JUST READ: Deep by James Nestor

I’m not sure what to say about this book other than I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’ve always had a fascination with the ocean. Once upon a time, I wanted to be an oceanographer or some such but the more I learned about the seas, the less I wanted to be in them. This book makes clear the dangers and it also mitigates those possibilities by exploring deep water as a human instead of as an advanced primate bearing all kinds of tech. The book kind of defies an easy summation, in my opinion. Nestor is a journalist who takes an interest in freediving and things sort of spin out from there. It’s a fascinating read about the ocean and all the various people who strive to go deep. Whether it’s for science, the environment, their culture or to challenge themselves. There are some amazing bits of information in here about whales (Sperm Whales in particular), the fascinating changes the human body undergoes dozens of feet below the surface of the ocean (and even when we submerge our faces in water), and what it might tell us about humanity’s past and future. An excellent read, the current edition is expanded and includes follow-ups on a number of the people Nestor encountered during the writing of this book.