Peter Benchley, the author of the popular Jaws novel that became the blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg, has a new book out but this time it is nonfiction. USA Today reports
that Benchley's new book, Shark Life, is an educational
book targeted at teenagers.
"The ignorance of the general public about the ocean is shocking," he says.
Shark Life tells of diving adventures such as when Benchley swam less than 3 feet from a 13-foot tiger shark. He concedes that "any shark can ruin your whole day" and offers beach-going tips on how the behavior or presence of birds or sea lions can indicate that sharks are nearby.
The chances of being attacked by a shark are "tiny," Benchley says. But anytime humans swim in the ocean, "there is a genuine danger, and if we ignore it, we deserve what we get."
