The Devil's Teeth

A True Story of Survival and Obsession Among America's Great White Sharks

By: Susan Casey

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Travel 30 miles north, south, or east of San Francisco city hall and you'll be engulfed in a landscape of thick traffic, fast enterprise, and $6 cappuccinos. Venture 30 miles due west, however, and you will find yourself on what is virtually another planet: a spooky cluster of rocky islands called the Farallones.

Journalist Susan Casey was in her living room when she first glimpsed this strange place and its resident sharks, their dark fins swirling around a tiny boat in a documentary. These great whites were the alphas among alphas, the narrator said, some of them topping 18 feet in length, and each fall they congregated here off the northern California coast. That so many of these magnificent and elusive animals lived in the 415 area code, crisscrossing each other under the surface like jets stacked in a holding pattern, seemed stunningly improbable and irresistible. Casey knew she had to see them for herself.

Within a matter of months she was in a 17-foot Boston Whaler, being hoisted up a cliff to face onto the barren surface of Southeast Farallon Island, part of the group known to 19th-century sailors as the "Devil's Teeth". There she joined the two biologists who study the sharks, bunking down in the island's one habitable building, a haunted, 120-year-old house spackled with lichen and gull guano. Less than 48 hours later she had her first encounter with the famous, terrifying jaws and was instantly hooked. Curiosity yielded to obsession, and when the opportunity arose to return for a longer stay she jumped at it. But as Casey readied herself for shark season, she had no way of preparing for what she would find among the dangerous, forgotten islands.

The Devil's Teeth offers a rare glimpse into the lives of nature's most mysterious predators, and of those who follow them. Here is a vivid dispatch from an otherworldly outpost, a story of crossing the boundary between society and an untamed place where humans are neither wanted nor needed.

©2005 Susan Casey (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Awesome

Great listen about the brilliance of the animal and its environment. A must read for anyone who lives in Nor Cal or lives the ocean.

Fascinating!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have reccommendated this book to many people, including by college-aged sons. They loved it! It reads like fiction, keeping you on the edge of your seat at times. This style of writing is very friendly and comfortable, like sitting down for coffee with a friend, a really smart friend. The narration is excellent.
The history of the Farallon Islands is compelling and remarkable. It is woven into the story of the sharks and the people who study them in a way that makes you care about this austere place in a new way.
The sharks are, of course, the most fascinating creatures to behold. They are the stars of the show and do not disappoint!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The crazy scientist on staff that wanted to surf the perfect break that was in the heart of the shark-infested waters!

Have you listened to any of Kimberly Farr’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Any additional comments?

The only thing that was a small problem was viewing the photography. I went to the library to check out the book so that I could see them. Definitely worth the effort.

Interesting

It was really interesting and has me wanting to binge on a ton of other shark books and movies as well as research more on Farallon Island.

Excellent

Extremely entertaining I myself have always been interested in the population of Great White sharks as I am a native northern California well written story

a bit overblown

The biology was really interesting. But the multiple mistakes describing optics (It was halos not spectre of the brocken) make me wonder how accurate the rest of it was.
She tends to put down suburban life a lot, but then compares the natural world to suburban objects. Very annoying.
And she exagerates her hardships. If she really thinks that the farallons has the worst weather in the world, she should spend February in Greenland.
But I'm glad I read it for the sharks and descriptions.

awesome book

You really feel like you are out there with them. Great read. I couldn't put,it down.

Not her best, but still completely awesome

It’s hard to beat the incredible narration and story in The Wave, but Casey has lived quite a life and has some incredible stories to tell. I wish I could know her in person and hear some of her accounts in her own voice! The Devil’s Teeth was somewhat disjointed in some ways, and I wish there had been more description of the biology of a shark- how to recognize an impending attack etc- but overall I really enjoyed the listen. I’ll probably listen to it again!

better than Shark Week on Discovery Channel

While this book got a bit slow at times, I was fascinated by most of the story, and I finished it wanting more. I loved the history of the Farralon Islands and the shark research tales. The reader is wonderful. I highly recommend this to shark buffs and Californian history enthusiasts alike.

better than "Shark week"!

Great documentary with lots of action and interesting historical facts about a place not many People know of. Im hooked... now on the the book about dolphins... must recommend "the wave" as well...

Book is less about sharks and more about author

There’s a little bit about sharks and a lot about the authors rugged experience. Frankly that’s not what I wanted hear about. You rarely hear about the devils teeth. You get way too much about the water and boats. If you wanted to hear more about the sharks themselves I would look elsewhere.