cover image THE SECRET LIFE OF SHARKS: A Leading Marine Biologist Reveals the Mysteries of Shark Behavior

THE SECRET LIFE OF SHARKS: A Leading Marine Biologist Reveals the Mysteries of Shark Behavior

A. Peter Klimley, . . Simon & Schuster, $25 (304pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-4170-0

As a professor and author who has appeared in many documentaries, Klimley has become internationally known for his work proving the complexities of shark behavior, most recently as the co-editor of the definitive academic study, Great White Sharks. This wonderful new work is a more personal and thoroughly enjoyable look back on his career, which highlights Klimley's observations about the elaborate social rituals and communication skills of sharks. When Klimley first began his career, more than 30 years ago, he was an unknown 23-year-old "typical hippie" who believed that sharks were far more complex than the image of a "dumb feeding machine." This book charts his many exciting experiences since then, from his early years as one of the first young marine researchers to argue that it was important—as well as safe—to dive freely among hammerhead sharks to understand them, through his innovative experiments to understand how the great white shark chooses and captures its prey. Along the way, Klimley deftly explains such shark-related issues as predatory strategies and evolutionary history, and his insistent study of shark migration patterns, which he argues are essential to know for the future conservation of the species. (July)

Forecast:Klimley's lively and thoughtful first-person account will most likely tap into the popularity of the many specials about sharks on PBS and the Discovery Channel.