Underwater Photography Books

Beautiful pictures, we are actally going to use this book as our guest book at our wedding.

great gift for ocean lovers. amazing photography. an enjoyable book for those that love the water, but don't want to get wet.

David Doubilet's photographs are simply beautiful...this book really blew me away. I could literally stare at the images for hours as they are that captivating. It's almost as if you're diving with Mr. Doubilet and seeing these creatures up close. The way he uses two separate views (i.e. shooting the ray underwater while also shooting the sky above the water) is amazing. While exhibiting his photography prowess, Mr. Doubilet also shows the viewer the strong connection of all the earth's elements. He also seems to have a strong relationship with the ocean life- the stunning photo of the seal peeping over the bed of kelp truly captures the seal's beauty without compromising its playful nature.

This book is a treasure!

I couldn't imagine a more beautiful photography book! If you are fascinated with the underwater world, this is for you! The quality of the photographs are unmatched. Looking through the book is a magical experience.

Not only the pictures are artistically and beautifully photographed, but one cannot not wonder how Mr. Doubilet could be right there at the moment, with the right lights and the right angles to capture such incredible photos. If you appreciate nature's beauty and photography, this book is a must.

I'm a recreational diver at the moment and I love this reference guide to some of the amazing stuff you can encounter while diving! Although it's just a small sample of what you'll run into underwater, it's a very informative and helpful guide to browse through before and after your dives to give your dive a fun scavenger hunt! It comes with a retractable clip that prevents it from getting lost or misplaced. A great gift for those considering becoming a scuba diver and veterans alike. Even if you don't go diving it will take you into the amazing underwater world through the wonderful pictures along with a description of the marine life shown.

I like its physical size since its large enough to easily utilize while checking out interesting animals, yet not overly big and clumsy so as to interfere with your equipment. With the animal's photo on one side of the page and its environmental aspects discussed on the opposite side, e.g., size, hiding areas, and behavior, it helps enlarge one's knowledge and appreciation for subject. And I first tested its `waterproof' capability in my marine aquarium, where it was left for 30 minutes, then removed and cleaned in freshwater. Still looks like new, and I'll test it somewhat further when I go to the Caymans in the near future. I'm already looking forward to Vol. 2. Bob Goemans

Just in the first five minutes I learned to much about the world under the sea.Great book.

Waterproof materials, GREAT photos, extremely useful information. I would recommend this clever reference guide to any diver. I can't wait for more scuba dic volumes! Retractable device a must, too.... places marine species identification literally at your fingertips.

I was skeptical at first when I saw this, but I was getting bored just knowing the names of the fish I came across. I thought this would turn out like Fish Flips(eg only names of fish listed for each pic), but it has a LOT more to offer. There are written descriptions for each pic, that don't just list facts, but also explain how to find & approach sea life (eg. Size, time of day, hiding spots/location, animals behavior, etc.), I found this really useful, because after tooling around with my camera, I was getting tired of only getting snapshots of fishtails. The book held up great UW; the pages just got sticky bc I didn't rinse it off initially, but I left it overnight in fresh water and there was no problem after that. Since i started taking along scuba dic for dives, it's been abused more times than tina turner, & its still in good shape....thus far. I do think it's better to get familiar with it on your surface interval vs trying to learn underwater. But all in all, it's a really good idea.

As a diver, I have long said that it is sad that the experience of being within coral reefs can't be communicated by photography, film and video. Well, that was before "reef". What a truly rewarding experience it is to repeatedly view and read this wonder. And, it's comparatively inexpensive for such a large high quality publication, too. I also like the fact that part of the proceeds from sales go to the Coral Reef Alliance for saving our planet's threatened coral reefs. Buy this book for yourself, your family and the local schools and library. For me it really is that good.

If you love scuba diving then you will enjoy this book. It includes a beautiful DVD with great music as you watch the fish.Informative pictures and expression of reef and the living creatures contained there. Very enjoyable.

I checked this book out from the library, but now I want it for my OWN! The pictures are beautiful and the DVD is a great bonus.

This book is more than I expected. And the bonus was the DVD. Soooo many U/W videos are poorly managed, filled with backscatter and murky green. This was obviously done by people who wanted to produce a book and DVD which stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Clearly worth the price.

This book & dvd are spectacular in presentation & message. The photography is stunning throughout. Very reasonably priced and the fact that proceeds go to Coral Reef Alliance make it an even sweeter deal. My son's environmental dive club purchased the book & donated it to our school's library. We've had nothing but positive feedback from everyone who's watched the movie or looked at the book. We plan to show it school-wide during our Environmental Awareness Week. Highly recommended for school libraries, dive shops & dive resorts; display this book & help others get on board with making responsible choices in favor of our underwater world.

What a pleasure to finally read this classic book. I grew up loving Cousteau's television programs. Ultimately, I became a diver because of Cousteau.

This is adventure writing at its best. Cousteau was always a master storyteller. That was probably more instrumental to his success than his bravery, innovativeness, or his ability as a diver. This book is a collection of Cousteau's experiences with early scuba. He masterfully captures the awe, the fear, the struggles, and the sense of adventure of the first years of scuba.

I love adventure writing, but sometimes great adventurers are not great writers. Cousteau was both. If you have an interest in Cousteau or in scuba diving, this book is a must read.

As promised in the title, in this book Jacques Cousteau reveals a new world of unanticipated beauty, fittingly described in his charming, French-influenced English phraseology. C. Blickenstorfer has done a fine job explaining the contents of this book, particularly as it relates to divers or those interested in diving history. However, The Silent World, read as a frontier narrative, also has relevance for anyone interested in our current and historical treatment of the ocean.

Humans have interacted with the ocean for ages, but before divers like Cousteau it was a blind interaction, a grasp at resources based on guesses and historical results. Cousteau's underwater observations of trawl-net fishing make clear the change of ideology his "aqualung" opened to humans. Watching the net destroy grasses on the ocean floor, Cousteau reports "Man's method of undersea farming seemed to consist of blighting the acre while reaping a small part of the crop" (48). As opposed to a history of blind grabs at ocean creatures, Cousteau's aqualung gives him the capacity to see without touching, and his narrative provides a chance for our knowledge to begin catching up to our know-how.

Another epiphany facilitated by the aqualung is a completely new set of fears and a new evaluation of old "monsters." The killers of which Cousteau writes are nitrogen in his blood and clams with shells sharp enough to sever air pipes. On the contrary, the octopus, demonized by Victor Hugo as a monster who will suck out a man's innards, shows itself as harmless and shy. Cousteau concludes his chapter "Monsters We Have Met" with a jocularity that is persistent in the work: "If none have eaten us, it is perhaps because they have never read the instructions so generously provided in marine demonology" (222).

Cousteau's reinterpretation of the ocean brings readers to the fundamental questions of humans and their environment. How are we going to think of this new space? Should we sell it as new realty? Militarize it? Farm it? Should we simply Keep Out in a quest to guard some portion of the earth against ourselves? Those from my generation who have mythologized Cousteau as a heroic conservationist might struggle with Cousteau's narrative. This is not the work of a dolphin-hugger. Cousteau writes of his exploits kidnapping an endangered monk seal pup in his desire for an aquatic hunting dog (the seal almost dies and is given to a zoo) and bludgeoning most large sea creatures who get close enough. This includes wounding a captured porpoise to watch sharks eat it alive, an act which he justifies with "It was cruelty to an animal but we were involved in a serious study [. . .] and had to carry it out" (234).
In his conclusion, Cousteau asserts "Obviously man has to enter the sea. There is no choice in the matter. The human population is increasing so rapidly and land resources are being depleted at such a rate, that we must take sustenance from the great cornucopia" (266). Both those who would agree with this 1950s assumption and those who believe this "cornucopia" has been already overexploited can gain insight from this book as a well-written record of human reactions to the new world under the waves.

As a diver for long years, I remember the old b&w tv days, when we find happiness with Cousteau's documentary films. Now it's a mirracle to be able to purchase the whole collection in DVD format.

As great a read today as it must have been over 50 years ago. Being a modern day technical and recreational dive instructor I still find this book a fascinating read and would recommend it to all ages to divers and non divers alike.

What can be said about Jacques Cousteau and his groundbreaking book that hasn't been said a thousand times? He is undoubtedly the defining figure of modern scuba diving, his books, films, and documentaries known to millions or billions. Even the name of his ship, the Calypso, is known the world over. It's a small volume, this book, just 160 pages, yet it's absolutely mandatory reading for anyone interested in what Cousteau termed "the silent world" under the surface of the water that covers 71% of our planet. The Silent World is the bible of modern scuba diving.

Jacques Cousteau himself died in 1997 at the age of 87, but the legacy of his pioneering work with diving and diving physiology lives on. It is all well documented and disseminated worldwide, thanks to this French explorer's unique combination of instinctive understanding of the world under the surface and his equally unique knack of spellbinding the world with his words and images. A total master of public relations and getting the word out, Cousteau managed to grab attention and media coverage wherever he went. Critics went so far as suggesting his media talents exceeded his actual contributions to understanding the seas.

At first it's hard to figure out why this slim volume became such a success. It's not a textbook, it doesn't cover the history of diving or even much of Cousteau's own research, and it's not an adventure book. Though Cousteau was French, he wrote The Silent World in English as he had attended American schools in his youth, widely traveled the US, and, of course, extensively lectured in his enchanting French-accented English. Yet, The Silent World clearly reveals its author's non-English origin and decidedly "non-English" thinking. The writing, while precise, often suggests that Cousteau frequently described a word or concept that existed in his native French, but did not directly translate into English. As a result, the writing at times seems a bit flowery and, well, foreign, and you need to read a sentence or paragraph two or three times to figure out what it actually means. Cousteau's liberal use of metaphors, artistic nuances, poetic concepts and words that have since fallen out of currrent language only serve to make The Silent World even more unusual of a literary treat.

Anyone looking for technical explanations, precise history, a logical flow of events, or anything one might expect from a world-famous documentary maker and researcher will not find it in this book. The Silent World is a totally unique, very compressed tale flowing from Cousteau's mind. Read half a chapter and you know the man; he's a unique combination of inspired philosophical observer and gifted researcher with uncanny intuition. While others conducted their research methodically and ploddingly, Cousteau always just seemed to know what to expect, how to behave, and what to seek and avoid to make it all seem easy. He and his close associates and friends Phillipe Tailliez and Frederic Dumas used their "aqualung" to experient liberally in sort of a "Hmmm.... this is probably what will happen, let's go check it out!" approach.

Using this, Cousteau describes the difference between "helmet divers" and the newly liberated users of their "aqualung" -- what we now know as air tanks and regulators. The book casually touches on all the principles of diving physics and physiology, the stuff we learn in our PADI and NAUI classes. He describes sea life, how it reacts, where it lives, how it behaves, and what is dangerous and what is not. They see just how deep they can go. They check how colors change. What nitrogen does and why we need recompression chambers. He offers his views on treasure hunting (not worth it; if you find real treasure authorities and hordes of lawyers will soon apprehend it). He reports on atrocities he witnessed underwater, like the needless destruction of corals and cruel killing of fish. He debunks myths of sea monsters, seeks answers to geological phenomena such as the Fountain of Vaucluse near Avignon, one that almost cost him and Dumas their lives in a pioneering effort at extreme cave diving. He describes what fish do and how they react. And sea mammals and other sea critters. Sharks remain an enigma to Cousteau as his conclusion is that you simply cannot understand or predict them.

So The Silent World relates, in 14 fascinating self-contained chapters, pretty much everything we know about diving today, 60 years after Cousteau began researching as a "manfish," all the principles we know, and it's all neatly and attractively presented in tales that always mix research with adventure. Cousteau never preaches or lectures. He just explores, pushes, interprets, and reports. Maybe Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a showman as much as a researcher. If so, good for him as otherwise we may never have had the opportunity to learn from him and enjoy his remarkable insights. -- C. H. Blickenstorfer, scubadiverinfo.com

I know what the title says, but I had hoped for a bit more info on inshore and reef fish as well, espescially since many of Terry's hunts still take place within sight of land. Good book though. Don't dive in California or Australia without a will written though- thats what this book says.

This book exceeded my expectations. Unlike some other intro / how to books I have consulted on other subjects which seamed to me to be a thinly veiled recycling of stock photos, this book is what it claims. I was impressed by its comprehensiveness, detail, and great pictures. Not being a freediver, I was amazed by the freediving accounts described within. Disclaimer: I am not a freediver. Before ordering the book I hardly knew what freediving was.

This is a great book if you are a novice, intermediate or advanced spearo. The information on gear is clear and concise, especially in regards to rigging your gun. The chapters on the various types of pelagic fish that are hunted is thorough and informative. Dr. Maas writes not so much as a person that did a lot of research, but more importantly as a person who has experience in the areas he is writing about. His first hand accounts are entertaining and educational.

This book is a must have for anyone in this sport. It will want to make you get in the water.

I am an avid scuba diver who likes to hunt for lobster and fish. I was not prepared for what I found in this book. The casual approach to entering the ocean food chain to hunt large tuna and marlin among large great white sharks left me wondering if Terry Maas (the author) has a death wish. Nevertheless, I think I will try this sport on a smaller scale and hopefully venture to south of Cabo to try my hand at large yellowfin. I found this book to be very matter of fact about a not so standard way to kill some time on your vacation. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves diving, extreme adventure, and the ocean.

This book contains a plethora of interesting stories,as well as useful information for the aspiring blue water hunter. One learns that not all spearfishermen desire to shoot everything in the sea, but that their involvemnt in the preservation of the ocean's resources is tempered with an attitude of respectful game gathering.

This is Jim Church's answer to those who say that you must have a "God given eye" to take great photographs. Jim is above all a teacher. His ability to bring complex ideas down to the level where a novice can comprehend is legendary. His method, rather unique in the world of underwater photography and videography, is not to show you great stuff and say "beat this", but to start with basic principles and work you through until you are automatically seeing the right solution to the situation before you. I would bet that any "name" underwater photographer if asked "where do I start?" would answer "pick up Jim Church's books and read them 3 or 4 times then get in the water.". This book, at less than the cost of 2 rolls of underwater film and developing, should be considered mandatory reading for anyone with a desire to take photographs (or video) underwater.

When I started in uderwater photography, I was told by a very wise and respected professional, "Composition cannot be taught ... it is not a concept or a method. The photographer is born with an eye for composition and it is an art." To which Jim Church's book has proven that statement to be "Hogwash, INDEED!" Composition may be a gift, but it is a gift that can be honed and trained, just as Jim Church has done with this book. He has given the reader all the tools, tricks and tips to develop that skill into an art. Liberally sprinkled with the Jim Church wit and humour, this book stands up to reading after reading after reading. This book stands alongside his "Guide to the Nikonos" and his "Underwater Video" books as "bibles" for the ardent underwater photographer. As for Jim Church's method of teaching and guidance, I can tell you that nine years ago I was using a disposable underwater camera. I have studied the books and travelled with Jim Church as often as possible and I am now a contributing editor and Photo Pro for an international dive magazine. So, if you ask me if Jim Church's methods work, I would resoundingly answer "YES." If you aks me if this is a book worth buying, I would answer resoundingly "YES!" No matter how many times you read this book and no matter what level of photographer you might be, there is always something new in this book that you can apply in your pursuit of great photos. These concepts of composition are NOT restricted to the ocean floor, either. The methods and concepts explained in this text --- in easy to understand terms --- also apply to land photography. This Essential Guide is exactly that---- ESSENTIAL! I regret that five stars is the highest rank offered for this book. The only thíng wrong with this book ---- it wasn't written sooner! I could have saved a lot of film on badly composed shots!!!!

People come to photography by many strange and varied routes and my own is as different as the next - though I shall not bore you with that particular story here. Suffice to say that, my first photograph was published in 1974, my first underwater photograph in 1980 and, right at this time, my work has appeared (somewhere) every month since December 1998, I am in the process of completing my fourth book and my photography has even been purchased by National Geographic.

The relevance of all this, however, is that I am largely self-taught and that always leaves me wondering if I am missing some of those basic lessons that would have been explained on the very first day of any professionally run photography course. "Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" goes a long way to fill any gaps there might be.

This book has two outstanding qualities; Firstly, it is written by a man who really does know about every aspect of underwater photography. Secondly, and most important of all, however, Jim Church has the power to explain his knowledge in words we can all understand. In so doing he has produced a book for the professional underwater photographer and the amateur diver alike. If you have just bought your first camera and are about to embark on a very expensive trip to try it out, this is your in-flight reading material. Believe me, you will come home with better pictures - I did.

"Jim Church's Essential Guide to Composition" is a 9in x 6in paperback book containing 136 pages, 80 colour photographs and 8 line drawings. Each photograph and drawing serves a purpose and are used to explain each of the many lessons involved with composing underwater pictures and, basically, the difference between taking a good photograph and not. All of which is, of course, supported by the non-technical information imparted in an easy-to-understand style.

The book begins with absolute basics - and what could be more basic than explaining the function of the human eye and then adapting that information in order to provide a better understanding of the function of a camera lens. In short, this is a book about "stepping stones" and each time a relevant point has been explained and demonstrated, the book builds on this knowledge as we step forward onto another stone for even greater knowledge of the subject in hand.

In Summary, this is one of the few books I have ever read which achieves exactly and precisely what it sets out to achieve and is made all the more valuable because the Author is a man who knows his stuff and is able to explain things without getting bogged down in technical jargon.

Five Stars are not enough for this little gem.

NM

For all UW imaging systems users, this book is less about the technique (which can be found in Jim's books on Nikonos and Video systems), and more about the art of UW photography. Jim again uses the Situations approach, and helps you develop an eye for good pictures. Really useful stuff on working with models.

Jim Church was an astonishing photographer and those that have followed in his footsteps owe much to him. This book is one that I recommend to ALL divers starting off in underwater photography. Have you ever come home with a bunch of shots only to find that none of them really "grab you"?....this boom is for you. Simply and clearly, the text and photo examples show you how to turn an ordinary shot into a "Wow!" shot.

Also check out the words of Howard Hall - and for some great examples of video underwater, check out Captain Jon Explores the Ocean.

With over 250 photographs and illustrations, each with a fully detailled description on strobe and apperture settings. If you own a housed camera, this book is a must.

i've taken a few pictures before ive gotten this book. but i loved the way it broke down everything and basically taught u from scratch. everything u need to know about underwater photography. when i got this book it was my bible for about a year i read it in and out multiple times and still use it today as a reference. i think the best part about this book is the pictures. and the fact that he tells u different techniques and shows how it ends up on the exposure. and how every single picture in the book (hundreds) was obtained, from shutter speed to strobe setting was also very helpful. lots of time underwater and film was used to make this book. i suggest this book to anyone who is even thinking of taking a camera below the surface. or someone who already has. because of this my photoalbum is stunning and better than i ever thought it could be.

Excellent "how to" guide covering technical and asthetic aspects of U/W photography. The author spends little time on basics and equipment, and plunges into artful considerations: composition, lighting, perspective, using models, etc. A Londoner who competes internationally in U/W Photography, Webster lays out ideas and creative techniques such as double exposures using macro first then wide angle, entering competions, beginner marketing, etc. A must for U/W housing shooters!

As an amateur surface photographer, I truly enjoyed reading this book. It provides me comprehensive basic knowledge on the subject as well as more in-depth knowledge to build on down the road. The photos throughout the book greatly help convey the author's ideas and the readers to quickly grasp the concept. I recommend this book to anyone considering taking up underwater photography. Note: Since the book was written by a British author, at the beginning I was bit confused with the measuring system (meters instead of feet) and the currency (pounds instead of US dollars). To know the conversion rate at the start would be very helpful.

A welcome new volume for collectors of top-flight underwater photo books. And a wonderful pictorial introduction to undersea life for the future scuba diver. Amazing shots, representing countless hours of quiet stalking, interspersed with startling chance encounters captured on film.

I have the book. I was wowed by the bright colors and informed by the descriptions. I think that this book has tables all over the world with it's name on it.

Bright Waters is a wonderful resource to use when somebody asks - "What kind of things do you see when you are diving?
The book provides an insight into a beautiful and fascinating world that is so often misunderstood and feared. The pictures are clear and well crafted and the author has provided a wonderful window into the underwater world.

A wonderful coffee-table addition. The two hundred photos of fish, whales, shipwrecks, octopi, and other colorful sea creatures are a delight. Many of the pictures come with accompanying brief text that helps the reader to understand the photo. The book is even more impressive when one understands that the author/photographer is currently 78 years young and took many of these pictures at an age when many of us were just thinking about the La-Z Boy and the television. The book makes me want to get back to scuba diving.

"Bright Waters" is an incredible journey to the depths of the ocean that only a scant few ever witness.
From the darkest, most obscure places--lightened only by the color provided by the nature of the underwater species--the author and artist, Nancy Ferguson, shows an uncanny skill with her camera.
Highlights include the perception of an "angel" on the wing of a stingray, a scorpionfish "lollygagging" comfortably on his ocean "lawn," dazzling, living floral arrangements ready to retreat at any second if disturbed and the graceful eel that appears to have snowflakes--living snowflakes--brightening the moment.
This masterpiece has everything from cup corals and angelfish to fish that have put on their clown makeup to further amaze the senses.
You'll see undersea parrots, kissing fish and the bluest of blue on the banner fish.
And, yes, for you jazz fans, there is the unique trumpet fish...but this one looks like a clarinet!
It's an amazing 200 pages!
This creation...this work of art...this opus...deserves five stars...and more!

Amazon sells the exact same book (2007 printing) for cheaper than this version (I think the content is identical). See The Essential Underwater Photography Manual: A Guide to Creative Techniques and Essential Equipment

But this is mostly in Micronesia, Great Barrier and Red Sea, not much in Caribbean, however excellent info and worthwhile for the underwater photographing enthusiast.

As the subject suggests, this book should be titled Ultimate. Essential, yes, but where this book departs from the others on the subject is the chapter on Behavior, describing how to spot the critter's habits and make that part of the shot. Also excellent is the "How to Wow" chapter. Borrowing a page from Larry and Denise's seminars, this chapter explains how to add the "Pizzazz" that separates a good photo from an award winner. All the technical information is right on and very up to date with current digital technology as well as traditional film technics. Every underwater photographer needs this book!

In my opinion this is the best modern book on underwater photography by a long way. It is clearly written, very informative, practical and inspiring. It covers an amazing amount of material in a concise and readable fashion. It is much more clearly written than The Underwater Photographer, Third Edition: Digital and Traditional Techniques and other popular competitors. It's the only photography book I find myself re-reading before I go on a dive trip. Highly recommended for readers with all levels of skill.

In "Adventures with Sharks" underwater photographer Jonathan Bird manages to combine spectactular photographs with exciting tales of his personal shark encounters. Somehow, he also slips in lots of details on shark biology, so that the reader comes away with a far greater understanding of these magnificant creatures. I'm anxiously awaiting his next book!

I received my copy of Jonathan Bird's Adventures With Sharks right before a planned visit to my brother and his family. I took the book along thinking that maybe my 9-year-old nephew might take an interest. I don't get to see him very often but I know that his world revolves around dinosaurs, B-B guns, and Pokemon. Being my only nephew, I've held the hope that someday he'd learn to scuba diving and be a dive buddy. Sitting down near him with the book while he was watching a cartoon, he quickly noticed the photo on the cover. "That's a Great White shark, isn't it?" he asked. "Sure is" I answered, "what do you know about them" I asked as he moved over and sat next to me. We began thumbing through the pictures and he was hooked. I asked him if he wanted to read a story with me and told him he could choose which one. He flipped to the back cover photo of the ragged toothed Sand Tiger shark and said he wanted to read about that one. I read to him the story about the author's adventure with the Sand Tigers of North Carolina and stopping from time to time to discuss some of the science, biology, and behavior. At the end of the story, he asked if I had ever dove with Sand Tiger sharks, and I told him no but that maybe someday he and I could make a road trip to North Carolina and dive with them together. It's hard to imagine anything making me a cooler uncle than Mr. Bird's book had at that moment.

I can't recommend it highly enough!!

"Adventures with Sharks" is both entertaining and informative, and I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in sharks or the undersea world in general. Sharks have simultaneously frightened and fascinated humans for years, but the author, Jonathan Bird, carefully explains how these marine predators, honed by millions of years of evolution, are largely misunderstood by people. Bird has traveled the world to dive with a variety of shark species and presents his exciting experiences in an easy-to-read style accompanied by many stunning pictures. The photographs are outstanding - well composed and clearly chosen to illustrate the beauty and behavior of these remarkable animals.

Each chapter is a story about Bird's experiences diving with a particular species of shark, from the sleek and graceful Blue Shark, to the mammoth yet harmless Whale Shark, to the infamous Great White, and many others. There are lots of great facts and details about what science knows, and has yet to learn, about these incredible creatures. I came away from the book with a new appreciation for sharks - in particular their diversity and the adaptations they have evolved to survive in a wide variety of environments and conditions. I also learned about the vulnerability of many shark species to over-fishing and other human practices that threaten their very survival. If you like sharks, want to learn more about them, or just enjoy a good adventure story, then this book is for you!