Sharks (Hardcover)

~ J. D. Stevens (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seventeen experts scientists, artists, marine photographers collaborate in a whale of a book about this greatly feared denizen of the seas. The first section introduces us to shark evolution, biology and behavior; we learn about major groups of sharks, their distinguishing characteristics and distribution. The second section reviews shark attacks worldwide (most attacks occur in the afternoon, 2-6 p.m.). The most dangerous beach in the world is Amanzimtoti, near Durban, South Africa. Antishark measures like nets are expensive and only partially successful. In the third section, marine artist Richard Ellis examines the shark in legend, literature and art. One essay discusses the commercial value of sharks, and another describes the preparation of shark-fin soup. Three diver/photographers tell about their experiences filming (and feeding) sharks; they regard sharks with awe. Filmmaker Marty Snyderman contributes a piece on photographing sharks, and C. Scott Johnson brings us up to date on shark repellents. This comprehensive volume is a welcome addition to the nature library. Illustrated.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is a very exciting, engaging book that covers the whole range of information on sharks, from scientific data to accounts of personal encounters. The illustrations are excellent; the photographs, many of which are quite unusual, are bright and clear, and a number of vivid illustrations by naturalist Richard Ellis are included. There is an Australian slant to the essays, which unfortunately means the reader finds out quite a bit more about Australian sharks than North American ones. Also, measurements are all metric, which will make it difficult for many Americans to visualize size and depth. But these limitations should not deter readers from dipping into this book to satisfy their endless fascination with sharks. Susan Klimley, Columbia Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File; 2 Sub edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816039909
• ISBN-13: 978-0816039906
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,018,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST OF ITS KIND!, April 30, 2000

By	"tee-vee-stevie" (Hull, England) - See all my reviews

This is the most informative, detailed shark book that I have had the pleasure of reading and believe me I have read a lot of them. The book covers many different aspects of the shark, including its evolution, ecology, various species, shark attacks and the behaviour of the shark. It also distinguishes between what is myth and what is reality behind the sharks history. Overall this is a very interesting and educational read which should be a necessity to any shark enthusiasts.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introductory book to those interested in sharks., December 14, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharks (Hardcover)

An excellent book written by some of the leaders in thier fields of expertise. The text is easily understood by those outside of scientific research and is complemented with numerous pictures and diagrams.

4.0 out of 5 stars Dusted, But Still Great, June 26, 2008

By	Bonam Pak (Berlin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharks (Hardcover)

I read the German edition of 2004. Having bought it in 2006 I thought it to be a new book. It didn't mention anywhere that it is much older. Actually reading this coffee table book recently, I found out from the context that it must have been written in 1986 or 1987. This German edition also printed the name of the publishing house in a way and instead of the author(s)'s name, so that even German amazon mistook "Karl Müller" for the author. In fact, most of the real authors aren't mentioned anywhere, just the editor. Ok, but that may be of less interest to non-German bilinguists, as much as the many typos of the respective edition. It remains inconclusive, wether the peculiar geography (Tsingtao in China supposedly being located in the eastern Pacific) is the result of a faulty or uncorrected translation...

No question, this is a great book. You learn anything from bulimia to womb cannibalism in sharks. However, more than two decades old, it isn't really up to date. The criticism about protective shark nets at beaches is still a bit tame. There's a double page about shark fin soup without the dire consequences in the ecology of the overfished oceans, not to mention the endangerment of shark species because of that. The nuclear test induced hyper aggressiveness of one formerly not particularly hostile shark species in the Pacific wasn't probably known back then. If I recall correctly, there's also no explicit mention of the sensory organ in the shark's palate, which is responsible for many shark bites, which are intended as something like: "Hello, who or what are you?"

Even though the book goes at great length to convince the reader that the bad reputation of sharks far exceeds their real life danger. Curiously, the largest section in this book - 66 of 240 pages, i.e. far more than one fourth - is devoted entirely to shark attacks, arranged according to geography. I find that a little bit a case of defeating the cause. As I did know about the worse reputation issue before, I am not entirely sure, wether the book really succeeded in taking away further or re-adding some shark phobia in me...

The bottom line is: Despite some criticism, get this book in addition to a more recent one, if the recent ones aren't as elaborate and/or as well-pictured as this one.