Book Review - The Lives of Seaweeds: A Natural History of Our Planet's Seaweeds and Other Algae - Princeton University Press

 

Flowers of the Sea

Call us not weeds, we are Flowers of the Sea,

For lovely, and bright and gay-tinted are we, 

And quite independent of culture or showers; 

Then call us not weeds, we are the Ocean's Gay Flowers

     And so they are - this diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms whose very origins signalled the beginnings of life with the cyanobacteria of ancient seas. Diverse, beautiful, critical to the biosphere, utilitarian and at times deadly, they are nonetheless for the most part ignored.

     This excellent book by Julie A. Philips sets out to change that. Based on my evaluation, she succeeds. If you have been indifferent to seaweeds and other algae before reading this book, I guarantee you that you will henceforth see them in a totally different light. You will learn, you will appreciate, you will marvel, and you will yearn to know more. 

     The opening sections of the book deal with every facet of algae, beginning with the simple question, "What is an alga?" You are then treated to an examination of the evolution of algae, their morphology, life histories, ecology, and a final section about algae and humans. Within these headings all the detail you could ever wish for is laid out in a precise, cogent manner, detailed in content, yet easy to read. Even where the science gets complicated the author has found a way to ensure that the reader will have no difficulty understanding the material. Along the way it is all very fascinating, I can vouch for that.

     As we have come to expect in works like this from PUP, the text is accompanied by a magnificent array of full colour images, which in addition to illustrating technical points in the text, are often breathtakingly beautiful. Numerous species of algae are highlighted throughout each section of the book, each covering two pages with descriptive matter, a map and a full page image.

     At the end of the book, there is an excellent table of the characters used to define selected algal phyla and groups, followed by a first class glossary.

      The next time you ponder the carbon cycle, ocean acidification, biofuels, eat your sushi wrapped in nori, or use one of any number of pharmaceuticals, give a thought to the greater world of seaweeds and other algae; they are implicated in more ways than you perhaps thought possible, and they impact your life dramatically and directly.

      It is a salient truth today, that anyone interested in any facet of the natural world, is thereby cognizant of and fixed on the entire web of life on Earth, conscious of the synergistic relationship of all things. Nothing happens in isolation; no aspect is insignificant.

     This is a book that you need to read.

The Lives of Seaweeds: A Natural History of Seaweeds and Other Algae - Princeton University Press

Julie A. Philips

Hardcover - US$35.00 - ISBN: 9780691228556

288 pages - 7.5 x 9.5 inches (18.75 x 23.75 cm)

150+ colour photographs and illustrations

Publication date: 21 November, 2023