Customer Reviews

Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks & the Sea

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

SHARK LIfe is exceptionally entertaining and enlightening nonfiction for young adults. Benchley (the author of JAWS) moves back and forth between recounting his own heart-stopping adventures in the sea (sometimes purposely swimming with sharks and other deadly creatures, sometimes accidentally encountering them), and his simple and clear explanations of how man's interference with the balance of the world's oceans has already resulted in some dying regions. He cautions how further degradation of the seas will eventually threaten man's existence on the planet.

Though intended for a young adult audience, Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks & The Sea is too good not to recommend for adults, as well - especially given all the news about shark attacks. Benchley, best known for his novel JAWS and the movies which erupted from it, here draws on over four decades of diving experience to explore sharks and other animals he's encountered. From touching encounters to presumptions and near-disastrous mistakes, Shark Life is first-person adventure - and shark science - at its best.

I think this is a great book because the author makes it more than just your regular boring book full of facts. He was one of the few authors to get me to read a whole book with out getting bored. He fills the book with his real life experiences and even some safety tips. This usually isn't the type of topic I usually prefer, but this was different. He shows the other side of sharks other than just the mean, full of teeth, side. He tells you about what sharks he has been around, and which ones to watch out for. I think what makes it such a good book is that his experiences are filled with action and suspense. I've learned that most shark attacks are just accidents, and they are done after a test bits. However that test bite might just be enough to become fatal. With his book I'm going to feel safe next time I get into the water because now I have a general idea on how the water works and when a good time to get in the water, or even how far I should go out. I even got to learn more about one of my favorite animals, the great white shark. I would definitely recommend this book to all types of readers.

Peter Benchley is an Awesome writer. He is very casual in his writing but still very substantial. You can't help but love Peter Benchley. He's also very comical. In one part of the book he says 'why did I have to write a book about sharks? (speaking of Jaws)...why not a book about... I don't know a puppy dog?' This is a great book for Shark and sea lovers. GREAT book!!!!!

Peter Benchley. You may have heard of him because he authored the extremely famous book Jaws, which was made so famous with help from the classic movie of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg, and produced by Richard Zanuck and David Brown. But I do not want to write about Steven Spielberg and the Jaws crew, or Peter Benchley in regards to his book Jaws.

What I want to let you all know is how excellent his last book; Shark Life: True Stories about Sharks and the Sea really is.

This non-fiction book is written so well, and moves at an appetite inducing pace you may feel like you are the shark. If you are even mildly interested in sharks, the ocean, diving, surfing or are just intrigued by things voracious this is the book for you. This is true to life tales of Mr. Benchley's happenings in the ocean of sharks. In cages and out of cages, in deep water and shallow, in rivers and within his memories.

One of my favorite chapters is #7 titled Six Dangerous Sharks. In this chapter Peter goes on to name and describe the certain sharks and their characteristics, and then also with a real world examples. This is thrilling reading and I ate it up.
A very important part of this book is that the overall tenure is not Jaws. That is, it is not about the monster from the deep sinking fishing boats, closing beaches, and disrupting economy. Some of the stories are very scary and heart pounding indeed, but this book is about real sharks, what they are, where they are; and how we as human beings relate to them in their environment, and more importantly how we can ensure they remain the alpha predators they need to be.

And to the salient motions that we humans aspire, one of which is that we are the caretakers of all things because we are conscious. I found reading this book showed me that we are not. It made me (said) conscious of the fact that humans have their place. We have an impact yes, but we are merely a piece of the fleece. The perfection of humanity is willful change, we can make a difference because we want to. A shark does not want, a shark is, and its being is extremely different and perpetually thrilling.

This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

My grandson needed to do a report on sharks. This book was very helpful. The book was in great condition.

This is an excellent reference book on sharks. Good story-telling and I definitely recommend it for any shark-lover!

This book, I was happy to find, was more than a simple biography of Peter Benchly and his adventures and actually gave a few facts laced into moving firsthand experiances. One portion of the book contains a story that accurately depicts the position of sharks as the key to ocean food chains.

If you're a Peter Benchley fan, and haven't read Shark Trouble, then it's for you. Very interesting and informative information and stories. The references are also a good to read. However, it is essentially Shark Trouble without the pictures, and with one extra story.

anyone who gives this book a rating of less than three stars is off their rocker. this book is fastpaced and exciting.@it tells of the author of jaws and his incredible experience with ocean wildlife. who doesnt want to read about shark attacks and riding giant rays.