Customer Reviews

Bigfoot Across America

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you have a small interest in the phenomenon of bigfoot, this is most likely the book for you. If you have any greater interest the subject, this book could added to your collection but overall, it's mediocre at best and pretty bland.

The book nearly kills itself if you take a look at the references to the near 400 sightings the author cites. Of the 399 sightings that Rife collects, nearly half (about 175) of them are from "internet postings" so who knows how valid they may be. He also gleams subject matter from magazines like Fate and Saga and numerous UFO magazines. He continues on by snipping from other peoples work. The author doesn't offer any personal thoughts and the inclusion of the stories lacks any luster to them as he glazes over the purported occurances. Rife makes no claims to actually validating any of the stories, meaning he apparently just gleamed them off of websites with no apparent research or interviews with the actual "witnesses".

Rife pretty much follows a systematic and rather boring format throughout the book by basically covering every state in America and giving 3-8 occurrences for each state. The books text is only 183 pages cover 399 sightings ... do the math. A vast majority of the recountings are barely five sentences long and are often a simple three line paragraph. The book has no apparent research, interviews, or in depth interest in the matter of bigfoots. The stories seem to central on three encounter types: the 'peeping tom' bigfoot, 'car bouncing' sasquatch, and the 'roadside runaway' creatures.

Sadly, throughout the book, Rife seems to focus on very aggressive and hostile bigfoots that charge, attack, and menace people. There are an awful lot of stories ending with the 'victims' taking potshots at the creatures with their guns. The sasquatches throughout the book vary little in description, almost like the author used the words "black brown hairy manlike ape seven feet tall" in a search engine and then gathered up the hits.

There's just too many Internet posting reference stories in here to make this a valid book for any type of research. There's no original thought and the stories lack credibility. Virtually anyone (even you) could have "written" this book if you had access to a computer by using a search engine for bigfoot stories. Rife is also extremely careful not to mention any names even though any bigfoot enthusiast will easily recognize numerous stories... maybe he was avoiding some copyright or permission to use someone's name.

Overall, if you want a lot of simple encounter stories that may or may not be true, then get the book. If you want something on which to base an in depth thought provoking research, skip it. You definitely don't want to use this book as a basis for any type of research paper, as a many of the reports are internet postings. Good for your bigfoot book collection, not good for any stimulating reading.

Sorry for the beating I gave you Mr. Rife

For anyone even mildly interested in Bigfoot -- whether believer, skeptic, or on the fence -- Rife's book provides an intriguing and thoroughly engrossing look at accounts of Bigfoot encounters. It's fascinating to see how people react differently to the incidents -- some immediately run away, others are frozen, and a few actually run toward the creatures!

I never realized how widespread Bigfoot encounters are. Rife provides accounts from 48 states (only Rhode Island and Hawaii have no tales) and recounts them through well-written narrative as well as direct quotes from the witnesses. Whatever your opinion about Bigfoot, these accounts will surely leave you with a tingle down your spine.

Can it be, only 183 pages for this price in a self-published book that uses so many internet sources, takes from others' works, robotically organizes by states and dates, and hardly any thoughts from the author?

I'm a BigFoot fan, so I ate this book up! It gives stories of BF encounters in just about every state, even details counties; I was amazed to see one very close to where I live! This kind of book is what BF enthusiasts love, encounters. No science or professors talking about missing links, evolution or Neanderthals. You live the encounter through eye witness accounts!

Okay for a beginners first look into sightings throughout the country, but somehow I almost found this book boring. After reading most works by true researchers like John Green, Rene Dahinden, Loren Coleman, and Grover Krantz, nothing here seems to be taken from the author's actual files. Just rehashing what others have already personally researched; interviews others have taken the time to do; field work others have been doing for years, even decades. Search the internet and you can find numerous stories from individuals all throughout most states, especially the BFRO website(The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization).

This book offers very little personal insight, and nothing new to broaden our horizons on the subject. I only rate it as high as 3 because many will be reading these stories for the first time.

I really liked this book for I found the Author did not try and write this poetic, one dimensional, flashy book. He kept it simple in it's reading design. Story after story of Bigfoot sightings, and tracks. Most in the witnesses own words. There is a chronological format by date the Author adheres to as well as by State by State. I was facsinated, scared, curious, perplexed, amazed all in one. I especially liked the newer dates on sightings. I recommend this book highly for your Bigfoot library.

If you are interested in Sasquatch research at all, you MUST have this book in your collection. I have just about every book on the Sasquatch that is out there and this one rates in the top five for sure. TONS of eye-witness accounts of encounters with these creatures, from almost every state in the US. There are accounts ranging from simply a sighting of a Sasquatch running out in front of their car all the way to a trucker getting pulled out of his rig by the ankles. Highly recommended.

Of all the books on Bigfoot that I have read, this one was probably the most boring. He went from one account to the other without any thoughts of his own on the accounts. I like reading other peoples accounts but in this book it was almost like reading the same stuff over and over again. I think anybody can write a book by taking the words of others and putting them on paper without much input of your own and this is what I believe this is.

Pretty fun book to read. It centers on alot of the scarier encounters. Reading the book gave kept me up late and gave me dreams. It is entertaining and there really is alot of information in there.

A great book with intersting facts, the book will keep your attention. Eric J Mazzi PA.