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Informania: Sharks
A distinctive study provides young readers with the latest information on the ocean's fiercest predators, from shocking news about shark attacks to facts about shark reproduction. Reprint.
- GenresNonfiction
92 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 28, 2023
When I randomly happened upon this book when searching "sharks" as a general topic on Internet Archive, scouring the great online library for books on one of my favourite non-fiction subjects, this one hit me as a real blast of nostalgia. I used to own this as a child; I remember often flicking through its pages (evidently, I never actually read much of it at the time) and, as always, being absolutely beguiled by the images.
Revisiting it all these years later, I did find it somewhat disappointing. Turns out while I did indeed have this book in my childhood, and recognised some of the pictures and graphics, it was not the one I thought it was. There was another, with some truly remarkable illustrations that have stayed in my mind - one was a particularly lucid depiction of a feeding frenzy. That book was obviously another one I may or may not come across in the future.
The photos in this book - and the 1990s-era graphics - are pretty lame. Much of the text is delivered in an obnoxious, overly sensationalist way as well. I do get that it was aimed at kids, but its comical approach, and the way it often hyperbolically portrays sharks as these "lean, mean killing machines" was very overdone.
To avoid hypocrisy, I also dislike it when writers go overboard trying to challenge perceptions about the dangers posed by sharks, to the point that they almost seem to be advocating a lack of concern for our own safety whenever in their domain - your whole "sharks are not interested in eating you, and you're more likely to die by bee sting" school of morons. But this book goes the extreme opposite way: here, sharks are these terrifying monsters that just want to keep eating and killing. It's so juvenile and surprisingly irresponsible. A bit of balance doesn't hurt, does it?
However, I will say that somehow the section of this book I expected to dislike the most (as the area is of least interest to me) - that is, mating habits, physiological details and anatomical diagrams - was more accessible and interesting than many an adult book on sharks I have read. I guess, when it comes to those details, I do prefer the content to be dumbed down, as it just doesn't appeal to me as much as ecology, distribution, hunting behaviour and human interaction.
Revisiting it all these years later, I did find it somewhat disappointing. Turns out while I did indeed have this book in my childhood, and recognised some of the pictures and graphics, it was not the one I thought it was. There was another, with some truly remarkable illustrations that have stayed in my mind - one was a particularly lucid depiction of a feeding frenzy. That book was obviously another one I may or may not come across in the future.
The photos in this book - and the 1990s-era graphics - are pretty lame. Much of the text is delivered in an obnoxious, overly sensationalist way as well. I do get that it was aimed at kids, but its comical approach, and the way it often hyperbolically portrays sharks as these "lean, mean killing machines" was very overdone.
To avoid hypocrisy, I also dislike it when writers go overboard trying to challenge perceptions about the dangers posed by sharks, to the point that they almost seem to be advocating a lack of concern for our own safety whenever in their domain - your whole "sharks are not interested in eating you, and you're more likely to die by bee sting" school of morons. But this book goes the extreme opposite way: here, sharks are these terrifying monsters that just want to keep eating and killing. It's so juvenile and surprisingly irresponsible. A bit of balance doesn't hurt, does it?
However, I will say that somehow the section of this book I expected to dislike the most (as the area is of least interest to me) - that is, mating habits, physiological details and anatomical diagrams - was more accessible and interesting than many an adult book on sharks I have read. I guess, when it comes to those details, I do prefer the content to be dumbed down, as it just doesn't appeal to me as much as ecology, distribution, hunting behaviour and human interaction.
December 9, 2023
Fun and informative book on sharks for children. Lots of neat graphics and fun text.
The only thing I didn't like was that they book kept portraying sharks as human killers with flashy graphics or pictures, and then went on to say sharks are relatively harmless in the text. It felt like a pretty mixed message and it could confuse a child about what to believe about sharks.
The only thing I didn't like was that they book kept portraying sharks as human killers with flashy graphics or pictures, and then went on to say sharks are relatively harmless in the text. It felt like a pretty mixed message and it could confuse a child about what to believe about sharks.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews