Get 3 audiobooks free with a 30-day Free Trial Sign Up Free

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works

Author:
Helen Czerski
Read by:
Helen Czerski
Read Read Own Own

Unabridged Audiobook

Listen Free Now
  • Listen free with a 30-day free trial
  • Choose 2 bonus VIP books
  • Enjoy 10,000 always free books
Ratings
Book
1
Narrator
1
Release Date
October 3, 2023
Duration
14 hours 51 minutes
Summary
A Financial Times Best Science Book of 2023

A scientist’s exploration of the 'ocean engine'—the physics behind the ocean’s systems—and why it matters.
All of Earth’s oceans, from the equator to the poles, are a single engine powered by sunlight, driving huge flows of energy, water, life, and raw materials. In The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski illustrates the mechanisms behind this defining feature of our planet, voyaging from the depths of the ocean floor to tropical coral reefs, estuaries that feed into shallow coastal seas, and Arctic ice floes.

Through stories of history, culture, and animals, she explains how water temperature, salinity, gravity, and the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates all interact in a complex dance, supporting life at the smallest scale—plankton—and the largest—giant sea turtles, whales, humankind. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves, to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she introduces the messengers, passengers, and voyagers that rely on interlinked systems of vast currents, invisible ocean walls, and underwater waterfalls.

Most important, however, Czerski reveals that while the ocean engine has sustained us for thousands of years, today it is faced with urgent threats. By understanding how the ocean works, and its essential role in our global system, we can learn how to protect our blue machine. Timely, elegant, and passionately argued, The Blue Machine presents a fresh perspective on what it means to be a citizen of an ocean planet.

Reviews
Profile Avatar Viv I. Mar 2026

PHENOMENAL BOOK!! However, though it is well narrated, I found the information in the book hard to visualize as I listen to it. I ended up checking the book out of the library, so I could refer back-and-forth between the physical book and the audiobook. But this book is definitely, definitely worth a read!!

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works

Author: Helen Czerski
Read by: Helen Czerski
Listen Free Now Get any book plus
2 bonus VIP books
1 book added to cart
Subtotal
$22.50
View Cart