Member Reviews

This was a beautifully put together book! I loved the photos and the descriptions that were presented within its pages. I could get lost in the pictures, just staring at the gorgeous images that are the reefs. The sea life was well documented and presented, and again, the images just jump out to you.

Fabulously done, and a perfect coffee table book.

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One more from Amber Books, as they dunk their heads under the water and get ready to show us the world's reefs. I didn't know if this would be corals, then small fish, then large fish, and other critters, but no – this is in sections by geography, so we start with the Red Sea and slowly go down the eastern African coast, before flying over to the Americas. And here things get a bit awkward, as some oddball wording in my copy (an early digital one, so it might not be the one you could buy) was all too obvious given how great and large the pictures are and how small the sections of captioning text. I could not for the life of me work out whether there were one or more USA reefs, as both seemed to apply. And trying to parse "sea urchins are predominantly omnivores, but eat both plants and animals" gave me a headache – just what is that "but" doing there?! I know an omnivore can eat stuff that is neither animal nor vegetable, but it's a weird phrase all round.

The caption-only approach here was a bit awkward for me, too. It was practically halfway that we learnt about calcium carbonate, the specific differences between hard and soft corals had long eluded us, and the tiny bits of text mean if you come here to learn things you do so in the most random, piecemeal fashion – almost by mistake. That said, these books are definitely for multiple audience types, and there's no denying the value this will have as a coffee-table book. But if you know any of this stuff you will know all that is here, meaning this is just pretty visuals, and perhaps an idea for your next snorkelling holiday. So some will find this annoyingly vague and slight, but the general browser will love the colourful worlds laid out for us, and be grateful enough to have seen them shown to us in such fashion.

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This is a beautiful book with fabulous photographs of the reefs of Africa,Americas,Pacific, Oceania and Asia.For someone like myself who has never dived or ever will, This book brings a fabulous undersea world to live for me. From the fringing corals reefs of the red sea, to the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Island, Asia and lastly to the Great Barrier reef of Australia and everything in between. The color is amazing, as are all the marine life that call these places home. Go for a dive under our oceans and be amazes, you won't regret it. . Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DRC

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I enjoyed looking and reading this book. It was about different reef around the world and what life was like around the reefs. The book had photographically picture.

This was a fun book to look at and read. My children like looking at the pictures of the different types of fish and other water creatures throughout the book.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

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5 stars

Nice coffee table book with amazing photography. There are facts and tidbits of information for every picture so you don’t feel lost. It’s a well structured book divided into parts by geographical locations of the reefs.

I can’t say I was inspired by this book to learn more about reefs, but I’d love to have it in my living room to flip through. Could be inspiration for vacation spots. When life becomes overwhelming it’s a nice little reminder of how diverse our planet is, and what a tiny part of the whole each of us is.

It’s a stellar example of a coffee table book. This is a purchase you won’t regret.

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A celebration of varied marine life in the different types of reefs around the world. It was grouped by continent and the photographs were stunning. I learned a lot and some some really cool animals.

4 stars

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Coral reefs are amazing. Rich ecosystems for all kinds of life as well as breathtakingly beautiful places full of gorgeous (and often slightly odd and brightly colored) life. Seriously, the richness of life there is just wonderful, and this photo book succeeds in capturing that feeling of wonder at all the biodiversity. It gives a peek into the world almost unreal in its diverse abundance. Corals themselves, sponges anemones, fishes, turtles, clams, cephalopods — you name it.

The photos are stunning, rich in vivid detail and vibrant color. And yes, it’s a photo book with captions, so you’ll have to learn the details of the reefs ecosystems elsewhere, but hopefully the loveliness of what you see will inspire you to do just that.

Coral reefs are amazing and yet very fragile ecosystems, and hopefully in the future books like this ones won’t be our only reminders of the wonders that they are.

5 stars.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Reefs is a vividly colorful encyclopedia of images of reef life around the world. There were creatures never seen before, and they are all so exotic from the life above water. It was rich in detail, with awe-inspiring pictures. The photography speaks for itself. The book is recommended for those who have an appreciation of nature and a constant desire to learn about different environments.

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Reefs by Peter Mavrikis, part of the Wonders of our Planet series, will take your breath away! Stunning, truly stunning, photography of places I can only ever dream of exploring. I can appreciate, with my whole heart, the beauty of this underwater ecosystem, and acknowledge that I am terrified of experiencing it in person! Nevertheless, I am inspired by the beauty and complexity of this aquatic world. I can almost feel the rhythm of the waves and ocean life through the pictures (vivid and up close). The attention to detail is unlike any other guide. The photographers genuinely need to be commended on the ART of these photographs (the movement, colors, and vibrancy). You can appreciate the nuances based on continent and explore the differences (and similarities) through the pictures as well as captions.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

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Decorative photo book about Reefs. My snorkeling and scuba diving has been limited to Hawaii, the California coast and the Caribbean. This book features photos from reefs around the world. Sections include: Africa, The America's, Pacific Ocean, Oceania and Asia. The photos showcase the coral and the marine life that inhabits them. This book is more to glance through than information. I would like to know more how climate change is effecting the reefs and how countries are protecting or helping restore reef ecosystems. It is a beautiful book to look. Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd. for the temporary ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

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In this gorgeous 224-page photography book, education author Peter Mavrikis offers more than 180 fascinating photographs of rock, coral, and sand reefs and their associated marine creatures from around the world. Each photograph is accompanied by an informative caption. The content is organized geographically, with chapters on Africa, the Americas, the Pacific Ocean, Oceania, and Asia. I loved the diversity of environments and organisms shown. What an amazing planet we inhabit!

Mavrikis shares interesting facts about these fragile ecosystems. Some readers may be unfamiliar with some of the terminology he uses, which is not always defined.

This attractive hardcover book would make a wonderful gift or be an interesting addition to your coffee table. The photographs inspire wonder. However, most of the text appears in photo captions, so be aware that the font is small.

Thanks to Amber Books for providing me with an electronic ARC through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

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