Around the world, when people think of vacation it's the beach they want-even when long distances must be traversed, the seashore is the place to escape the rigors of modern life. How did this come to be, and what does our ongoing love affair with the beach mean? How do shore vacations differ from traditional tourism, and what does this tell us about our dreams and fears? In At the Beach, Jean-Didier Urbain offers witty and insightful answers to these questions.