I never intended to be totally nerdy about this trip, but I do have that tendency. It wasn’t helped by seeing this book about the Pacific on the bargain table at my local bookshop the day before I left and feeling it was begging to be squeezed into my backpack even though I had a well-stocked Kindle all set to go. Well, it turned out to be a perfect case of serendipity since it is rather isolated here and extremely windy, so reading is a must. And although I am also reading novels, I find narrative style non-fiction to be a great way to focus the mind.
Simon Winchester’s book is a beguiling read, wide in scope and full of variety. In some editions this was published as “Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World’s Superpowers”, which gives a more useful idea of its content, but is overly long and no doubt had publishers screaming to the author “we’ll run out of ink and there’ll be no room on the cover for your name!” I’ve learned about the huge extent of the nuclear testing and the impact it had on people and the environment. I was furious reading about the shocking treatment of the Marshall Island people.
Luckily there was a lighter side with an eye-opening chapter on the development of surfing. Also fascinating is the story of Sony and how Japan became a leader in electronics. Reading about the handing back of numerous Pacific countries from the many European countries and the US brought home the chilling arrogance of Empire building. Tonga, for example, had been under British Protection since 1900 and gained freedom in 1970.
With the unrelenting wind, it has been apt to read about weather patterns and why the Pacific is becoming increasingly cyclonic. It relates back to the sun, of course, which links in with my other nerdy interest.
This is the kind of book I’ll keep on the bookcase and dip back into now and then. It tells a story of an astonishing part of our planet, numerous stories actually. You can read any chapter in any order, or use the excellent index to find snapshot information. It has proven itself a perfect travel companion despite its size. Best of all, it encourages me to be calm and still.
Nuggets of Purest Green 