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Do Dolphins Ever Sleep? 211 Questions and Answers About Ships, the Sky and the Sea NauticalReads.com, June 2008: “Crossing an ocean at 5 knots leaves one with ample time to ponder the surrounding world. (What's a knot? See pages 242 and 244). This book was born on such a cruise. Over the course their cruise the authors posed 211 questions ‘about ships, the sky, and the sea.’ Upon landfall, Pierre-Yves and Sally Bely sought answers. Once in your hands, Do Dolphins Ever Sleep? is a challenge to put down. Thumb through the book, find an interesting question, and before you know it you've read four more questions. Each question stems naturally from the one before and leads naturally to the next, in much the same way our mind wanders from topic to topic when lost in contemplation. The authors tackle easy (How are crews distributed on America's Cup boats?) and more challenging (How can a GPS be so precise?) questions alike, providing clear comprehensible answers. Some questions require technical answers. On these questions, it would be easy to slip into highly technical and scientific responses, yet the Belys find ways to answer in terms understandable to most, if not everyone with a grounding in high school science. Who should own Do Dolphins Ever Sleep? For starters, every Yacht Club bar should have a copy alongside their Guinness Book of World Records. The rest of us should have a copy on board to answer questions that arise while contemplating the surrounding sea. Oh, and do dolphins ever sleep? Well you'll have to look on page 66.” Ontario Sailor Magazine, April 2008: “Why do sailors wear bell bottom pants? Why does fish spoil faster than red meat? Why is speed measured in knots? These and many other questions are answered I this fun book that was put together by cruising sailors Pierre Yves Bely, an engineer that worked with NASA and the Paris Observatory, and his wife, Sally. He asked himself these questions during the many crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific and together they researched the answers and packaged them up neatly in this book. There are colorful photographs and graphics spread throughout the book and it is easy reading, and the writing is not too technical. The index breaks the questions into various categories such as the sky, sea, wind and weather, and ships. All told, there are 211 questions posed with answers, given directly below the question. Sometimes even two or three possible answers are given, when there are no concrete solutions. And now, to the answers to the above questions: Sailors started wearing bellbottom pants in 1817 because it was easier to roll up their pants when they cleaned the deck; Bacteria work faster in fish because they contain a special chemical that prevents them from dehydrating in salt water and the fish are cold blooded once dead and out of the water, their bodies warm up quickly; It was common to toss overboard a large plank tied to a rope and speed was measured by the number of knots that went by in a certain time.” Royal Naval Sailing Association, Winter 2007: This soft covered book is one to pick up to read and read again. The explanations are good…a well-written book with good pictures to assist the answers. I would recommend this book to the student of nautical studies and the experienced sailor who has forgotten so much taught at nautical college. Yes it does tell you if dolphins sleep and 210 other questions.” Soundings, December 2007: “The questions are organized into eight sections: The Sea, Life in the Sea, The Sky, Wind and Weather, Ships, Yachting, Navigation and Life Aboard. Bely’s questions range from general(Question 48: ‘Do giant squids really exist?’) to a bit more obscure (Question 110: ‘Why was the Viking tradition of lapstrake construction abandoned, when it produced such light seaworthy boats?’). More than 150 color photographs and diagrams are used to illustrate definitions, and footnotes accompany entries for further explanation. For example, the answer to Question 4, ‘Is there a difference between an ocean and a sea?’ contains a diagram identifying the world’s sea (in blue) and oceans (in red). A footnote further discusses the ambiguity between a lake and a sea for a more complete discussion. Pierre-Yves Bely has worked with NASA and the Paris Observatory.” Sailing, November 2007: “Spend enough on the water and the mind starts to wander, curiosity is piqued and the questions soon follow. Why is the sea salty? How do flying fish fly? What is the green flash? When was the rudder invented? These questions along with 207 other inquiries you may or may not be interested in knowing, are answered in Do Dolphins Ever Sleep? 211 Questions and Answers about Ships, the Sky and the Sea by Pierrre-Yves Bely, translated and adapted from the original French by his wife Sally Bely. An engineer who has worked with NASA and the Paris Observatory, as well as a passionate off shore cruiser, Pierre Yves is one of those folk with an insatiable curiosity about the world around them. Not satisfied with the answers he found in his onboard library, he produced his own reference work for those like him with questions both practical and abstruse about the oceans, marine biology, wind and weather, navigation, yachts and sailors. It would be quite easy to spend an entire lazy afternoon leafing through this book, finding answers to questions long wondered about, while discovering others you never would have thought of.” Cruising World, November 2007: "Well the answer to that question is yes—and no. See page 66 of the book for a more detailed explanation on the slumbering habits of porpoises and other creatures. Well-written and easily understood, Do Dolphins Ever Sleep? has great pictures and helpful illustrations. It’s reminiscent of a grade-school textbook, but a whole lot more fun. It’s divided into seven sections; each focuses on a specific marine topic, such as navigation and wind and water. Take it up on deck with you next time you have the midnight-to-0400 watch to discover why the sea is salty, when recreational yachting began (longer ago than you might’ve thought), and whether the Bermuda Triangle really deserves such a bad rap." Book News, September 2007: "This book answers such intriguing questions as the title one and others about the sea, sky, weather, ships, and sailing. While reminiscent of David Feldman's 'Imponderables' series (e.g., Do Penguins Have Knees?, this treatment is well-illustrated, referenced, and written by a sailor/engineer. S. Bely translated and adapted this edition from 250 Résponses aux questions du marin curieux, published by Éditions du Gerfaut, Paris, 2004." Ocean Navigator, September 2007: "'If an America's Cup boat and 60-foot Open ocean racer competed against each other, which would win? The answer is, it depends.' So begins the entry No.140 in the Belys' compendium of 211 provocative and head-scratching questions and answers about ships, the sky and the sea. At first glance the title might lead one to think that this is one more novelty book filled with marine trivia. But flip to any page and you will instantly be drawn in by the questions and the clear and well-researched answers accompanied by superb illustrations and photographs. Pierre-Yves and Sally Bely explore the realms of oceanography, marine biology, meteorology, yacht design and history, technology, navigation and much more. This book is well referenced and provides a comprehensive bibliography for further reading. Once you pick it up, this is a difficult book to put down as you flip from one fascinating Q&A to another. It clearly has a place in any library as a solid reference work." SAIL Magazine, August 2007: Latitudes & Attitudes, July 2007: "Well, do they? And how come ice is clear, but icebergs are white? And why are the tides bigger in some places than others? Inquiring minds want to know! Well, these questions and 208 more about ships, the sky and the sea are answered in this fascinating book. The topics are all interesting, and will make for a great 'trivia night' aboard." Science News, June 2007: "Pierre-Yves Bely has taken many trips across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Along the way, the engineer had plenty of time to ponder the ocean surrounding him. This book compiles answers to 211 intriguing questions about the ocean. They include, 'How does the wind create waves?' 'Why are sunsets usually more colorful than sunrises?' 'Why are cold seas green and warm seas blue?' and 'Why do some people get seasick?' The selection introduces readers to ocean-related phenomena that they may not have been aware of, including the fact that thunderstorms rarely form over seas. Sally Bely, Pierre-Yves' wife, translated this edition from French."
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