The Death and Life of Monterey Bay is the biography of a place but also of the residents who reclaimed it. Monterey is thriving because of an eccentric mayor who wasn’t afraid to use pistols axes or the force of law to protect her coasts. It is because of fishermen who love their livelihood scientists who are fascinated by the sea’s mysteries and philanthropists and community leaders willing to invest in a world-class aquarium. The shores of Monterey Bay revived because of human passion—passion that enlivens every page of this hopeful book.