Deep : Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves

Retail While on assignment in Greece, journalist James Nestor witnessed something that confounded him: a man diving 300 feet below the oceans surface on a single breath of air and returning four minutes later, unharmed and smiling. This man was a freediver, and his amphibious abilities inspired Nestor to seek out the secrets of this little-known discipline. In Deep, Nestor embeds with a gang of extreme athletes and renegade researchers who are transforming not only our knowledge of the planet and its creatures, but also our understanding of the human body and mind. Along the way, he takes us from the surface to the Atlantics greatest depths, some 28,000 feet below sea level. He finds whales that communicate with other whales hundreds of miles away, sharks that swim in unerringly straight lines through pitch-black waters, and seals who dive to depths below 2,400 feet for up to eighty minutesdeeper and longer than scientists ever thought possible. As strange as these phenomena are, they are reflections of our own species remarkable, and often hidden, potentialincluding echolocation, directional sense, and the profound physiological changes we undergo when underwater. Most illuminating of all, Nestor unlocks his own freediving skills as he communes with the pioneers who are expanding our definition of what is possible in the natural world, and in ourselves. ** From Booklist Starred Review The ocean, journalist Nestor reminds us, is the final unseen, untouched, and undiscovered wilderness. It is also a frontier extremely difficult to explore. The pressure is so intense, at 30 feet down our lungs collapse to half their normal size. Yet Nestor watches divers descend to 300 feet without scuba gear at a freediving competition. Alarmed (the consequences can be dire) and intrigued, Nestor sets out to learn about the allure and best purpose of freediving as a tool to help crack the oceans mysteries, thus launching an exceptionally dramatic and revelatory inquiry. As he begins training as a freediver, in spite of his fears, Nestor learns about our bodys remarkable amphibious reflexes, instantaneous physical transformations used for centuries by pearl divers. Now innovative and daring marine explorers use freediving to swim among sharks, dolphins, and whales. Their mind-blowing discoveries about how these denizens of the deep navigate and communicate in the watery dark are matched by findings that prove that we, too, can practice echolocation and orient ourselves via our innate magnetic sense of direction, natural abilities our ancestors used long before maps and GPS. With a wow on every page, and brimming with vivid portraits, lucid scientific explanations, gripping (and funny) first-person accounts, and urgent facts about the oceans endangerment, Nestors Deep is galvanizing, enlightening, and invaluable. --Donna Seaman Review A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice **** **An Amazon Best Book of the Month Scientific American Recommended Read iTunes Top 20 Books of the Month **The deeper the book ventures into the ocean, the more dramatic and unusual the organisms therein and the people who observe themThrough[Nestor's] eyes and his stories, its a journey well worth taking. D avid Epstein, New York Times Book Review "Put Deep at the top of your reading list. This book will do for the oceans what Cosmos did for space. It's mind-bending, intrepid, and inspiring." Po Bronson "Weve all seen documentary footage of strange deep-sea creatures, trundling along a hazy ocean floor, maybe even glowing in the dark. But how much do we really know about these ecosystems, and how much have we forgotten about our own profound connection to the ocean? With verve and humor, the author describes his own risk-taking attempts to understand the ocean's ancient secrets and future potential and the daring and brilliant people who have dedicated their lives to probing deeper ... [Nestor's] writing is sharp, colorful, and thrilling ... Bring[s] the ocean to life from a research perspective as well as a human one. An adventurous and frequently dazzling look at our planet's most massive habitat." **Kirkus ** "A thrilling account, made timely by the rapidly changing state of earths most expansive environment." Publishers Weekly While On Assignment In Greece, Journalist James Nestor Witnessed Something That Confounded Him: A Man Diving 300 Feet Below The Ocean's Surface On A Single Breath Of Air And Returning Four Minutes Later, Unharmed And Smiling. This Man Was A Freediver, And His Amphibious Abilities Inspired Nestor To Seek Out The Secrets Of This Little-known Discipline. In Deep, Nestor Embeds With A Gang Of Extreme Athletes And Renegade Researchers Who Are Transforming Not Only Our Knowledge Of The Planet And Its Creatures, But Also Our Understanding Of The Human Body And Mind. Along The Way, He Takes Us From The Surface To The Atlantic's Greatest Depths, Some 28,000 Feet Below Sea Level. He Finds Whales That Communicate With Other Whales Hundreds Of Miles Away, Sharks That Swim In Unerringly Straight Lines Through Pitch-black Waters, And Seals Who Dive To Depths Below 2,400 Feet For Up To Eighty Minutes--deeper And Longer Than Scientists Ever Thought Possible. As Strange As These Phenomena Are, They Are Reflections Of Our Own Species' Remarkable, And Often Hidden, Potential--including Echolocation, Directional Sense, And The Profound Physiological Changes We Undergo When Underwater. Most Illuminating Of All, Nestor Unlocks His Own Freediving Skills As He Communes With The Pioneers Who Are Expanding Our Definition Of What Is Possible In The Natural World, And In Ourselves-- 0 -- -60 -- -300 -- -650 -- -800 -- -1,000 -- -2,500 -- -10,000 -- -28,700 -- Ascents -- Epilogue. James Nestor. An Eamon Dolan Book. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Covering a diving championship in Greece on a hot and sticky assignment for Outside magazine, James Nestor discovered free diving. He had stumbled on one of the most extreme sports in existence: a quest to extend the frontiers of human experience, in which divers descend without breathing equipment, for hundreds of feet below the water, for minutes after they should have died from lack of oxygen. Sometimes they emerge unconscious, or bleeding from the nose and ears, and sometimes they don't come up at all.The free divers were Nestor's way into an exhilarating and dangerous world of deep-sea pioneers, underwater athletes, scientists, spear fishermen, billionaires and ordinary men and women who are poised on the brink of some amazing discoveries about the ocean. Soon he was visiting the scientists who live 60ft underwater (and are permanently high on nitrous dioxide), swimming with the notorious man-eating sharks of Réunion and descending thousands of feet in a homemade submarine. And on the way down, he learnt about the amazing amphibious reflexes activated in the human body under deep-water conditions, why dolphins were injected with LSD in an attempt to teach them to talk, and why sharks like AC/DC.The sea covers seventy per cent of Earth's surface, and still contains answers to questions about the world we are only beginning to ask: Deep blends science and adventure to uncover its amazing secrets. New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • An Amazon Best Science Book of 2014 • Scientific American Recommended Read “Fascinating, informative, exhilarating.” —Wall Street Journal Deep is a voyage from the ocean’s surface to its darkest trenches, the most mysterious places on Earth. Fascinated by the sport of freediving—in which competitors descend great depths on a single breath—James Nestor embeds with a gang of oceangoing extreme athletes and renegade researchers. He finds whales that communicate with other whales hundreds of miles away, sharks that swim in unerringly straight lines through pitch-black waters, and other strange phenomena. Most illuminating of all, he learns that these abilities are reflected in our own remarkable, and often hidden, potential—including echolocation, directional sense, and the profound bodily changes humans undergo when underwater. Along the way, Nestor unlocks his own freediving skills as he communes with the pioneers who are expanding our definition of what is possible in the natural world, and in ourselves. “A journey well worth taking.” —David Epstein, New York Times Book Review “Nestor pulls us below the surface into a world far beyond imagining and opens our eyes to these unseen places.” —Dallas Morning News “This is popular science writing at its best.” —Christian Science Monitor From the bestselling author of Breath, a "fascinating, informative, exhilarating" voyage from the ocean's surface to its darkest trenches (Wall Street Journal) New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice • An Amazon Best Science Book of 2014 • Scientific American Recommended Read Fascinated by the sport of freediving—in which competitors descend great depths on a single breath—James Nestor embeds with a gang of oceangoing extreme athletes and renegade researchers. He finds whales that communicate with other whales hundreds of miles away, sharks that swim in unerringly straight lines through pitch-black waters, and other strange phenomena. Most illuminating of all, he learns that these abilities are reflected in our own remarkable, and often hidden, potential—including echolocation, directional sense, and the profound bodily changes humans undergo when underwater. Along the way, Nestor unlocks his own freediving skills as he communes with the pioneers who are expanding our definition of what is possible in the natural world, and in ourselves. "A journey well worth taking." —David Epstein, New York Times Book Review "Nestor pulls us below the surface into a world far beyond imagining and opens our eyes to these unseen places." —Dallas Morning News "This is popular science writing at its best." —Christian Science Monitor