you will learn to love it, and want to protect it. The photos and captions alone in this book will gain you a great new appreciation of these precious coastlines."—Yvon Chouinard, owner, Patagonia, Inc.

Average ratings

N/A