I just finished reading the book on the flight to/from grand cayman. I am from the same neck of the woods as the author, which was kind of cool. I used to go to the same dive shop, dive the same beaches, and even work around the corner from where the author worked (when he worked in an office).
For me at least, Pasley's struggle between wanting to maintain a "normal" 9-5 office job and the incessant calling to leave it all behind and do what you really love resonated very true. Whenever I come across a story where someone has done this, I can't help but feel both intrigued and inspired. Pasley gives us a long glimpse of what that feels like. I wish he would've given us a little more insight into his thinking, what pressures he felt from family, friends, and the like, and the pragmatics of actually dropping it all and starting a new life.
Where I thought the book really shined was in giving the reader a raw look at the dive industry from the inside. There are a lot of things that we, as divers, cringe at when viewed in a vacuum. But, when faced with the scenario in live-time, the "right" answer isn't quite as clear. Don't get me wrong. Diving when you already have too much residual nitrogen in your system is simply dangerous and should be avoided. But, when making another dive means earning the money you desperately need to eat or pay your rent, the choice is a little tougher for some.
I also didn't realize how frustrating it must be dealing with the cruise crowd. When I landed in Grand Cayman and began diving, I began picking up on the grumbling among the shops' DMs about who was leading the discovery divers, intro class, etc. I never noticed that before!
My one complaint (and I don't mean it to be a knock on the author) is that the ibook version had a lot of typos and errors in it. I am a grammar nazi and things like that distract me a lot.
Overall, the book is certainly worth the purchase price and is an entertaining read. I would recommend it to anyone.
