Shark Books

Wow.! What a thriller: high tech and high speed. I read it so fast the first time that I'll have to read it again to hang onto some of the details. Sasgen really uses his knowledge of military technology to increase the thrill-a-minute pace. For instance, even though I read "Aviation Week", I'd never heard of minature UAV's. I thought Sasgen had made it up but I went to Google and, sure enough, we do have minature UAV's. How'd you like to have one of those fly into your bedroom? That's what Sasgen does with it. I hope this book is made into a movie: underwater explosions in Dolby Sound!!

Jake Scott shows his skills again (War Plan Red) in saving the day. Whether he is invading a Chinese drug lord's island or doing the 'sub-chase thing', it's a thrill to follow this man and his adventures. The words kept me glued to the skirmishes and successes of the participants. I was disappointed when the book ended, I could have kept reading about the crews and their adventures for days. I am addicted to this kind of story and hope that Sasgen will allow us the privilege of more stories of Jake Scott. Submarine technology is way over my head, but I certainly have learned a great deal through the information presented. I hope everyone who has an interest in international issues and intrigue will rush out and buy a copy of Red Shark.

This latest technothriller proves why "ripped from the headlines" stories are so weak - they read like a patchwork of bad news that isn't calculated to shock. In "Red Shark" USN sub driver Scott hunts the littoral Chinese waters in search of a revolutionary new sub that the North Koreans plan to use in an attack on the US. The "Red Shark", built by North Korean navy, uses AIP (air independent propulsion, allowing for prolonged submergence without need for nuclear power) and advanced electronics to evade both Chinese and American subs. To add to the mix, the North Korean leadership has suffered a coup - "Dear Leader" Kim has been deposed and imprisoned by the belicose General Jin. Meanwhile, a right-wing Japanese industrialist, with an old grudge against the US, finances the coming nuclear attack on America.

While this has the makings of a good book, "Shark" fails in the execution. It starts great with a rollicking SEAL attack on warlord's island fortress (the scenes have that great 1980's action movie feel to it), but the book goes slack as the story practically maroons Scott in Japan. There, Scott must deal with Japanese intel bureaucrats who try to sound helpful even as they run interference for wealthy and anti-American Japanese industrialists. It's especially unfortunate because the entire Japanese-leg of the plot seems so unneccessary. We know that there's a rogue NK sub out there, and that eventually, Scott will have to helm a 688I to sink it.

Sasgen knows subs - his scenes among the three boats of the story (the US Reno, a Chinese Kilo & Red Shark itself) are taut and have the perfect mix of the technical and high tension. (You will probably hear the term "littoral waters" more in the space of a chapter than in the past year.) Unfortunately, the subamrine scenes are short and come too late to save the book, since they've got too little action. We know from the beginning of the story that there's going to be a sub-showdown, but little happens once our boats go at it. By the end of the story, there's even a 2nd SEAL attack - but we're told about it rather than shown it - it's like one of those books where you can tell how bored the author was getting with his own story.

In sum, not a bad book, just one that fell short of its potential, and makes clear just how high that was.

Instead, "Dangerous Ground" by Larry Bond remains the sub-thriller to beat for the last few years.

Jake Scott, the hero of Red Shark and Sasgen's earlier book, War Plan Red, is becoming a familiar, welcome figure for me, this being the second of Sasgen's books that I've read. (Too bad a young Harrison Ford isn't available to play him when one of his books goes Hollywood and makes it to a theater near you.) Let's hope that should the real-life North Koreans act as nefariously as those in the book, we'll have a real-life Jake Scott on our side to save the day.

This book really moves, and while it's long, it's a fast read. There are enough plot, action, visuals, and three-dimensional characters to make two movies from each of Sasgen's books. The man obviously doesn't skimp on his research either. I never doubted any of the technical stuff involving submarines, high-tech weaponry, and military protocol; it's not hard to suspend disbelief here. His descriptions of foreign settings also rang true, particularly for those countries in the Far East where I'd spent some time way back when. And there's even something for the ladies, too (and guys who aren't testosterone-challenged); there's a love/sex interest in both books, enough perhaps to make the book crossover from the thriller/war genre into the something-for-everyone mainstream. All in all, this book is definitely worth your time.

P.S. One minor quibble: Red Shark, War Plan Red, Red Scorpion ... Enough with the "Red" already, huh?

The gist of this book is a conspiracy between aging Japanese imperialists and nut job North Koreans. The target is the good ol' USA, and of course, they have developed three nasty nukes.

This book holds together. I might quibble technically about the effectiveness of the Mark 48 torpedoes vis-a-vis former Soviet (eh, I mean Chinese) weapons and the political dynamics inside North Korea, but by and large this was a pleasant surprise.

If anything the book could have been a bit longer. The sub chase at the end of the book had potential for at least fifty more pages and fair number of obstacles.

I'm sure I will be checking out Sasgen's other books.

Our son sent us this book,after reading it while in Nicaragua.
My husband comes from a GREAT story-telling family and this book feels like it belongs in our family tales!Who would believe a book about the near-disappearance of shark fishing in Nicaragua would be SO compeling?

Clever writing by a young author who obviously did some research into not only the Bull Shark but also the sometimes enigmatic Nicaraguan culture, history and politics. After traveling to all but one of the Central American countries and working in Honduras near the Mosquito Coast for over 2 years I found his descriptions to be most accurate. Like most travel writers he does some ad-libing to make it more interesting, but hey that sells more books! His greatest gift seems to be his ability to bring characters to life. As I read I could really picture what they looked like and how they acted. Believe me, there are some interesting characters in the 3rd world jungle countries! I had to chuckle when throughout his travels in Central America people thought he must be American. Marriot shrugged it off, almost offended at times it seems. Being English or American in La Moskitia would be an advantage for sure, but in the interior being American can be otherwise. If Mr. Marriot reads this I hope he will respond personally for it would be a real pleasure to share stories of our different adventures in Central America. Someday I will write a book of my own adventures very similar to Marriot's but they will be short stories, for I had no real mission while I was there besides working and living "La Vida Loca." Marriot has piqued my interest enough to buy his 1st book "The Lost Tribe." Until then, escribisteis bien vos!

A few of the human kind can be found in places like Bluefields, Nicaragua, where if this book had instead been set in the wild west of the US, the only proper name for some of the residents would be desperados. Although conditions are definitely frontier-like the characters are very 20th century, and uniquely Nicaraguan. Interspersed throughout SAVAGE SHORE are referrences to, and the occasional crossing of paths with, Sandinistas, Contras, Colombian drug dealers and the odd modern day pirate. These characters though are not even the central focus, but they certainly add to what is already a fascinating and well written travelogue, cultural study, nature journal, and critique on human greed, economic exploitation, and political chaos.

The central characters are not men at all but bull sharks that live, breed, and hunt in the Caribbean waters of Nicaragua's east coast. It is the "most willful and aggressive of all tropical sharks" and what makes it unique and worthy of a book, is that "like no other shark, it possessed the ability to cross from salt water to freshwater, hunting far upriver". That means that the bull shark can be found up the Escondido river near Bluefields or more impressively, 60 miles up the San Juan river, all the way to Lake Nicaragua. It is as the author says "shark where shark should not be - in fresh water, on human territory."

The book tells the tale of this shark and the men who hunt it, as they have for generations, - bravely, in open dugout canoes with hand held lines. The sharks are hunted for their body oils, the fins are used to make soup and the skin is tanned into leather. Poverty means that resource management is non-existent and overfishing means that the shark itself may soon be gone from its last great freshwater holdout - lake Nicaragua.

Fear and greed, the author says, are the two most common human emotions the bull shark elicits. Perhaps it's fitting then that this also best describes the pervasive feeling that one gets from this rough and tumble area. History has a part to play. In the 17th century Bluefields was the capital of the British protectorate - the Mosquito Coast - which stretched the length of Nicaragua's Caribbean shoreline to Puerto Cabeza in the north, and beyond into what is now Honduras. This explains how a town with an Anglo name exists in a Latin country. Slaves from Jamaica were brought in and their descendants are now the large, patois/english speaking Creole population. Co-existence with the Miskito, Sumu, and Ramu indians has not always been peaceful but the natives of this area have at times pulled together, usually in the face of some external threat, whether natural as in the many hurricanes that have devastated the area, or man made as in the political tribalism and battles between Sandinistas and Contras.

This story of sharks, at sea and on land, makes the place most appropriately named SAVAGE SHORE. Yet in an irony fitting for this book, the area is also the focal point of Nicaragua's tourism industry.

If you want shark stories, stear clear of this book. Make no mistake; Marriot makes an incredible journey and has some amazing experiences. However, he has direct encounters with only three sharks and those all occured in one day. I would say 75% of this book is about Nicaragua's history and politics, 10% discusses shark mythology and 10% is a heavy handed attempt to draw metaphors between the two. This leaves 5% for actual sharks.

In short, a big disappoint for shark fans. Instead, check out Shark Attacks : Their Causes and Avoidance by Thomas B. Allen.

Good travel writers are few and far between. This book reads fast. In addition to a few nightmares about the darkness of jungly places and the preying of freshwater sharks, we have learned alot from his risky and insightful ecological journey.

We learn the richness of Nicaragua, Mosquitia, and a compelling history of Miskito and Creole life on the Atlantic Coast of Central America. I rank this book among the very finest of all of the travel literature out there.

Although Cousteaus arn't marine biologists, the book does a fine job of describing their adventures underwater with sharks. Some of the stories depict courageous acts and an enthusiasm for underwater adventure that make the book engaging. There has been better and more scientific studies more recently on sharks of course, but this book is worth having in you library if you are interested in the subject. The illustrations by Jean-charles Roux are excellent. The photographs are good. This book is also certainly a history too: a history of the popularization of our excursion into the underwater world by the Custeaus. Not a five star because it is dated, but five star in most other respects.
If you were to collect the whole collection I would think it would be quite a good set at that.

and here i was thinking that i had a hard-to-find book. it didn't take me long to finish this book written by jacques and his son phillipe cousteau.it is a journal of their journey studying sharks.a very detailed account of their studies with their crew and worthwhile to learn more about sharks.eventhough this was written some time ago,it should still be used as a good reference.i learned alot about sharks that i hadn't already known,as well about other aspects of the ocean.it was nice to hear more about the whale shark,and i hadn't heard about sea mosquitoes until now.so,especially at those prices,buy this book if you are interested in oceanography,sharks,diving and just the ocean in general.good and knowledgable book.

One of my proudest possessions is a personal letter from Jacques Cousteau which is framed and hangs on the wall of my study. Cousteau was more than just a great man and his books are a testament to his pioneering work involving so many different aspect of the sea and everything about the sea.

For many years the Shark was perceived as everything that was evil and frightening as far as the sea was concerned. No book about this splendid creature was complete without that section on Shark Attack. Not even the Lions from Africa plains or the North American Grizzly Bear got such a fearful press. Today, of course, the Shark is endangered and - suddenly!, we are all worried about the Great White and it's other equally magnificent cousins.

But take another look at this book's title. This book was fist published in 1970 and even then Jacques Cousteau referred to this creature as a "Splendid Savage." He uses those words in pretty much the same way as, say, a Victorian explorer might have described the people from a newly discovered tribe found deep in the Amazon jungle or wherever. That title is just another indication of how Cousteau's thinking was so far ahead of it's time.

The content is, therefore, relevant to the modern diver from the 21st Century. As with all the books in this series, it is a good read and I can only suggest all serious divers add a copy to their bookshelf before it finally becomes unavailable.

NM

In this book scientific discovery underlines an exotic adventure that takes the reader into a world of beauty and danger. Many of the frequently asked questions regarding sharks are answered, such as how it feels to encounter large sharks with only a camera, or if there is any defense against a shark attack, or why do sharks die if taken from the sea.

Writes Phillipe Cousteau, "His (the shark's) entire form is fluid, weaving from side to side; his head moves slowly from left to right, right to left, timed to the rhythm of his speed through the water. Only the eye is fixed, focused on me, cricling withinn the orbit of the head, in order not to lose sight for a fraction of a second of his prey or, perhaps, his enemy... His silent circling is a ballet governed by untraceable mchansisms. The blue tranquility of his form surrounds me with the sensation of a web of muderous yet beautiful force."

In this book scientific discovery underlines an exotic adventure that takes the reader into a world of beauty and danger. Many of the frequently asked questions regarding sharks are answered, such as how it feels to encounter large sharks with only a camera, or if there is any defense against a shark attack, or why do sharks die if taken from the sea.

Writes Phillipe Cousteau, "His (the shark's) entire form is fluid, weaving from side to side; his head moves slowly from left to right, right to left, timed to the rhythm of his speed through the water. Only the eye is fixed, focused on me, cricling withinn the orbit of the head, in order not to lose sight for a fraction of a second of his prey or, perhaps, his enemy... His silent circling is a ballet governed by untraceable mchansisms. The blue tranquility of his form surrounds me with the sensation of a web of muderous yet beautiful force."

On the one hand, this is a very good book with much information for the reader. On the other, it's as though the book has been hijacked by Ron and Valerie Taylor. OK, so I never did like their gung-ho, macho style of attacking the Shark head-on for reasons of personal publicity, but let me make 2 points; Firstly, the book is billed as having an "Introduction by Ron & Valerie Taylor." Surely that means "they" didn't actually write it. Secondly, at the beginning we have a complete list of 8 contributors in addition to the Taylors'. OK, so they wrote part of it. There is a photograph of all but one of these contributors and, of course, the Taylors' just "had" to pose looking through the jaws of a Great White Shark which they are holding up for personal effect.

Elsewhere we find photographs of Valerie Taylor wearing a chain mail suit covered in Shark food trying to get a Shark to bite her arm - I always thought it a great pity she didn't try that stunt using a tin hat instead. But I have to ask; Is this a serious book or what? Judging by the qualifications of the contributors (some of which are very impressive - and none of which are held by the Taylors'!), I think it is. It would, however, have been much better with just the input from those other 8 people. Why? Because they are people I can take seriously. Put another way, with all reference to the Taylors' removed, this would easily have been a 5 Star publication.

Today, all species of Shark are becoming increasingly endangered - some critically so. I wonder how much Ron and Valerie Taylor have contributed to the overall decline of this creature in general and the Great White in particular. Perhaps they haven't - but I suspect they have and, if so, that is not something for which they can be proud.

The days of the great white safari to shoot wildlife in Africa and the Tiger in Bengal are long-gone. How long do we have to wait until the antics of those who persecute great creatures from the deep also come to an end?

NM

I think this book is amazingly interesting. I cant stop reading it! I read it at least twenty times a year and it is the best shark fact book i have ever seen! A must Have for any shark lovers

I think that Valerie is a great wrighter and i would realy like to speak whit her in person. The pictures are wonderful. A great book.

This is a fantastic book, and is surely a must-have for any shark enthusiasts, beginnners and experts alike. The bright graphics illuminate the book from cover to cover, with some awesome pictures of sharks from around the world. The comprehensive species index at the back not only helps the reader find their way around any technical jargon, but serves as a wonderful reference point. This book is packed full of detailed biological information, as well as fascinating stories to enthrall and amuse, contributed to by some of the World's leading shark experts.

This book is filled with beautiful UW-photography, thrilling encounters with the marine life, colorfully authored by Valerie Taylor. It also gives people that are afraid of sharks, a different perspective! I've had this book in my possession since -89, and I read it as often as I can!

My students enjoyed this book and it fit perfectly in our study of oceans unit.

I absolutely love this book. It has become my favorite to read to my sea-life obsessed [...] out of the many books we have. The story is adorable, the illustrations are wonderful and overall it is definitely 5 stars in our book.

I bought this book for my 4 year old son. He used to loves sharks, but a few months ago developed a strong fear of them. For a month straight, he was afraid to go to bed because he said he got "bad nightmares" about sharks. He would toss and turn and cry out in his sleep, so I know that he wasn't just trying to stay up later. As soon as I read the description for Smiley Shark, I thought it sounded perfect.

I am happy to report that he loves the book and was willing to believe that the shark was just smiling and not scary. The illustrations are bright and cheerful; he loves the expressions on the various sea creature's faces.

This is a great book for children to read or for parents to read to their children. This book installs a mentality into a childs thoughts that no matter what others think or say or do, you can alwayus be a good person and help others. It also means that what you think is a handicapp now could help you or your friends later on down the road. This is a great book for begining readers or for parents just reading to their children.

My preschoolers love this book. Smiley shark is a great book for learning about the ocean or talking about teeth or just having fun reading. The story line is simple. All the creatures are scared of Smiley Shark until one day he saves them from a fisherman's net and they all become his friend. the Story is wrote very nicely and the art work is wonderful. I have read this book several time to the children and they often will ask to read it again. Another great book is "Shark Trouble," About two monkeys trapped on small seperate islands with sharks swimming around the islands. All the kids love the shark books.

Jump into a world so fascinating, so fearsome, that your head will explode with fascination and excitment . Jump into the world...of sharks! This book made legends come true. These waters are filled with facts and mistakes that people thought about sharks .See for yourself what sharks behold.

Recently, I read a book called Sharks. The was no ordinary book. The information in this book took years to discover.

Sharks was written by Jonathan Sheikh-Miller in the year 2000. Miller reaches out to all audiences with this book and educates them with the facts found in its pages.

The information found in this book includes where sharks live, how they swim, their relatives, and much more.

I would like to recommend this book to all the ocean lovers out there who want to know about its greatest species.

This book is definately worth your time.
Cory W.

Sharks is a very informative book. It contains much information about sharks like where they live, how they swim, and their relatives. I think it appeals to all audiences because of all the information it holds. I would recommend this book to all the ocean lovers out there who want to learn about its greatest species. This book is definately worth your time. When you finish this book, you will be well educated on sharks and their relatives. I think you'll like this book.

I would recommend this book to children and adults because this book tells everything that you would need to know about the many different species of sharks. The pitures are even realy great and it captures the experience of the under water sea.This is a very very very very very very good book for any one.
John W.

This book gives details about different types of sharks. They tell you about great white's ect. They tell about their eatting habits. They tell about where they live ect. This book would be good for people grades 4-6. Some facts are they mate almost the same way we do. If they don't have any fins they can't survivw. It was copy writed in 2000.

Chris V.

Most experienced managers recognize that systems within an organization control as a maximum to influence as a minimum the behavior of people within that entity. Therefore, if the goal is to change behavior, the systems (both conscious and subliminal) supporting the current behavior must be surfaced. Reut's book gives a different and helpful perspective for identifying the DNA of many subliminal behavior influencing systems. This in itself can facilitate the systemic change required to support the desired behavior. I strongly recommend this book for those managers who want to look beyond the obvious.

Vincent L. Zirpoli, CEO Mega Marketing Inc

Too many people mistake 'being kind' for 'being a pushover.' This valuable book demonstrates quite the opposite: namely, that kindness can produce results that are far more profound, far more dramatic, and far more sustainable. Your staff will thank you for reading it and following its counsel.

"Outswim the Sharks" is a rare gift - a complete work of historical merit defining a New Way of looking at management. In this book you hold in your hands incisive solutions to employee empowerment management dilemmas that have plagued corporations and smaller companies for years.
The old and tired maxim of "all employees go bad eventually" and the simplistic practice annually of firing the bottom 20% producing workforce simply vanish with Reut Schwartz-Hebron's teachings.
Her clear delineation of her principles of kindness and excellence, combined into her KindExcellence theorem, when implemented, trigger a cascade - a consequent organizational chain reaction guaranteed to turn heads - directly and positively catapulting a business into unprecedented profitability.
I have been in medical management for over two decades and regret not having her book by my side over these years. Believe me, "Outswim the Sharks" is now our management Bible.
Whether a small business or large corporation, Reut's book applies equally well, and I'll offer this friendly warning: ignore her book at your own peril.
James C. J. Fairfield, MD FAAD

This book is a great resource for anyone interested in elevating the production and morale of their respective teams. The author did a great job of explaining her concepts in an insightful way without sounding preachy.
I believe that the concepts outlined in this book can be applied to any workplace or any family environment.

I have just read Ms. Schwartz-Hebron's intriguing book on how to compete with the corporate sharks and come out of the battle intact and on the winning side. She makes a valuable point by demonstrating that rather than following the typical first year business school tactic - decapitate the opposition, bury them, clean up and get on with the next marketing plan - more can be gained by the shrewd use of well tested motivational techniques that reward desired behaviour rather than punishing those who take the wrong road. It is a genuine life lesson that she puts forward for the reader's consideration, applicable across a wide range of human activities and not just in the board room. She suggests a practical way of turning the "bored room" into a live organism that becomes an enabling system rather than a Star Chamber. Bravo, Ms. Schwartz-Hebron!

Mr. Allen has written a good introductory book on sharks. The pictures are nice and he makes a good attempt at getting the reader to realize sharks aren't "bad fish".

This book is not a book on "shark species" though. Mr. Allen only covers about 15% of all shark species.

Sharks have a reputation of being the most feared creatures of the sea, and in this fantastic new book, I learn the myths and facts of these exciting animals--and that they aren't as deadly as they seem. Of the more than 850 shark species, 80 percent would not hurt people, or would rarely encounter them. Sharks and their kin--skates and rays--have remained essentially the same for hundreds of millions of years, and their existence is now threatened by man and his fears. Thomas Allen takes us through the evolution of the shark, its folklore, its commercial uses, and gives us a detailed look at shark attacks--where they happen, why, and how to protect yourself from them. He describes over one hundred shark species--their behavior, appearance, size, and distribution--and provides helpful scientific illustrations. He offers current information on scientific research (including the recent studies on shark cartilage in cancer research), current population findings, and the continuing conservation efforts. With over twenty-five color photographs of familiar and unusual sharks, interesting and fact-filled sidebars, and useful appendixes, The Shark Almanac is a comprehensive overview and the perfect book for anyone interested in these fascinating creatures.

Mr. Allen has made a very good contribution for everyone who wishes to see these magnificent creatures survive well into the future. This is a comprehensive account of an essential species that needs the protection of any person who values the delicate ecosystem. The author examines the behavior, appearance, size and distributtion of over a hundred different shark species. Chapter 8 "The Shark Endangered" was the most significant for this reader. He details how ancient superstitions like the health benefits of shark fin soup, and shark cartilage in many asian countries has led to the near extinction of many species of sharks that are of no threat to humans. Page 249 sums it up. "As we become more familiar with sharks, the move to protect them may spread." Lets hope that statement becomes a fact.

I've read as many shark books as I can and this is definately the best and most up to date that I've found. It's just incredible. The picture section in the middle is an added bonus.

Thomas B. Allen has done the impossible, and written a book better than his "Shadows in the Sea". This time out, he expands on ideas expressed in his first book, adding a modern view of the shark...no longer a feared monster, but a creature that is feeling the strain of Man's dominance of the Earth, a creature that needs our help if it is to endure as it has for countless centuries.

I havne't personally seen this book since I had it shipped to my granddaughter who is 7 years old. She LOVES it, she has especially enjoyed the different layers of the body that the book shows, she is learning from the book. Parent's were happy with the quality of the book.

My son received this book as a gift and it has provided many hours of study and fascination with sharks. He took it to share one day in his kindergarten class and it was a hit!! All the parents wanted to know where I got it so they could buy similar items for their kids. I refered them to amazon or ebay. The body pieces are fragile though. We've lost the muscles and his skeleton is loose, but it's only because it's been used to death. We can still read about the sharks. You could glue the pieces back in. Either way, it's a great book!!

Although it says that this book is appropriate for kids aged 9-12, our five year old loves it! Each page shows a layer of the sharks body and explains how it works. There is also information about other sharks in general. The 3-D model captures our son's imagination. He particularly thinks it's funny that the shark has tires in its tummy. We highly recommend any of the books in this series.

This book has a three-dimensional model of a shark and lots of colorful pictures. It teaches you all about the Great White Shark.The most interesting part of the book is about the muscular system of the Great White Shark.
It is a really cool book!

My 6 1/2 year old nephew loved this book. It has good graphics and good information.

This book was an excellent journey through one mans life lived on and off the California coast, diving for urchins. It is a story about a simple life that centered around tides, weather, water conditions and other unseen hazards. It is a life that although is hard work, may prove envious to many (especially those whose daily trials and tribulations centers around traffic, spreadsheets, middle managers and sales quotas).

It is also telling of the way the California urchin (and fishing) industry has changed as a whole, from single owners and family owned businesses to the large commercial companies. From the days of no restrictions and limitless limits to the present day regulations that are needed to keep people from expiring the very items that provide them with a livelihood. It is also telling of the transformation of the person in the industry from someone who is mostly carefree and just works and surfs, to that of family man, to that of someone who has responsibilities and others that depend on them, to someone who has become jaded by the business aspect and competition of the industry, to finally someone that has come to grips with their own mortality through the deaths of those he respected and cared for. Mixed in are great characters, good stories and memorable adventures to virgin coast lines and reefs.

This book does not sound like an exciting book, but it was a book that I looked forward to reading. It is the type of book that is good to read if you want to clear your head and take a trip without going anywhere. Finally, it is a very good book that centers around the ocean.

As the last reviewer said, if your heart is in any way connected to the ocean, be it through surfing, boating, diving, fishing, or just spending time around the beach, you'll have a profound appreciation for this book.

Tom is an amazing story teller and Bluewater Gold Rush is an wonderful mix of adventure, friends, love, and loss. I often find myself retelling Tom's stories to friends, recounting them while I'm diving, or using new terms that I picked up from the book like "white buffalo". There are stories in the book that are laugh-out-loud funny and stories where you can't help but share the loss along with Tom when bad things happen to good people.

My one regret was purchasing the book in the middle of a particularly harsh work week. My job kept me really busy during the days and the book keep me up most of the nights. I simply couldn't put it down. I made it through the book by the end of the week but sleep deprivation almost did me in!

I had the opportunity to visit one the main settings in the book after I read it and I felt compelled to send Tom an email afterwards. I would like to close by sharing this email.

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I found myself in Santa Barbara for work a few weeks ago. I had some spare time one evening so I went down to the dock and stood there with a few dozen other spectators as the urchin boats unloaded. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the characters that I read about in your book were right there in front of me. I had a tremendous appreciation for the whole process after reading your book and found myself telling my coworkers tales from the book later that night at dinner.

The next night I managed to drag 3 of my buddies over to Brophy Bro's Bar. We went upstairs and I showed everyone the picture of Wiener. I volunteered to buy the drinks that night on the condition that they listen to a few stories first. I told them a little about your book and some of the adventures that you guys had. I told them about Wiener and how he got his nickname. I also told them about the shark. Of all of the things that you said about Wiener in your book and during your talk, the one that I always remember first was that he was the kind of guy would go up to his friends and give them a big hug and tell them that he loved them. We enjoyed our shots of tequila with the toast, "To Weiner - a man who wasn't afraid to tell his friends that he loved them!". It was a neat experience!

After reading excerpts in The Surfer's Journal and hearing friends in the West Coast water world rave about this gem of a book, I bought it and devoured it a weekend. This is a terrific read, at once an honest, deeply personal memoir and an entertaining swash-buckling tale of adventure. Kendrick writes in a clear, deceptively easy style that grabs you off the dock on the first page and the next thing you know, you're down 85 feet deep on a big money dive in the gin clear waters of a virgin reef by the Channel Islands. And it doesn't let up.

Kendrick was a member of the Santa Barbara, California-based sea urchin divers who pioneered this offbeat fishery, reaping its rewards and facing lethal dangers, opening new waters in Northern California, even--and this is insane--harvesting urchins at the Farallon Islands, the stalking ground of the Great White Shark. There are some great stories here, moments of danger and reward, death and laughter, all told with great insight. This is a memorable book that deserves to be in the book collection of anyone who loves the ocean and the lore of the sea.
Rumor has it that the author has been hired to write a screenplay adaptation. This book is an absolute natural for the big screen. Highest recommendation.
John Grissim, author, Pure Stoke and The Lost Treasure of the Concepcion

Picked this up from the author at a party recently. We had met for the first time & we found that we had quite a few similar experiences. Set about to read this book immediately it and finished it today.

Reading this book was a nostalgic experience for me. His writing style is friendly, accurate and fast. His years in the Urchin harvesting business were heady-times and he loved those years intensely; it comes across in many ways and makes this book a joy to read.

His take on things is not polished, gender neutral or politically correct which is absolutely refreshing. This is not a dull, chronological report of the evolution of a commercial diver, but a fast paced, personal account that will hold your interest and provide an education regarding one of the most interesting activities on the west coast in the last 50 years.

If you like diving, surfing, boats, fishing, interesting coastal stories or you just like to go out to the coast every once in a while, this is a book that I highly recommend.