Books worth taking on a dive trip?

[diverdon 1]

I have a four month dive trip to the Philippines planed. I am planning to stay in Sabang; I may possibly make a side trip to do the Whale sharks in S. Leyte. You can see a lot on my pics at www.UWWorld.con and I have started a website to tell people about Sabang at www.FunSabang.com This one does not have a lot of content now, but I hope to be adding content almost daily starting Mid November. Anyhow my airline has a generous baggage allowance and I am looking for a few good books to haul along to fill the odd idle moment.

 

Specifically I would like to get a couple of quality Marine Biology text books. And a few top fiction titles. In the Marine Biology text I would like them applicable to the area, and I would like something that packs in a lot of information, but which is well written. I am particularly interested in cephalopods. In fiction I detest Dan Brown and love Dean Koontz and David Webber.

 

In photography I just ordered Adobe Photoshop for Underwater Photographers

and The Underwater Photographer by Martin Edge, 3rd Edtion

 

Thanks in advance for any recommendation.

[diver dave1 23]

If you have not read it, "Shadow Divers" is quite compelling, a true story that reads better than most fiction and is about some amazing diving. Its out in paper which aids in keeping your wt down.

 

I like fiction from Lundum. Not the recent ones since his death by Lundum wannabees, the older one's he wrote. Of course the best is Bourne Identiy and the book is MUCH better than the movies but others are nice as well.

Do you like Ken Follett books?

 

Sounds like a great trip.

[okuma 64]

Try reading "The Handbook of Organic Chemistry".

 

That will keep you busy

[danielandrewclem 3]

BTW, "Shadow Divers" is being made into a feature film this winter, to be directed by the Peter Weir, who was at the helm for "Master and Commander." There are rumors of Mat Damon and Joaquin Phoenix in the roles of Kohler and Chatterton. Personally, I didn't like the writer's style, but Chatterton and Kohler's story—discovering an unidentified U-boat wreck off the New Jersey coast—is pretty remarkable. They've got a new book coming out in the coming weeks, written by Brad Matsen, with new insights into the Titanic disaster. (Yeah, it hit an iceberg. But there was more to it than that.) It's called "Titanic's Last Secrets". Matsen is a friend of mine, and he sent me an advanced readers' copy a few months back. Definitely a good read. And best of all, no cheesy Celine Dion music playing the background.

 

Whether or not I'm traveling, I enjoy Paul Theroux's travel writing (and sometimes his fiction). "Happy Isles of Oceania", about kayaking around islands of the South Pacific, still seems like the most honest and enjoyable read about that part of the world, especially after spending a long time there. Some people don't like how hard Theroux is on some places and some people. I think he's the best. "Fresh Air Fiend" has an essay about Palawan, or some other island in the Philippines, I'm pretty sure.

 

Richard Ellis has some nice books about marine natural history, including a new one called "Tuna: A Love Story".

[tdpriest 115]

There is a wonderful small book on nudibranch behaviour illustrated by Constantinos Petros, but I can't remember the title or main author. I think it's published by IMMEL. The parallel editions on fish etc are very good, too.

 

Sheck Exley's tragically unfinished book says more, more sensibly, about extreme diving than "Shadow Divers" ever could. The 1 hour TV documentary about "The Missing U-boat" pretty much covered all the ground of the Chatterton/Koehler story, without the acrimony.

 

Tim

 

[diggy 54]

The last dive by Bernie Chowdhary makes an interesting read

 

Cheers

 

Diggy

[tdpriest 115]

"The Last Dive" covers some of the Chatterton/Koehler story, with even more acrimony! "Shadow Divers" is better... but not much.

 

Tim

 

[tdpriest 115]

PS

 

"Nudibranch Behaviour" is by David Behrens.

 

Tim

 

[diverdon 1]

Try reading "The Handbook of Organic Chemistry".

 

That will keep you busy

 

Actually I read Morrison and Boyd's third edition, and I found most of it interesting until it got into polymers.

[diverdon 1]

BTW, "Shadow Divers" is being made into a feature film this winter, to be directed by the Peter Weir, who was at the helm for "Master and Commander." There are rumors of Mat Damon and Joaquin Phoenix in the roles of Kohler and Chatterton. Personally, I didn't like the writer's style, but Chatterton and Kohler's story—discovering an unidentified U-boat wreck off the New Jersey coast—is pretty remarkable. They've got a new book coming out in the coming weeks, written by Brad Matsen, with new insights into the Titanic disaster. (Yeah, it hit an iceberg. But there was more to it than that.) It's called "Titanic's Last Secrets". Matsen is a friend of mine, and he sent me an advanced readers' copy a few months back. Definitely a good read. And best of all, no cheesy Celine Dion music playing the background.

 

Whether or not I'm traveling, I enjoy Paul Theroux's travel writing (and sometimes his fiction). "Happy Isles of Oceania", about kayaking around islands of the South Pacific, still seems like the most honest and enjoyable read about that part of the world, especially after spending a long time there. Some people don't like how hard Theroux is on some places and some people. I think he's the best. "Fresh Air Fiend" has an essay about Palawan, or some other island in the Philippines, I'm pretty sure.

 

Richard Ellis has some nice books about marine natural history, including a new one called "Tuna: A Love Story".

 

I did read Shadow Divers I would rate it an ok read.

 

Checking out your Paul Theroux's recomendation I see that he has a good sence of humor as the title essay points out: "Normal, happy, well-balanced individuals seldom become imaginative writers.... So I added one of his to the order.

 

Thanks,

Don

[diverdon 1]

PS

 

"Nudibranch Behaviour" is by David Behrens.

 

Tim

 

 

I put that on the list. Nudibranch's always seemed pretty but boring. Perhaps I just did not know enough.

[diverdon 1]

If you have not read it, "Shadow Divers" is quite compelling, a true story that reads better than most fiction and is about some amazing diving. Its out in paper which aids in keeping your wt down.

 

I like fiction from Lundum. Not the recent ones since his death by Lundum wannabees, the older one's he wrote. Of course the best is Bourne Identiy and the book is MUCH better than the movies but others are nice as well.

Do you like Ken Follett books?

 

Sounds like a great trip.

 

I strongly agree with your Ludlum recommendations, alas they are all read long ago. Ken Follett is a little to PC for my taste I did add a Vince Flynn book so that I would have something in that genre.

[John Bantin 101]

The Battle For Spain by Anthony Beevor. It's an eye-opener about the Spanish civil war. WW2 made everyone forget it.

[DeanB 19]

Anything off the topshelf in a newsagents...

 

OH !!!! sorry organisms ????

 

I dont know...

 

Dive safe

 

Dean(topless)B

[BradDB 0]

The Log from the Sea of Cortez

by John Steinbeck

 

This a true story of a natural history expedition taken by Steinbeck and Ricketts (of Cannary Row fame) on a chartered boat. Its topical for a live-aboard trip.

 

Sea Salt, Stan Waterman's autobiography also works.

 

-Brad

[bvanant 189]

Actually I read Morrison and Boyd's third edition, and I found most of it interesting until it got into polymers.

Third edition? Your dating yourself, mine is first edition. Now its up to sixth or so.

I would recommend the Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, it gives you insight into how his later works evolved

Bill

[ATJ 1]

I would recommend the Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, it gives you insight into how his later works evolved

You'll get to read about how my great great grandfather, Mr Browne (sic), shot a platypus for Darwin (Chapter XXI - Australia).

[diverdon 1]

PS

 

"Nudibranch Behaviour" is by David Behrens.

 

Tim

 

 

This was a great book, I highly recommend it to any one diving where there are nudi's.

[yahsemtough 0]

The Fragile Edge by Julia Whitty

 

Talks about the Pacific and ties it to environmental and conservation in a nice read.

 

Cheers

 

Todd

[eric black 1]

Keith Jessops "Goldfinder" is a pretty entertaining read. I also would rank "Shadow Divers" as a light and entertaining read- likes Jessops book much better though.

[jonny shaw 16]

If you want a good Marine Biology textbook get "Marine Biology" by Nybakken it is pretty much the standard marine biology textbook. It is pretty easy to understand and covers off nearly all marine environments.

[DeanB 19]

In the Heart of the Amazon by Nick Gordon... I'd recommend this to anyone its an amazing book... A excellent and often humorous account of top class filmmaker Nicks ten years spent in the Amazonian rain forest... Tinged with sadness as Nick passed away a few years ago... But the book is a classic in my simple, honest opinion... And a good read for Wildlife filmmakers or anyone interested in the amazon..

 

Dive safe

 

Dean( RIP Nick Gordon)B

[wizbowes 0]

Stars Beneath the Sea By Tervor Norton.

 

A must for any diver to understand the history of our passion - and so well written too. Can't recommend it enough.

[gloria 0]

If you haven't already read it, Neil Shubin's "Your Inner Fish," "Relics of Eden" or anything you haven't already read by David Quammen.

Glo

[scuba spark 0]

I can't really offer any suggestions for the non fiction side, most of what I would recommend has already been suggested. You said you liked Weber, so I'm guessing you like hard science fiction, do you read any fantasy as well? Like Robert Jordan, his wheel of time saga was pretty good for the most part, unfortunately he passed away before he finished the last book. Another author named Patrick Rothfuss wrote a great novel (at least in my mind) called The Name of the Wind or Stephen Eriksons Malazan book of the Fallen series is another good set of books to read. Especially if you'll be gone for a month. I'll have to go through my books to pick out the good science fiction that I have laying around my house.