An elegant compilation of wisdom, guidance, and photography by the sea to inspire personal strength and inner peace. It reflects Harry's personal formula for living his best life, illustrated by 111 color photographs and carefully selected quotes. "Throughout my life, I've narrowed down key guiding principles as a foundation for living my best life. I choose to live by these and consider them in making my daily choices. These include having a humble perspective, being grateful, seizing my own personal power, self-reflecting, stepping out of my comfort zone, finding direction and purpose, having a strong work ethic, overcoming obstacles, making tough decisions, nurturing social connections, unlocking the heart, and achieving peace within. I have matched these key principles with my photography and meaningful quotes of others." -Harry L. Thomas, MSW

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • Hailed by The Washington Post as “mandatory reading,” and praised by Fareed Zakaria as “intelligent, compassionate, and revealing,” a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today. If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder; respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong journey through the controversial text. A journalist who grew up in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews, Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths, and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed hopelessly divided for far too long. Praise for If the Oceans Were Ink “A vibrant tale of a friendship.... If the Oceans Were Ink is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam [and] goes a long way toward combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too common.... If the Oceans Were Ink should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims.”—The Washington Post “For all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation among well-meaning friends—intelligent, compassionate, and revealing—the kind that needs to be taking place around the world.”—Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World “Carla Power’s intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy book’s very essence. A spirited, compelling read.”—Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad “Unique, masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and discovers the Quran’s message, meaning, and values on peace and violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance.”—John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam “A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book.”—Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds Of Paradise and The Language of Baklava

A landmark book by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols on the remarkable effects of water on our health and well-being. Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? In Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols revolutionizes how we think about these questions, revealing the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success. Blue Mind not only illustrates the crucial importance of our connection to water; it provides a paradigm shifting "blueprint" for a better life on this Blue Marble we call home.

No individual has contributed more to the stability and peaceful order in the world’s oceans in the last four decades than Satya N. Nandan. Peaceful Order in the World’s Oceans, edited by Michael W. Lodge and Myron H. Nordquist, collects original and substantive essays in his honor from eminent figures from around the world. The volume is organized into four parts. With contributions from leading statesmen and women, the first section focuses on Ambassador Nandan's unique talents and accomplishments as a diplomat. Next, a series of essays examines Nandan’s pivotal involvement in framing The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and provides original topical contributions on baselines, offshore drilling and delimitation of the continental shelf. Contributions related to deep seabed mining, the establishment of the International Seabed Authority and marine scientific research are included in the third part and finally, chapters devoted to international fisheries, issues of sustainability, conservation and management are offered. Peaceful Order in the World’s Oceans will be of great interest to all those concerned with the Law of the Sea.

For those who seek to find new depths in their spiritual lives, Pond River Ocean Rain helps readers wade into the beautiful water that is God through stories, questions, and accessible illustrations. Feel the Living Water wash over you while contemplating chapters on stillness (such as a pond), the full trust in God’s will (much like the rush of a river), peace within mystery (as experienced in the depths of the ocean), and the movement of God’s relentless love for us (the refreshing rain we receive). Pond River Ocean Rain, like all bodies of water, is simple, occasionally wild, and consistently beautiful. And there are depths that, when explored, reveal abundant life for all who jump in.

Oceans of Wisdom is a collection of stories about wisdom, the ocean's wisdom, pleasures of the ocean, life at the beach, ocean facts and creatures, and some of my personal stories about life. Most chapters open with a quote filled with ideas. I have set up this book in small chapters as thoughts to take with you to the beach or to keep on your bedside table, to think about throughout your life. I share the stories so you can be inspired and also to strengthen you, wherever you may be on your journey through-out your life. Maybe this book will nudge you in the direction of something new or just help you to make some sense of the journey you are about to take. I believe that the time you spend, whether reading or being in nature, at the beach, getting a massage, or meditating, is the time for your soul. I hope when you read this book that it speaks to you in a special way, the way the ocean has in my life. I seek to capture the essence of the mind and to share the oceans of wisdom with you.

The oceans cover more than seventy per cent of the surface of the planet and they provide many vital ecosystem services. However, the health of the world's oceans has been deteriorating over the past decades and the protection of the marine environment has emerged as one of the most pressing legal and political challenges for the international community. An effective solution depends upon the cooperation of all states towards achieving agreed objectives. This book provides a critical assessment of the role that international law plays in this process, by explaining and evaluating the various legal instruments that have been negotiated in this area, as well as key trends in global ocean governance. Starting with a detailed analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the book considers the main treaties and other legal texts that seeks to prevent, reduce, and control damage to the marine environment caused by navigation, seabed exploitation, fishing, dumping, and land-based activities, as well as emerging pressures such as ocean noise and climate change. The book demonstrates how international institutions have expanded their mandates to address a broader range of marine environmental issues, beyond basic problems of pollution control to include the conservation of marine biological diversity and an ecosystems approach to regulation. It also discusses the development of diverse regulatory tools to address anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment and the extent to which states have adopted a precautionary approach in different maritime sectors. Whilst many advances have been made in these matters, this book highlights the need for greater coordination between international institutions, as well as the desirability of developing stronger enforcement mechanisms for international environmental rules.