Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World

Rating:
Summary: Maybe Stories Better Told in Person
Review: No doubt Tim Ecott has a treasure trove of diving experience and subject matter knowledge and while reading his book I kept thinking these stories and historical anecdotes would be much more interesting confined to retelling in person or by the author via radio. The book itself is a meandering collection of stories without drama or other particularly compelling reasons to keep turning the pages. I'd love to tune in to the radio show where I'm sure Mr. Ecott does a better job at probing the depths of his passion than the shallow retelling in these pages.

Rating:
Summary: Great facts and History
Review: This book is a very facinaty story of the birth of diving to modern diving techniques. As well as adventure. I realy enjoyed reading Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World
by Tim Ecott. I would recomend it to all who are divers and non-divers.

Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: This is a must read for any serious scuba diver. The writer weaves his own story with the history of scuba, a very complete account...Also a good refrence...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but....
Review: This is an excellent book, but be advised that it loses it's way occasionally. It has a little too much history about diving and not enough narrative, to my tastes. It is not quite as good as Water and Light - the best diving book I've ever read (though I have to admit to not have read that many) and a great book overall - but well worth reading. Another note of warning... it can be an extremely frustrating book if you are not going to be able to dive in the near future - so either read it right before a dive trip or be prepared to call your travel agent to arrange one after reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Incredible Insight...
Review: Tim Ecott's love for diving comes through these pages in myriad ways -- it should be read by everyone interested in man's experience in the undersea world, from the beginning recreational diver to the experienced marine scientist. These 'adventures in a liquid world' trace the history, motivations, and science of our efforts to be free under the waves -- from Aristotle's 4th century BC sponge divers, to the diving bells and barrels of three hundred years ago, through the development of scuba equipment in the 1900s and today's very modern technical and deep sea free divers.
Throughout Ecott brings us to the source -- he takes us with him to Tarpon Springs, for years a major center of sponge diving; we meet with him the veterans of Sealab; we're with him to talk and dive with Umberto Pelizzari, a legend in the world of free diving.
Ecott weaves and intersperses the history of man's adventures beneath the surface, the science of changes in the body at varying depths, and the subculture of the modern sport of diving with his own very personal experiences of the wonderful silent weightlessness to be found under the waves. He shares with us his open and soul revealing delight -- the mustering of courage needed as he enters the sea in the dark of night, the awe of the underwater city-like arches deep off the coast of the Seychelles, the bewitching peaceful calmness of a chance meeting with a pod of gray-steel dolphins hunting mackerel in the shimmering blue space -- certain that this is their first encounter with man.
Rarely does a writer capture the spirit and color of the experience so well. Read it -- he's been there -- he knows...

Rating:
Summary: I'm a diver not a reader
Review: What can I say - I'm not one for reading books, in fact I dont read full stop. Went to Mexico on holidays, and excited about doing some diving there, I bought this book to pass the time while lazying at the pool or between dives. I read half the book on the flight, and the rest of the book in 2 days. Its a must have. Combination of dive history and experience. I think Tim likes the beautiful side to diving. He marvels in the experience - his tales of the encounter with a scool of dolphins almost had me grab my own reg., stick it in my mouth, close my eyes and share Tims experience. And his account of the sponge trade, massive.