Like many an earnest marine biologist before him, A. Peter Klimley wants you to see sharks as more than dumb predators. But what makes The Secret Life of Sharks unique is that Klimley has spent his entire adult life in close contact with sharks and offers an autobiographical peek into the lives of these fearsome fish. "I remember once placing my hand on the back of a large white shark as it moved like a locomotive alongside of my boat. Its body was warm... " Klimley recalls, evoking both shudders and fascination from readers who might sooner stick their hand in a campfire. This hippie-turned-professor regales readers with adventurous tales, the stuff of Shark Week legend, as well as more prosaic narrative--his progression through grad school, failed experiments, and calls for shark conservation. Klimley succeeds in helping readers understand shark behavior by comparing them to more familiar animals. He provides his own conclusions about what sharks' body movements might convey, their interactions with prey and each other, and why their attacks on humans might be the result of simple misunderstanding. --Therese Littleton
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