This book opens with a fascinating concept -- that our seas are receding. Not only that, but countless generations have failed to notice the phenomenon.

But wait, who is saying we refuse to believe the seas are receding? Surely, whether you are a creationist or a Darwinian, you accept that the world was once covered in water and since then the seas have been pulling back from the land.

Richard Guy has faultless credentials and some of the information on offer here is very thought-provoking. This in itself is justification for publication. If it gets us thinking, talking or arguing, it works. We do not have to agree or even accept the thesis.

For instance, Guy tells us on page 130 that the Suez Canal needs to be dredged regularly or else it will become useless. Surely this is true of many canals -- there is no strong water flow to dislodge the sand and sediment. He might also cite the Nile delta or the closing of the Wexford Harbour in 1962 because a sandbar made access impossible. It doesn't mean the water is draining away.

Guy is not helped in his quest to inform by a lack of editing and some incorrect printing.

I really wanted to like this book -- anyone coming up with an unusual theory and setting it out for public inspection deserves to be read and considered. If you are interested in unusual theories on the fate of our planet, this book should be on your shelf.