Following international acclaim for "Surf Science: An Introduction to Waves for Surfing" (Alison Hodge, 2002), Tony Butt's "The Surfer's Guide to Waves, Coasts and Climates" will appeal to surfers and all those who are fascinated by the sea and the coast. Four major sections look at coastal geology (beaches; reefs; rivermouths); climate and big waves (climatic cycles; storminess and surf; searching for the biggest waves; controlling the waves: every surfer's dream; coastal intervention (coastal erosion; coastal modification and the surf; oil spills and ecocide); and the planet bites back (tropical cyclones; global warming and the surf; tsunami).