In the Name of Sharks

Twenty metres below water, the oceanographer François Sarano came face to face with a five-and-a-half metre great white shark. Seduced by the gentle elegance of this majestic creature, Sarano experienced a profound sense of affinity with her as they swam side by side, shoulder to shoulder, eye to eye, cutting a single figure through the ocean depths. It was an experience which made him realise the depth of our ignorance of the lives of sharks, leading him to become a passionate advocate for their protection.Drawing on the latest scientific research on the biology and ethology of sharks and their exceptional characteristics, this book aims to break through the barrier of prejudice and to pay homage to their true nature. Representing a last vestige of wildness, their populations are nevertheless under threat - like so many species, they have been hunted and exploited by humans. Sarano argues for a change of mindset in which we lose ourselves in the world of the other, so that each living entity, human and non-human, can take their rightful place in the broader global ecosystem.

Foreword by Sandra BessudoIntroduction: Giving the 'Voiceless' a Voice1. A Matter of Misunderstanding: From Pliny to Disney2. Shark? What Shark?3. Giving Life4. Inside the Shark's Head5. On the Road to Personality6. The Shark, Where it Belongs7. The Ocean is their Garden8. Fading Silhouettes9. The Confrontation10. ReconciliationNotesList of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIndex