In a post-Jaws/Discovery Channel world, unearthing fresh data on great white sharks is a feat. So credit Susan Casey not just with finding and spotlighting two biologists who have done truly pioneering field research on the beasts but also with following them and their subjects into the heart of one of the most unnatural habitats on Earth: the Farallon Islands. Though just 30 miles due west of San Francisco, the Farallones--nicknamed the Devil's Teeth for their ragged appearance and raging inhospitality--are utterly alien, which may explain why each autumn, packs of great whites return to gorge on the seals and sea lions that gather there before returning to the Pacific and beyond. That Casey, via her biologist buddies Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson, can even report that sharks apparently follow migratory feeding patterns is a revelation. Throughout The Devil's Teeth, Casey makes clear that year upon year of observing the sharks have given Pyle and Anderson (and by extension, us) insights into shark behavior that are entirely new and too numerous to list. The otherworldly Farallon Islands, meanwhile, also dominate Casey's engaging tale as she charts their transformation from ultradangerous source of wild eggs in the 19th century to ultradangerous real-life shark lab and bird sanctuary today. Despite the plethora of factoids on offer, Casey's style is consistently digestible and very amusing. She also has a knack for putting things into perspective. Take this characteristic passage:

The Farallon great whites are largely unharassed. They might cross paths with the occasional boatload of day-trippers from San Francisco, but they're subjected to none of the behavior-altering coercion that nature's top predators regularly endure so that people can sit in the Winnebago... and get a look at them. This is important because despite their visibility at the Farallones, and despite the impressive truth that sharks are so old they predate trees, great whites have remained among the most mysterious of creatures."

Absolutely engrossing!

I found it impossible to put this book down! Susan Casey is a gifted storyteller and has an impressive ability to draw the reader into her experience on the Farallones. Casey provides a layperson's perspective to a world that is otherwise completely closed off to outsiders, and in doing so, enlightens us on a subject that is frequently misunderstood. We are introduced to a part of the world--so close by!--that is surprisingly alien to us. Casey's descriptions of shark activity, bird watching, and daily life on the Farrallones are all equally engrossing--a testament to her superior talent in narrative. This is a GREAT summer read!

Reckless Journalism

I bought this book for one reason - Peter Pyle's research. I was incredulous at the ending when I found out Peter lost his job because of Susan Casey's irresponsible and unprofessional behavior. For someone who claims to care about the conservation of this magnificent species, she managed to dissolve the greatest team of Great White Shark researchers in the United States and end the Great White Shark Project on the Farralones. And now she intends to profit off her reckless behavior by publishing this book? Time, Inc. should fire her. I'm sending my book back. I refuse to support this woman's 'brand' of 'journalism'. I'll donate the funds to shark conservation efforts.

Inspiring!!

I recently read "the Devil's Teeth" and I am not an avid reader anymore. Though this book was captivating. Susan's descriptions of the attacks at thew Farralone Islands were invigorating. You grow with here throughout the book, as she grows to appreciate the great white species in it's wonder as well as the appreciation for other species that travel or make home to these islands so very close to San Francisco. A great read! I would recommend this book to anyone who is a shark lover or someone curious about the species that humans are so misinformed about. I hope that this book will allow further research into the Great Whites of the islands, because it is a species that should be respected and protected. But this book!