Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above $30
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Sale

The Wavewatcher's Companion

by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
$8.90 Now $6.90 Save 22%
The Wavewatcher's Companion
The Wavewatcher's Companion

Exploring the ubiquitous, mesmerizing nature of waves.

If you've ever been captivated by a rolling sea or pondered the ripples of a pond, "The Wavewatcher's Companion" is more than a book; it's a journey into the beauty and ubiquity of waves. Gavin Pretor-Pinney will take you from the shores of Cornwall to the depths of scientific discovery, showing you the unifying patterns of waves in our world. It's a blend of curiosity and science that will deepen your appreciation for the waves that move through all aspects of life.

  • Royal Society Science Book Prize (2011)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

The Wavewatcher's Companion

by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
$8.90 Now $6.90 Save 22%
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9781408809761
Author: Gavin Pretor-Pinney
Date of Publication: 2011-01-01
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Science, Travel, Nature
Related Topics: Popular Science, Travel, Physics, Environment, Reference, Travelogue, Nature, Natural History
Goodreads rating: 3.86
(rated by 469 readers)

Description

One bright February afternoon on a beach in Cornwall, Gavin Pretor-Pinney took a break from cloudspotting and started watching the waves rolling into shore. Mesmerised, he wondered where they had come from, and decided to find out. He soon realised that waves don’t just appear on the ocean, they are everywhere around us, and our lives depend on them. From the rippling beats of our hearts, to the movement of food through our digestive tracts and of signals across our brains, waves are the transport systems of our bodies. Everything we see and hear reaches us via light and sound waves, and our information age is reliant on the microwaves and infrared waves used by the telephone and internet infrastructure. From shockwaves unleashed by explosions to torsional waves that cause suspension bridges to collapse, from sonar waves that allow submarines to ‘see’ with sound to Mexican waves that sweep through stadium crowds... there were waves, it seemed, wherever Gavin looked. But what, he wondered, could they all have in common with ones we splash around in on holiday? By the time he made the ultimate surfer’s pilgrimage to Hawaii, Gavin had become a world-class wavewatcher, although he was still rubbish at surfing. And, while this fascinating, funny book may not teach you how to ride the waves, it will show you how to tune into the shapes, colours and forms of life’s many undulations.
 

Exploring the ubiquitous, mesmerizing nature of waves.

If you've ever been captivated by a rolling sea or pondered the ripples of a pond, "The Wavewatcher's Companion" is more than a book; it's a journey into the beauty and ubiquity of waves. Gavin Pretor-Pinney will take you from the shores of Cornwall to the depths of scientific discovery, showing you the unifying patterns of waves in our world. It's a blend of curiosity and science that will deepen your appreciation for the waves that move through all aspects of life.

  • Royal Society Science Book Prize (2011)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Science

Shop all
Hinged Dissections: Swinging and Twisting
Greg N. Frederickson | Cambridge University Press

Hinged Dissections: Swinging and Twisting

In one line

Geometry puzzles that move like magic

Goodreads 4.0

Condition: Very Good

$11.90 $8.90 25% off

Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body
Michael Matthews | Oculus Publishers

Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body

In one line

Ultimate guide to building a muscular, lean physique.

Goodreads 4.22

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things
Adam M. Grant | Viking

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

In one line

Potential Is Measured by the Climb

Goodreads 4.08

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That's a Good Thing)
Salman Khan | Allen Lane

Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That's a Good Thing)

In one line

AI revolutionizing education—Khan's masterful insight.

Goodreads 3.62

Condition: Like New

$19.90 $10.90 45% off

The True Path: Western Science and the Quest for Yoga
Roy J. Mathew | Basic Books

The True Path: Western Science and the Quest for Yoga

In one line

Blending neuroscience with spirituality, achieving consciousness.

Goodreads 3.85

Condition: Very Good

$13.90 $10.90 22% off

Granta 173: India
Thomas Meaney | Granta Magazine

Granta 173: India

In one line

A many-voiced portrait of India now

Goodreads 3.9

Condition: Very Good

$11.90 $8.90 25% off

Brief Answers to the Big Questions : the final book from Stephen Hawking
Just Arrived
Stephen Hawking | John Murray

Brief Answers to the Big Questions : the final book from Stephen Hawking

Condition: Very Good

$11.70

The Spiritual Universe: One Physicist's Vision of Spirit, Soul, Matter, and Self
Fred Alan Wolf | Moment Point Press

The Spiritual Universe: One Physicist's Vision of Spirit, Soul, Matter, and Self

In one line

Quantum physics meets spirituality; soul's defense.

Goodreads 3.9

Condition: Very Good

$16.90 $11.90 30% off

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
Steve Brusatte | Picador

The Rise and Reign of the Mammals

In one line

Epic saga of mammalian evolution and survival.

Goodreads 4.37

Condition: Very Good

$17.90 $12.90 28% off

The Evolution of Consciousness : The Origins of the Way We Think - Thryft
Robert Ornstein | Simon & Schuster

The Evolution of Consciousness : The Origins of the Way We Think

Condition: Well Read

$10.90 $3.90 64% off

Travel

Shop all
Gardens of the Istana
National Parks Board | National Parks Board, Singapore

Gardens of the Istana

In one line

Singapore’s presidential gardens, beautifully documented

Goodreads 0.0

Condition: Good

$10.90

The Hobbit Trilogy Location Guide
Ian Brodie | Harper Collins

The Hobbit Trilogy Location Guide

In one line

Middle-earth travel dreams brought vividly to life

Goodreads 4.04

Condition: Very Good

$11.90

76% off est. retail
The First Five - A New Collection of Southeast Asian Writing
Clara Chow, Chan Wai Han, Angelo R. Cuesta | Ethos Books

The First Five - A New Collection of Southeast Asian Writing

In one line

Southeast Asian voices, culture, and contemporary tales.

Goodreads 2.75

$8.90

Tahiti & French Polynesia
Celeste Brash | Geoplaneta

Tahiti & French Polynesia

In one line

In-depth guide to idyllic Polynesian escapes.

Goodreads 4.08

Condition: Very Good

$10.90 $5.90 46% off

83% off est. retail
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything
Elizabeth Gilbert | Bloomsbury Publishing

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything

In one line

Soul-searching journey to pleasure, devotion, balance.

Goodreads 3.64

Condition: Well Read

$7.90 $3.90 51% off

77% off est. retail
Complete: New Orleans '98 - Thryft
Adam Feibelman | Frommer

Complete: New Orleans '98

Condition: Very Good

$8.10

Lonely Planet New York & the Mid-Atlantic
Amy C Balfour, Ray Bartlett | Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet New York & the Mid-Atlantic

In one line

Essential guidebook for Mid-Atlantic adventurers.

Goodreads 4.3

Condition: Very Good

$12.90 $8.90 31% off

68% off est. retail
Bangkok (Inglés)
Austin Bush | Geoplaneta

Bangkok (Inglés)

In one line

Insider's guide to vibrant Bangkok's hidden gems.

Goodreads 3.76

$13.90 $3.90 72% off

89% off est. retail
Myanmar (Burma)
Austin Bush, Simon Richmond, David Eimer | Geoplaneta

Myanmar (Burma)

In one line

Essential guide to authentic Myanmar exploration.

Goodreads 3.98

$5.90 $3.90 34% off

Lonely Planet England 10
Oliver Berry, Fionn Davenport | Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet England 10

In one line

Essential guide to England's wonders and secrets.

Goodreads 4.08

Condition: Like New

$13.90 $9.90 29% off

You might enjoy this if…

View book details