Sharks of the World (Princeton Field Guides, 34)

I've never seen any book close to this one on sharks. It is a really good field guide. It lists probably all the sharks in the world-even very ancient looking ones! It even shows what kind of tooth comes from each shark which I think is great for shark tooth collectors like my son. That way you know which shark had which tooth. That's cool. There are no real photographs of the sharks listed though. Only Illustrations or paintings of each in a plate section at the start of the book. Then the rest of the book has each shark shown in a line drawing with many details describing each one. There is a drawing for each shark and most of them include the drawings of the teeth that go with each shark. Before the picture section or plate section in the very beginning the book describes the whole anatomy-everything you'd need or want to know about sharks. They also show diagrams or illustrations on the insides of sharks. It is a cooooooooooooool book. I'd highly recommend it to all shark lovers or anyone who just wants to know about them and one who goes shark watching-since it only a field guide. Actually, my 14 year old son is a shark lover and wants to know more about them. I got this book for him and he loves it. I'm a marine life artist so this book works great for me too. Now I can paint each and every shark there is in the ocean, while I learn about them at the same time. Also I can try to put some science about sharks into my paintings!

A lovely book. I got interested in sharks after watching some nature programs of the deep sea. I wanted to know what other weird, bizarre, beautiful and little known shark species there are and this book introduces them all with very good drawings and color plates. Each shark species, even those that have been seen only a single time, is represented by a color painting and then again in the text by a line drawing. In addition, there is a very nice introductory section on general shark anatomy and biology, also with some superb b&w drawings. The text is sparse, but will tell you basic information (if known) about each species. BTW, the book's cover looked different than the one shown on this page, but that doesn't matter to me.There are no photos, as one reviewer pointed out, but then, these field-guide style books usually don't have those anyways. Most folks will never get to the deep sea, so it's not like you'd need a book like this to take along on your next beach vacation so you can key out whatever washes up on the beach. Then again, if you're a diver or snorkler, it will help key out the occasional shark or dogfish you see. What this book is best for is to simply open your mind about the incredible diversity and beauty of sharks. Who woulda thunk there were THAT many of them! So sit down and marvel :)

This represents the most comprehensive, well-illustrated, up-to-date and user-friendly guide to sharks yet produced.The introduction- an overview of biology and history- makes fascinating reading for anyone who is not well-acquainted with these awe-inspiring creatures.The species accounts are concise and informative, mostly aimed at ID but also including details of habitat and status, sprinkled with interesting factoids. They are complimented by outstanding line drawings which clearly mark the main features and aid identification.The color plates are well-ordered, attractive and to scale.I have only one minor complaint- the front cover illustration is unattractive and does not reflect the good quality of the artwork inside.This work sets a high standard for other guides to follow and was published at a time when sharks are facing terrible threats from humans and are in greater need of conservation measures than ever before.I can highly recommend this guide that virtually everyone- from the vaguely curious to the most knowledgable field biologists- will find most accessible and stimulating.

If you don't know anything about Leonard Compagno, you should know that he is a very thorough archivist. It was he who cataloged all of the known shark species for the FAO Species Catalog, presumably the basis for this book. The book begins with a small introductory section on sharks (evolution, anatomy, physiology, ecology, etc.) and a key to the families. This is followed by wonderfully drawn color plates of each shark. The individual descriptions of the sharks include a line drawing with notable characters, examples of upper and lower teeth (more if heterodontic), distributions and a short blurb that includes habitat, size, behavior and biology, descriptions and IUCN status. Included are relatively new species and all of the deep-water forms. I cannot imagine needing another guide, at least for the next ten years. New species aren't exactly rolling in. I would recommend, however, a hardback copy for field workers, as paperbacks don't last very long with heavy usage. Also, keep in mind that other elasmobranchs are not included. I have not seen Compagno's much cheaper Collins Guide (only available in hardback), but I do know that this Princeton Guide is worth the money.

Anyone familiar with the Princeton Field Guides know that they are perhaps the best. "Sharks of the World," covers every shark know to science with, not only illustrations of the species itself, but also of its dentition, with drawings that show the teeth and how they interdigitate. Truly a remarkable book and one that should be on the shelf of anyone interested in sharks or general science. fabulous work!

This is a comprehensive book on sharks with lots of great information. It is a compact book which makes it easy to carry however this also makes the print and information very dense on the pages. I do wish that there were actually pictures of the types of sharks instead of drawings. I also realize it is a field guide butsince I plan to use this as a diver I would rather have it organized by location rather than by species. But it is a good reference regardless.

It came in mint conditions and very happy with the book

just the book I was after sharks of the world tells you the species where to find them the food they eat depths they can be found at great photo section and then indepth information on each picture from the lesser know of species to the well known ones all the information in one place.

I cannot really rate this as it is a birthday present for a family member but I know he will be exceedingly pleased as sharks are his interests as far as the book itself is concerned it is good value for money and quite comprehensive and would be excellent for any shark enthusiast.

Bought as a gift. recipient seemed happy. Looked like good colour photos snd extensive information but not my interest so cannot comment on quality

Informative

Hervorragendes Buch. Alle bekannten Arten sind gelistet. Die Beschreibungen sind hervorragend, die Illustrationen (keine Fotos) sind ästhetisch anspruchsvoll, ohne ihre wissenschaftliche Aussagekraft einzubüßen. Geschrieben von einem Experten auf dem Gebiet, d.h. man muss sich auf Fachsprache einlassen können. Wer dies kann bzw. bereits über entsprechendes Hintergrundwissen verfügt, wird mit einem umfassenden Nachschlagewerk über eine der am meisten missverstandenen Tiergruppen belohnt. Abgerundet wird das Werk mit Beschreibungen der Anatomie, Physiologie, Verhalten und mehr dieser faszinierenden Tiere. Unbedingte Kaufempfehlung.