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A review by lkedzie
The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators by John Long
5.0
The Secret History of Sharks is an excellent popular science book. Its focus is the paleontology of the shark species, from the earliest protosharks up until today. Due to the age of the species, this becomes a walkthrough of Earth history from the Ordovician (465 million years ago) until today.
This ends up including the history of science as well, as the author usually ties in a short biography for the major scientific player on any given species or topic, though maybe 'history' is the wrong word in the later context and more character study, since many of the people are still alive and doing research.
That suggests what is particularly neat about the book, in how recent a lot of the discoveries are, driven both by technology (and particularly CT scans and other imaging becoming more common tools) and interest in the field as one of the "last great unsolved mysteries" of evolution. The impression is of a field that is big enough to be lively but also small enough to allow for close relationships between the wide variety of professional and amateur scientist players, with the author being in the mix.
In fact, I suspect that the negative points on this book will be people who read that sort of familiarity of the author, the fact that he's done work at the sites that he's discussing and knows the researchers he discusses on a social basis as well, as something that comes off as boasting. But it seems to me more reflective of the research itself. And even if proud it seems justifiable: the author establishes himself as a 'triple-threat' in writing, as well as including his own photography and art. (My complaint with the author, and this is non-material,.)
The writing itself achieves that ideal balance of popular science writing where it is clear without being oversimplified, and where the author deals with moderately complex topics with understandable language and faith in the reader to deal with hard things, along with a helpful and through index. I did snicker whenever the term 'sharky shark' was used, but yeah, I don't know what else to use in its place, and the end of the book reveals it to be something of a joke about Linneaus. About the only time that the writing falters is when the formula does not work as well, like in the middle Cretaceous that turns into something of a mess biologically and biographically as the author tries to pack too much in to too short a time.
The narrative reconstructions were interesting, but more interesting that the author is much clearer than others over what is fact, what is speculation, and what is his own narrative license. That in particular is a welcome change. And it is neat how shark history itself allows for a kind of climax in the megalodon, though even there I think that some of the best chapters are on the shark offshoots and ways in which the evolutionary tree is thought to branch.
But overall a great book, and the sort of book that I had to ration out to myself because it was so fun to read. I did go in thinking that it would be more about sharks than the history of sharks, if the distinction makes sense, but I was the opposite of disappointed by this.
Thanks to the author, Professor John Long, and the publisher, Balantine Books, for making the ARC available to me.
This ends up including the history of science as well, as the author usually ties in a short biography for the major scientific player on any given species or topic, though maybe 'history' is the wrong word in the later context and more character study, since many of the people are still alive and doing research.
That suggests what is particularly neat about the book, in how recent a lot of the discoveries are, driven both by technology (and particularly CT scans and other imaging becoming more common tools) and interest in the field as one of the "last great unsolved mysteries" of evolution. The impression is of a field that is big enough to be lively but also small enough to allow for close relationships between the wide variety of professional and amateur scientist players, with the author being in the mix.
In fact, I suspect that the negative points on this book will be people who read that sort of familiarity of the author, the fact that he's done work at the sites that he's discussing and knows the researchers he discusses on a social basis as well, as something that comes off as boasting. But it seems to me more reflective of the research itself. And even if proud it seems justifiable: the author establishes himself as a 'triple-threat' in writing, as well as including his own photography and art. (My complaint with the author, and this is non-material,
Spoiler
is in the call to action at the close of the book he calls for less housing density as a means of protecting the environment. I don't think that the door swings that way, but in that it sets up the importance of working remotely, which no complaints there, and if anything represents the classic 'smart person gets in trouble making statements outside of their area of expertise' tropeThe writing itself achieves that ideal balance of popular science writing where it is clear without being oversimplified, and where the author deals with moderately complex topics with understandable language and faith in the reader to deal with hard things, along with a helpful and through index. I did snicker whenever the term 'sharky shark' was used, but yeah, I don't know what else to use in its place, and the end of the book reveals it to be something of a joke about Linneaus. About the only time that the writing falters is when the formula does not work as well, like in the middle Cretaceous that turns into something of a mess biologically and biographically as the author tries to pack too much in to too short a time.
The narrative reconstructions were interesting, but more interesting that the author is much clearer than others over what is fact, what is speculation, and what is his own narrative license. That in particular is a welcome change. And it is neat how shark history itself allows for a kind of climax in the megalodon, though even there I think that some of the best chapters are on the shark offshoots and ways in which the evolutionary tree is thought to branch.
But overall a great book, and the sort of book that I had to ration out to myself because it was so fun to read. I did go in thinking that it would be more about sharks than the history of sharks, if the distinction makes sense, but I was the opposite of disappointed by this.
Thanks to the author, Professor John Long, and the publisher, Balantine Books, for making the ARC available to me.