Challenges misconceptions about natural shark behavior, describing how sharks participate in intricate social relationships, their preference for non-human prey, and their elaborate biological survival activities, in a study that invites conservation efforts. 50,000 first printing. 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 Sharks. The word alone conveys a sense of menace and power that is fully at home in a medium that is not our own. Inspired to study the behavior of sharks by watching the behavior of his tropical fish, and disgusted by the image given to sharks by movies such as Jaws , Klimley, a marine biologist, has studied sharks for almost 30 years and was one of the first scientists to free-dive among these apex predators. His memoir of shark stories discusses a life of research conducted on a group of animals that are among the most feared and hated. He ends with a plea for global conservation. Told in the first person with immediacy and excitement, this takes readers into the scientific research process and allows them to share in the discoveries. Nancy Bent Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Jean-Michel Cousteau President, Ocean Futures Society When it comes to sharks, Dr. Peter Klimley has answered the true call of adventure -- to see for himself, up close. His pioneering work reveals sharks' secrets, including their decline, and puts to rest the myth of the shark as a mindless feeding machine. Equally important, his story reminds us that fear is never a good guide. His direct, informed observations make for good science, and for good reading. -- Review A. Peter Klimley is an internationally known marine biologist. An adjunct associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis, Klimley has published articles on sharks in American Scientist, Natural History, and other popular magazines, as well as more than fifty scientific articles. He has appeared in numerous film documentaries worldwide. A coauthor of the leading academic book on great white sharks, Dr. Klimley lives in Petaluma, California.