Toronto Reference Library Blog

Understanding the complexity and diversity of our planet is the first step towards preventing its further degradation. Healthy oceans are crucial for humanity's well-being, yet learning about oceans is really like discovering another universe. A treasured volume in my personal library is Ocean: the World's last Wilderness Revealed which is also available in the Quick Reference section of the Business, Science and Technology Department of the Toronto Reference Library. Published by Dorling Kindersley in association with New York's American Museum of Natural History, this book is visually incredible. My favourite part are the photographs of extraordinary deep sea creatures. These photos are accompanied by maps and fascinating descriptions of each creature's habits, such as the Giant Octopus that turns red when angry and pale when stressed. Other topics such as plate tectonics, ocean formation, and ocean ecosystems are explained in an accessible and interesting way with the use of diagrams, illustrations and photos.

If you are interested in ocean exploration check out these two biographies by Bradford Matsen: Jacques Cousteau: the Sea King and Descent: the Heroic Discovery of the Abyss . Another one of my favourite ocean books is Michael Collier's Over the Coasts: an Aerial view of Geology. This stunning collection of coastline photography includes discussion of how oceans transform shorelines. Find out more about the science of waves, including tsunamis, in Craig B. Smith's  Extreme Waves.

The moving BBC documentary Ocean Odyssey (available at various branch libraries) follows the life of an 80-year old sperm whale as he travels through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The largest predators on earth, sperm whales spend most of their lives two kilometres down in the Abyss. They are at home in  an environment we can hardly imagine: one that contains the deepest canyons and the highest mountains on the planet.

The greater the understanding we have of our planet, the more genuine our desire will be to change it for the better. Come in and get motivated!

Understanding the complexity and diversity of our planet is the first step towards preventing its further degradation. Healthy oceans are crucial for humanity's well-being, yet learning about oceans is really like discovering another universe. A treasured volume in my personal library is Ocean: the World's last Wilderness Revealed which is also available in the Quick Reference section of the Business, Science and Technology Department of the Toronto Reference Library. Published by Dorling Kindersley in association with New York's American Museum of Natural History, this book is visually incredible. My favourite part are the photographs of extraordinary deep sea creatures. These photos are accompanied by maps and fascinating descriptions of each creature's habits, such as the Giant Octopus that turns red when angry and pale when stressed. Other topics such as plate tectonics, ocean formation, and ocean ecosystems are explained in an accessible and interesting way with the use of diagrams, illustrations and photos.

If you are interested in ocean exploration check out these two biographies by Bradford Matsen: Jacques Cousteau: the Sea King and Descent: the Heroic Discovery of the Abyss . Another one of my favourite ocean books is Michael Collier's Over the Coasts: an Aerial view of Geology. This stunning collection of coastline photography includes discussion of how oceans transform shorelines. Find out more about the science of waves, including tsunamis, in Craig B. Smith's  Extreme Waves.

The moving BBC documentary Ocean Odyssey (available at various branch libraries) follows the life of an 80-year old sperm whale as he travels through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The largest predators on earth, sperm whales spend most of their lives two kilometres down in the Abyss. They are at home in  an environment we can hardly imagine: one that contains the deepest canyons and the highest mountains on the planet.

The greater the understanding we have of our planet, the more genuine our desire will be to change it for the better. Come in and get motivated!