MEET MARY PEACHIN: BOOK REVIEWS |
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Read below for reviews of Mary's book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sharks.
Hooked on Sharks A hammerhead shark from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sharks" by Tucson author Mary L. Peachin (below). Because of their odd-shaped heads, hammerhead sharks can sense movement all around them and have an extaordinary peripheral sensitivity. Despite the fact that sharks aren't exactly circling the East Tucson home of Mary Peachin or frequenting her neighborhood, they are never far from her thoughts. As she herself circled around a platter of quesadillas during lunch at El Charro Cafe, she explained that her fascination with sharks began at least three decades ago and came about because of boredom. While vacationing during the 1970s with her husband, David, in San Carlos, Mexico, the Tucson native became restless after spending several hours of lounging on the beach. "I borrowed a mask, snorkel and fins and spent what was left of my trip under water," she said with a laugh. The following Christmas, her husband gave her dive gear and threw in some scuba lessons. The vacations that followed were usually ones planned around underwater activities. She would make about 100 dives before finally seeing her first shark. "One afternoon while exploring a reef in the Caribbean, a shark gracefully glided past me," she recalled. "I can still remember the adrenaline pumping through my body and how my heart was in my throat." Her first feelings of fear were quickly replaced by curiosity. As she watched the beautiful creature swim away, she realized her life would never quite be the same. "Searching for sharks and photographing them became extremely important to me but my underwater activities were a secret I didn share with my children because I didn want them to worry about me," she said. The secret life of Mary Peachin became not so secret when she was outed by a San Diego newspaper. "A sports reporter for the Union-Tribune wrote a feature about scuba divers who pursued blue sharks and in it he mentioned my encounters, describing me as a smiley-faced grandmother with silvery hair from Tucson. Friends began calling to ask me if I was that woman and I knew that my cover had been blown," she said. Her outing made it necessary to come clean with her son and daughter. She was pleased that like her husband, they, too, were supportive and proud of her. Although she continues to observe and photograph sharks in dives throughout the world, she uses common sense and does not make the mistake of trying to approach them as pets. "One of the basic rules while diving near sharks is to make certain that you always have a full view of the shark and that he sees you," she said. "If the shark can determine that you aren a fish or sea lion, it will look elsewhere for its next meal." Despite the fact that there are nearly 350 species of sharks, at least 80 percent are endangered. Over-fishing, the use of deadly nets and poaching have all decimated the shark population. Peachin explains that this assault on sharks is a worldwide crisis that could ultimately trigger an environmental imbalance, a situation that would have dire long-range consequences. She suggests that one way to stabilize the shark population is to avoid all products made from them and to work with organizations and groups that are working to protect them. Her concern about the future of sharks was one of the main reasons why she agreed to write "The Complete Idiots Guide to Sharks." Published this month, the book is a fascinating read that helps separate the myths from the reality. It distinguishes the various types of sharks, examines their lifecycles and explains why they are such an important part of our world. Peachin debunks much of the folklore associated with sharks. For example, of the 350 species of sharks, only about 11 types have ever been known to attack humans. Sharks do not eat continuously nor are they scavengers. They are not fast swimmers, they can see in the dark, and their behavior is fairly predictable. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sharks" tells you everything youve ever wanted to know about these magnificent creatures including their anatomy, their sexual habits, their historic significance, and their need for protection from human beings. The book also features dozens of illustrations, many in full-color, including at least five that were taken by the author with her underwater camera. One afternoon, a shark ventured too far into her personal space and she used that same camera to smack him on the snout. After being hit, the rather startled shark lost interest and swam away. Peachin believes that a better understanding and appreciation of sharks may help save them from extinction. Her new book will certainly be beneficial in that effort. "I hope that people who read my book will see sharks as I see them - beautiful, elegant, sleek, streamlined creatures," she said and added that if we take the time to learn about them, well do more to protect them worldwide. DID YOU KNOW...
J.C. Martin, Southern Arizona Author The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sharks by Mary L. Peachin (Alpha, $18.95). Peachin is a born-and-bred desert resident, so readers can be even more impressed to learn that she has become an enthusiastic scuba diver who loves to swim with sharks. Peachins research into the history, biology, culture and folklore of sharks is thorough. Just don expect a recipe for shark fin soup.
Speaking of Sharks Don't let the unfortunate title fool you, but The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sharks is an intelligent volume, chock full of good science about how sharks hunt and feed, their life cycle and behavior. Undercurrent subscriber Mary Peachin has traveled the world diving with sharks, and has put it all together in this interesting, well written book -- how makos switch from being cold to warm blooded in a flash, the truth about shark immune systems, tagging and tracking, overfishing, all in all a great book for any diver. |
