Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss



Customer Rating :
Rating: 4.9


List Price : $60.00 Price : $36.51

The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss



Product Description

On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters—the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3800 meters, the oceans offer 99% of the space on Earth where life can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85% of ocean space, forming the planet’s largest habitat.  Yet these depths abound with mystery. The deep sea is mostly uncharted—only about 5 percent of the seafloor has been mapped with any reasonable degree of detail—and we know very little about the creatures that call it home. Current estimates about the number of species yet to be found vary between ten and thirty million.  The deep sea no longer has anything to prove; it is without doubt Earth’s largest reservoir of life.

Combining the latest scientific discoveries with astonishing color imagery, The Deep takes readers on a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean. Revealing nature’s oddest and most mesmerizing creatures in crystalline detail, The Deep features more than two hundred color photographs of terrifying sea monsters, living fossils, and ethereal bioluminescent creatures, some photographed here for the very first time. Accompanying these breathtaking photographs are contributions from some of the world’s most respected researchers that examine the biology of deep-sea organisms, the ecology of deep-sea habitats, and the history of deep-sea exploration.

An unforgettable visual and scientific tour of the teeming abyss, The Deep celebrates the incredible diversity of life on Earth and will captivate anyone intrigued by the unseen—and unimaginable—creatures of the deep sea. 

(20070310)







    The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss Reviews


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    84 Reviews
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    209 of 215 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Response from the author about the computer-generated images, April 10, 2007
    By 
    Nouvian (Paris, France) - See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)   
    This review is from: The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss (Hardcover)
    Thanks to all who have made such enthusiastic comments about the book, I am very touched but I want to make a specific point about the computer-generated images : it was indeed a mistake in the first print run not to mention that they were "fake" images (there are only 5 of such out of 220 pictures) but they are absolutely mentioned as such in the credits at the end. Also, in the second printrun, the correction was thoroughly integrated so a lot of you who are now buying the book will not be concerned by this comment because the images are now identified as computer-generated.

    I'm sorry about this error but it was fixed as soon as we realized it so actually only a few copies are concerned, I hope it won't stop anyone from enjoying the rest of the images made by extremely dedicated and talented researchers.
    Best, Claire Nouvian
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    28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible - just incredible..., May 12, 2007
    This review is from: The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss (Hardcover)
    Growing up I had tropical (fresh-water) fishtanks. When I got older, I graduated to marine (salt water) tanks. I was, and am, facinated by the creatures that live there, especially "reef" tanks that house the stranger life forms like invertebrates and corals. I eventually took up diving, mostly because it was the only way I could be "inside" my tanks.

    "The Deep" is an astonishingly GORGEOUS compilation of the most incredible, other-worldly creatures that inhabit the oceans. THIS is what thrilled me, and still does, about underwater life: it is the closest you will ever get to being on an entirely different planet!
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    17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book., April 24, 2007
    By 
    Pedro A. Sarmiento (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
    (REAL NAME)   
    This review is from: The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss (Hardcover)
    This book is great in two ways. The visuals and the idea that you are even looking at these creatures which until recently have been hidden from the world.

    There should be no complaints about this book. One, the computer generated images are probably put together by massive information collected on each one of these creatures. It's not something that was "made up" or "fake". So yea, you are seeing something computer generated but you are at least seeing a true depiction of it.

    I think its a great book. I love the photography and the layout of it. I am afraid of the water for these specific reasons, because there is much that we do not know about our oceans. And this just brings us a bit closer to understanding some of the creatures that inhabit it.

    Great Book.
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