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Puerto Rico was lucky when Hurricane Luis veered north of it in early September. The next big storm, however, is just a matter of time, and it will spell trouble for the island’s valuable coastal property. People develop the shore in quiet times, ignoring the slow rise of global sea level that makes each new storm potentially more devastating than the last. In Living with the Puerto Rico Shore (David M. Bush et al, Duke University Press, Durham, North Carolina, £16.95/$17.95, ISBN 0 8223 1590 4), five geologists explain coastal dynamics and shoreline protection, then map the risky parts of Puerto Rico. Like the other 16 books in this series, it’s a handbook for those concerned with a specific coast, rich in local details.