As Johns Hopkins University Press so well and succinctly points out in the description of the their new “Sharks of the Shallows,” “few places on Earth are home to the amazing diversity of shark species that beautify the shallow waters of Florida and the Bahamas.” Consequently, its author Jeffrey C. Carrier no doubt decided that this was the region on which to focus as a new book about the lives and behaviors of some of the planet’s most often mentioned sharks.
Having been raised on the Oregon coast, I’ve seen a good number of whales over the years; however each and every one has been of the species which tend to venture into viewing distance from the shore; Gray Whales being far and away the most frequent of my sightings. Of the beaked whales, those little-known species only found in deep waters and remote locations, despite having gone to sea in ships, I have seen nary a one.
Birds do it. Bees do it. Educated fleas? Yes, them too. But how do they pick their partners, or convince one another to do it with them? And after they do it, what comes next? All this, of course, is fair game for those who study animal behavior, as well as a wide range of other interesting subjects that Tristram D. Wyatt presents in his new “Animal Behavior; A Very Short Introduction.”
Even if you’re not particularly interested in astronomy, it’s very difficult not to enjoy the duo of Frasier Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay as the hosts of Astronomy Cast. As a regular listener, I’ve learned a remarkable amount about not only astronomy but a wide variety of other subjects as well.