Living Shores

I wish I'd had this book when I was a teenager! It's the perfect book for the person I was then, hungry for knowledge and obsessed with nature (especially the ocean). I would have spent hours reading and rereading it, mesmerised by the beautiful images and absorbing the wealth of knowledge it shares. Not that this book is only suited for teenagers - but I think it's one that bridges space between people like me, amateurs, interested in natural science because they are love the beauty and complexity of the natural world, and those who need a bit of a deeper, more thorough, specific text.

Living Shores covers the entire system of marine life in Southern Africa - not just all the different environments one expects to see covered in a book like this (estuaries, kelp forests, coral reefs etc) but also many chapters on what they call "the human factor", the way that we humans fit into that environment, for example our reliance on fishing, the effect we've had through introducing alien species and pollution. And if you're now thinking "Oh dear. That sounds depressing", that's not the case. Yes, it's a hard look at the problems we face, but it's ultimately a deeply positive, hopeful "can do" book.

It's odd reviewing it when I've not finished reading it, but this is one of those books you never really finish reading. I know I'll keep going back to it again and again to refresh my knowledge and marvel at knew information.

The perfect gift for anyone who cares about nature and loves learning new things.