Customer Reviews

Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend

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

 

 

For some reason, the publishing industry (even the academic press) often issues two or three similar books about a given subject more or less at the same time. In May 2009, we have Joshua Blu Buhs "Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend" competing with Michael McLeod's Anatomy of a Beast: Obsession and Myth on the Trail of Bigfoot.

Both books are skeptical about the existence of Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch and similar legendary beasts. And both books are more sociological history than snipe hunt, focusing on colorful adventurers and scientists like Tom Slick, Rene Dahinden, Peter Byrne, Ivan Sanderson, Bernard Heuvelmans, Grover Krantz and others who pursued elusive beasts and propogated stories about them.

Buhs' work is the more scholarly of the two, featuring extensive research, footnotes and social commentary. It also has the more ponderous academic theme, which is roughly that the hunt for Bigfoot appeals to manly working class outdoorsmen who long to show nerdy scientists that they know far less than they think about about what's really out there. I'm not sure I buy that thesis, but it's plausible and it provides a useful framework for describing, in great detail, the rise and fall and transformation of Bigfoot and its cryptid cousins.

McLeod, in contrast, surveys the field at a higher level and his book is more readable and chatty. If you are looking for a good folklore and legend book to read on a long plane flight, I'd recommend McLeod; Buhs' book is a better selection for a quiet evening in a nice library.

All that said, true believers should beware: you may not enjoy Buhs' book because it assumes that Bigfoot and its cousins don't exist. For students of folklore, skeptics, and those who are just curious about the cultural phenomenon that Bigfoot has become over the last 50 years, you'll find Buhs' book to be an engaging diversion.

Overall, a good view of the phenomenon from the perspective of one who is skeptical of relic hominids/hominoids existing.
A bit subtlely snarky at times (as opposed to Daegling's "Bigfoot Exposed" which I found to be more even-handed in its presentation of a skeptical viewpoint on the subject). Great detail concerning how Bigfoot has become entrenched via the mass media and consumerism, along with interesting details involving the relationships between big name players who have searched for the beast.
Definately recommended for those who have a tendency to believe a lot of what they read and hear concerning Sasquatchiana.

Mr. Buhs put together a well-researched historical narrative of the search for the Yeti and Sasquatch over the last century, but his disdain for the searchers and believers could not be more apparent. As a student of the sociological value of myth, I appreciated the way Buhs successfully tied societal upheaval to this quest for authenticity, but Buh's continual imposition of his personal feelings about the matter, rather than letting the reader make the logical conclusions from the presented facts, muddies the book and makes it seem a harsh diatribe. Mr. Buhs is not an academic and not above passing severe judgement on his subject: His denouement outright declares that the believers are "losers in the contest for dignity", but Mr. Buhs may well wish to consider his own. Most definitely not recommended.

This book, by author Blu Buhs, is really well-written and well-done, and it tends to take the skeptical tack, of course, giving a history of some of the major players in the Bigfoot field and some behind-the-scenes information on each. The author definitely is not of the opinion that there is a Sasquatch, but he does tend to take a more objective tack than Michael McLeod did or David Daegling. Buhs is not skeptical for the sake of being skeptical, and he is certainly not a scoftic-he just wants to see if there is any presentable evidence for the Sasquatch. He does somewhat say that Bigfoot is "dead" only in the sense of no good reliable (in his mind) evidence, but he does say that Bigfoot "lives" in advertisements and pop culture. I would most assuredly recommend this book. 4 stars.

Joshua Buhs enters the world of bigfoot by presenting the story of bigfoot as he finds it. Buhs recreates a timeline of wildmen in general, ranging from the yeti, sasquatch, bigfoot, and the green man based upon stories, legends, and purported sightings. He weaves a well-phrased and moderately insightful look into wildman stories but what becomes truly annoying is his constant reminder that he doesn't "believe" in bigfoot so therefore they just don't exist. I read both the 'believer' books and the skeptic books regarding this topic and Buhs, from the skeptic side, recounts the stories and legends but then dismisses them just as readily. He focuses on the psychological and sociological aspects of bigfoot instead of physical simply because he doesn't think they exist, which is fine by me. He does nothing to disprove any evidence other than recount the hoaxers of Ivan Marx and Ray Wallace (interestingly he never mentions Paul Freeman) and belittles the old investigators due to their inability to organize, share information, and constantly fight amongst each other.

All-in-all, this book fits well alongside Marjorie Halpin's Manlike Monsters on Trial. I enjoyed Buhs take on bigfoot's legend, whether they be real or not. Everyone must make up their own mind until undisputed proof arises. While Buhs constantly reminds us that he doesn't believe in bigfoot, he none-the-less respects the topic to present a readable, if not enjoyable, skeptic's book on the subject matter.

I never paid money for a book about a legend before. I read artcles about Loch Ness, sure. Lots of time and some money on movies. What am I saying? I guess I am reading fiction all the time. Who cares if the story is non-factual. However, the title here is fact. You get what it bargains for and more, because it modestly reveals a network of gullible types who have the time or the money or both to hold a camera in the cold and wait for an appearance. And who knows--it is possible. This is a nice book about the eccentrics who fall for the possibilities on the edge. More power to them.