THE DEVIL'S TEETH by Susan Casey

Possibly the best nonfiction book you'll ever read. The Devil's Teeth has a subtitle that describes the book as "A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks", but this book is not a mere travelogue. It is as finely paced and dramatic as any work of suspense. Check out the opening paragraph:

"The killing took place at dawn and as usual it was a decapitation, accomplished by a single vicious swipe. Blood geysered into the air, creating a vivid slick that stood out on the water like the work of a violent abstract painter. Five hundred yards away, outside of a lighthouse on the island's highest peak, a man watched through a telescope. First he noticed the frenzy of gulls, bird gestalt that signaled trouble. And then he saw the blood. Grabbing his radio, he turned and began to run."

I dare you to put down the book after an opening like that. The Devil's Teeth transports the reader to the surreal landscape of the Farallon Islands, less than thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco, where biologists Peter Pyle and Scot Anderson study great white sharks. Savage birds, sea lions, great white sharks and killer whales populate the pages of this book and dominate an environment on the islands that would have given HP Lovecraft nightmares.

The history of the islands is almost as bizarre as its inhabitants, but the truly compelling stories in this book are the tales of the commitment, sacrifice and obsession of the men and women who risk their lives to study the world's most dangerous animal in its natural environment. The descriptions of the great whites are so vivid you find yourself checking your toes and nervously glancing around your bedroom to make sure the tide hasn't come in while you were reading.

Casey's courage in her pursuit of the story, no matter the cost, is an adventure in itself. I wouldn't recommend reading this book in the bathtub, but it's a must-read anywhere else.