Hello out there! How is everyone? I’ve found myself with more time than normal during the pandemic and revisiting some of my favorite books. I thought I’d share.
Diving Books
100 Dives of a Lifetime - Carrie Miller
This book is perfect for right now! Need a virtual dive vacation? Want to plan your next dive trip? Get lost in some of the world’s best dives as told by Carrie Miller and incredible photos (you might find a few photos of mine in this book too!)
In my opinion this is sort of the underwater photography bible. When I first read it years ago I felt like my photography improved through osmosis through the pages. Highly recommend this to anyone looking to imporve their underwater photo skills.
For anyone looking to learn more about decompression theory, this book is great. It is easy to understand and discusses a lot of the topics recreational training prefers not to talk about. Even for those who don’t consider themselves “tech” divers, it’s an easy to read and understand text for things all divers should know, but often aren’t taught. Knowledge is so important even if you don’t plan to do deco dives.
The Soul of the Octopus - Sy Montgomery
We all love octopus. It’s a book about octopus - just read it.
Sex in the Sea - Marah J. Hardt
The ocean is so interesting! This book talks about some of the undrerwater world’s crazy reproductive behaviors you couldn’t make up if you tried! It also has a conservation theme and discusses how things like pollution and climate change are altering the behavior of some of these amazing creatures.
One of those books that is tough to put down, a true story about the discovery of a World War II German U-boat 60 miles off the coast of New Jersey. A must read for any diver.
Travel Books - My travel obsession has been fed by books. Paul Theroux taught me about long travel, spending week and months wondering without definite destinations and time restraints. Bill Bryson about the humor you must find while on the road. Kira Salak proved to me that even though I was a woman, I could go wherever I want. I love travels that seek out something - to travel to learn. Here’s some of my favorites.
I love love love this book. A shipping container of bath toys spilled during a hurricane and the author travels to find where they all went. It’s a study in ocean currents, ocean pollution, environmentalism and more.
In 1899 two women set out to race against the fictional Jules Verne character, Phileas Fogg, to travel around the world in 80 days. Since reading this Nellie Bly has become a bit of a hero to me, a female investigative journalist over 120 years ago who at one point entered an insane asylum appearing to be a patient to document the mistreatment of patients without knowing how she would be able to get out. (You should read that too - Ten Days in a Mad House.)
Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams
If you haven’t read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, go read that first. But once you’re finished check out this book where Douglas Adams travels to see some of the world’s most endangered animals. Komodo dragons, rhinos, kakapos and more.
The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas - Paul Theroux
He got on a train in Boston and ended up in Patagonia. My hero. My six month trip to South America after college can be directly linked to this book (and an Outside Magazine article on hiking Torres del Paine.)
The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific - Paul Theroux
In this one he gets in an kayak and paddles through 51 islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The Malay Archipelago - Alfred Wallace
Better than Darwin’s books. Alfred Wallace also came across the idea of evolution while traveling through SE Asia. This book is his journey, his observations, and the difficulties one would encounter traveling from Singapore to New Guinea over eight years starting in 1854. Plus this book is suuuuper long, great for passing time.
A woman’s solo journey through Papua New Guinea.
Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers - Simon Winchester
This one starts on the United Island Hopper. You only think of the Pacific as paradise islands, but there is so much more.
In 1883 a volcano went off in Indonesia and changed the world.
A journey through the Australian Outback to learn about Aborginals' ancient "Dreaming-tracks.” Chatwin’s In Patagonia is an excellent read as well.
Don’t Stop the Carnival - Herman Wouk
This maybe isn’t travel, or it’s the type of travel where you decide to stay…forever….and take over a hotel in the Caribbean. We all have that dream, this guy did it.
Books about Viruses - I used to study virus evolution, here’s some of the books that might help explain more about what’s going on, but easy to read and understand.
The Coming Plague - Laurie Garrett
Don’t say we weren’t warned. Actually this book talks about past disease outbreaks and how our social and environmental practices led up to them. From Amazon - “Changing social and environmental conditions around the world have fostered the spread of new and potentially devastating viruses and diseases.”
David Quammen is another of my favorite authors and this book specifically looks at human infections that came from animals. Basically how diseases from wild animals are passing to humans. He also talks about bats (back in 2012). Sound familiar? He also has a great book on Ebola and the Song of the Dodo is a classic.
National Geographic Emerging Explorer Virologist who hunts diseases. He also warned us of this.
If you want to read some really interesting case studies of how it is human behaviors that spread diseases, Robert S. Desowitz is the master. The Malaria Capers, Who Gave Pinta to the Santa Maria?, and New Guinea Tapeworms and Jewish Grandmothers: Tales of Parasites and People.
Okay - Last One
Okay so currently there aren’t many copies available of my book, but last time I looked there are a few on Amazon and I still have a few copies I could mail out (send me a message if you want one.) Printing has been disrupted due to the pandemic, but hopefully there will be more soon. This is a great book for anyone interested in WWII, airplanes, or diving.
