Staff Picks: Shark Week Celebration
by lucroe
Did you know sharks have been around for 455 million years and have survived 5 mass extinction events? There are currently more than 465 known species of shark. Unfortunately, humans kill some 100 million sharks per year and one in four shark species are threatened with extinction due to human activities. It seems they have more to fear from us than the other way around. To continue understanding these predators of the sea, the library has some streaming videos here, as well as some DVDs you can check out here. To continue shark week beyond once a year, check out these books:
Shark : : why we Need to Save the World's Most Misunderstood Predator by Paul de Gelder | Request Now
Noted Australian diver and shark attack survivor (he lost part of an arm & leg), de Gelder writes about the need for better understanding of sharks and the need to protect them. He often shares his love of all things shark during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. This book covers in short bites (no pun intended!) information about a variety of sharks including their evolution, feeding habits, & anatomy as well as what needs to be done to save those on the edge of extinction. From the smallest shark to largest (lantern shark about 8 inches to whale shark about 60 ft), this is a great guide to a this misunderstood fish.
Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin | Request Now
Eilperin examines sharks and their relationship with man throughout history all over the globe. You won’t be surprised to learn they have always been feared and admired. Their importance to the ocean ecosystem today is examined here too. As she notes, sharks have more to fear from us than we do from them since entire species of sharks are dying out due to trophy hunting, habitat destruction, & the international trade in shark fins.
Why Sharks Matter by David Shiffman | Request Now
Conservation biologist Shiffman’s love for sharks comes through and through. For this book he interviews those who are working to protect them and discovers how much more needs to be done, as well as how public misconceptions dampens the relief efforts. He emphasizes the need for a healthy shark population & how the average person can help in the conservation efforts. An informational Q & A with the author can be seen here
Sharks of the World by David A. Ebert | Request Now
A beautifully full color guide to, as the title says, sharks all around the world! It includes chapters on evolution, biology, human-shark interactions through history (legends as well as factoids), and various species information. This is definitely the current go-to guide for all things shark including diagrams, illustrations with cutaways of shark anatomy, and color photos of various species. Shark enthusiasts enjoy!
Sharks in the time of saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn| Request Now
No list of best shark books would be complete without a mention of this novel! It’s not entirely about sharks, but the shark plays the most important role. When seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean, a shark gently returns him to his family, a supernatural event that affects the family for the rest of their lives. This is a modern but mystical Hawaii, something the author draws from his childhood experiences on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.
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