Shark Books

This is a wonderful popup book on the history of sharks and other fish. It is interesting to read, and the popups - wow! Highly recommended.

He's in an ocean creature stage and loves this book. The main and side pop-ups entertain him for long periods of time. It's a nice addition to any "underwater library".

This is a brilliant pop-up book, ideal for young kids to learn something about the past but be thoroughly entertained too..

My sons got this book along with The Jungle Book for Christmas. These books are works of art. They combine amazing pop-up art with a good story. My kids love these books. I plan to give away copies of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart's work to other folks in the future. Makes really memorable gifts.

I'm an avid pop up collector (or my little boy is, but I get as excited as he does when we get another one) and this is as wonderful as the other Sabuda books. It's holding up well even though I have to pretend to attack my son whenever we get to the huge set of shark jaws; these books are not as fragile as you'd think.

This book was awesome! It was purchased as a gift for my 13-year-old son who loved it. It was full of interesting pictures, facts, and stories about the great white shark. He considers it one of the best books in his "shark library".

This is an excellent work about the most feared creature in the ocean. I've always had an interest in marine biology, and sharks in particular, and this book embodies both biological and cultural information about one of my favorite animals. McCosker and Ellis give the great white a fair shake, and while they acknowledge "Jaws" as an excellent film, they also debunk the fallacies of it (i.e. great whites are not 30 feet long, and only very rarely do they attack humans). I appreciated the considerable section of the book that discusses "Jaws"; I feel as though it was necessary to include this information in a book about great whites since that film is the only source of information about sharks that some individuals have been exposed to. Great book, great read...and well worth the price!

A wonderful, excellent, magnificent look at the natural history of the Great White. Written from a scientific perspective but easily accessible to everyone, this book covers biology, feeding, fishing, filming, attacks, and the exploitation of great whites. Nearly every page has superb photos and/or illustrations, and the authors do an excellent job of making the sharks an animal to be respected but neither irrationally feared nor glorified. The text covers all aspects of the shark's natural history, but never gets so in-depth as to be boring. Highly recommended.

I'm not sure why, but I'm a bit of a shark freak. I got this book for Christmas, and I read it all the way through without putting it down. Granted, a lot of this information wasn't new, but it was presented very nicely. The pictures are fantastic, and I enjoyed the extras about other sharks.

I think children as well as adults would enjoy this book. I wound up getting other people (who don't much care for the subject) interested in the pictures and short articles in this book.

Subjects treated include biology, geography, behavior, history, and interaction with man.

The book is great with its info. I could not believe the horror of the picture of the beautiful woman Shirley Anne Durdin and when they describe her being eaten alive...what it must have felt like. The people who watched the shark swim away from their boat said they could see tattered wads of her once-beautiful flesh dangling from its teeth and her arm sticking out. Worse than any scene in "Jaws."

For those acquainted, even indirectly, with the world of rowing, this book represents a fantastic story of a rebellious rower and his desire to win an olympic gold medal on his own terms. After his dramatic loss in the single scull trials on Lake Carnegie, being denied a spot in one of the national selection camp boats, and having to relocate to the east coast despite his west coast upbringing, he somehow won the national trials, made the team, and then won the olympics. He became the best in the world months after being denied a spot as one of the top 6 in his own country. This was, and still is, unprecedented in almost any sport ever. Take that inspirational story and couple it with Lewis' knack for capturing the aggression of a young non-conformist and "Assault On Lake Casitas" becomes the second best rowing book ever. (The best rowing book ever is "The Amateurs" by David Halberstam. If you read either of these books, it is imperative that you read the other. If you've read none, it is imperative you read both.)

I'm a rower and I didn't know anything about this book before I read it. I met Brad Lewis while I was at the San Diego Crew classic in March 2003 and I was very impressed with his character, so I bought his book. The competetive shark found in the book was chillingly inspirational on what it takes to be a champion, but I must admit that the Brad in the eighties is not the same Brad of today. Ever since he stopped competing, he has calmed that anger within him. I think it has made him a better Journalist because his writing keeps getting better.
Read this book if you are interested in knowing what goes through the head of a competetive rower and the sacrifices Brad made to get that gold medal.

as a long time, fanatic, and not especially talented rower i was pretty surprised i had never heard of this book when lewis himself foisted it on a friend of mine at the 2004 head of the charles. after leafing past the disturbing cover art, the book itself traces his long quest for gold culminating in the 1984 LA olympics. this book is all rowing, so if you are interested in crew, or any seriously competitive athletics, like i suspect you'll find reading it to be the purest pleasure, if not, let's just say there's no love angle to carry it along. but for those in pursuit of excellence: what a tremendous read! lewis is relentless, and he's a superb story-teller. i'm so happy to finally discover a companion to the only other great rowing book i've ever found, also culminating in the 1984 olympics, david halberstam's `the amateurs'.

I bought this book a couple of years ago when I was doing some rowing. I also bought it because of the great reviews at Amazon.com. I will add my voice to those who have written here: this is a very special story and is much more than a book about rowing--it is a book about overcoming obstacles, persevering in the face of unbelievable odds and understanding that the process is as valuable and prized as the final result. It is not a book about the means justifying the ends. It is a book about building a foundation and building upon that foundation and not taking any shortcuts. Lewis is a superb writer and the speed of his narrative matches the strength of his oar strokes. I have given it as a gift to people I really care about.

Brad Lewis' "Assault on Lake Casitas" is bar none the finest book ever written, not just on the sport of rowing, but on the unflaging pursuit of excellence. A powerfully gripping read from cover to cover, Lewis's description of the training, trials, heats and finals of his 1984 olympic campaign captures the essence of competitive rowing. Like many of the other reviewers, I too read Lewis' heart stopping description of his Grand Final race before races-no other book captures with such power the emotions which crew illicits. A triumph of determination and perseverence, Lewis' story is a great, great read.

This book is a great insider's guide to the inner-workings of the Hollywood machine. I found it not only enlightening and helpful, but entertaining as well. The author often illustrates a point or principle with personal anecdotes that brings the issue to life. In fact, I wish he'd done this with virtually every subject he discussed. He also dwells heavily in the world of pitch meetings: how to get the meeting, how to prepare, what to do, even what to wear (not a suit) and how to sit (not on the couch if possible).

Lent goes into great detail on the function of all the major cogs in the movie-making wheel: producers, directors, actors, agents, managers, creative executives, and more. For those of us with a script to sell but little in the way of industry know-how this is an invaluable course.

On the downside, I'm sure most people reading this book are relatively new to the business and the first questions on their mind are: "Do I need an agent, and how do I get one?" Lent, in my opinion, wrote the book in the wrong order. I would have addressed this point up front, but instead you have to wait 123 pages for your answers. And it's not just burning curiosity that would serve this order, Lent often speaks about 'your agent' in the first 100 pages as if he's assuming you've got one and I don't think that's a fair assumption. My second fault with the book is his exceedinly sparse coverage of the screenwriting contest world. This is a vital topic for new screenwriters, one he devotes an astonishingly petite 4 pages to. The topic is well represented online, but we turn to Lent, again, for an insider's view on this milieu and are very disappointed with the lack of coverage.

Overall, a quick and easy read that provides loads of useful and applicable information.

First a disclosure - I am not a screenwriter. I am an avid reader. So the fact this book didn't thrill me may mean nothing. If you're in pursuit of this dream you may have the background to assess the advice proffered.

From purely a readers point of view I think the book could flow better. I have a keen interest in most things Hollywood, and those chapters dealing with Hollywood as town were intriguing. Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

I read this book expecting to find a lot of Hollywood gossip. Instead, it was a down to earth 'how to' guide for becoming a star-screenwriter.

Some of the suggestions are very specific to the industry. For example, how to decide when to move to Hollywood or how to get across the San Fernando valley for an interview when you don't own a car. Most of the advice is fairly general, though. Ben Franklin would approve.

The text is fast paced and entertaining. It doesn't quite read like a novel, but you will start watching for the author's name to appear on your local cinema.

Wow! Full of sound advice from experience. Michael Lent is clearly someone who pays attention to the whole process. The best part is he shares it with the rest of us! This book is fun to read from start to finish. Lent constantly encourages the reader (screenwriter) to adopt an attitude of, what I would call, "strategic humility" in their business dealings. How rare!!! This stuff helps in life too! I've never written a feature length screenplay, but I still found this book efficacious in learning the ins and outs of this goofy industry. And I know goofy - www.chrismundell.com

I'm on my third reading of Michael Lent's "Breakfast with Sharks" (2-7-05), and I highly this book to any screenwriter making serious go of trying to sell his/her work.

Micheal Lent doesn't make things up. His book is filled with real life "lived" experiences.

This book is a godsend if you've a written a screenplay and have started your foray into the next scary step-selling!! "Breakfast with Sharks" will help you disciminate information and buzzwords used at screenwrinting seminars and help decode the Hollywood Creative Directory.

My favorite section in the entire book is "Studio Notes: What They Are and How to Handle Them".

Overall a great book, insprationaly it ranks right up there with Karl Iglesias' "The 101 Habits of Hightly Successful Screenwriters".

- Review given by Eric C.Henrikson Febuary 7, 2005

Water Warp: Daze of Reckoning blends author and professional teacher Paul Borick's twin passions for biology and language arts into an exciting adventure story for young adults. In Water Warp, ten-year-old Paul is en route to Hawaii for a family vacation when a sudden accident introduces him to a kingdom called Aqua World, inhabited by highly intelligent dolphins who find a place for him among their own. Gnik, king of the dolphins, asks young Paul to lead a three-part adventure to protect the kingdom from the ocean's predators, especially the sharks, for another thousand years. Told from Paul's point of view, Water Warp is a fantastic tour of both imagination and the precious quality of compassion for fellow life forms. Highly recommended.

It was great. It was one of the best books I have ever read. I like the part when he was chasing that other guy and sitting by the really stinky people. I also like when they called him Luap NOT paul. It was a masterpiece.

Your book was pretty good. I can't wait until the next one comes out, so I can buy it. I would give your book a 4, because I liked how its a underwater world and I like dolphins and sharks. It was cool how there was and aura force field protecting the dolphins. I also liked the funny part, when they are on the plane and they have to sit by all the smelly people.


your friend,
Eric Wolfe

Hello Fantasy readers!!!....the book you've been looking for has arrived. The book runs you through all the adventures you could hope for. It takes a human boy whose plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean. Dolphins who live in a deteriorating world called Aqua World recruit him (because they need a human) to help save their world from all the evils and perils of the ocean. Anyway, the boy is sent on a quest to retrieve a gem "the gem of Aquarius" that will help replenish a forcefield that protects them. During his quest the boy changes his form from human to part dolphin to full dolphin. The boy has to struggle through the many dangers of the ocean including the finger like plants, the twicones (underwater cyclones/tornadoes) that protect the purple caverns which house the gem that will save the dolphin's Aqua World. The purple cavern's (Wow) have many riddles that the boy has to solve on his quest to retrieve the gem. What would this underwater story be without the dolphin's natural advesary in the ocean, "The sharks". The sharks have their own vile leader "Thgin Slived" or Devil's Night once you learn what the author does with the character's names. Thgin is a nasty great white shark who uses his brute force...not his intelligence to rule the world of Sharks. His top assistant...who I think should be the leader...because he's smarter....is fearful of Thgin's Slived's strength. Anyway....the boy has a run in with the sharks on his quest to return the gem back to Aqua World. I don't want to give too much away....but ....never mind....I won't say (It's just cool with the sharks!!!) The endinig...(WOW!!!!) Never saw the twist that was coming...one of my favorite endings....makes me want the next book now...Mirror Image as book one tells you....I can't wait.
I passed the book onto my younger brother 7th grade and sister in 5th. They both are not big readers like me....but they gobbled this book up really quick. My sister loves dolphins and my brother like me enjoys fantasy. If you read just one more book this year....this should be the one....You barely need an imaginiation it is so easy to see from the authors description. Good bye....and happy reading.

I thought the superman undroos wasn't right, but it was still a little funny.The werid thing about it is how the dolphins speak.

I just picked it up to thumb through because I liked the cover photo, I didn't think I'd read it let alone love it as much as I did.

Childs has created a beautifully written book about animals and journeys into their abodes. He lashes a poet's equipoise to an adventurer's rugged wagon and traverses stories that are breathtaking both in their raw facts and in their telling. A wonderful book.

I have greatly enjoyed reading this naturalist's account of personal encounters he has had with animals in the wild. He demonstrates a respect, as well as a healthy fear, of the big predators such as mountain lions, bears, and jaguars. Intertwined with the adventures, Craig Childs provides details and meaningful information on creatures as diverse as mosquitos and Blue Sharks. It is a personal account which is accurate and does not romanticize the animals he describes.

I purchased "The Secret Knowledge of Water" by Craig Childs, and picked up the "Animal Dialogues" at the same time. After reading both books, I will buy more by this author. Vivid descriptions of places and happenings make his experiences come alive. The short chapters on each species give his own story and some scientific information on the animal as the story unfolds. I have learned much, and enjoy his take on the face to face encounters with some of the animals. We can identify with the cat and mouse tales in the Tipi. The Mountain Lion encounters were incredibly intense. This will really make me be more aware of where I am and what is around me when walking up the slot canyons and in the river wash. The footprints we find will be a little more of a wake up call, then just 'Oh neat! A fresh Mountain Lion foot print!"

This book tops my list of favorites. Childs' skillful use of languge not only brings his encounters to life, but revels in the mystical aspects of the wilderness. It is as close to poetry as prose can get; it's simply stunning.

This book covers many aspects of writing, such as copyright, writing contests, agents, contracts, writing courses, how to keep out of legal trouble with your writing, what to do if you've sold something to an editor who won't pay up and much more. It is a tool to help a writer make it through the hazards of writing and the many pitfalls that wait for the unwary. The book also includes sample contracts for you to check out. It's a great reference book for every writer to have. I keep it handy where I can use it all the time.

A great book for a new author! I found this book very informative, enlightening but scary, realizing all the mistakes I have already made- myself but acknowledging some of the good decisions I've made as well. Nevertheless, it's better to know at the beginning of my journey than much later. If only I had read this book first! Thanks for the much needed info.

Jenna Glatzer and lawyer Daniel Steven have combined forces in THE STREET SMART WRITER and given any writer a valuable resource.

Too many writers have gone innocently down the wrong path with a scam literary agent or publishing house and lived to regret their choice. Follow the wise counsel in these pages and you will protect yourself from disappointment and you will save yourself a lot of money and grief.

"We want to believe that people have good intentions."

If you're not familiar with Jenna Glatzer then you really need this book because you're obviously not as internet/writer savvy as you need to be. Jenna is the owner of AbsoluteWrite.com, a writer friendly site. She's also the author of Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer and one of my favourites, Outwitting Writer's Block. Not only does she write for writers but the last year she wrote an authorized biography for Celine Dion: For Keeps. This working writer has a knack for sharing her experience with others. In this publication she has joined forces with Daniel Steven, a writer and publishing lawyer.

This is definitely a must-have guide for writers, especially the writer who dabbles in many areas. It's not only about what to avoid but doing it better. The Street-Smart Writer is divided into 17 chapters with an appendix of additional forms tacked on the end. Chapter breakdown:

1 - Agents & Managers (spotting sharks)
2 - Agents & Managers (finding a good one)
3 - Paying to Publish (vanity and subsidy presses)
4 - What to do if you've been screwed
5 - Trouble Spots in Book Contracts
6 - After Publication Rip-offs for Book Authors
7 - Vanity Poetry Contests
8 - Deceptive Contests for Novelists, Short Story Writers, Screen writers & others
9 - Crash Course in Copyright
10 - Special Screw-over for Screenwriters
11 - Monstrous Magazines & E-zines
12 - Dealing with Deadbeats
13 - Costly Courses & Shady Seminars
14 - How to Know When They're really using You
15 - Spotting False Credentials
16 - Protecting Yourself from Threats & Lawsuits
17 - "They Stole My Idea!" and other things not to worry about.

One of the things I appreciated about the Street-Smart Writer was its ability to explain instead of tell. Like the "big bucks" you make at vanity presses: -Let's say you managed to sell a hundred copies through bookstores. How much would you earn on a 250-page paperback book printed as cheaply as possible with a retail price of $20? About $240. Which means if you paid a print-on-demand company to publish your book and didn't even spend a dime to have it edited or promoted, you still wouldn't even have recouped your initial investment, let alone made any profit from your hard work.- To finish off Street-Smart provides a commercial publisher arrangement for you to compare. An eye opener for anyone thinking they can make big(ger) bucks by doing it themselves.

Many sample letters appear throughout and to help you decipher any forms the appendix provides examples of: Literary Agent Agreement, Interview Release, Permissions Agreement, Contributors Agreement, Trade Publishing Agreement, Film Option & Literary Purchase Agreement. These are not meant to be substitute agreements but to give you some background information when you're cool and collected because you know your stomach is going to be in knots when the real thing comes.

There's so much in this book for the eclectic writer. But any writer can learn from all these areas and apply it to their own work. Jenna Glatzer's usual comedic style, logic and blunt truth delivers the cold hard facts about the writing world. In layman's terms she explains away the idiots of the industry's scam tactics by teaching readers how to read between the lines. It's not meant to be a scare tactic but to make you an informed writer and it accomplishes its task. Reviewed by M. E. Wood.

While the entire book is fantastic, and offers an insider's look into the world of freelance writing and authoring books, I have to say I found Chapter 5: Trouble Spots In Book Contracts to be the best part of the book. It delves into trouble areas that can hurt the author, and how to maneuver around them. Finally, the appendix of forms is priceless: sample literary agent agreement, interview release form, permissions agreement, contributor's agreement, trade publishing agreement, and film option agreement.

Peter Benchley was remarkably astute about animals, and generous in his viewpoints. Following the popularity of Jaws (book and film) he recognized his own need to learn more about sharks. This book not only details that animal (without sensationalism), it also contains marvelous stories about other sea creatures--the story of a thankful and enormous manta ray is unforgettable. Benchley also gives precise advice about how to stay alive in any water, and his belief that most drownings could be avoided comes across in a way that makes him seem like one of your best friends.

This is a fine book, and as with the best writing about animal nature, it contains good info for human nature too.

Shark Life is a good book for anyone that likes sharks.
Peter Benchley is a diver who studys sharks and other sea creatures.
He talks about the different types of sharks and how they live in the
sea. He also talks about Moray eels,Blue fish,Barracuda,and other creatures. He says it is important to keep a healthy habbitat for sharks.
I think this book is the best!

Take a plunge into the sea with Peter Benchly! This eye opening book shows the encounters this author has had with all kinds of different sharks all around the world you will encounter. Killer Sharks, like the Tiger sharkof compleatly harmless sharks like a Whale shark. Peter Benchly has been through it all. This book makes you feel like you are in the clear waters swimming right next to a shark. Find out what happens to him as he spends his life in the water with sharks and other kinds of sea creatures, in this amazing book of different kinds of sharks!

I LOVE this book, The stories are AMAZING! I love manta rays and great white sharks.

SHARK LIfe is exceptionally entertaining and enlightening nonfiction for young adults. Benchley (the author of JAWS) moves back and forth between recounting his own heart-stopping adventures in the sea (sometimes purposely swimming with sharks and other deadly creatures, sometimes accidentally encountering them), and his simple and clear explanations of how man's interference with the balance of the world's oceans has already resulted in some dying regions. He cautions how further degradation of the seas will eventually threaten man's existence on the planet.

I bought this book a long time ago and it still is my favorite one pertaining to its subject. It's filled with information and gorgeous photography. Various species of sharks are clearly identified, described, and portrayed, and facts are given about diving locales around the world as well. I've always loved rays and no other book has told me as much about them as this one. The chapters on rays are wonderful and very beautifully illustrated. This book is highly interesting and impressive. I recommend it.

I just bought this book and I love it. It has a lot of very interesting imformation. It gives a great over view of sharks and rays, it tells you the basics of everything you would ever want to know about these magnificent animals. It also gives you tips on how to encounter them and how to act around them in their habitats. The photographs in this book are fantastic. It has hundreds of great color pictures. This book is very well written and very interesting. I am really enjoying this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of sharks and rays.

The Nature Company's Guide to sharks and rays is a well written introduction to this group of truly wonderful creatures. It is not the best book, but if you have an interest it should be in your library. It will be especially useful to the teen reader or marine naturalist/hobbyist. The photography and illustrations are beautiful and informative. The write ups on individual species, while not all inclusive to any particular group or geographic area are great. They cover some little known but fascinating animals. My only complaint is that it's a little TO visual, it tends to rely on the graphic to make points over the text and is a little short on newer science. But this may be a plus for the new student of marine biology. If you or an friend has an interest in fishes in general or elasmobranchs in particular you want this book.

We bought this book as a Christmas gift for our 12 year old daughter who is fascinated with sharks. What a gem!!! We keep it on the coffee table now as a reference book. Every time an undersea show comes on, someone grabs the book to look up whatever they discuss. This book is full of great information and incredible photographs. Anyone interested in the ocean MUST get this book. We are all certified scuba divers and it is especially valuable to us for identifications, habitats and habits of sharks and rays, and general information which we need to know when siting one of these marvelous creatures!!

What an excellent, well organized reference source for anyone interested in sharks, and especially for scuba divers looking for a good identification book.

Of all the shark books I've reviewed, this one tops my list and is recommended to readers of my web site.

Wow! This book by Jean-Michel Cousteau & Mose Richards is amazing! The 120 full color photographs in here are some of the best i have ever seen. Truly breathtaking pictures of this awesome predator. This book chronicles the Cousteau team's extensive two-and-a-half years study of the great white shark at Dangerous Reef, Australia. After attracting the sharks, the research team would observe the sharks behavior underwater in specially built stainless steel cages and one made of Luxon(a clear, bulletproof plastic). They would then tag them and attach transmitters to follow their movements and patterns. A new understanding emerges of the great white and it's lonely, lifelong hunt for food.

Cousteau has truly captured my mind and allowed it to wander through the amazing pages of his book, COUSTEAU'S GREAT WHITE SHARK. I started adoring sharks at age 3, and have always dreamed of becoming a marine biologist. Cousteau has wonderfully made it possible for me to go after my dream without any worries. His book is truly inspirational and gracious. Thank you Jean-Michel!

This book is fascinating. What most do not know is that Mose Richards wrote this entire book, while Cousteau supplied the inspiration and pictures. This book has excellent writing and fabulous photography. An excellent read. Props to the author, Mose Richards!

For surviving for 400 million years. For refusing to submit yourself to mankind's aquariums and corporate SeaWorlds. For never allowing your secrets of mating or birth to become known to the prying eyes of man. For not even leaving a skeleton for science to attempt to examine. For being the Master of the Seas, without even using mechanical aids to assist you, like we, the Humans, the Wimps, the Know-Nothings, the Arrogant Pestilence of the World must resort to to even attempt to conquer you. Keep fighting, Terrible, Beautiful Lordly Ones. We offer you humble, unworthy obeisance in the form of this book, under the aegis of your most dutiful admirer, Jacques Cousteau, Poseidon rest his soul. Never has your grace nor your fearful symmetry appeared to such great advantage. Keep cruising. May your fins glide through the oceans long after the peasants have ceased to crawl upon the earth--or dared to trawl upon the waters!

A very informative book about the great white. The photos are amazing. This Shark is one of the most interesting animals alive. A real predator.