The GOOD: A beautiful book, with lovely photos, and nice, thick, feels-good-turning-them pages. Photos from all over the world. The set-up is almost like looking at gorgeous picture-post cards. Interesting pages throughout, with info about beaches, the water, sand movement, waves - almost like an earth sciences or marine biology lesson. The text is sprinkled in at just the right amount - not too brief, not too verbose.

The BAD: My personal preference would have been for more sand and ocean wave photos, but this also includes lakes and other bodies of water, along with related items, such as close-ups of tide pools critters. Also, there is a section at the back that recommends places to find that restful beach, organized by continent. Cool idea, but as specific hotels are mentioned, it felt more than a bit like advertising to me, which ruined the chill vibe.

OVERALL: A beautiful book for your coffee table or guest suite, which is a pleasure to peruse. ( )