"Part oceanography lesson, part memoir, this cheerful book examines Ebbesmeyer's life and work as a pioneering oceanographer (the first to work for Mobil/Standard Oil, in 1969) and connoisseur of beach-combed artifacts." -- Publishers Weekly

"With a whimsical mood overlaying serious science, Ebbesmeyer's work will appeal to the environmentally minded." -- Booklist

"As much genial personal memoir as pop-oceanography exposition...When science goes right, we discover how mid-ocean spills of hockey gloves or rubber ducks enhance oceanographic understanding; -- The Guardian

"Light and lively...Shoes, messages in bottles, and floating rubber ducks have kept Ebbesmeyer's eye on the big picture. Besides, as readers will readily agree, they've been a lot of fun to study." -- Natural History magazine

Whether you want to learn more about how the oceans tick or how we are affecting our environment, or to reminisce about science not being what it used to be, this is a very enjoyable, if at times dark, book. -- Nature