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“This book will take you on a voyage through the global ocean, hopping between stories of history and culture, natural history and geography, animals and people, to reveal the basic shape of the blue machine.��

Physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski analyzes the ocean �� how and why it works �� and its roles in our world. She compares it to a massive “machine�� that exchanges energy. She blends science, history, personal experiences, and fascinating facts. The book covers such topics as temperature, salinity, density, tides, currents, carbon, ice floes, marine life, light penetration, and much more. Czerski’s passion for the ocean is obvious. She employs examples from personal experiences and historic episodes that illustrate the concepts she is explaining.

It will appeal to those interested in understanding the essential functions the ocean performs in maintaining the health of our planet. I particularly enjoyed her explanation of its role in carbon exchange. It contains one of the best explanations I have read of the reasons that ocean temperatures are rising. She makes a plea for gaining more understanding of the ocean and supports a shift in attitudes away from exploitation and toward stewardship. She also advocates working together across cultures to achieve a better world.