What readers think of The Wave, plus links to write your own review.

The Wave by Susan Casey is an excellent chronicle of the people who chase big waves, and the people who try to understand and predict them. About half of the book follows Laird Hamilton as he chases the biggest waves in the world to surf, while the other half documents the scientists who strive to understand what causes rogue waves and how to build ships and platforms to withstand them.

Laird Hamilton and his fellow tow surfers are insane. They risk their lives to ride ever larger waves. Casey does a great job of capturing the surfers intensity and the risks they face. I would have liked to read more about the scientists and their work in predicting waves and also more detail about the destructive power of the waves. However, all in all, this is a wonderful book and well worth reading.

If you're a surfer, you'll read this book in one night. Certainly there's lots to learn but, frankly, I had to push through the scientific jargon to get back to the people and their stories. Even then, I never got to know them well and didn't get to actually feel their experiences. I'm not a surfer, but I'm not a mountain climber either, and I read every mountain climbing book I can get my hands on. This is no "Into Thin Air," as touted on the back cover. I'm giving it 3 stars, because it will rate either 5 or 1 with you, depending on your interest in oceanography.

This book is for people who like to read textbook type data about climate change and waves, with some awesome stories about surfers who are addicted to fear and their search for the next humongous wave. Not as engaging as "The Perfect Storm", but there is plenty to fear and be depressed about with the dire climate change predictions and huge waves growing larger, especially if you live near a coastline..anywhere.