Review
"Lifelong sobriety certainly isn't a bad thing, but being a prude is, and it may prevent you from enjoying The Man Who Scared a Shark to Death...an attractive compilation that provides a voyeuristic peek into what can really go wrong when last call doesn't happen soon enough... It's fast and funny with the facts, without the morality." -- Source: Calgary Herald, January 7, 2007
"Next time you find yourself hunched over the kitchen table, head in hands, giant thermos of coffee in front of you, throbbing with remorse, this would be the book to have nearby. In it are all kinds of people who are more stupid and ashamed than you. Some of them even outshine Mel Gibson." -- North Shore News, December 17, 2006
"You've probably told them, but you've definitely heard them. You may even be the central figure in them. Tales of drunken debauchery often walk the thin line between embarrassment and hilarity... Christopher Lombardo, co-author of The Man Who Scared a Shark to Death… has found stories from around the world that could shame anyone." -- Source: The Toronto Star, December 26, 2006
“This entertaining compendium of tales of drunken exploits -- all documented truths, but reading somewhat like urban myths -- includes the title tale of a British comedian, drunk on a gallon of wine, who accepts a one-pound bet to jump completely naked into an aquarium filled with sharks and stingrays. The sharks lose.” -- The Globe and Mail, January 20, 2007
Book Description
A British comedian, drunk on a gallon of wine, takes a one-pound bet to jump, completely naked, into an aquarium filled with sharks and stingrays, causing one of them to die of stress.
An American man goes on such an astonishing bender he believes his girlfriend's claim that they got married while under the influence and only becomes suspicious when she is unable to produce a marriage certificate during the following seven years.
Russian troops get so wasted that it seems like a good idea to make a little extra cash by selling off their tank … to Chechen rebels.
The true stories in The Man Who Scared a Shark to Death, taken from news reports around the world, serve as both cautionary tales (don't agree to "help out"with a stranger's robbery, even if he seems like a really nice guy) and comforting perspective (at least you've never woken up in a trash compactor). However cringe-making your own most embarrassing drunken moment might be, at least you're not the man who caught his privates in a mousetrap—twice.
About the Author
NOEL BOIVIN comes by his credentials for this book honestly. Along with being known to enjoy the odd fermented beverage during his recreational hours, Boivin's apt surname can be found on vineyards in the Normandy region of France, and his hometown is known for its Grape and Wine Festival, which he faithfully tries to attend every year.
He has divided much of his time since journalism school between freelance writing and travel, having lived in Shanghai for a time as well as having seen much of Southeast Asia. Boivin now lives in Bangkok, Thailand, working for an English-language daily newspaper as well as a freelance writer.
After eking out a science degree from the University of Toronto, focusing his efforts much more on reading books of the non-course-related variety, CHRISTOPHER LOMBARDO turned his attention to journalism school, from which he dropped out to pursue freelancing, and write books such as this one.
An accomplished guitarist, and a less than accomplished recreational boxer, he does however own a novelty 'smiley face' punching pen. Lombardo speaks Italian very badly, German much less so and his loyalties are divided along these, his ethnic lines every World Cup tournament. He makes his home in downtown Toronto.
