When I mentioned to a colleague that there was a new, six‐volume encyclopedia in ocean sciences that I had agreed to review, all he said was, “That will keep you busy for awhile.” Indeed, reviewing 3000‐plus pages of condensed matter is quite an order. In addition to simply reading one item after another and skipping a lot, I decided to work with the encyclopedia for a month in a writing project involving general oceanography. On the whole, the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences is comprehensive, up‐to‐date, well illustrated, and well written, and the writing falls somewhere between that of an introductory textbook and a professional review. The marine biology portion, which is large, is particularly accessible. If you are studying oceanography, or teaching it, do gain access to this set of volumes. You will come to treasure it as a great source of information.