THE ART OF DIVING: And Adventure in the Underwat

A landmark photography collection by an award-winning photographer [landmark is good in conveying that this is important and not to be missed, but it also makes it sound a bit conventional. There's actually something iconoclastic about these images - they are absolutely fresh, surprising, true to the experiences people have yet even better than they can imagine. Colorful, vibrant, larger-than-life, yet somehow real, hyperreal . . . along those lines.]

Scuba diving has become one of the world's most popular adventure sports, with now more than 20 million registered divers. Enthusiasts' passion grows from their exploration of a completely magical and otherworldly dimension under the sea. Each dive is a fresh experience, revealing a different diorama, captured in full color in this magnificent book. With a perfect blend of art and science, the text and photography recreates the emotional and sensual dimension of diving as well as conveying the intellectual fascination of meeting unusual underwater creatures and observing the condition of marine environments. An unparalleled compilation that also documents the world's best diving venues, undersea caves, wrecks and wildlife, this book is almost as transcendent as diving itself.

Dr. Alexander Mustard is a young marine scientist and photographer who lives in England. Winner of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his underwater work, his work has been exhibited in photography shows in England and France.

Nick Hanna is a travel writer and scuba diver who also lives in England.