Deep Water

Water covers about seventy-one percent of the planet, and the oceans have shaped nearly everything that lives on it, possibly including life beyond Earth. They have also carried human history forward through evolution, exploration, colonial expansion, and today's world of travel and commerce. Their future is just as tied to the sea, since most living things depend on narrow limits of sea level and temperature.

James Bradley blends personal reflection with wide-ranging reporting to examine our connection to the seas. He follows the story of the oceans from their formation at the atomic level to the creatures within them, including fish that navigate by sensing electromagnetic fields. He also looks at how human movement across water has reshaped populations and writes plainly about the environmental damage already affecting daily life. Alongside this, he honors the scientists and researchers working to uncover the ocean's secrets.

Rather than separating these threads, Bradley weaves them into one account that links the planet, human history, and what may come next. Ideas from philosophers, scientists, and artists appear throughout, guiding a reflection on why people have always felt drawn to the sea and what that bond demands of us now.