Gideon Bosker

The GOOD: A beautiful book, with lovely photos, and nice, thick, feels-good-turning-them pages. Photos from all over the world. The set-up is almost like looking at gorgeous picture-post cards. Interesting pages throughout, with info about beaches, the water, sand movement, waves - almost like an earth sciences or marine biology lesson. The text is sprinkled in at just the right amount - not too brief, not too verbose.

The BAD: My personal preference would have been for more sand and ocean show more wave photos, but this also includes lakes and other bodies of water, along with related items, such as close-ups of tide pools critters. Also, there is a section at the back that recommends places to find that restful beach, organized by continent. Cool idea, but as specific hotels are mentioned, it felt more than a bit like advertising to me, which ruined the chill vibe.

OVERALL: A beautiful book for your coffee table or guest suite, which is a pleasure to peruse. show less

A nifty history of the beach's role in (mostly) European culture from antiquity to the present, tracing the evolving perception of the beach from "wilderness" to "retreat for the wealthy (or the dropout)" to "vacation spot for the masses." Slights the 20th century, the New World, and popular culture, but still fascinating--a coastal version of Marjorie Hope Nicolson's _Mountain Gloom and Mountain Glory_.

NA