THE sea “never changes”, wrote Joseph Conrad, “and its works for all the talk of men are wrapped in mystery”. Those wishing to delve into that mystery could start with the Encyclopedia of the Oceans, edited by Dorrik Stow. Starting with a brief history of marine science and ending with an optimistic view of its future, the book covers subjects as diverse as plate tectonics and coral reefs. With its welcome geological dimension, it deserves to thrive on the already crowded shore of reference books about the oceans.
The encyclopedia is just one of the works to neglect the first…
