50 Must-Read 50 Beta
← The Must-Read 50
Cover of Polar Shift by Clive Cussler and Paul KemprecosPolar Shift
Modern · Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

Polar Shift

by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos
2005 · 530 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 13 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

NUMA operative Kurt Austin takes on a madman posing as an environmentalist.

Why it's worth reading

It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's an action thriller.

By the numbers

52.5Must-Read Score
  • Readers13 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)

Reads as

Gripping, Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

If you like this, read next

Cover of Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden KeefeSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern IrelandPatrick Radden Keefe
Cover of Verity by Colleen HooverVerity
VerityColleen Hoover
Cover of Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnGone Girl
Gone GirlGillian Flynn
Cover of The Martian by Andy WeirThe Martian
The MartianAndy Weir
Cover of 2666 by Roberto Bolaño2666
2666Roberto Bolaño
Cover of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirGideon the Ninth
Gideon the NinthTamsyn Muir

Explore the best-of lists

All 47 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is Polar Shift worth reading?

Yes. It spent two weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It ranks #3,018 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.5 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Polar Shift about?

NUMA operative Kurt Austin takes on a madman posing as an environmentalist.

How long does it take to read Polar Shift?

About 13 hours (530 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Polar Shift?

If you liked it, try The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy, Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood or The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy.