buy Shark Trouble: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea by Peter Benchley at Amazon
Author: Peter Benchley
Release date: 04 June, 2002
Media: Hardcover
ISBN: 0375508244
His basic theme weaved throughout the book is man's own responsibility for shark attacks. After all, when swimming we are entering their territory. He also states that many shark attacks are accidental, that the fish thinks the human is something tastier but after a bite, it runs off to find something more appetizing. He is quick to challenge theoretical claims that suggest the thought process of the shark. How can we actually know what the shark is thinking if we are not a shark? (Forget the fact that the book is jam-packed full of similar shark-thought suggestions of its own.)
The book is made up of three types of communication. First, it carries an animal activist voice. It doesn't plead, rather it confidently uses 'facts' and 'statistics', which is much more powerful. However, the use of a short story about a town affected by the death of the local sharks borders on ridiculous. Second and most interesting is Benchley's use of personal experiences to lay down the point. His recollection of swimming with Great White's, other sharks and even dolphins often reads like summer reading, a page-turner. The weakest element is Benchley's reliance on other author's work. Most often, this material is a static read and is only as revealing as an eighth-grade report on sharks.
SHARK TROUBLE is not a major accomplishment, but simple reading for anyone who wants to increase a basic education of the fish. Major students of the shark will find the book unfulfilling. But, any book about one of the planets most interesting creatures is worth a look. - an Amazon customer review