Islands, Capes, and Sounds

Today is the day we will cover Islands, Capes, and Sounds by Thomas J. Schoenbaum. It is a fantastic book about an area I love given to me by a dear friend. This does a fantastic job of describing the natural patterns that are in play on the North Carolina Coast.

The author played a critical role in drafting the North Carolina Coastal Management Act and he does a great job of telling the history of the North Carolina Coast and some of the politics that were involved in trying to protect it.There are many key points anyone can learn even if they have never been to the North Carolina Coast.

It is through books like these that you can learn the history and natural geological features of the area you live in or care about. It is important to understand how it works and pay attention to the changes as they could indicate trouble brewing.

This book does a great job of visually showing the changes over the hundreds of years and letting the reader know exactly how the sand is migrating. You may not have sand where you are at, but it almost goes without saying that the soil and topography is changing wherever you may be.

It is a shame that the state of North Carolina, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal government have not understood the forces that are at play and how money will never overcome the design of the system. I encourage anyone with a love for the beach to read Islands, Capes, and Sounds to understand the issues in play.