Rating: 
Summary: More an autobiograhy than a non-fiction book
Review: After writing "Jaws", getting famous, and having a movie made of the book, Benchley finally gets to meet the sharks. He realizes that they aren't all that bad, and this is what "Shark Trouble" is about - he says.
Benchley tells us about his underwater adventure while in the shark cage, his encounter with sharks while outside the cage, he describes six dangerous sharks (the man-eaters), and goes on with advice how to swim safely in the sea to avoid them. If we follow all the rules, we are - more or less, fingers crossed and prayers made - safe from sharks. It just happens, though, that sharks can't see very well in the dark or in murky water, and when they solely rely on other senses than their eyes, they tend to take a test bite, not more than a nibble the size of your foot or hand. It's nothing to worry about, and not going to be fatal, Benchley assures us, because a shark figures out pretty quickly that you are too bony to eat and immediately leaves you alone. So, unless your bleeding extremity attracts further sharks in want of exploratory bites, you stand a good chance to safely make it to the beach. And if there happens to be a knowledgeable lifeguard on duty, your chances to survive are even better. Believe Benchley: very few people die from attacks.
Well, I believe that sharks are not out to attack humans, but I get more reassurance by reading the books by underwater photographers Michele and Howard Hall, than by reading Benchley's. The writer does, occasionally, contradict himself or get wrapped up in storytelling (the shark-nibbling type), but he succeeds in bringing sharks into perspective: they are huge, possibly dangerous, rarely mean. They are important apex predators that keep nature's balance, they are the most feared but not the only dangerous ocean creatures, and they are threatened by extinction.
I enjoyed this book, especially the chapters on safe swimming in the ocean (which are good commonsense advice), the environmental children story, and his insights of the sea. It is, after all, not a book so much about sharks, as a book about Benchley, Peter Benchley, Benchley Peter, and, yes okay, his adventures with the sharks.
I was fascinated when Benchley recounted a ride on a manta, the exact same incident Michele and Howard Hall describe in their book "Secrets of the Ocean Realm." The two stories are quite different. Since Michele was the one who initially rode the manta, I tend to believe her story more. Not that it matters, but it makes me wonder how much of Benchley's personal shark encounters are laced with imagination, too. He does like fiction, after all.
Rating: 
Summary: So,me useful information, but a lot seems to be "filler"
Review: Heard the taped version of SHARK TROUBLE, written and read
by Peter Benchley . . . this is a nonfiction book that tells you how to be safe in, on, under, and around the ocean . . . Benchley, author of JAWS, draws on more than three decades of
experience around sharks and other marine animals . . . there is
some useful information here, but a lot of it has seems to be
"filler" material; e.g., a short fiction piece on what would happen if every shark on the planet were to be killed . . . also, I'm not sure why he bothered to include a whole chapter on ocean swimming safety . . . overall, I came away with the felling that you have to be careful when in the ocean, in that there's a LOT of marine life that is potentially harmful to humans (though I'm not so sure that I had to keep hearing this over and over) . . . I further did come to accept Benchley's premise that we should redirect our research priorities and spend more money on looking at all the valuable resources in the water--and less on the much scarcer resources in outer space.
Rating: 
Summary: A Surprising Delight
Review: I really enjoyed this audio book. In it, Peter Benchely recounts his adventures in the seas interspersed with factual information on sharks and other sea creatures. Benchely, unlike some authors, reads his work with enthusiasm and skill, making it engaging from beginning to end. I came away with a much deeper respect for the sea and the creatures in it and a renewed sense of the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of all things. Besides the environmental importance of the book, it is full of fun and funny and even scary adventure stories. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Surprising Delight
Review: I really enjoyed this audio book. In it, Peter Benchely recounts his adventures in the seas interspersed with factual information on sharks and other sea creatures. Benchely, unlike some authors, reads his work with enthusiasm and skill, making it engaging from beginning to end. I came away with a much deeper respect for the sea and the creatures in it and a renewed sense of the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of all things. Besides the environmental importance of the book, it is full of fun and funny and even scary adventure stories. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Great fun!
Review: Most of my family and friends love to tease me about the fact my all-time favorite movie is "Jaws," based on a book by the author of this book, Peter Benchley. I had absolutely no idea, however, that Benchley himself has quite a lot of experience in the non-fictional shark world. He has spent decades diving in some of the most remote, dangerously-shark-infested waters of the world, watching them, studying them, enjoying them. This is a truly entertaining book that is part shark encyclopedia, part memoir. Mixed in with a ton of information about a variety of shark species are dozens of stories about Benchley's actual experiences with them. Some of his stories are just incredible -- how did he ever get out of THAT? -- though quite possibly the most amazing story comes at the end of the book when he writes a chapter about his experiences with some other dangerous sea creatures -- an orca in the one I'm thinking of right now, though the story about the manta ray comes in at a close second, in my opinion!Benchley is an extremely entertaining writer -- witty and intelligent -- and this book was a joy to read not just because the stories were incredible (I'm fascinated by sea creatures and would love to learn how to dive, so his stories appealed to me on a variety of levels), but because the author himself is so personable it felt like we were chatting over a cup of coffee somewhere. I greatly enjoyed this book and it would be a great one to recommend to interested adults and kids alike (I know some 8 year old shark lovers who would really get a kick out of it!). Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Great fun!
Review: Most of my family and friends love to tease me about the fact my all-time favorite movie is "Jaws," based on a book by the author of this book, Peter Benchley. I had absolutely no idea, however, that Benchley himself has quite a lot of experience in the non-fictional shark world. He has spent decades diving in some of the most remote, dangerously-shark-infested waters of the world, watching them, studying them, enjoying them. This is a truly entertaining book that is part shark encyclopedia, part memoir. Mixed in with a ton of information about a variety of shark species are dozens of stories about Benchley's actual experiences with them. Some of his stories are just incredible -- how did he ever get out of THAT? -- though quite possibly the most amazing story comes at the end of the book when he writes a chapter about his experiences with some other dangerous sea creatures -- an orca in the one I'm thinking of right now, though the story about the manta ray comes in at a close second, in my opinion! Benchley is an extremely entertaining writer -- witty and intelligent -- and this book was a joy to read not just because the stories were incredible (I'm fascinated by sea creatures and would love to learn how to dive, so his stories appealed to me on a variety of levels), but because the author himself is so personable it felt like we were chatting over a cup of coffee somewhere. I greatly enjoyed this book and it would be a great one to recommend to interested adults and kids alike (I know some 8 year old shark lovers who would really get a kick out of it!). Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Benchley's Act of Contrition Works!
Review: Peter Benchley seeks to atone for his unparalleled contribution to shark hysteria in Shark Trouble, a much more factual account of the Shark than his earlier works. Having achieved shark fame through "Jaws", Mr. Benchley was subsequently invited over the next several years to come play in the sea with the fearsome critters by numerous people looking to hype their own shark agendas with an appearance by the creator of "Jaws". After many years of diving and rubbing shoulders with shark legends, actual sharks and researchers in the field of shark behavior, Peter Benchly writes this memoir to philosophically reflect on the experience of his personal shark odyssey while touching from time to time on the emerging scientific understanding of the shark. I found it to be an excellent read.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, pens a non-fiction book setting the record straight on shark behavior. It sounds like a great idea and it is, but the execution is horrible. I would say maybe 50% of this book is actually about sharks; the rest merely lists dangers of the ocean (rips, tides, etc.) and non-shark creatures to be feared. Useful and mildly interesting, but I wanted a *shark* book. Another irritant is Benchley's "man is the real threat" stance. While valid (and true), his position is presented with an incredibly heavy hand. Peter, that horse isn't getting any more dead, so lay off! It's not a good sign when I end up tossing a book on the floor and yelling "I get it." Overall, a massive disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, pens a non-fiction book setting the record straight on shark behavior. It sounds like a great idea and it is, but the execution is horrible. I would say maybe 50% of this book is actually about sharks; the rest merely lists dangers of the ocean (rips, tides, etc.) and non-shark creatures to be feared. Useful and mildly interesting, but I wanted a *shark* book. Another irritant is Benchley's "man is the real threat" stance. While valid (and true), his position is presented with an incredibly heavy hand. Peter, that horse isn't getting any more dead, so lay off! It's not a good sign when I end up tossing a book on the floor and yelling "I get it." Overall, a massive disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Just when you thought it was safe to read another shark book
Review: Peter Benchley, author of the novel JAWS must have a guilty conscious. After all, his novel and the blockbuster film it inspired have drastically affected the public's psyche about ocean swimming and sh-sh-sharks. Who hasn't scanned the water for predatory dorsal fins before stepping into the water? In response, Benchley has crafted a quick book to offer a greater understanding of the fish. His basic theme weaved throughout the book is man's own responsibility for shark attacks. After all, when swimming we are entering their territory. He also states that many shark attacks are accidental, that the fish thinks the human is something tastier but after a bite, it runs off to find something more appetizing. He is quick to challenge theoretical claims that suggest the thought process of the shark. How can we actually know what the shark is thinking if we are not a shark? (Forget the fact that the book is jam-packed full of similar shark-thought suggestions of its own.) The book is made up of three types of communication. First, it carries an animal activist voice. It doesn't plead, rather it confidently uses `facts' and `statistics', which is much more powerful. However, the use of a short story about a town affected by the death of the local sharks borders on ridiculous. Second and most interesting is Benchley's use of personal experiences to lay down the point. His recollection of swimming with Great White's, other sharks and even dolphins often reads like summer reading, a page-turner. The weakest element is Benchley's reliance on other author's work. Most often, this material is a static read and is only as revealing as an eighth-grade report on sharks. SHARK TROUBLE is not a major accomplishment, but simple reading for anyone who wants to increase a basic education of the fish. Major students of the shark will find the book unfulfilling. But, any book about one of the planets most interesting creatures is worth a look.
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