Review

WL Rating

The good people at Amazon, via their tireless collaborative filtering technology, suggested this book based on my prior purchase patterns. The cover shot looks fantastic. I mean, look at it (to the left). It’s a big, hollow wave with a surfer lining up for certain glory. Well, that’s as good as it is ever gonna get for this book. Within about 1 to 2 pages, I knew that I had acquired a dud. It’s really too bad since the underlying premise of the book is good. Namely, the world is a single nation united by a passion for surfing—all within 111 pages! Sadly, the book doesn’t deliver. First off, it reads like a book written by someone who doesn’t surf, which I don’t believe is the case. One tiny example is a picture of a guy hitting the lip of a wave with the caption beneath claiming it to be a cutback. Weird. Second, the photos just aren’t that unique or engaging. When compared to other historical or coffee table books, there is just no comparison. Finally, the content of the book isn’t that deep. It seems incredibly superficial and almost stereotypical in nature. Perhaps the book was intended for the non-surfing public? Maybe. But I do know one thing. This is not a book that a surfer needs to own. Save your money, because I certainly wish that I had.  (May 2010)

Global Surf Nation - Chris Moran

Details

Category: Non-Fiction

Reading Style: Tedious

Pages: 111

Pub Date: 2005

Tags: Surfing