Life of legendary sport fishing writer Ray Cannon & economic development of Baja California.

Humanity can make short work of the oceans’ creatures. In 1741, hungry explorers discovered herds of Steller’s sea cow in the Bering Strait, and in less than thirty years, the amiable beast had been harpooned into extinction. It’s a classic story, but a key fact is often omitted. Bering Island was the last redoubt of a species that had been decimated by hunting and habitat loss years before the explorers set sail. As Callum M. Roberts reveals in The Unnatural History of the Sea, the oceans’ bounty didn’t disappear overnight. While today’s fishing industry is ruthlessly efficient, intense exploitation began not in the modern era, or even with the dawn of industrialization, but in the eleventh century in medieval Europe. Roberts explores this long and colorful history of commercial fishing, taking readers around the world and through the centuries to witness the transformation of the seas. Drawing on firsthand accounts of early explorers, pirates, merchants, fishers, and travelers, the book recreates the oceans of the past: waters teeming with whales, sea lions, sea otters, turtles, and giant fish. The abundance of marine life described by fifteenth century seafarers is almost unimaginable today, but Roberts both brings it alive and artfully traces its depletion. Collapsing fisheries, he shows, are simply the latest chapter in a long history of unfettered commercialization of the seas. The story does not end with an empty ocean. Instead, Roberts describes how we might restore the splendor and prosperity of the seas through smarter management of our resources and some simple restraint. From the coasts of Florida to New Zealand, marine reserves have fostered spectacular recovery of plants and animals to levels not seen in a century. They prove that history need not repeat itself: we can leave the oceans richer than we found them.

A luminous and revelatory journey into the science of life and the depths of the human experience By turns epic and intimate, Telling Our Way to the Sea is both a staggering revelation of unraveling ecosystems and a profound meditation on our changing relationships with nature—and with one another. When the biologists Aaron Hirsh and Veronica Volny, along with their friend Graham Burnett, a historian of science, lead twelve college students to a remote fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, they come upon a bay of dazzling beauty and richness. But as the group pursues various threads of investigation—ecological and evolutionary studies of the sea, the desert, and their various species of animals and plants; the stories of local villagers; the journals of conquistadors and explorers—they recognize that the bay, spectacular and pristine though it seems, is but a ghost of what it once was. Life in the Sea of Cortez, they realize, has been reshaped by complex human ideas and decisions—the laws and economics of fishing, property, and water; the dreams of developers and the fantasies of tourists seeking the wild; even efforts to retrieve species from the brink of extinction—all of which have caused dramatic upheavals in the ecosystem. It is a painful realization, but the students discover a way forward. After weathering a hurricane and encountering a rare whale in its wake, they come to see that the bay's best chance of recovery may in fact reside in our own human stories, which can weave a compelling memory of the place. Glimpsing the intricate and ever-shifting web of human connections with the Sea of Cortez, the students comprehend anew their own place in the natural world—suspended between past and future, teetering between abundance and loss. The redemption in their difficult realization is that as they find their places in a profoundly altered environment, they also recognize their roles in the path ahead, and ultimately come to see one another, and themselves, in a new light. In Telling Our Way to the Sea, Hirsh's voice resounds with compassionate humanity, capturing the complex beauty of both the marine world he explores and the people he explores it with. Vibrantly alive with sensitivity and nuance, Telling Our Way to the Sea transcends its genre to become literature.

The author of Baja Fever shares his extensive knowledge of the peninsula, its colorful past and booming present, in this fascinating reference book. History, lore, and amazing stories make it a "must-have" for Bajaphiles as well as armchair travelers.

Over the past 35 years, hundreds of thousands of readers have agreed: This is the classic guide to "living, traveling, and taking things as they come" in Mexico. Now in its updated 14th edition, The People's Guide to Mexico still offers the ideal combination of basic travel information, entertaining stories, and friendly guidance about everything from driving in Mexico City to hanging a hammock to bartering at the local mercado. Features include: • Advice on planning your trip, where to go, and how to get around once you're there • Practical tips to help you stay healthy and safe, deal with red tape, change money, send email, letters and packages, use the telephone, do laundry, order food, speak like a local, and more • Well-informed insight into Mexican culture, and hints for enjoying traditional fiestas and celebrations • The most complete information available on Mexican Internet resources, book and map reviews, and other info sources for travelers

Spanning four decades, Sharkman of Cortez takes the reader through the adventures and perils of Captain Bill, a man determined to make his living from the sea. His tale begins in 1967 when he runs away from the frigid North to a picnic table on the white sandy beach of Siesta Key, Florida. Through the lazy 1960s hippie haze, he gets his first job on a crab boat and begins what he believes will be a life of fulfilling all his dreams. He encounters colorful local characters along the way, while carving out a living and pioneering some of the most innovative ways to capture, view, document, photograph, and sell sharks, dead or alive.

Big Money. Big Yachts. Big Adventures. Behind every great fortune there is a great crime. Julian Mayorca wasn't always a billionaire. At one point he was an honorable port captain and legendary yachtsman, but a single temptation-a crime of opportunity-leads him down a path of betrayal, passion, power, and the sea. Baja Air & Sea, a high end crime-thriller set in La Paz, Mexico, begins with the story of Julian Mayorca. As a port captain, he manages the harbor and oversees a fifty-million-dollar budget. His only mistake? Being incorruptible. Ona sunny day, his cousin, Alex Cuevas, who works for a notorious criminal, holds a gun to Julian's head and forces him to sign resignation papers. A series of questionable decisions cause Julian to transition into the entrepreneur he never set out to be. What follows is six years of Julian's life; his voyages, romances, mishaps, and how a need for revenge leads to immense fortune and adventure he never thought possible.

Expert geologist and guide Markes E. Johnson takes us on a dozen rambles through wild coastal landscapes on Mexico's Gulf of California. Descriptions of storm deposits from the geologic past conclude by showing how the future of the Baja California peninsula and its human inhabitants are linked to the vast Pacific Basin and populations on the opposite shores coping with the same effects of global warming.

Dr. Audry Lynch, a Steinbeck scholar, has gathered together twenty reminiscences from people who knew John Steinbeck personally. The interviews cover three periods in Steinbeck's life in California: his childhood in Salinas, his life as a fun-loving crony of Ed "Doc" Ricketts in Cannery Row, and his residence in Los Gatos as an established writer. They show a life lived fully, and a man who knew how to live. These portraits don't sugar-coat or beatify the man John Steinbeck. They are honest and frank views of a person who could be described as an odd boy, a hell-raiser, a drinker and womanizer, and a proud reclusive celebrity. Nevertheless all the people interviewed remember the man fondly, and the composite portrait that comes across is of a brilliant, talented artist and fun-loving loyal friend.

Regarding unforgettable travel experiences, journeys through the Americas top our bucket list. Imagine a road trip across the US, cruising along the Amazon, or taking an epic train ride through the Canadian Rockies. Across this beautiful landmass, it's the journey, rather than the destination, that's always mattered the most. Featuring over 150 inspirational entries, Unforgettable Journeys The Americas is a vibrant celebration of taking the scenic route. We've picked the best adventures across the Americas, from soaking up the ocean side scenery on a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway to sailing between sandy islands in the Caribbean. With this book, you can find: -The main highlights/ locations include the Appalachian Trail, Route 66, icy glaciers in Alaska, Guyana's Kaieteur Falls, Nahanni River, and more -Maps that plot the routes and bring their highlights to life, with additional practical information such as duration, difficulty, and start and end points -Types of transport that you can use on your journey, such as hiking, cycling, and driving Take a look at this Inspirational travel book covering the Americas' most incredible journeys, including routes on foot and by bike, road, rail, and water. A great gift purchase for enthusiastic on-the-ground or armchair travelers, those keen to have bucket-list experiences, and US travelers taking multiple holidays.