A pocket-size treat for shark lovers – a review of Sharkpedia, A Brief Compendium of Shark Lore by Daniel C Abel, Princeton University Press
Review by Graeme Gourlay
What a treat this pocket-sized compendium is, packed with fascinating facts and peppered with delightful
drawings by wildlife illustrator Marc Dando.
The author, Daniel C Abel, is a professor of marine science at Coastal Carolina University and crams a stunning amount into the 100 entries, covering everything from the golden age of the sharks 300 million years ago, to today’s threat from ruthless finning.
Presented in alphabetical order, it jumps around from extremely up-to-date hard science, to cultural reference and the latest conservation measures.
More great book reviews
- The High Seas, by Olive Heffernan
- Many Things Under a Rock – The Mysteries of Octopuses, by David Scheel
- The Bathysphere Book by Brad Fox
- Britain’s Living Seas, by Hannah Rudd
- A Diver’s Guide to the World, by Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor
This is the perfect book to dip into, but beware, wherever you alight, you will be drawn in and find yourself reading a further half a dozen entries.
While it is immensely readable, it is also dense with information – a hard trick to pull off. Every paragraph contains a nugget you will be delighted to discover.
There is a useful list of references at the back, but sadly, no index – when you try to search for something you unearthed earlier, you find yourself sidetracked by even more diverting entries.
The last word must go to the glorious illustrations. Marc Dando is in a class of his own. He is by far the best shark illustrator around. His work continues to enthral – accurate, elegant and informative.
