The Discovery Channel's 2017 Shark Week kicked off on Sunday, July 23rd, launching another year of the popular and controversial series. While I've always been a bit afraid of some of the creatures in the sea (this definitely includes sharks), I also find them totally fascinating. When I was a kid I wanted to be - no joke - a marine biologist, but considering I'm afraid of sharks, deadly jellyfish, and giant squids it's probably for the best I decided to become a librarian instead. Since I'd much rather read about sharks than see one up close and personal, I decided to pull together a list of titles to check out here at the Mechanics' Institute Library:
Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin 597.3 E34
Juliet Eilperin takes a look at how cultures across the globe relate to the ocean's top predator. Eilperin explores global obsessions with sharks, covering extinction, coexistence, and everything in between.
Shark Trouble by Peter Benchley 597.3 B457
Peter Benchley is the man behind the book which inspired the hit movie Jaws, and one reviewer describes Shark Trouble as Benchley's "apology for Jaws." While Benchley packs plenty of scary facts about sharks, he also talks about how to be safe in, around, and on the water.
Shark by Mark Carwardine 597.3 C33
Published by the BBC, this beautifully photographed reference book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about sharks, including a fascinating chapter on history.
The Secret Life of Sharks by A. Peter Klimley 597.3 K65
Marine biologist Klimley was one of the first scientists to free-dive among sharks, and has spent nearly 30 years studying their behavior. Klimley takes an up-close, expert look at shark behavior and the threat of extinction.
Shark Chronicles by John A. Musick and Beverly McMillan 597.3 M98
Musick and McMillan take the reader along a shark chase from Bear Gulch, Montana, all the way to a whale-shark feeding station in Okinawa, Japan. Musick approaches the subject as a long-time conservationist, asking if humans are really the prey, or the predator.
What's your favorite book about sharks?
Image courtesy of Discovery Times.
