Rated of 5
by Mary G. (River Forest, IL) Too many waves?
If you're a surfer, you'll read this book in one night. Certainly there's lots to learn but, frankly, I had to push through the scientific jargon to get back to the people and their stories. Even then, I never got to know them well and didn't get to actually feel their experiences. I'm not a surfer, but I'm not a mountain climber either, and I read every mountain climbing book I can get my hands on. This is no "Into Thin Air," as touted on the back cover. I'm giving it 3 stars, because it will rate either 5 or 1 with you, depending on your interest in oceanography.
Rated of 5
by Bea C. (Liberty Lake, WA) Facts and Fear
This book is for people who like to read textbook type data about climate change and waves, with some awesome stories about surfers who are addicted to fear and their search for the next humongous wave. Not as engaging as "The Perfect Storm", but there is plenty to fear and be depressed about with the dire climate change predictions and huge waves growing larger, especially if you live near a coastline..anywhere.
Rated of 5
by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX) Remind me not to cruise in the North Atlantic!
As I began 'The Wave', I expected it to be more about rogue waves round the world and the damage that ensues, and at first that is what pulled me into the book. I am a big fan of cruising as a vacation choice, and while I never worry about getting seasick, I do occasionally think about those monster waves that appear out of nowhere for no reason. The first part of the book addresses those situations, and I was properly horrified and fascinated.
The author, Susan Casey, then moved into the world of surfing and the people who pursue the big waves for the thrill and glory of the ride. A flatlander for most of my life, I found myself both appalled and amazed at the risks surfers such as Laird Hamilton take to ride the big ones. An accomplished writer, Ms. Casey helps you understand the allure of surfing and the mechanisms of the giant waves. It was an informative and entertaining glimpse into to a watery world about which I knew very little before I read this book.
Rated of 5
by Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI) Warning!
I expected a treatise and found a very readable (yet alarming) story of waves, tsunamis, climate, change, and concerned people.
I'm a native Southern Californian and have lived on the island of Oahu for 20 years and feel most comfortable at the ocean's edge. I know the places discussed in the book, e.g., Maui, Ensenada, South Africa, and especially the North Shore of Oahu. I saw the Eddie Aikau competition in 2009 and have hundreds of photos of North Shore swells and waves.
I finished this book in a day and recommend it to anyone interested in climate change and its effects on our earth and living conditions.
Rated of 5
by Nancy M. (Warminster, PA) The Wave
Susan Casey has led a life of outdoor adventure including surfing waves. Along with her and the world's greatest surfers the reader vicariously experiences the terror and exhilaration of riding waves all around the world including a 100 foot wave, the holy grail of waves. Reported by sailors and long seen as impossible, satellite imagery has verified their existence. Waves pose a danger not only to surfers who seek them out. The world’s most eminent wave scientists fear the rising sea level, which rose approximately 6.7 inches in the twentieth century, will create waves which not only threaten the world's coastal shores but some of our greatest cities. There is a sense in this book that not only surfers but all of us should as one scientist says, "Go grab a couple of those total 'now' moments, because that’s all there’s gonna be anyway."
Rated of 5
by Colleen L. (Casco, ME) The Wave
I found this book to be interesting and informative. I enjoyed the way the author skipped between the technical aspects of waves to surfing. Not something I expected. This book would appeal to someone who was new to the topic of waves and unfamiliar to the subject matter. Since I knew nothing about either surfing or the mechanics of waves, this was an excellent beginning. The author did a solid job covering a a large number of avenues: shipwrecks, wave symposiums, weather experts, insurance specialists, etc. as well as top surfers. For those people who have more detailed background, however, I think this book would be a bit too summarized. Any one of the topics covered could become an in-depth book by itself. For a person who knew very little such as myself, though, this was an excellent way for me to learn something new!
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Mary G. (River Forest, IL) 
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by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX) 
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by Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI) 
