Stroj zvaný oceán - Jak moře a oceány ovlivňují náš svět – Czerski Helen (2025)

We live on a blue planet made up largely of water, concentrated mainly in seas and oceans. People, especially those living in landlocked countries, usually see these expanses of water as obstacles between continents rather than as part of a connected whole. Helen Czerski sets out to change this view, and the ocean will never look the same again. Forget sandy beaches, surf and colourful fish among coral reefs: the ocean is a vast, perfectly tuned, planet-wide physical machine governed entirely by natural laws and exerting a decisive influence on every aspect of our lives. It is the engine that drives our world. This Czech-language book gradually explores its anatomy, layers, shape and surface, as well as everything it contains, from individual atoms and almost invisible living organisms to rulers of the seas such as tuna and whales. Above all, it shows that everything is connected, and that this engine is so finely balanced that seemingly unrelated human activities can disrupt its operation, with far-reaching consequences. Helen Czerski explains the theories of ocean science in an accessible way and illustrates them with real examples from around the world: paddling a Hawaiian canoe around underwater volcanoes, climbing the mast of a historic sailing ship, looking beneath the Arctic ice sheet, going on an underwater expedition with penguins and discovering what even tiny plankton can cause. The book also introduces many important scientists, travellers and explorers whose work has contributed to our understanding of the oceans. Finally, it helps us realise that we have no choice: we have no other planet, and the fate of this one lies in our hands. If we understand how our world works and how we affect it, we can also decide our own future.