One thing is clear from the story--Dr Skomal loves white sharks. His explanations and descriptions of the animals give the reader so many details about these mammals that the reader is transported to the water beside the great creatures. The book gets into a lot of detail so people may find it lagging a bit in a couple of spots but tracking these animals alongside the doctor is very enlightening. The passion of the scientists trying to protect our ecosystem and the shark's place in it is evident in the writing here.

I have been on a nonfiction kick recently and the complexity of this case really stood out to me. The author captured my attention immediately and held that attention which can be difficult in books like this.

This was such an interesting book. I have always had a fascination with sharks, but of course I don’t plan to meet any sharks 🦈 ever so I enjoy reading about them and this unique experience and perspective

*Trigger Warning: Shark death

*Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holy Mackerel! Now this is a great book!! 😀 I’ve been a big fan of Greg’s Shark Week work for years now. He is by far my favorite shark expert. ❤ I have been waiting FOREVER (or so it feels) for him to write a book about his life as said shark expert. 😀 And boy does Chasing Shadows deliver!

This is a robust look into the life of a marine biologist in the quest to study sharks. Absolutely fascinating to follow Greg’s career path, watching the little fish become THE big fish! I loved learning all about his work. 🙂

Chasing Shadows has an outstanding selection of pictures that span his entire career! Beautiful, beautiful photos. Each on capturing the time and place perfectly. And did I mention all the fintastic pics of great whites? YAY! 😀 The cover is just gorgeous as well.

This is an amazing book. I know I will be re-reading it every summer. It’s just so fun! I do feel bad about all the shark death in the book. It can be a little bit hard to listen to those early days of shark hunting. It never gets graphic though.

Chasing Shadows is easily one of the best books of 2023 A must read for fans of Greg Skomal, Shark Week, marine biology or even just curious people who what to know what a day in the life of a fun shark expert is like. This book will never disappoint!

A combination of shark science facts, personal stories, and retellings of shark experiences from himself and others, Chasing Shadows follows shark scientist Greg Skomal from his childhood fascination with the character Matt Hooper in Jaws to near-present day as one of the leading voices in balancing conservation and human safety as white sharks gain population in New England especially.

I have a love of sharks, especially white sharks, and seeing the scope of Dr. Skomal's career in this book fascinated me. This narrative non- fiction book is incredibly readable and seeing the development of knowledge through the decades of his work enthralled me. I especially appreciate how he balanced his love of the species with his true emotions when attacks happen and his concern for the future of coexistence between sharks and beach communities.

*Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader digital copy of this book.

This book is an illuminating narrative about one of the ocean's greatest creatures. I love sharks and I am always looking to learn more about them. It was fascinating to see Skomal's background with sharks and the first-hand experience. Through research and education, Skomal gives us the insight we need to better understand these beautiful animals. My favorite part was learning about the tagging program and how they feed. It was a fascinating book.

There is no question that sharks are one of the most fascinating creatures of the deep so when I had the opportunity to read an early copy of Chasing Shadows: My Life Tracking the Great White Shark I jumped at it. And I’m so glad I did. Growing up in New England I had the chance to visit a few of the places mention, though not that many and I never had any encounters like those described within the pages of the book, but it thrills me to think I could have. From the title I was expecting to read about many of Greg’s experiences over the years, and while he has indeed included his first hand experiences, he’s also included so much more than that. He does a deep dive into not only his own work, but the work of those that came before him, some of whom he had the chance to work with over the years and a number of those well before his time. What you get in this book is a detailed and well written account of the history of studying these fascinating creatures here in the states. Anyone who is even mildly interested in sharks (and lets face it there are a ton of us who love/fear sharks) will want to check out this book. I found it every bit as entertaining and educational as any of the programs I’ve watched during Shark Week over the years. I’d like to thank the publish William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Chasing Shadows.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RK86A2XHQDYCG/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Thank you so much William Morrow, Greg Skomal, Ret Talbot, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I lived in New England for almost 20 years and frequently visited Cape Cod Massachusetts. I’ve always been a huge fan of sharks, especially Great Whites, and always enjoyed watching Greg Skomal on Shark Week TV specials. Needless to say, I was extremely excited that I was approve for this ARC and downloaded it as soon as possible. If you’re passionate about shark biology & science, then this is the book for you! Additionally, readers will also be entertained with details about the author’s Great White Shark Conservation journey to save them. In the book, Greg recalls how he had to learn how to balance politics, public opinion, and science. The variety of viewpoints shows his dedication to these animals. I really enjoyed reading the book because while it was extremely knowledgeable, it didn’t read like a textbook. The book captured and held my attention. So, if you’re like me and love shark week, but want more, then this is the book for you!

See, this is why I don't go past my ankles into the ocean. There are sharks and they are going to eat me.

For those of you without my paranoia, I can highly recommend Chasing Shadows by Greg Skomal with Ret Talbot. The book is part science, part biography, and part horror. Obviously, the horror part is why I will be barely dipping a toe in at Nauset Beach this summer. All three parts of the book fit together quite well, though. Skomal truly does love sharks, but the most fascinating part of the book for me was the myriad of ways Skomal has to balance his affinity for these apex predators against politics and commerce. He seems to be caught in between many different viewpoints and has to find the best way out of a lot of bad situations. I should say Skomal's willingness to point out the work he had to do on his social skills is also very endearing because who hasn't been the awkward new person at work?

Shark lovers will find plenty to enjoy in this book. If you aren't one, I think you'll be entertained about the story of a guy following his passion and achieving his dream job.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and William Morrow.)

I love sharks and receiving Chasing Shadows a day before leaving for Hawaii vacation was perfect timing. Dr. Skomal has been a pioneer in helping humans and sharks co exist in a peaceful way, even including the highly feared Great White shark. His research and tagging efforts will hopefully help people be more understanding and less fearful of these beautiful creatures.

Living on the outer cape I’m familiar with Dr. Skomal’s work, and very grateful for all he’s done to help humans and great whites peacefully coexist. Through research and education he’s given us a better understanding of these magnificent creatures, started a tagging program to keep track of how many sharks are swimming in our bay and ocean, how they feed, and a warning system to keep us in the water while staying safe. I throughly enjoyed this book.

I picked up this book because I swim at the beaches that Skomal is writing about and learned a lot of interesting facts and history about the great white in New England. There did seem to be a bit of filler throughout each chapter, but the stories about how the research got off the ground and what they are doing today is super interesting.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.