Bears: Majestic Creatures of the Wild [Hardcover]

Ian Stirling (Author), David Kirshner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Majestic creatures of the wild

The bear has long been used to symbolize both ferocity and affection. Many types of bear exist and lead very varied lives: brown bear, polar bear, giant panda, American black bear, Asiatic black bear, sun bear and spectacled bear are all included in this book. The book starts with fossil bears, the evolution of bears, the history of bears, biology of bears - and goes right through to reproduction and rearing, predatory habits and feeding, the behaviour of individuals and groups, and not least, the relationship of humans to bears and the uncertainty of these beautiful creatures' future in the wild.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- An attractive volume that offers descriptions and comparisons of all eight species of bears, including up-to-date research that places the panda in the bear family. Physical, behaviorial, and historical facts are spelled out; photographs and drawings are clear and informative with the exception of a murky-colored map that shows where bears live. Research methods for studying the animals are explained; data exists only on female polar bears because the males' necks are wider than their heads and their radio collars fall off. Stirling's love and respect for these largest of bears are conveyed as he engagingly narrates sketches of them raising and teaching their young, playing, and hunting. Photographs of polar bears do seem to dominate, though all bears are well represented. Specialized vocabulary is italicized and defined in context; logical organization and a detailed index make this a good choice for reports. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's Bears of the World (Holiday, 1980; o.p.) is a more comprehensive overview, but it is not as visually appealing. --Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

This is another in a series of excellent books by Bobbie Kalman for students in primary and junior grades. The information is useful and interesting -- School Librarians' Book Reviews, Hamilton-Wentworth Roman Catholic Separate School Board, ON, Feb. 1997 --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Pr (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875965520
• ISBN-13: 978-0875965529
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,739,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And this time Complete means complete., January 3, 2005

By 

Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Bears: A Complete Guide to Every Species (Hardcover)

Don't you just hate it when you have questions on some subject and you purchase a book which is described as a "Complete Guide" to that subject only to find it isn't a complete guide at all... Then you just get annoyed because of the wasted money.

Well, this book is not a waste of money simply because it is exactly what it says in the title - A complete guide to every species of Bear. And what a guide it is too. Just as soon as the book arrived I sat down to glance through the pages. I like to get a feel for every book I am about to review and I need to see what the format and photography is like before I settle down to some serious reading.

The first thing that caught my eye was the list of contributors. 18 of the 32 names were Doctors and all of them eminent in the field of Bears, Zoology and other related aspects. Then there are the photographs - every one of which is of a "National Geographic" standard. Finally, I found the graphics to be quite excellent.

All that was left was to read the book and over the next few days it was hard to put down. I found myself describing the "Festival of the Slain Bear" to my wife and then saying something very different like "did you know that when a fully grown adult Polar Bear sands upright - they can reach 12 feet high."

This is an easy-to-read informative book supported by photography of the highest calibre and first class illustrations. If you want to know anything at all about Bears - and I do mean any species, I am sure you will find it in here. If you want to photograph Bears, these pictures will give you a standard to aim for. In fact this is probably the only book on Bears you will ever need.

NM

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Book on Bears, February 1, 2012

By 

Ohioan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bears: Majestic Creatures of the Wild (Hardcover)

For anybody who loves bears or wants to know everything there is to know about bears, this is the book! The photos are so beautiful you want to frame them. The articles, each written by an expert in the field, fall under three broad categories:

Evolution and Biology
Bears Up Close
Bears and Humans

One of the many things I love about this book is that each type of bear gets its own article: the brown or grizzly; the polar; the American black bear; the Asiatic black bear; the sun bear; the sloth bear; the spectacled bear; and the giant panda (not really a bear, but I like its inclusion here). I like the diagrams showing the anatomy of the bear and the dog, I like the reproductions of art featuring the bear. Simply put, this is a beautiful, very worthwhile book.