海角大神

Oceans of plenty?

Job-crushing catch limits for fishermen are controversial in the United States. And the idea of enforcing sustainable-harvest practices among seafood鈥檚 other countries of origin is ambitious. But The Perfect Protein, by Andy Sharpless, head of the conservation organization Oceana, lays out a strong case for the careful consumption of (mostly wild) fish as a way to save the oceans and feed the world. Its back pages feature recipes for species (think mullet and triggerfish) that may be new to you.

The Atlantic wall

Nazi Mega Weapons views World War II through the unique lens of the Nazis鈥� superhuman feats of engineering. The series revisits the massive scale of the German defense against the Allied invasion of the Atlantic coast with reenactments, 3-D graphics, and footage of still-standing structures. The first three episodes air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m., beginning July 17.

Heart and home

knows something about the struggles of the middle class, but she鈥檚 no politician. She鈥檚 a housewife, mother of five, and one of America鈥檚 most gifted singer/songwriters. Her affecting, inspiring new album is named after her beloved home state: Massachusetts. And it delivers on the mood of its cover 鈥� a snow-dusted rooftop panorama of her hometown 鈥� with stoic, lived-in lyrics such as: 鈥淭hese days nothing鈥檚 made to last/ the world keeps changing its mind but you and I/ we鈥檙e getting better with time.鈥� If McKenna is talking about herself, we wholeheartedly agree.

Summertime brass

Robert Schumann鈥檚 Carnaval, Opus 9 for piano was considered so technically difficult and emotionally demanding that it was rarely played in public during his lifetime. Today, however, the depiction of masked Carnival revelers is one of Schumann鈥檚 most performed works. Now has given it new life and whimsy on its听颁补谤苍补惫补濒 album under the Steinway & Sons label. Carnaval鈥檚 magnificent chord passages skip across a full brass section engaging the full range of the playful oompah of tubas, sweetly calling trumpets, and somber French horns. The album also includes Schumann鈥檚 Kinderszenen, Opus 15.

Treasure hunt

The free Geocaching Intro app will keep kids on break busy with a real-life treasure hunt (they鈥檒l need a GPS device or a smart phone). The game relies on volunteers who hide 鈥済eocaches,鈥� which usually contain a small prize or token, and then enter the coordinates of their cache on the Geocaching database. Go to geocaching.com to learn more. Cache locations are there, too 鈥� or simply open the app. Happy hunting!

Life stories

The documentary 56 Up, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, checks in on the adults who were first captured on film in elementary school in the 1964 film 鈥�7 Up.鈥� The series of films by director Michael Apted has caught up with the subjects every seven years since the project has started, and the movies have turned into a long-form epic about the changes that life brings.