The untold life of Ed Ricketts remains largely untold after this book. Heard as an audiobook, it is difficult to assign percentages, but my feeling is that more of the book was spent on John Steinbeck than on Ed. What does emerge, though, is a profile of a dedicated researcher who loved the wilderness, drinking, and women; a well-read and philosophical man who was determined to go his own way. What is impressive is that he began his researches into Pacific Ocean shore life during the Depression Years. I think I might have enjoyed knowing him, if I wasn't a woman.
I actually stopped listening about 2/3 of the way through. Tamm quoted lengthily from modern writers who had no contact with Ricketts. I can only presume he wanted to demonstrate how Rickett's ecological ideas are still in vogue. ( )

5 stars are for the books that change the way I look at everyday life. I read from the library but will buy this book for my shelf. Ed Ricketts was the most interesting person in J Steinbeck's books and I always wanted to know more about him. I loved the way the story moved in time back and forth between Mexico, Montery and Canada and less of a linier timeline. The relationship between 3 great thinkers, the triology of ER's books, indian lore, mythology, science all works to keep the story a page turner. I am sad it is over and feel like I'm in mourning with everyone else. BONUS! Maps! Pictures! Notes! Bibliography! oh boy! my favorite! I may have to write a fan letter to the author. ( )

This is not the only book on Ed Ricketts. Richard Astro wrote two, and you can pick up a hardcover copy of the out-of-print John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts: The Shaping of a Novelist from your local used bookseller, if you happen to have three or four hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket. For the rest of us, there's Beyond the Outer Shores.

It's perhaps surprising that there has not been more interest in Ricketts. He was arguably the most important influence on Steinbeck, who wrote two novels (Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday) in which he is the central character. The Log from the Sea of Cortez concerns a collecting trip made by Steinbeck and Ricketts, and a curious, philosophizing Doc Ricketts figure appears in In Dubious Battle (Doc Burton), The Moon is Down (Doctor Winter), The Grapes of Wrath (Jim Casy) and Burning Bright (Friend Ed).

And Steinbeck wasn't the only intellectual of his day to hang out with Ricketts. Joseph Cambell was part of that circle, as was John Cage.

Ricketts himself did important work as a marine biologist. Because Ricketts lacked academic qualifications, he published no journal articles. But he did publish an important book, Between Pacific Tides, a catalogue of intertidal animals of the California coast that was unique in its day for its ecological approach. Between Pacific Tides is still a standard text.

Beyond the Outer Shores gives us a detailed biography of Ricketts, but late in the book, unfortunately, Eric Tamm attempts to build up Ricketts by attacking Steinbeck. In Tamm's version, this was not a productive friendship, but a case of a creatively bankrupt writer stealing the ideas of a friend and putting them into print. Tamm points to the common perception that Steinbeck published little of worth after The Grapes of Wrath, and suggests he was nothing without Ricketts. But this is no more credible than supposing that Carol Steinbeck, who typed the manuscript of Grapes and made editorial suggestions, was the novel's true author. (After the divorce, Steinbeck never matched the achievement of Grapes: post hoc, ergo propter hoc.)

In doing this, Tamm does a disservice to both Steinbeck and Ricketts. Ricketts can stand on his own two feet. But otherwise, Beyond the Outer Shores is an excellent read.

For a better biography, read "About Ed Ricketts," an essay by John Steinbeck. This book is impersonal, written by a fellow who never new the man and the myth. He seems to have heard about Ed through Steinbeck and dug up some extraneous information about him. Steinbeck's essay is all you need. ( )