Paul R. Pinet, emeritus professor at Colgate University, has taught a variety of courses in geology, oceanography, and environmental studies. He earned his BA and MS degrees in geology from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts, respectively, and a PhD in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. His research has focused on the origin of continental margins and more recently on the long-term evolution of barrier islands and the philosophical nature of deep time. The essays in this book reflect his experiences as a mountaineer and geologist, as well as a cruiser on Taillefer, his 22-foot, gaff-headed catboat, sailed off the New England coast. He has been recognized as a talented teacher throughout his career and was awarded a Congressional Medal for Antarctic Service, honored with an Antarctic landform, named after him.