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Otherwise, it's not the most compelling read. I'd say if you're particularly interested in the subject matter, you'll probably enjoy this book. If I had the option, I would've given the book 3 1/2 stars, 4 was generous.
I've also lived and traveled over much of the state. The book is somewhat autobiographical, and was a bit slower as a result. As an avid So Cal diver, I'm familiar with California's important urchin fishery.
However, the author's Farallone experience and tales of Ron Elliot were standouts. I'd recommend The Devil's Teeth by Susan Casey. As such, this was an interesting read.
That said, the book is very simply written, occasionally repetitive, and could have been more tightly edited.
It is the type of book that is good to read if you want to clear your head and take a trip without going anywhere. It is also telling of the transformation of the person in the industry from someone who is mostly carefree and just works and surfs, to that of family man, to that of someone who has responsibilities and others that depend on them, to someone who has become jaded by the business aspect and competition of the industry, to finally someone that has come to grips with their own mortality through the deaths of those he respected and cared for. Mixed in are great characters, good stories and memorable adventures to virgin coast lines and reefs.This book does not sound like an exciting book, but it was a book that I looked forward to reading. This book was an excellent journey through one mans life lived on and off the California coast, diving for urchins. Finally, it is a very good book that centers around the ocean. It is a life that although is hard work, may prove envious to many (especially those whose daily trials and tribulations centers around traffic, spreadsheets, middle managers and sales quotas).It is also telling of the way the California urchin (and fishing) industry has changed as a whole, from single owners and family owned businesses to the large commercial companies. It is a story about a simple life that centered around tides, weather, water conditions and other unseen hazards. From the days of no restrictions and limitless limits to the present day regulations that are needed to keep people from expiring the very items that provide them with a livelihood.
I had a tremendous appreciation for the whole process after reading your book and found myself telling my coworkers tales from the book later that night at dinner. I also told them about the shark. The next night I managed to drag 3 of my buddies over to Brophy Bro's Bar. We enjoyed our shots of tequila with the toast, "To Weiner - a man who wasn't afraid to tell his friends that he loved them.". There are stories in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny and stories where you can't help but share the loss along with Tom when bad things happen to good people.My one regret was purchasing the book in the middle of a particularly harsh work week. As the last reviewer said, if your heart is in any way connected to the ocean, be it through surfing, boating, diving, fishing, or just spending time around the beach, you'll have a profound appreciation for this book. Tom is an amazing story teller and Bluewater Gold Rush is an wonderful mix of adventure, friends, love, and loss. I simply couldn't put it down.
I couldn't help but wonder if any of the characters that I read about in your book were right there in front of me. Of all of the things that you said about Wiener in your book and during your talk, the one that I always remember first was that he was the kind of guy would go up to his friends and give them a big hug and tell them that he loved them. I volunteered to buy the drinks that night on the condition that they listen to a few stories first. It was a neat experience. I told them about Wiener and how he got his nickname. I made it through the book by the end of the week but sleep deprivation almost did me in.I had the opportunity to visit one the main settings in the book after I read it and I felt compelled to send Tom an email afterwards. I told them a little about your book and some of the adventures that you guys had. I often find myself retelling Tom's stories to friends, recounting them while I'm diving, or using new terms that I picked up from the book like "white buffalo".
We went upstairs and I showed everyone the picture of Wiener. I had some spare time one evening so I went down to the dock and stood there with a few dozen other spectators as the urchin boats unloaded. My job kept me really busy during the days and the book keep me up most of the nights. I would like to close by sharing this email.------I found myself in Santa Barbara for work a few weeks ago.
And it doesn't let up. This book is an absolute natural for the big screen. This is a terrific read, at once an honest, deeply personal memoir and an entertaining swash-buckling tale of adventure.
This is a memorable book that deserves to be in the book collection of anyone who loves the ocean and the lore of the sea. Highest recommendation. Rumor has it that the author has been hired to write a screenplay adaptation.
After reading excerpts in The Surfer's Journal and hearing friends in the West Coast water world rave about this gem of a book, I bought it and devoured it a weekend. There are some great stories here, moments of danger and reward, death and laughter, all told with great insight. John Grissim, author, Pure Stoke and The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion
Kendrick writes in a clear, deceptively easy style that grabs you off the dock on the first page and the next thing you know, you're down 85 feet deep on a big money dive in the gin clear waters of a virgin reef by the Channel Islands. Kendrick was a member of the Santa Barbara, California-based sea urchin divers who pioneered this offbeat fishery, reaping its rewards and facing lethal dangers, opening new waters in Northern California, even--and this is insane--harvesting urchins at the Farallon Islands, the stalking ground of the Great White Shark.
His writing style is friendly, accurate and fast. Picked this up from the author at a party recently. This is not a dull, chronological report of the evolution of a commercial diver, but a fast paced, personal account that will hold your interest and provide an education regarding one of the most interesting activities on the west coast in the last 50 years.If you like diving, surfing, boats, fishing, interesting coastal stories or you just like to go out to the coast every once in a while, this is a book that I highly recommend. His years in the Urchin harvesting business were heady-times and he loved those years intensely; it comes across in many ways and makes this book a joy to read.His take on things is not polished, gender neutral or politically correct which is absolutely refreshing. We had met for the first time & we found that we had quite a few similar experiences. Set about to read this book immediately it and finished it today.Reading this book was a nostalgic experience for me.
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