THE UNDERWORLD Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean

Susan Casey's exploration of the deepest oceans is fascinating, frightening, and compelling. As a narrator, she's also quite wonderful; her clear, warm voice has touches of humility and awe, and she has excellent timing. The bottom of the ocean is teeming with life-- bioluminescence, transparent fish, weird worms, volcanoes. It's also home to shipwrecks, rubbish, and valuable minerals. Scientists have been quietly researching the mysteries of the deep in submersibles for years with a remarkable safety record, and the adventuring profiteers skirting safety standards at the helm of the recent OceanGate Titan disaster bear little resemblance to them. Casey's passion for the deep is unmistakable and contagious as she urges listeners to prevent deep-sea mining, end industrial overfishing, and clean up the endless plastic in the sea. A.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]