Winnerofthe2024NationalBookFoundation’sScience+LiteratureAwardAWashingtonPosttop10bestbookof2023APublishersWeeklybestnonfictionbookof2023“Hypnotic...Beautifullywrittenandbeautifullymade.“--W.M.Akers,TheNewYorkTimesBookReview“oneofthemostbeautifulbooks-as-objectsoftheyear“--TheGlobeandMail“...oneofthemostfascinatingandunusualnewbooksI’vereadinsometime.“--BenjaminShull,TheWallStreetJournal“...aweirdandoftenbeautifulfusionofsciencewriting,historyandpoetrythatexploresourownrelationshipwiththeunknown...“--EdwardPosnett,TheGuardian“Mesmerizing...Originalandoftenprofound,[TheBathysphereBook]isamovingtestamenttothewondersofexploration.“--PublishersWeekly,StarredReview“Imbuedwiththeadventurousspiritofscienceandexploration...[TheBathysphereBookis]anenchantingcabinetofcuriosities.“--KirkusReviewsAwideranging,philosophical,andsensualaccountofearlydeepseaexplorationanditsafterlives,TheBathysphereBookbeginswiththefirstevervoyagetothedeepoceanin1930andexpandstoexploretheadventuresandentanglementsofitsall-too-humanparticipantsatatimewhentheworldstillfeltentirelynew.Inthesummerof1930,aboardashipfloatingneartheAtlanticislandofNonsuch,marinebiologistGloriaHollistersatonacrate,writingfuriouslyinanotebookwithatelephonereceiverpressedtoherear.Thephonelinewasattachedtoasteelcablethatplunged3,000feetintothesea.There,suspendedbythecable,dangledafour-and-a-half-footsteelballcalledthebathysphere.Crumpledinside,gazingthroughthree-inchquartzwindowsattheunderseaworld,wasHollister’scolleagueWilliamBeebe.Hecalleduptoher,describingpreviouslyunseencreatures,explosionsofbioluminescence,andstrangeeffectsoflightandcolor.Fromthismomentousfirstencounterwiththeunknowndepths,TheBathysphereBookwidensitsscopetoexploreatransforminganddeeplyparadoxicalAmerica,asthefirstgreatskyscrapersroseaboveNewYorkCityandtheGreatPlainsbakedtodust.Inprosethatismagical,atmospheric,andentirelyengrossing,BradFoxdramatizesnewvisionsofourplanetaryhome,delightingintalesofthecolorfulcharacterswhosurrounded,supported,andparticipatedinthedives--fromgroundbreakingscientistsandgallivantingadventurerstoeugenicistbillionaires.TheBathysphereBookisahypnoticassemblageofbriefchaptersalongwithoverfiftyfull-colorimages,recordsfromtheoriginalbathyspherelogbooks,andthemovingstoryofsurreptitiousromancebetweenBeebeandHollisterthatanchorstheirexploration.BradFoxblursthelinebetweenpoetryandresearch,unearthingandrenderingavisionarymeetingwiththeunknown.
SSCIENCE HYPNOTIC PHILOSOPHICAL supported COLORIMAGES BOOK
