The first part of the book is one harrowing tale after another of bear maulings - by grizzly and black bears alike. I stayed up late several nights in a row reading the detailed accounts.

The second part is about bear behavior and agency management recommendations, which seem to be just as relevant now as they were in 1983 when Yellowstone implemented the bear management policy that is still followed today.

So, how do you avoid a bear encounter? Don't go outside.

Interesting, but data presented is from the 1960s to 1980s.

Educational, enjoyed a lot. Makes you feel prepared. But might have the opposite effect if you're very bearanoid.

A revelation on every other page. It’s impeccably researched, and Herrero himself is one of the foremost experts in the field. I particularly enjoyed his thoughts on the diverging evolutionary paths of grizzlies vs black bears, as well as his thoughts on how humans are — whether we admit it or not — indeed artificially selecting for certain character traits among grizzly populations whenever we destroy a grizzly that displays aggression. If you don’t have a policy in place, you will naturally default toward a “no policy” policy that results in ‘selecting’ for bears that display unnatural docility to humans. I’d never thought about it that way before, and I’ve been through a fair amount of thought leadership on the subject. It’s rare to get a book that combines (1) the personal stories from a ‘boots on the ground’ type of guy with (2) the best scholarly research on the subject (some of it from himself) with (3) visionary and thoughtful perspective. One of a kind.

This was incredible!
The studies and true stories definitly made me more scared of bears, and more alert to the unpredictability of them, but I also feel more prepared for what to do and what not to do, even though, especially if it’s a garbage eating bear, you’re screwed! Love this.

Want to know about bears? Read this book!

It's broken down by type (Grizzly and then Black Bear) and then general bear behavior/management. It is also chock full of original research, beautiful citations, and references! It's fascinating, really, because so much of these attacks probably would have been prevented if people had respected the bears and their habitat enough to not bring in their yummy garbage. (This goes for all humans, not just the victims. Most of the victims were not violators of this rule but true victims of previous humans thoughtless actions). True, some bears are just downright mean and aggressive but it's really not a bear's fault if it's been conditioned to eat from humans.

Bottom line: when you go camping/hiking, go to the center (say you are in a park) and find out what animals are in the area. If there are bears, ask about them. Ask about their feeding habits, what kind of bears are in the area, what to do if one comes upon you. Be informed!! Chances are, you won't get attacked.

The 'What do you do when you encounter a bear?' decision tree is truly complex.