Blue Machine

How the Ocean Shapes Our World

De: Helen Czerski

Narrado por: Helen Czerski

Brought to you by Penguin.

FINANCIAL TIMES 2023 HIGHLIGHT

All of the Earth's ocean, from the equator to the poles, is a single engine powered by sunlight - a blue machine.

In a book that will recalibrate our view of this defining feature of our planet, physicist Helen Czerski dives deep to illuminate the murky depths of the ocean engine, examining the messengers, passengers and voyagers that live in it, travel over it, and survive because of it. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she explains the vast currents, invisible ocean walls and underwater waterfalls that all have their place in the ocean's complex, interlinked system.

Timely, elegant and passionately argued, The Blue Machine is one of the biggest stories ever told. The understanding it offers is crucial to our future. Drawing on years of experience at the forefront of marine science, Helen Czerski captures the magnitude and subtlety of this complex force, showing us the thrilling extent to which we are at the mercy of this great engine.

©2023 Helen Czerski (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

In this captivating and urgently-needed book, Czerski weaves a wonderful, watery spell, entwining spectacular science with poetic awe as she expertly guides readers through the workings of a vast, unfamiliar world. Moving and thrilling, The Blue Machine tells us about the seas but also makes us care: an epic love story that captures the ocean's beating heart. (Jo Marchant, author of Cure and The Human Cosmos)

I love Helen Czerski's writing, and this is her richest work yet - as clear as springwater, yet as filled with fascinating things as the ocean itself. (Sarah Bakewell, author of How to Live and Humanly Possible)

JUNE BOOK OF THE MONTH: 'Physicist Helen Czerski offers a very different perspective on the ocean in her revelatory book... Published ahead of World Ocean Day on 8th June, it unlocks a treasure chest of enthralling stories; from the navigators of ancient Polynesia, and the marvels of plankton, to John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and the copious tears cried by turtles. (Caroline Sanderson)

A portrayal of our wonderful ocean

Blue Machine is a book that not only tells you about the ocean life, but also about the oceans energy. The driver of climate and weather. Here life and energy gets unified and explained how we can't have one without the other. I loved it.

Nice overview

The book gives a soft introduction to ocean science. The emphasis is not on the science as such but on how it ties into modern society and how we have lost our connection to the oceans.

Being a physicist myself working on bubbles I was hoping for more on the fasinating science of bubbles, but in the grander scheme of things the author is forgiven 😊

For non-specialists I think many will benefit from seeing the one hour talk the author held for the Royal Institution which can be found on YouTube (https://youtu.be/hNUcwcO6ASY).