Book enthusiasts gather around a collection of works written by UC Davis faculty and academic appointees at the annual event for campus authors at Shields Library. The Oct. 28 event, which featured more than 120 newly published works, was co-sponsored by the General Library and the Bookstore. Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw underscored the importance of pursuing scholarly publications, and nearly a dozen authors addressed the about 50 people in attendance, talking about the inspirations behind their books. Peter Klimley, a researcher in wildlife, fish and conservation biology and author of The Secret Life of Sharks, amused the audience when he ripped off his T-shirt that displayed a ferocious looking shark to reveal a shirt underneath picturing a friendly looking shark. The entertaining exercise, he said, was meant to emphasize the point in his book that sharks are complex creatures and "picky feeders" -- not the relentless menace many people believe them to be. Pictured surveying books, from left, are: Law Library Director George Grossman, Provost Hinshaw, professor of comparative literature and German Gail Finney, professor emeritus of biology and agricultural engineering Bill Chancellor and head of the Health Sciences Library JoAnn Boorkman.