Customer Reviews

Black Bears: A Natural History

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

 

 

Everything you needed to know about black bears, where they came from, where they live, how they hibernate, what they eat, scatology, what to do if you meet one. And full of amazing photographs of bears in the wild that don't look like they've been taken by a fashion photographer - the real stuff.

Honestly,I have to say miss M. Krishnaratne (see previous review) is right on. Everything you need to know about this wonderful creature is here. I couldn't believe it.

I live in remote bear country. I recently bought this book and enjoyed the photography and fascinating details of the bear's lifestyle.

Where it falls down is on conservation. From acceptance of official bear population figures (which are highly controversial in some areas) to naive support for bear hunters, to lack of understanding about the continued logging of bear habitat here on the BC coast, I was disappointed. The hunting lobby in Ontario has done everything possible to manufacture a bad image for the bear (in hope of increased hunting opportunities), employed disgraceful measures to lure bears out of parks to be killed, and used dodgy politics to undermine conservation of species like eastern wolves. They are not the conservationist's friend.

So, two stars. While I don't doubt Mr Taylor's skills at observing bears I think he needs more appreciation of what truly threatens them today.

Let's get aesthetics out of the way first. Bad exposure has this looking and feeling like it was published in the early 80's. I don't see any photo credits, which probably means they are stock or that they are by the author. The book's content may cover 3+ decades, but it doesn't have to look like it! (According to the Acknowledgements, "Most of this book was photographed using Kodachrome.") Lack of sufficient attention to aesthetic makes the book feel like it was previously published decades ago under its original title and is being published now under a new title.

Obvious captions and somewhat Mickey Mouse text make a reader think that perhaps this is geared toward young adults in the classroom, opposed to adult non-fiction.

But the biggest offense here is the author's lack of attention to current environmental/ecological issues. How could one write a book, spanning decades, on an animal that lives in the forests of North America, and not present at least one fully-researched and conclusive chapter devoted to mass logging and clearcutting and its effect on the natural living environment for bears?? Taylor only briefly mentions conservationists v. developers in one chapter. In another chapter, the author makes this unbelievably ignorant statement : "As an enlightened lumber industry created smaller, wildlife-friendly cutting methods, the bears benefitted..."

This is only appropriate if your child needs an additional reference for a book report, as there is enough information in the book on how bears live. But any eco-concerned individual will find it lacking and irresponsible.