For the first half of the book I was disappointed with the lack of science detail. When I read "[y]ou may be relieved to know that I will leave the mathematics aside here", I was not at all relieved. Then reading a few paragraphs on how tides were used in various literature of the 1800s let me to think this was not the book for me.

So, yes, there is more lore than science, but in the end I enjoyed the book. Contemplating the tide, the history of science, visits to extreme tides... all good stuff. There was a up-tick in some of the science later, but ultimately it was a missed opportiunity on that front.