Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves

Heard a podcast interview with the author, so I got the book from the library, read it, shared it with my wife, then bought a copy as a gift. Well written, engaging story with fascinating info about the free diving and what it's like down there in the ocean depths. Highly recommend!

I first heard about this book when the author James Nestor was a guest on the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast however I had already been intrigued by the sport of Freediving since I read an article in ESPN the magazine back in the late 90's. I remember reading about it and being so fascinated by the ability of these seemingly normal human beings diving down to unfathomable depths on a single breath of air. My best friend and I were out in my pool literally 30 minutes after reading the article seeing who could hold their breath the longest and the following day we went to the lake in our community to attempt to reach the bottom near the dock. It was very surprising to me to hear on that podcast episode that most people still had never heard of Freediving. Hopefully this book will bring the sport into the light because it is truly amazing. The book starts out with the author who works for Outdoor Magazine being sent half way around the world for a competition that he had never heard of before. After witnessing the event he began a quest to understand how this was possible. Along the way he discovered many intriguing things about human physiology, the ocean and the organisms that live in it. His adventure brought him from Freediving competitions to taking a Freediving course to diving with a research team studying sperm whales...he even took a ride in a homemade submarine! I love the way the book is presented, the chapters are arranged brilliantly and it was very hard to put down. The author puts a spotlight on cultures that have used this ability to activate the Mammalian Dive Reflex for centuries. I extremely enjoyed reading this book as it has expanded my knowledge of ocean biology and the possibilities of human physiology.

The book covers a diverse group of experiences that the author was involved in. I learned a few things, and found it to be well written, but lacked depth (no pun intended), as it felt like I was reading articles in Outdoor magazine or the like. Written for the general public and not for those of us who would like to learn more of the scientific underpinnings of the story. It was, however, entertaining and informative, so I can recommend it on that basis.

A Beautiful and terrifying book. I’m an ocean loving swimmer and snorkeler who’s had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with wild dolfins 3 times. I’ve also seen many sharks up close and not freaked out. I met a free diver on a trip and found the idea interesting. She recommended this book. I’ve zero interest in free diving as a competitive sport, but like the idea of better breath control so I can hang with the critters. This book is about much more than the sport, and I’d recommend it anyone interested in what goes on in the deep.

This book is not only scientifically interesting and a compelling read, but also the way James Nestor writes keeps you engaged like a friend telling you a story. I have read it, recommended it, and this purchase was actually for a book chain some of us did through social media. I don't know how my recipient felt about it, but it was the first one I could imagine sending them! I learned so much about the human body and our instinctual gifts. There are also a few projects going on in the scientific world now due to this book.

Enjoyable read. I have been reading books in free diving left and right. From the titling of the chapters to the story retelling i enjoyed this read plus its littered with useful tidbits, names, locations to drill into for further exploration. Happy to see what else James has written

Fun read and well written.

It's a unique blend of personal anecdotes (from a turbulent year flying all over the world interacting with dozens of interesting characters investigating or interacting with the ocean in some way), narration, and research that's easy to read.I can't comment on the factual correctness of every quick statement or sentence in the book, but it's a fascinating starting point for learning more about the depths from which we (humans and all life on earth) likely came.Note: Though it's in the title, freediving is not the main subject of the book. It does play an important role throughout the book, and I feel the spearfisher that complained that he "took forever to get in the water" in a review must have forgotten their pre-freediving relationship with the ocean... or they might have been born with different genes than me (or just somewhere the sea isn't ice-cold with horrible visibility most of the year).