Sharkpedia: A Brief Compendium of Shark Lore

(Hardback)

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Description

A fun, pocket-sized AZ treasury, featuring fascinating, little-known facts and captivating original illustrations

The notion that sharks are insatiable killing machines is a toothless mythyet the fear of shark attacks still holds onto many people like a set of locked jaws. If we understood sharks better, we would dread them less and appreciate them more, discovering that they are much more interesting, complicated, and important than many realize. Sharkpedia is a delightfully entertaining and informative celebration of sharks featuring close to 100 entries on a wide range of carefully selected topics, all based on the latest, most authoritative knowledge, and enriched by captivating original illustrations.

Avoiding tired factoids and oversimplification, shark authority Daniel Abel brings to life essential information about sharks, including their adaptations as top predators, 450-million-year evolution, behavioral complexity, ecological importance, existential threats, hope for their future, and sensational role in art, literature, and popular culture, from Jaws to Shark Week. Filled with compelling stories, the book takes a bite out of shark myths (for example, that sharks are large and coastal when in fact most are small and inhabit the deep sea), describes their lives (where and how long they live, how many offspring they have, what they eat, and how their bodies function), introduces a variety of iconic and obscure species (such as the Happy Eddie Shyshark), and explores our love/hate relationship with sharks.

Beautifully illustrated, designed, and produced, Sharkpedia will leave you with new insights about these remarkable animals.

• Features a cloth cover with an elaborate foil-stamped design

Author Bio

Daniel C. Abel is professor of marine science at Coastal Carolina University, where his research focuses on shark ecology and physiology. He is the coauthor of The Lives of Sharks and Tooth and Claw: Top Predators of the World (both Princeton), among other books. Marc Dando is a scientific illustrator and publisher and the coauthor of many books, including Sharks of the World, Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America, and Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of Europe and the Mediterranean (all Princeton).