Diving The Seamount

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Summary: Diving the Seamount
Review: "Diving the Seamount" written by Tom Rapko is a wonderful little character driven tome about life and the things that really matter in ones decision to live life to it's fullest.

Character driven the book starts out getting the reader exposed to the main characters and the journey to LaPaz, Mexico for a scuba dive in the warm waters off of Baja California Peninsula for a life experiencing change and energy at the seamount. The book is filled with people wanting something more out of life and not just material things but life for life's self. To experience the best of what life can bring, but not material worth but the satisfaction that knowing you have made the best from what you have.

The book is filled with little "what if's" and philosopher's twists of fate. The book shows the life of the regals and that of the common folk and how they live their respective lives. Those of privilege and those that make it from day to day.

"Diving the Seamount" is a book about not only life, but that of underwater beauty too as the the seamount affects the people that dive it and either return or how the seamount affects their lives in the future. The author is a diving photographer and it shows with the detail in the writing. I am an amateur scuba diver and a photographer myself and I could visualize myself taking pictures of the dive and all of the preparation needed for that dive.

I found "Diving the Seamount" to be a very realistic and enjoyable read as the author takes you through life's changing spirit. This book would be and excellent read for those who seak a realistic story that has some adventure, but those interested in how the characters mature. It would be interesting to see if the author could recreate these characters 20 years hence to complete this adventure into life's full circle.

I gave the book a solid 4 stars for good writing and a story told well in a realistic sense making an interesting read and it is a book to pick-up at your local bookstore for a good read.

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Summary: Great First Dive Into Writing
Review: "Everything seemed so alive, so passionate in Baja. Every action had a purpose, instinctively calculated, and executed perfectly." Tom Rapko's portrayal of life in the sleepy seaside town of La Paz, Mexico and how relationships are formed and transformed is passionately written. He has an uncanny ability to make the tiny town and the characters come to life, rather than stay two dimensional. In the first couple of chapters I was hooked as I read about a simpler kind of life and the exciting first dive to the Seamount. As the story progresses you find yourself pondering the very same questions Gus, one of the characters, ponders, "what would it be like to escape the rat race?" And wondering if you could summon the courage to do it. This novella is a wonderful and thought provoking read, executed perfectly by the author. I look forward to reading more stories by this author as his ability to tell a story matures with continued writing.

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Summary: Eye-Opening Entertainment
Review: Diving the Seamount can be summed up in one word: phenomenal. Tom Rapko reminds us all that we should take time away from our busy lives to actually experience life and embrace that which brings us happiness. Gus, fully enmeshed in the fast-paced world of a young, promising attorney, experiences a spiritual awakening while visiting the sleepy Baja village of La Paz. Once satisfied by material possessions and career advancement, he finds himself longing for the simplicity and beauty of life in the small Mexican village. His ambition turns quickly towards realizing his new goal: leaving all of the constraints behind and enjoying life in La Paz. Life in La Paz moves on at its own pace, enveloping him and those like him who appreciate the beauty inherent in simple existence.

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Summary: An adventure for the mind, the spirit, and the soul
Review: DIVING THE SEAMOUNT is a terse, intricately woven tale of the effects of shedding the world-weary outer skin by communing with nature and the core whispers of healing that surrender offers. Set in La Paz, Baja California, author Tom Rapko tells - no, shows - us a place called the Seamount which is a ancient volcano under the waters off Baja, a site known by legend to be the source of spiritual renewal. Rapko intertwines the lives of disparate people, each of whom needs a moment of life renewal, as they dive and photograph and experience the wonder of the seamount. By juxtaposing the lives of the peasants in La Paz with the lives of the 'outsiders' who come to La Paz to dive, the author makes numerous comparisons and metaphors as to what is the essence of being. Without succuming to being preachy, Rapko delivers meaningful moments in an easy to read format, moments that linger for reflection long after the reader finishes this book. Recommended.

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Summary: A fine debut
Review: Diving the Seamount is full of beauty, adventure, and underlying spirituality. It's a very satisfying read by a promising new voice.

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Summary: An Entertaining Ride
Review: I picked up this book after a friend recommended it because they know I like to scuba dive. What I got was a fictional but realistic glimpse into life in Baja Mexico and how one experience can change a person forever. What a great book.

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Summary: Insightful And Entertaining
Review: It is very rare when a book this short in length (130 pages) is so packed with adventure and excellent character development. However, author Tom Rapko accomplishes just that in Diving The Seamount.

Additionally, Rapko's obvious passion for diving is hard to contain, and as such the reader can't help being drawn into the excitement of the story. Another area in which the author succeeds is in his description and development of each character. We follow the lives of several strangers who have little in common aside from their trip to Baja to dive the seamount. We then see how their lives unfold afterward and the changes that are brought about by their experiences at the seamount. What I appreciate most about the characters in this book is that, while they come from all walks of life, it is very easy to identify with each one. Rapko also manages to avoid cliches, and brings a very human approach to the variety of characters, whether it be the natives of Baja or the big city lawyer from the United States.

In addition to a very entertaining story that makes this book hard to put down, the book is full of little philosophical gems that causes the reader to ponder the choices that he or she has made regarding their own life. And rather than tell the reader which life path to take, Rapko allows the reader to decide that for him or herself.

I would highly recommend this book for anybody with a sense of adventure, particularly anybody that loves SCUBA diving or has ever entertained the notion of trying it.

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Summary: Diving the Seamount
Review: Rapko's story is one written with a personal commitment and honesty I don't often find in contemporary fictional works. Rather than simply pushing along a plot to tell a story, Diving the Seamount tells a story to share an idea. The author's philosophy is never forced upon the reader, but instead is set forth for the reader to experience as the characters themselves experience Baja's majesty.

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Summary: South African
Review: This book deals with some of the issues many of us are facing today. The one that stood out for me is the issue of excessive business and a lack of fulfillment. I am not a diver but the descriptions of the underwater wonderworld make me want to take up diving. I think it will do the same for many readers.

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Summary: Entertaining and insightful
Review: This is a good little (130 page) book. It could have used the publisher's offered editing service, though. There are many instances of the use of an obviously wrong word. Nothing, however that seriously detracted from the story.

The cover photo was outstanding, and because of the half-dozen hammerhead sharks shown, I must assume that it was shot by the author, who claims to be a photog.

Frankly, I was hoping for a non-fiction book about diving, replete with many underwater photos. The Sea of Cortez is a renowned diving area, and Ray Cannon's book, The Sea of Cortez, is an example of what can be done with such a book.

This is a good first book for a young author who obviously loves diving.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre