Shark Trouble

February 1, 2002
After three decades, Benchley is still talking about sharks.

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2002
The man who wrote "Jaws" in 1974 and "White Shark" 20 years later is not merely a wily storyteller playing on our fears of monsters from the deep but, rather, a knowledgeable and intrepid diver and a passionate advocate for the preservation of ocean life. In addition to writing his best-selling, movie-compatible novels, Benchley has also reported for "National Geographic" and the "New York Times" and written and hosted television documentaries, and he draws on both his research and risky but revelatory ocean experiences to create a suspenseful and resonantly informative overview of the lives of sharks and other amazing creatures who dwell in the now worrisomely overfished seas. Benchley begins by gently mocking the hysteria of both the media and the public over shark attacks during the summer of 2001. Not only was the number of tragic run-ins between humans and sharks normal, Benchley writes, the truth of the matter is that "for every human being killed by a shark, roughly "ten million" sharks are killed by humans." Handy with statistics and quick to crack a joke with himself as the target, Benchley offers riveting accounts of his and his family's up close and personal encounters with sharks, a gigantic manta ray, a friendly killer whale, barracuda, and sundry other wild creatures. These vivid moments inspire clarion tributes to the wonder of the entire marine ecosystem, and a no-nonsense warning about the disastrous consequences of continued assaults against "the world's largest primal wilderness." It's a boon to have a writer with such tremendous name recognition speak up for nature. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)