Product Description

Getting to Know the Great White

It was a BBC documentary on great white sharks visiting California's Farallon Islands that turned Susan Casey from an editor of adventure and outdoors stories in such magazines as Outside to a journalist obsessed with an outdoors adventure of her own. In her Amazon.com interview, Casey recalls the fascinations and the follies of her time with the sharks in the Farallones and discusses everything from the ethics of adventure journalism to the stunning silence and size of nature's perfect predators. And in her answers to the Significant Seven (the seven questions we like to ask every author), she reveals her admiration for both Joseph Mitchell and Johnny Knoxville (once you've read her book, both choices seem appropriate).

The outer edge of the fearsome Maintop Bay, a spooky, boat-eating stretch of water that makes everyone uneasy. Not surprisingly, the sharks seem to love it. (Susan Casey)	An 18-foot shark investigates a 6-foot surfboard. (Peter Pyle)	A shark attack at the Farallones is not usually a subtle event. (Peter Pyle)
Scot Anderson (in orange) observes a feeding.Also in the boat are director Paul Atkins and cinematographer Peter Scoones of the BBC film crew that visited the Farallones in 1993 to film The Great White Shark. (Peter Pyle)	The Farallones researchers see some action from a shark named Bluntnose. (Peter Pyle)	An unquiet cove: Just Imagine (Casey's temporary home) at its moorage in Fisherman's Bay, 150 yards west of Tower Point and 200 yards east of Sugarloaf. (Susan Casey)

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Customer Reviews (119)

Bimbo on safari
Anyone who can buy a Ouija board to take on what should have been the adventure of a lifetime, pay $160 for it and then admit it has to be a complete bimbo.

I enjoyed some of the writing about the history of the island, the birds and the sharks.But there's no real substance to the book and no point either - other than to document the author's self-indulgence.

Overall, this was a disappointment.

Up Close With Great Whites
This is a true account of the "residents" of the Farallon Islands, both the sharks who visit every year & the people who study them up-close.The benefits of their research is astounding.A must-read book for anyone who loves sharks and enjoys reading about them.The reader is vividly described the details as these folks study, recognize & "interact" with the same dozen or so great white sharks that come back, year after year, like clockwork.A five-star shark-reading journey!! And if you love reading/learning about sharks, this is one of those books you'll want to keep for a lifetime!!

Interesting tale about the ocean, sharks, and some drama
I quite enjoyed this book.If you are a diver or someone who loves the ocean you probably will too.Although the author spends a fair bit of time at the end talking about her misadventures, overall I still found it to be an enjoyable read.I knew very little about the Farallon Islands before reading this book even though I am from California.My friend who I gave this book to after reading it also enjoyed it.

Devil's Teeth
Friend recommended this book for interesting reading and he was right. Great read, got book in a few days after ordering.

Take It or Leave It
I found many of the historical accounts and mention of life for the scientists on the island interesting. However, I was disappointed by the lack of first hand experience in studying or encountering the wildlife, including the sharks.It was less a tale of The Farallon Islands and more third hand stories and observations from an author with little scientific experience.I found much of the book entertaining and kept on reading hoping for the stories or encounters and greatness promised, but was gravely disappointed that the excitement never came and, in fact, the author's tunnel vision to obtain a story seems to have cost one of the leading experts his job in The Shark Project and put the entire study into jeopardy.Something she seems to have no remorse about.

Might be good as an introductory book, but if you are already a shark aficionado of any level or looking for a book that really delves into the history, studies, etc of the islands, chalk this up to a quick read with some lovely personal quips. ... Read more

Product Description
With hundreds of fun shark facts and dramatic underwater illustrations, this Question and Answer book allows kids to dive into the deep-sea world of these fascinating predators. Readers will learn that all sharks have a sixth sense, see well in the dark, and lose as many as 20,000 teeth in a lifetime! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Pictures and Informative text.
I had occasion today to read this to several youngsters. They were riveted by the pictures and I found much of the text educational. This book is ideal for high functioning first graders or your average second or third grader. The book is very specific and won't even bore adults--a great buy in my opinion.

My son loved this book!
My son was thrilled with this book - he loves sharks and absolutely loved this book! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

You can't go wrong with this book!
I ordered this book for my eight year old grandson for his birthday, as he is fascinated with sharks.Its a great book!Tells about and describes different species of sharks, their habits, what they eat, and even what types are the most aggressive.From the smallest to the largest. The photos are just beautiful, and my grandson was thrilled to get it, and immediately started looking through it before he even opened his other presents!I'd recommend this book to anyone, young or old who has an interest in sharks. Its easy for everyone to understand.I'm sure he'll still be enjoying it for many years to come.

knowledge
Incredible illustrations well thought out a perfect companion for all shark lovers, I enjoyed it immensely. ... Read more

Product Description

Given a relatively level playing field -- i.e., water deep enough so that a shark could maneuver proficiently but shallow enough so that a bear could stand and operate with its characteristic dexterity -- who would win in a fight between a bear and a shark?

In this fiercely funny, razor-sharp satire of our media-saturated culture, the sovereign nation of Las Vegas is host to Bear v. Shark II. After a disappointing loss in the first computer-generated match-up, the bear is out for blood. With an essay entitled "Bear v. Shark: A Reason to Live," young Curtis Norman wins a national contest and four tickets to the sold-out event. As the Normans head cross-country in their SUV, they encounter a dizzying barrage of voices weighing in on the upcoming spectacle -- everyone from the Freudians, theologians, pundits, and self-published authors on the radio to the bear and shark fanatics, cultists, and resisters at pit stops along the way. Overwhelmed by factoids and ten-second debates, Mr. Norman grows ambivalent about the impending event and the family with whom he can't seem to connect. Still, the Normans push on to Vegas, toward an apocalyptic, surprisingly emotional ending. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Humorous and chilling
Chris Bachelder's Vonnegut-esque novel tells what will happen if the mass media successfully penetrates our consciousness enough to make their messages and our thoughts indistinguishable.
The "Bear v Shark" obsession echoes many aspects of our own culture, including sports and religion.

For the record I'm pro-bear.

In the end, I liked it but it should have been a short story
I picked this one up at one of those discount book warehouses based upon reading the first page in the store.When I got around to reading this book, I had a hard time trying to decide if I liked it.The book is a satire about the influence of television, infomercials, entertainment-as-news and advertising in America today.It is written in a collection of sound bites, news clips, and slogans.It reminds me in many ways of Chuck Palahniuk's work.Much of it is very funny and original.But, the stylistics get a bit annoying after awhile.I think this would have been an excellent short story.Still, I think this was good writing and very witty.I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Which is more annoying....
It poses the question of which would win, given a level playing field, enough water to maneuver, but not so much the bear couldn't keep its purchase: a bear or a shark. The style of the writing, however, asks if it's more annoying to watch network television, or to read a book written in sound-bytes, commercial breaks, and slogans. I liked reading it, but I also like watching television, foreign-language commercials, and amateur videoblogs, so I'm really easy to entertain.

Not funny.No real plot.Poor satire.Not well written
I was greatly disappointed with Bear V. Shark.I expected something funny.It is not.I expected satire and political humor, it has none.If the author was trying for a book like, "1984" or "Brave New World" or "Fahrenheit 451" or "Animal Farm" or "The Jungle" he missed by a huge margin.Truly good satire tells a story, and makes a message.BearV. Shark does neither.
The book is so inconsistent and difficult to follow that it becomes almost unreadable.It reminded me of the ramblings of a psychiatric patient (was that the author's intent?)I did finish the book hoping it would wind up in a glorious manner, but it just plods along and ends.
None of the characters are in any way believable.None of the situations are engaging.None of the attempts at humor are funny.I was really, really disappointed.Did the other reviewers actually read this book?

Buy This Book
I bought this book because the author is my friend's neighbor (say "howdy" to Henry for me, Chris)and I bought it used, cheap.Authors don't make any money on used book sales, and I feel a little bad about that because this here is a fine piece of what the pretty folks call "litter-chure."It's witty, ironic, and well done, and maybe best of all the chapters are short so it's great for in the bathroom.If I didn't own this book, I'd buy it new because Bachelder is the sort of author we want to support.That is, he is pretty good at what he does and we will all benefit from his writing more of these fine books. ... Read more

Product Description

Throughout the fifteenth century, China's blue-water navy fleets dominated all the oceans between the Yellow Sea and the Persian Gulf. But for the next five hundred years, it regressed to a dim echo of its glorious past. However, it is now the year 2007 and the Chinese agenda has changed. With a tremendous navy buildup, anchored by a new base in Burma and a $2 billion oil refinery on the southern Iranian coast, the Chinese are poised not only to challenge America's superiority on the open sea but also to upset the delicate balance of oil power in the Middle East and the free passage of the world's giant tankers.

Admiral Arnold Morgan, the President's National Security Adviser, is closely monitoring the Chinese when an oil tanker mysteriously explodes in the Persian Gulf. When it happens a second and then a third time, he knows it is no coincidence.... The Chinese navy, in partnership with Iran, has laid a minefield clean across the Strait of Hormuz, holding the world's oil supply hostage. As a global oil crisis ensues, the world financial markets spiral out of control. Mystified by China's motive yet drawn to action, the United States moves to disarm the mines with a huge display of force, deploying five Carrier Battle Groups, 80 percent of its active sea power.

While the sweepers blow out the mines, Morgan characteristically slams back at China. Navy SEAL veteran commanders Rick Hunter and Rusty Bennett lead devastating attacks on China's Indian Ocean power bases. And at the center of the missions is USS Shark, a thirty-year-old nuclear boat on her final tour of duty, commanded by Donald Reid, an officer struggling with his inner demons. His executive officer is Lt. Commander Dan Headley, an intrepid Kentuckian, himself on his way to full command. When the brave SEALs are confronted with the unexpected death of their own, the unimaginable happens: the first mutiny in the modern history of the United States Navy.

Meanwhile, the People's Liberation Navy sits and waits for their ultimate gambit, a move so shocking and unexpected that it forces the world to hold its breath. Was the minefield in the strait just a diversion?

Featuring an ensemble cast that stretches from the most secretive heart of the Chinese high command to the control room of a U.S. submarine, out onto the screaming flight decks of the great aircraft carriers, all the way to a United States Navy court-martial, The Shark Mutiny is epic in its sweep, meticulous in its authenticity, and breathtaking in its pacing. Terrifying and thrilling, it is the most dramatic story of rebellion on the high seas since The Caine Mutiny.

There's enough weaponry and military maneuvering here to keep fans of Clancy, Coonts, and Dale Brown happy, but it may be past time for the curmudgeonly Morgan to retire and let a new series hero like Ramshawe take over. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Great Story
As always a great story by Patrick Robinson. If you have been in the Navy and in the submarines you will feel at home with this story. He did mention that the officers eat very well on submarines. He just forgot that the non officers do not fare so well. But it still was full of Action and a Great Book.

Some Readers May Make a Mutiny
Patrick Robinson apparently had at least two books in mind when he wrote THE SHARK MUTINY, and couldn't decide which one to pursue.

Book One has to do with increasing tensions between the People's Republic of China (at least a few times called, incorrectly, the Republic of China, which actually refers to Taiwan) and the United States.The ultimate aim of the Chinese military appears to shift over the course of the story--even from the perspective of the Chinese characters.Is it the oil that China seeks?Is it restoring the glory of Admiral Zheng He of the Ming dynasty?Is it bringing Taiwan into the fold of the PRC?Is it, egads, to restore the treasures of Taiwan's National Palace Museum to China?The answer, it would seem, is largely the latter.In other words, war as an art heist.

Book Two, much smaller in size, is a submarine/Navy Seal adventure.Although there is some tiny bit of action pertaining to the USS Shark early in the novel, it's not until very late in the story that the book's title mutiny occurs.After that, there's a rather perfunctory and largely predictable court martial, and that's that.

No more about the oil crisis.No more about the war over Taiwan.No more about the art heist!Oh, boy.

All of the above threads would be of interest to the reader--even the weird plot dead-ends might have been forgiven--if the writing was any good.Here are the problems in brief: (1) the story was poorly researched, (2) howlers regularly appear (such as the "Republic of China" for the PRC), (3) promising action scenes turn out to be plodding, and (4) the dialogue is so wooden and stereotypical that it was laughable (the men are gruff and tough and the woman [sic] good looking).

In fact, the novel taken as a whole is such a disaster that it's almost kind of fun.It's unfortunate that the author hadn't taken more care with this; I think he may have won some readers with a better written, tautly paced thriller that focused principally on the mutiny.

OK at best.Very Elementary Story Line
I have to admit, I had never heard of Patrick Robinson before.I am not typically a reader (or listener in this case) of fiction works, but the story line sounded promising

The book is supposed to be a great military suspense novel between the mighty powers of the United States and China.China mines the Straight of Hormuz, supposedly as an act to destabilize the economies of the oil consumers of the world and corner the oil markets.However, this whole military action performed by China is nothing but the first move in a great chess match.China strings the United States along, causing the US to commit their navel forces to various locations around the globe.Just when the US thinks they have China in the corner, BAM...China pulls a rope a dope and pursues its true intentions.

All throughout this conflict with China, there is a second conflict being played out in the book.The Captain of the submarine, the U.S.S. Shark, plays completely by the book.This narrow focus by the Captain causes members of a SEAL team to die due to inaction by the Captain.As a direct result of this and other "disturbing" factors, there is a mutiny on the submarine.The XO who takes over the boat is then court-martialed, despite the fact his actions saved the lives of numerous SEALs.

I am well aware that I was listening to an abridged audiobook and much is cut out to save time.However, I think this is one of the most humdrum book I have read.The whole story line is highly predictable and quite elementary.There were parts of the book that seemed to be nothing more than padding.I have never served in the military in my life, but even I knew there were glaring inaccuracies in this novel ranging from weapons to court martial procedure.

I found the reader of this audiobook quite annoying.The reader speaks with a heavy English accent and his American, Chinese, and other accents are not very believable.As the book centers on the American military, I think the audiobook performance would have been much better if an American were reading it.

The book is not a terrible one.I did find the book entertaining enough to listen to the whole thing.However, while it is not a bad book, it is not a book I would recommend to my friends and family.If you can pick this book up cheap or for free, it might be worth the time to read it.Personally, I would not recommend wasting the gas money to get it from the library.

2 1/2 stars -- not what it could have been
I picked up Shark Mutiny at a used-book fundraiser for the local library without having ever read anything from Patrick Robinson.This book was far from spectacular but also not as bad as many of the reader reviews would have had me believe.The plot itself had definite promise, although some of the potential was left unfulfilled as plot lines were left hanging. Action sequences kept me turning the pages.All things considered, there were enough positives in Shark Mutiny to make me take a chance on some of Robinson's other works.Hopefully some of the shortcomings will be less evident.

Teddy Kennedy
On Page 11 of "The Shark Mutiny" (soft cover) Robinson describes Kennedy thusly: "..the vastly experienced Senator Ted Kennedy, whose unwavering patriotism and endless concern for his country made him always a natural leader among such men."

"Such men" in this book are the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the CNO, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the "Defense Secretary" (as Robinson calls the position), and various NSC members.

Oh really. It's evident Robinson's home in Cape Cod plays a role in his beatification of Chappaquidick Teddy who obviously, among his many fears, hates being in the water. And this is a book about watermen.

No, I truly doubt the above-mentioned military men hold Kennedy in the esteem Robinson does. Just the opposite, I'll bet.

Once I saw that passage, I threw the book away since it was apparent other passages would lead to further preposterousobservations.

Mark Berent

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Product Description
Combining rich historical detail and a harrowing, pulse-pounding narrative, Close to Shore brilliantly re-creates the summer of 1916, when a rogue Great White shark attacked swimmers along the New Jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and launching the most extensive shark hunt in history.

During the summer before the United States entered World War I, when ocean swimming was just becoming popular and luxurious Jersey Shore resorts were thriving as a chic playland for an opulent yet still innocent era's new leisure class, Americans were abruptly introduced to the terror of sharks.In July 1916 a lone Great White left its usual deep-ocean habitat and headed in the direction of the New Jersey shoreline. There, near the towns of Beach Haven and Spring Lake-and, incredibly, a farming community eleven miles inland-the most ferocious and unpredictable of predators began a deadly rampage: the first shark attacks on swimmers in U.S. history.

For Americans celebrating an astoundingly prosperous epoch much like our own, fueled by the wizardry of revolutionary inventions, the arrival of this violent predator symbolized the limits of mankind's power against nature.

Interweaving a vivid portrait of the era and meticulously drawn characters with chilling accounts of the shark's five attacks and the frenzied hunt that ensued, Michael Capuzzo has created a nonfiction historical thriller with the texture of Ragtime and the tension of Jaws.From the unnerving inevitability of the first attack on the esteemed son of a prosperous Philadelphia physician to the spine-tingling moment when a farm boy swimming in Matawan Creek feels the sandpaper-like skin of the passing shark, Close to Shore is an undeniably gripping saga.

Heightening the drama are stories of the resulting panic in the citizenry, press and politicians, and of colorful personalities such as Herman Oelrichs, a flamboyant millionaire who made a bet that a shark was no match for a man (and set out to prove it); Museum of Natural History ichthyologist John Treadwell Nichols, faced with the challenge of stopping a mythic sea creature about which little was known; and, most memorable, the rogue Great White itself moving through a world that couldn't conceive of either its destructive power or its moral right to destroy.

Scrupulously researched and superbly written, Close to Shore brings to life a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history. Masterfully written and suffused with fascinating period detail and insights into the science and behavior of sharks, Close to Shore recounts a breathtaking, pivotal moment in American history with startling immediacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Shark Attacks as a Metaphor for the Age....Fascinating!
When I first read "Close to Shore" in hardcover form, it was packaged as a work of social history -- not blood and gore "Jaws" nonsense. In fact, the original hardcover edition featured an antique photograph of bathers along the New Jersey shoreline, circa 1916, with dark clouds hovering in the distance.

Now the book has been reissued with a menacing shark mouth on the cover. It's no wonder so many readers are disappointed! (Younger ones might prefer the new youth edition, which focuses on the actual shark attacks and cuts out most of the rest.)

For my part, I tremendously enjoyed Michael Capuzzo original edition because it used the shark attacks as a metaphor for the rapid changes in American society leading up to World War I. For example, he explains how modern science and yellow journalism collided in the pursuit of "truth." (The newspapers won.) Capuzzo also contrasts manly bravado (e.g., long-distance sea swimming) with the growing realization than nature is unimpressed by man's technology.

The juxtaposition of "polite Victorian mores" against the menace of monster sharks is really the perfect metaphor for the dawn of the bloody 20th century. To their great dismay, the old power structure was realizing they had no control over the dark forces unleashed by mass politics, mechanized warfare and radical ideology. Human progress was not assured - at all - not even at the local bathing beach. At the end of the day, this isn't a book about nature's brutality but rather man's hubris in the face of nature.

The author's scientific factoids are often fascinating. For instance, I had no idea that a shark once swam up the Mississippi as far north as St. Louis, Missouri. The power and strength of these creatures is truly awesome. The response of average citizens to the 1916 attacks was evidence of that awe -- huge crowds, rampant fascination in the press, panic, fear, etc.

As some other reviewers have noted, the book has a few typos and minor factual errors. I'm sure Michael Capuzzo knows that a shark's nostrils are above its mouth...give the man a break. The fault here lies with editing and proofreading. Was it just one great shark or many who attacked that summer? Who will ever know? Ultimately, the point is that American society of that era was unable to reconcile its belief in scientific progress with the reality of random danger.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're hoping for an exciting story full of bloody flesh and grisly decapitations, look elsewhere. If you want an intelligent social history of the era, using shark attacks as a metaphor, I think you'll be very satisfied. It's no wonder this fine little book won several prestigious awards. Nice job, Michael!

Scattered and plays fast and loose with facts
I found this book very jarring. It skips around from story to story, sometimes getting deeply involved in a person only to utterly dismiss them. The author constantly builds tension and then disappoints. (He actually has a wordy story of a woman who went to the beach and then came home with a sunburn.)

A bigger problem is how fast and loose he plays with facts. Besides anthropomorphizing "the shark" a little too much, he gets an increasing number of "facts" wrong (the most hilarious of which is that the nostrils are below the mouth--did the guy even look at a picture of a great white?) He also makes the very weird assumption that all the attacks are a single shark. Based on what? Why even assume they were all shark attacks? Even if they all were a single shark, why a great white shark when other explanations make a whole lot more sense?

Toward the end, the author clearly made so much stuff up, I stopped believing any of it and begin to question the veracity of the entire book. I strongly suspect that were I to do a modicum of research, many "facts" early in the book would quickly fall apart.

In the end, this book is a mess. I still gave it two stars since it wasn't absolutely horrible as a work of fiction. And, oddly, it probably could have worked extremely well as a book of fiction--at the very least he could have stuck with a smaller set of characters.

Real Life "Jaws"
Teriffic book for teens.I bought it for my son but I could not put it down.

This book is a bore...
I bought this book for my teenage son as a summer read.He threw out the book after reading 70 pages without coming to a shark attack.After this I started reading the book and was hugely disappointed.The author seems to have just cut-and-pasted a lot of 1916 era trivia from archives of local newspapers and then threw in a couple paragraphs about shark attacks to make the book sell.On the other hand, if you want to learn 1916 era trivia this is a good book.

Amazing research
The author's detail in his research makes this book easy to follow.From describing the presidential vacation homes (Seven US Presidents are known to have vacationed on the Jersey Shore), the dress fashions of 1916, the pre-World War I fervor, the behaviors of the great white shark, and the overall ignorance of sharks we had back then gives this book a great backdrop.Beach goers were just then "taking it off" and strolling through the waters, and the author described the long, skin-fitting suits the men work resembling the blubbery outlines of the shark's favorite meal:the sea lion.

The book doesn't go into great detail of each attack, but of the reactions from the towns and mediafolk to each attack."Sea Monsters" was still a commonality as we knew so little about sharks, proper first aid, and back in 1916 we didn't understand the true powers of the shark.

The author doesn't waste time describing people in this book who do not play a role in the shark attacks.After reading a few chapters one quickly knows that each victim is meticulously profiled; we then know that person will be the shark's next intended meal. This takes away from the suspense.The most gripping parts are the paragraphs describing the shark's tactics as it closes in on its prey.

I was living in New Jersey when this book was released and it was a sensation all across the state and in particular along the beautiful Jersey Shore.The towns described still stand--only Asbury Park is in ruins now--but the others like Spring Creek, Beach Haven, Sea Girt, Deal, Ocean Grove still profit from their beaches.

I do no recommend this as beach-side reading though.You just never know what lingers in those ocean waters! ... Read more

Product Description
Master storyteller Peter Benchley combines high adventure with practical information in Shark Trouble, a book that is at once a thriller and a valuable guide to being safe in, on, under, and around the sea. The bestselling author of Jaws, The Deep, and other works draws on more than three decades of experience to share information about sharks and other marine animals.

“Shark attacks on human beings generate a tremendous amount of media coverage,” Benchley writes, “partly because they occur so rarely, but mostly, I think, because people are, and always have been, simultaneously intrigued and terrified by sharks. Sharks come from a wing of the dark castle where our nightmares live—deep water beyond our sight and understanding—and so they stimulate our fears and fantasies and imaginations.”

Benchley describes the many types of sharks (including the ones that pose a genuine threat to man), what is and isn’t known about shark behavior, the odds against an attack and how to reduce them even further—all reinforced with the lessons he has learned, the mistakes he has made, and the personal perils he has encountered while producing television documentaries, bestselling novels, and articles about the sea and its inhabitants. He tells how to swim safely in the ocean, how to read the tides and currents, what behavior to avoid, and how to survive when danger suddenly strikes. He discusses how to tell children about sharks and the sea and how to develop, in young and old alike, a healthy respect for the ocean.

As Benchley says, “The ocean is the only alien and potentially hostile environment on the planet into which we tend to venture without thinking about the animals that live there, how they behave, how they support themselves, and how they perceive us. I know of no one who would set off into the jungles of Malaysia armed only with a bathing suit, a tube of suntan cream, and a book, and yet that’s precisely how we approach the oceans.”

No longer. Not after you’ve read Shark Trouble.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

incredable
this book is extreamly interesting. ill recommend it to almost everyone that can read. it makes me look at sharks another way. not only sharks but other creatures at the end. AWESOME

Wonderful informative reading
This book is fantastic, Mr Benchley cleared the shark as a terrible man eating machine, and instead showed us the magnificent creature that this fish really is.

A contrite Benchley apologizes
Peter Benchley apologizes for scaring everyone out of the water with "Jaws."This book, a collection of essays about sharks and shark attacks, allows Benchley to wax poetic about how endangered sharks are and how we as humans can protect ourselves from these creatures since we occasionally share the same ocean.Not a bad book (not nearly as bad as "Beast" or "White Shark") but not a great read, either.

Misleading Title--More Than Just About Sharks
Yes, I know, scare sells. But the title of this book may deter an ocean enthusiast from picking it up. The book IS largely about sharks - attacks, top terrors, how to avoid encounters, etc. - but there is also useful information about swimming safely in the sea, as well as fascinating accounts of other sea life, such as orcas and mantas, that the author has been, shall we say, intimate with.

I read the book cover to cover and was most educated by and fascinated with the sections that did NOT deal with sharks. If you would like to be more informed about the real risks of sea life and swimming in the ocean, then this book is for you. You can even skip the shark stuff (so you won't get panicked) and learn practical skills for surviving rip currents, undertow, etc. I actually became less concerned about sharks after reading the book and more enlightened about the ocean in general.

Thanks to Benchley's "Jaws" I have since childhood felt spooked about going in the ocean. This book makes some amends for the paranoia "Jaws" inspired by presenting a more balanced view. Well, hey, after all, "Jaws" was fiction and this book is not. Thankfully the ocean is not as terrifying after all. But it, like any wilderness, still deserves plenty of respect. And Benchley has plenty of first-hand experience and writing talent to instill that in a reader.

SHARKS!!!
this book is very good. it gives the reader an up close look at sharks. it is very interesting and warns us on the danger of swimming in the ocean. i have read this book twice and still find it a very good and easy read! if you loved jaws then you will love this book. great book with lots of facts. ... Read more

Product Description
In Spring 08, Scholastic Nonfiction is relaunching Jim Arnosky's treasured All About series with all-new paperback covers! In All About Sharks, Arnosky shows how these animals grow and live, answering kids' biggest questions about sharks, such as: How do sharks find food in the dark ocean water? What do shark fins do? How many teeth do sharks have? What was the biggest shark ever? Packed with intriguing information and brought to life by Arnosky's vibrant watercolors, this book will fascinate young readers.

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Customer Reviews (4)

An Introduction to a Fascinating Animal
An introduction to an animal that children are often fascinated with, illustrated in Arnosky's wonderful style with lots of information about the characteristics, habits, and varieties of sharks.From a creationist perspective, this one is unfortunately marred with an explicit evolutionary reference saying sharks have swum in the oceans for millions of years, and they haven't changed much in all that time.A judicious parent with a sharpie can easily excise this comment, however, and the rest of the book is quite interesting and straightforwardly informative.

There's something about Jim Arnosky's art.....
A must for the young shark enthusiast.My 5 year old uses the great illustrations to better his own shark art. Jim Arnosky is one of the best illustrators for kids. This book also covers the basic facts on sharks: The shark family divisions, shark anatomy, shark safety, shark teeth, and shark young.

A solid introduction with realistic color drawings
Jim Arnosky's All About Sharks deserves ongoing attention for its attraction for younger picturebook readers seeking a solid introduction with realistic color drawings which are startling but not terrifying. Full color and the inclusion of anatomical cut-aways for simple viewing make for an excellent basic introduction.

terrors of the deep! or are they?
Have you ever wondered about sharks?Did you know that there are more that 250 species of sharks?Did you know sharks don't have bones?This book will teach you these facts and lots more.It even includes some shark safety tips.

All About Sharks is a very informative book.This book will help children understand these creatures of the deep better.I enjoyed looking all the pictures the book had of all types of sharks.

We recommend this book to children ages 5-8.Kids are curious about sea life and this is great book for them to read to learn more about sharks.The book would be a great reas aloud to science classes as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Shark Attack Info
This book is fantastic -- gives details on shark attacks and the photos are terrific.I recommend this book to any shark lover.Well worth the price.I decided to treat myself to this book as I had wanted it for so long.Ralph Collier is truly a shark expert and you will love this book!!

Excellent shark attack Book
although stephan bullard review said it all about this book. (And great job stephan.) I will give my review also. I was always fascinated by sharks since I was a little kid and I thoughtthe book "shark attacks of the twentieth century from the pacific coast of north america" was fabulous! It gives more detail thenthe book I had as a kid"shark attacks on man" by georgea. llano) that book was good but this book is alot better !It talks about the true and horrifying shark attacks in the pacific, with also noaa charts on the attack location,pictures of the attack site, and even graphic shark attack photos(some very rare indeed)along with the weather, water temperature and if their were any seals ,birds, or any other marine life in the area at the time of the attack.

The people trying to fend off the attacking shark(which is mostly the great white shark in the book since they reside in california waters)show true bravery, along with many of their rescuers trying to help them. truly great book if you are fascinated by sharks like I am. The true shark attacks on16 years old Barry wilson, 18 years old albert kogler, and robert pamperin, are truly terrifying and sad,along with many others in this book. I feel sorry for the victims and their families after a huge shark killed their loved ones. The barry wilson case has haunted me since I was a kid-the book is so well written it almost puts you right there at the attack scene and it's horrifying! I tell you nobody deserves to be savaged by an enormous shark! horrifying !! This book is a must if you love and are interested in sharks! and this book should be on the shelves of marine biologists, scuba divers,free divers or anybody else who loves to be in the ocean alot. nothing is a guarantee but reading this book gives you many tips and suggestions how to avoid being attacked by a monstrous shark! I love this book. highly reccommended reading !!

Amazing book!
This is an incredible book and I highly recommend this to anyone that has a desire to learn more about serious Shark Attacks.It is simply amazing and highly informative!.The author was so kind to have inscribed the inside of the book for my husband as it was a gift.It will be cherished for years to come!A must read!

Best Shark Attack Book Available
This is without a doubt the best shark attack book I have ever read.The book documents 108 attacks on humans and 17 attacks on other objects (boats, traps, dogs, etc).Each attack is described in a detailed, scientific manner.When possible, the sea conditions and weather conditions at the time of attack are included.Most descriptions are 1-3 pages long.The book ends with an analysis and discussion section (40 total pages long) with all of the attack data summarized in highly-readable graphs and charts.

In addition to the detailed attacks descriptions (which are excellent), the book possesses two features which make it stand head and shoulders above all others.First, the location of each attack is precisely indicated on high resolution NOAA charts.This allows you to determine, almost to the exact foot, where each attack took place.Second, the book contains numerous color photographs of attack sites and some very rare pictures of attack victims.For instance there is a photograph of Albert Kogler and Shirley O'Neill on the beach after the attack on Kogler; I have never see this picture before despite reading literally every shark attack book I could find.The attack site photographs are particularly helpful because no amount of description can really explain what a site looks like.Seeing it for yourself brings it to life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in sharks or shark attacks.I also recommend it to marine biologists and divers who can use the included maps to avoid areas with a track record of shark attacks.

Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century
Homer wrote in the Iliad, " There can be no covenant between lions and men."The same can be said about the relationship between man and shark.

Ralph Collier, one of the foremost White Shark experts in the world, documents each reported shark attack in the last 100 years on the Pacific Coast of the USA in his book "Shark Attacks of the 20th Century."

Anyone who has ever put as much as their little toe in the Pacific Ocean will find this book an interesting read.The victims include swimmers, surfers, divers, dogs and inanimate objects.

I have surfed many of the breaks between San Diego and Humboldt, and found my heart racing whenever a familiarspot was involved in a shark attack.

The book is full of statistics. Some are the location of attack, water and weather conditions, marine life being present or not, but the most impressive fact is the shear courage of the victim and, if involved, the rescuers.The overwhelming percentage of attacks involved the Great White and the fact that anyone could survive a physical confrontation with one of these animals is still hard to imagine.

If at all able, the victims would fight with the shark while in it's jaws using what ever might be handy, an abalone rod, clinched fist or surfboard.Then, they would swim or be helped by a friend to safety.Once they were taken care of medically within days or months they would return to the ocean.

Another interesting statistic is that 38 percent of the shark attacks were at isolated locations. This fact is enough to validate the wary feeling some people get every time they enter the ocean.

Cash McConnell

Founder and Inventor

Sharkcamo.com ... Read more

Product Description
"Everything works in this book — the informative yet humorous writing, the not-too-scary illustrations, and a superb layout that employs multisized text and bright color backgrounds to great effect." —THE HORN BOOK

"SHAAAARRRKK!" That's probably the last word anyone wants to hear while swimming in the warm blue sea. But most sharks aren't at all what people expect. In fact, those who think all sharks are giant, man-eating killers are in for a surprise. The compelling narrative, colorful illustrations, and captivating facts in SURPRISING SHARKS reveal that sharks come in all shapes and sizes — and probably should be more afraid of humans than we are of them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Surprisingly Fun
When participating in a storytime session, as I now do weekly, I like to choose picture books with bright images and related to nature, as the sessions are held in a children's museum with a strong ecological emphasis. I chose Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies for last week's story, because here in Florida, we are quite familiar with sharks. But a reader is in for a - you-guessed-it! surprise with this book as it shares the wonders and intrigue of sharks in easy-to-read text and appealing pictures.

Written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by James Croft, the work is a science text, storybook and environmental lesson all-in-one. Davies doesn't shy around the fact sharks are killers and humans are sometimes their prey but instead, turns this into a lesson about how we can educate ourselves about sharks. Any words too terrifying for little ones, such as "killer" or "bone-crunching" can easily be skipped.

The pages' fonts vary in size, and the illustrations are bright and colorful, making it extremely attractive to children. The overall effect is fun and light, not scary. The facts contained within are interesting, with charts of shark anatomy and tidbits about not-so-common sharks, like the Wobbegong, whose mottled skin resembles a carpet on the sea floor. Also detailed is how sharks are born, their feeding habits, and humans use sharks in every day products.

My four year old LOVES it
Since our first reading, my four year old daughter loves this book.She giggles at the humor and Nicola Davies wonderful use of her craft. A wonderful literary non-fiction choice.

A Fun Shark Book!
This book is great for kids who love sharks.It is sassy, funny and breezy.I recommend it.

Jaws ah-plenty
Word on the street (which is to say, librarian-based listservs) has it that the book "Surprising Sharks" is incredibly popular these days.Having heard that this book was flying from shelves across the country, garnering the love and respect of thousands of children every day, I thought I'd check it out myself.It's very rare that a non-fiction book becomes overwhelmingly accepted by kids.But when it happens, watch out!It might be all you can do to keep the l'il buggers from reading it day and night and day again.

The book is a clever look at the wide variety of sharks living in ocean waters today.From the tiny sixteen inch cookie-cutter shark (which wins my love on name alone) to the vast twenty-nine foot six inch basking shark, this book has `em all.It includes a variety of amusing factoids in its text, providing copious amounts of useful information.In a well drawn graphic section, the book examines the common properties that all sharks share, both inside and outside the body.Kids reading this book learn about the different parts of the shark and why they're so awfully dangerous.Most interestingly of all, the book makes it perfectly clear that while sharks do kill an average six people a year, people kill an average 100 MILLION sharks a year. The book finishes up with an index of all the sharks in the text (for kids' easy referencing) as well as a bit of shark history to boot.

I was a little sad that author Nicola Davies didn't give any space to a bibliography of sources kids could use to find out more about sharks and their ways.Still, that's small potatoes.Davies certainly seems to have plumbed every last bit of interesting information about sharks she could find.I mean, who knew that the gel-filled pits in a sharks nose detect the electrical messages in a prey's body?Or that latern sharks have light making organs that help them blend into the silvery surface of the water around them?News to me!Illustrator James Croft gives the book an easy-going cartoonish feel that doesn't particularly add much to the book, but neither does it detract.The book's brightly colored and amusing.Just not particularly original in that respect.

If you need a good non-fiction picture book that'll give some of the more scientifically minded kiddies the thrills they seek (and frankly, what kid isn't interested in man-eating animals with big nasty teeth?) "Surprising Sharks" is your best bet.It's not gory, but it'll certain give some kids the thrill of fear they seek in their non-fic lit.An enterprising and engaging book.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent reference and reading
While this book has been written in a very easy to read manner, the text reflects correct terminology and factual information that is great for someone wishing to learn more about sharks.It is the kind of book that can be used as a reference book, but is written in such a way that one could almost read it as a novel - certainly nothing is presented in a boring or confusing fashion.The photographs and informative text are of great value and the book layout makes it easy to access and grasp relevant information.One of the best shark books I have purchased to date!

Shark Week Is Every Week
I've been a shark fanatic for years -- ever since a friend gave me an old Jacque Cousteau book on Life and Death in a Coral Reef. If Discovery Channel wanted a poster child for their Shark Week documentaries -- I'm it. I can't read enough about sharks. What I like about this book is that it's not another book about shark attacks or sharks as killer fish. It's not a book about "man faces beast"though it has enough information about shark attacks (which is probably what draws most people to the Discovery Channel in the first place,) but it really teaches shark lovers all about the biology, the science and habitat of sharks, and about different types of sharks that I never knew existed. This is a solid book by a great writer and scientist. Great photos as well!

An Incredible Exploration of Sharks and their World
When you open this book, you will immediately be blown away by the incredible images. A celebrated National Geographic photographer provided the photos for this complete handbook, so it's bound to be a visually stunning experience. The text itself is written by one of the world's leading shark experts, so I was not surprised to find the content both informative and thoroughly fascinating. This book is an incredible experience for anyone with even a remote interest in sharks, and the information couldn't come from a more knowledgeable (and trustworthy!) source.

Kids will be captivated by the images, and adults will be drawn into the information. Shark fans will dive into this guide head first, and those with even a mild interest these fascinating creatures will be hooked immediately. I recommend this great book to all! ... Read more

Product Description
"This introduction to sharks keeps within a first-grade reading level without sacrificing information. Cole tells about different kinds of sharks, and facts on their food consumption and innumerable teeth. The text makes clear that few sharks eat people and that sharks come in a variety of shapes and sizes."-- Booklist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Sharks!!
Hungry, Hungry Sharks (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3)

This book is a little bit dated and doesn't include new information learned about sharks. It says they can't stop swimming or they will sink. I think this has been dis-proven. It also doesn't address the problem of sharks being killed for their fin or because people don't like them and how they are becoming endangered. None of that info is in the book. In fact is says they have been here since dinosaur time and they will always be here.

But other than that it does have enough info for my 4 year old who loves to learn about animals. It has drawings instead of photos. It shows different types of sharks. The book touches on the subject of sharks attacking people without being gory. This book says all kinds of non food has been found inside sharks. Actual items found are MINK coat, treasure chest of jewels, suit of armor, barrel of nails. This is our favorite part.

Sharks for kids
Evan will be letting Grandma read this book to him but he will be so excited to learn that Grandma will be learning about sharks along with him.
At almost-seven, he needs help with independent reading but he'll love the pictures and information.

Watch out for Sharks
My daughter (7) loved this but it is a bit more "sciency" than others she had read.It also has a few graphic nature facts that some parents might find a bit tough for a young reader.(Sharks can eat a seal in one bite).
In all though I have loved the whole "Step-Into-Reading" series as they grow with you.Buy this one but be cautious if your little one is squeamish.

Great content, very educational!!!
I bought this for my 4-year old who is learning to read.She loves it!She's fascinated with all things 'scary'.This is very educational book, appropriate for a 4-year old, and with very interesting content on some very scary creatures!!

Be afraid of bees!
I actually purchased this book for my husband as an inside joke.We had seen it in an eclectic children's store in Santa Barbara and found one particular part very funny: it tells readers that though sharks are dangerous, not to worry because you're more likely to be killed by a bee sting.We thought that was brilliant for a children's early reader.Who are the people publishing these things?I had to give it a 3 because of what other people say about the information being factual and all that.But seriously? ... Read more

Product Description
Aspiring artists discover how easy it is to create their own aquatic companions while they absorb fun facts about the sea along the way. "Fascinating sea creatures are created with quick strokes of the pen by following his step-by-step guide."--Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Grandson loved it!
It was a birthday gift for a grandson and he loved it.He is really in to drawing creatures and he is having a grand time learning to draw all the sea creatures.

Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, Other Sea Creatures
This book has been fun for our kids, and they love being able to trace the full picture if they don't feel like drawing them.

Great book for budding artists of any age.
I have 4 books in this series, and this is another good one.Easy to follow and good variety of pictures to pick from.

Kids Can Draw!
My 8 yr old loves drawing! This book shows you step by step how to get sea creatures to appear on the page! Fun for all of us. Great gift idea for any budding artist (or any parent who wants to draw cool things for their kids).

Wonderful, simple, and intruiging!
"Draw 50 Sharks..." is an excellent book for children and adults interested in marine life, and at the same time wish to appreciate art. I found the step-by-step sketch examples non-intimidating as some drawingbooks present themselves. Children will find this book useful as a templatefor drawing sea creatures, and can improvise from them. The book is a"must-read" for children. Teachers should incorporate this bookinto their curriculum as a way to spark creativity in children. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Customer Service
I ordered the book, however due to unknown circumstances I did not receive the book.But they were very kind and prompt in returning an email to find out what happened, and I do plan on re-ordering the book if it's still available.They were very nice.

weird illustrations
The story is fine - average at best, but some of the graphics are a little on the creepy side for me. For example, there's a scary troll/devilish looking thing on about the 7th page that maybe most parents wouldn't notice, but it's right at a child's eye level when you are reading it to him. There are a couple other things I noticed too.

I also thought it looked like some of the graphics were inspired by Finding Nemo and not completely original.

Fun to read to a group.
This book would easily keep the interest of a large group of preschoolers. It is great to read when talking about the ocean, sharks, overcoming your fears, helping others and the "Sh" letter combination. Be prepared to read this many times to a preschool age child. I have read this book to many children and they all enjoy and pay attention. The illustrations are nice and the story line of the scared shark having to overcome his fears to help his friend is nice. a small sentence per page.
There is teasing in this book and the shark does swim off(run-away) this may bother some people. The shark and his friend end up lost and sharkie has to become brave to help his friend who is very upset and find their way back home.
If you have a child that is extremly sensitive this book will bother them. I recommend the book "Tiger is a Scaredy Cat" for a more gentle approach to talking about fears.

For Children Who Seem to Be Afraid of Everything!
This shark is afraid of everything when he finds out that he is not as afraid as he thinks he is and discovers that others can be afraid too.A very cute children's book, especially as a read-aloud for parents. ... Read more

Product Description
A simple explanation of what sharks look like, how they hunt, what they eat, and how they are born. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Scary for Mom, thrilling for kids
I have no idea what my kids enjoy about this book, but they do indeed like it.

The illustrations are all photographs, and most of them are fearfully close-up and zoomed in on those jaggedy maws full of teeth.Shudder!But my KIDS love it.Our copy is fairly tattered from fascinated reading.

The text is on the "easy" side of level 3 with VERY short sentences and a choppy, bullet-point style.Your first grader will conquer this book quite easily.There is a remarkable photo of the pointed scales that make up shark skin -- I had heard that shark skin could cut you, but this book shows why.

Relax, Mom, there are no photos of bloody feeding frenzies, although there are a few photos of sharks hunting, and a description of the death of a seal.There aren't any photos of shark-attacked-humans or of people hunting sharks, and the text is completely devoid of the type of "sharks-are-our-friends" nonsense that you sometimes get.

So BRAVO to this book for being a science book that kids love to read.

Chomp!Was a page turner!
We picked this book up on a whim, and happened to be the book my son chose for our reading time.Because he has severe learning disabilities he had enormous difficulty reading and will stop as soon as he can.I only require him to read one chapter a day for reading time, and he didn't want to stop!He read the whole book!I was amazed!

The first chapter is a bit shocking to our sensibilities, but animals eating other animials is real life. If you want to just skip that chapter altogether you can, the book could just as well have started on chapter two.But again, it depicts real life and will be a really great beginning for some readers!

But any book that can hold his desire to read for the whole book is a real winner.It was very high interest, while using language that was easy to read and understand.I checked his comprehension by asking questions about what he had just read at the end of one or two pages.He had all the fact, so it really made sense to him.If your kids like animals this was a great book filled with facts and pictures that were great.We think you'll love it!

informative and interesting
I bought several of the books in this series for my early-reader daughter. The books are sturdy, well-written, with interesting facts and great pictures. But therein lies a problem - some of the pictures are a little scary for bedtime story material or unsupervised reading by early readers. Sharks, killer whales, angler fish, etc, can be kind of frightening. ... Read more

Product Description
Savage killers or endangered victims? This books tells readers the truth about the most feared creatures in the sea. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Sharks for everyone
I am a chiropractor and carry this book in my waiting room. It is a little scary, but at the end it has a ecological animal friendly ending. It is educational and fun. Both boys and girls rush to this book. I had to re-order it twice because it simply walks away with the little ones. I highly recommend this great book.

What was that
Rodney Fox had almost run out of time. He needed to find a fish and fast. To win he needed to find a local fish a big one too. He won last year and he wanted to win again. But today something will happen, what will happen? Several other divers were fishing and caught a lot of fish and the smell of blood was around.

When you read this book you will see what will happen to Rodney Fox.

I liked this book because I love sharks, and I want to study them, and you will to throughout this book.

This book was written by Cathy East Durbowski.

What was that
Rodney Fox had almost run out of time. He needed to find a fish and fast. To win he needed to find a local fish a big one too. He won last year and he wanted to win again. But today something will happen, what will happen? Several other divers were fishing and caught a lot of fish and the smell of blood was around.

When you read this book you will see what will happen to Rodney Fox.

I liked this book because I love sharks, and I want to study them, and you will to throughout this book.

This book was written by Cathy East Durbowski.

Good overall, but a bit scary
The book is technically very good, however many pages are graphically very scary showing limbs being eaten, etc...My son is 6 and can read the book but asked me to tear out a couple of pages for when he re-reads it.

SharkAttack
Sharks are kind of dangerous because some sharks can kill you.Only three sharks are very dangerous they are the tiger shark,bull shark and the great white shark.There is one man named Rodney that was attacked by a great white shark.Rodney got 462 stiches in his right arm. How do you think Rodney felt?Stanly Fisher was also attacked by a shark and then he realized his right foot was missing.
This book tells you where sharks live and where they mostly attack and it tells you about people who have been attacked by sharks.
I like this book because the sharks are kind of dangerous but I mostly like them because of their sharp teeth.I like their sharp teeth because when they fall I can make a neckless out of theirteeth.
I recommend this book to someone that likes to study about sharks and that is learning about them. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

a shark tale

All the fish in the ocean fear Shark!He's such a bully.The little fish in the ocean come up with a clever plan to fool Shark.The pull together and teach Shark a lesson.The story is very cute and fun to read aloud because it's written in rhyme. My kids were drawn to the fun cut out cover.This would make a great summer story time book. You could also use the book in a ocean unit study in a home school/classroom setting.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The one that isn't by Hergé
Just in case it's not obvious, this is not one of the official Adventures of Tintin series by Hergé, but rather an album based on the original 1972 animated film Tintin and the Lake of Sharks, scripted by Greg (Michel Régnier).A look inside the album will certainly reveal that this isn't drawn by Hergé or his studio, the book derived rather from animation cels with a great deal more detail in the backgrounds and richness in the colouration.The album also only runs to 44 pages rather than the standard 62 pages of a regular Tintin adventure.

So, it's certainly not Hergé, but is it Tintin?Well, in a way, yes, but only because the story uses familiar characters and puts them through certain situations that are taken straight from other, better Tintin adventures.The story opens up with the theft and switch of an object from a museum that is almost identical to the opening of The Broken Ear, while the conflict between Borduria and Syldavia from King Ottokar's Sceptre forms the background to the story, Professor Calculus having inexplicably decided to relocate to his laboratory to a lake on the border between the two countries.On a visit there, Tintin's plane is sabotaged leading to a crash, similar to one in Flight 714, organised by the same master criminal Rastapopoulos, who is similarly bashed around a bit in his endeavours to obtain Calculus' latest fabulous invention.With some sequences taking place underwater, Calculus' shark submarine from Red Rackham's Treasure is also given another spin.Basically, it's just a hodge-podge of several other Tintin stories rather than anything new, but you could say the same about several of the later Tintin stories.

For all that, The Lake of Sharks plays out pretty much as you would expect a Tintin adventure to, albeit with a touch of James Bond feeding through into the tone of the adventure and in the twists and perils of the storyline.Calculus' duplicating machine is certainly the most memorable and original touch in the book, although in my memory, I was sure it featured more prominently - but that could just be youthful imagination.In its own way then, while not of the calibre of the best Tintin, and certainly not a patch on the artwork of the regular Hergé books, The Lake of Sharks is fairly faithful to the characters and, as such, it's not a bad adventure.At least in comic album form.The animated film, which I haven't seen, might well be a different story.

Tintin and the Lake of Sharks
I was very pleased with the book I purchased - Tintin and the Lake of Sharks.It arrived in a timely manner and in excellent condition.I would definitely use the vender again.

Old Memories
I had always wanted to own all of the Tintin books that I read growing up. This was one that was always hard to find. Glad to have this in the collection.

Quick Tintin Read
Interesting read only if you are a hardcore Tintin collector.Based off of a Tintin film. I'd stick to Herge's original books or boxed sets that have all the books that people generally read.

Only if you must have every Tintin item available
Simply put, this is not a Tintin book, merely a promotional item pushing the film. Terrible writing, so-so illustrations, none of the excitement or wit or any of the original Tintin titles. A waste of good money, in my opinion. These people didn't even try to put out a good product. Just an attempt to make some money on Herge'sgood name. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful for 4-5 year olds
We use Usborne books for most of our Kindergarten science in Home-school.After reading the Under the Sea book, my kids wanted more specific info, so we purchased Sharks, Seashore, and Ships.Ships is a Level 2 science book, so we're saving it for next year.Sharks and Seashore were a big hit.They're informative without out overwhelming or boring my Kindergartner and even my preschooler will sit and listen because of the colorful pages.Wonderful series, I'd recommend them to anyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Chasing the Shark: A Journey from Fear to Freedom is a one-of-a-kind book that relates, in a unique way, the fear of risk and facing the unknown to limitations of life in general. Follow the author as she takes you on her own personal journey of discovery to find her hidden true self. Told with warmth, wisdom and humor, this powerful and compelling story tells how she identifies her fear and works to conquer it and, by doing so, immeasurably adds to her enjoyment of life on all levels. "Chasing the Shark" leads you along the path to self-empowerment and realization. Read it and learn how pushing your limits and conquering your fears can allow you to experience a more fulfilling and rewarding life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Take the Plunge!
Couldn't help but open the book when I saw the amazing cover.The book is written in such an engaging and self-effacing style, that I couldn't help but be taken by it's message and the wonderful story that is told.Even though it's a fast and easy read, the book leaves you with much to think about. ... Read more