On The Beach is a very entertaining read about the world after Nuclear War. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book for a number of reasons. First, it's very interesting to see how Shute believes the world would react in the face of imminent destruction. Personally, I was shocked to see how calmly people accepted their fate. I had expected rioting and looting to be running rampant, but none of that was the case. People went on with their daily lives like nothing was wrong (barring a lack of motor vehicles.) Secondly, the story is interesting, it details the journey of a submarine and its inspection of possible survivors. It keeps you enthralled until the very end. Also, this book has four main characters, each with their own priorities. Shute does a great job of detailing each character in a small number of words. By the end of the book, I loved each and everyone of them, for very different reasons. However, the book is very sad and you certainly will not be able to get through it without a few tears.