Customer Reviews

Blindsided: Surviving a Grizzly Attack and Still Loving the Great Bear

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

 

 

I read this book from cover to cover~ absolutely riveting. Not only does this book describe a horrific event, but also a man's journey and a mission to portray his passion in a positive light despite unimaginable hurdles. Blindsided took me for a ride that I will not soon forget. Vivid details in combination with emotional appeal allowed me to get a true feel for Jim Cole and what might have been going on inside the mind of a man so committed to such a majestic and mysterious animal. Blindsided is a great window into a subject matter which many of us fail to truly understand or appreciate. It's truly a jaw dropping read and a rare opportunity, worth the read!

I was blindsided by BLINDSIDED. I was expecting a book about grizzly bears and, although the author suffered two serious attacks from grizzly bears, the book is not about bears. It's about him and his life before and after the attacks. If the author knows as much about bears as he claims that knowledge is little demonstrated in this book. He focuses primarily on repetitive expression of appreciation for those who came to his aid following the attacks and treated him and supported him through recovery from admittedly tramatic experiences. He tells and retells many of his life experiences. By the end of the book you will have read at least five times how he comes by his strong legs! If any of his book is intended to reflect knowledge and understanding of The Great Bear, he comes across more as a preservationist than a bear expert. His goal to educate others about bears is admirable, but he seems a little too much like Timothy Treadwell for my tastes to be taken very seriously. There are a few nice grizzly photos in the book.

... almost like one of the bears that changed Jim Cole's life!

I was expecting a story about bears. Or maybe one about nature and survival. Or a gruesome account of a mauling followed by a superhuman survivor story that no one could ever hope to live up to. That's all in there.

But what is most impressive about Blindsided is that it is a story about a regular guy who left a regular life to pursue his dreams and, despite two near death experiences, wouldn't trade his choice for anything. Interesting, uplifting and well-written, Blindsided is not listed under "spiritual" or "inspirational" - but probably should be.

This was a marvelous book. Engaging, truthful beyond reproach, and written with passion for the great bear.
I've known Jim Cole for over 40 years and I am mentioned in the book (full disclosure). I was in the hospital minutes after his 9 hr. surgery, and along with his good friend Ron G., I heard his first words days later. This is an honest autobiography of a man who earnestly cares for the welfare of the grizzle more than his himself. When you read Blindsided, you will begin to understand how Jim has sacrificed, yes, almost his life, in an endeavor to study and to share his knowledge with anyone seeking the truth about the Great Bear.
You have my word, you won't regret reading Blindsided by James Cole, a good man, a good friend, and a man dedicated to the preservation of the Grizzly Bear.
Rich Berman, richaberman@yahoo.com

I had never heard of Jim Cole but was surprised to learn about his outdated opinions concerning the correct relationship of human and grizzly. Hopefully, our schools are not subjecting students to lectures or presentations from Mr. Cole who is obviously trying to tranform his reckless lifestyle into cash, just as he did with this book. I agree with another reviewer who suggested Cole is a Treadwell want-to-be.

Unlike Ranger Rick, who clearly has not read a word of Blindsided and just has a personal animus toward Jim Cole, I have read the book. Being an avid hiker and grizzly enthusiast, I was eager to get a pre-publication copy at Book Expo America in New York, and having read about Jim after his 2007 attack, I was curious. Was he an irresponsible character who harassed the bears? Or just an unlucky guy who spends so much time in the wild that getting attacked was a statistical certainty?

Well, I loved Blindsided. I read it in basically one sitting and couldn't put it down. I was moved by Jim's story and impressed by the clarity of his explanations of some of the things that have happened to him. Most of all, his story of his attack and survival is almost beyond belief. I might not believe it if there had not been so many eyewitnesses. I thought his tale of his recovery and his commitment to his mission were deeply affecting. He seems like a very impressive, courageous man.

Is Jim Cole a bit obsessed with grizzlies? Perhaps. Does he skirt the boundaries of acceptable contact with them? Possibly. But the only thing that matters for this review is that out of his horrific experience has come one hell of a book, whatever his detractors might say.

Blindsided is truly an inspirational book. Cole has spent more than thirty years studying and photographing grizzly bears in their natural habitat. He has logged thousands of miles backpacking in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. I was moved by his respect and admiration of grizzlies. There are many fascinating stories and the photographs of bear families are wonderful. His accounts of two bear attacks are page turners. However, the central message of the book is the importance of preserving the grizzlies' ecosystems and public education. I certainly can't understand why any Park Service Ranger would be against these goals. Furthermore, Cole does not set up camp among the grizzlies and pretend to be one of them. He studies them from a distance (and, I assume a good telephoto lens) since getting too close would scare them away. It's clear from reading the book that bears avoid human contact as much as possible. Most maulings/deaths occur as a result of sudden, accidental encounters. Read the book, especially in light of the latest incident in Yellowstone when a man was killed by a bear. You may be surprised at how the book alters your thinking.

Tell the truth. Or at least tell the whole story! Attacked by a grizzly in 1993 Glacier NP and charged numerous times for harrassing wildlife in Yellowstone NP. Get the "other" side of the story from the rangers that have delt with him over the years! Don't buy this book and feed into his variation of the truth. Just a Timothy Treadwell wannabe.

BLINDSIDED: SURVIVING A GRIZZLY ATTACK AND STILL LOVING THE GREAT BEAR offers a blend of personal memoir and science story of survival, and comes from an author who spent years visiting Alaska and national parks in search of grizzlies in the backcountry. His survey offers not only natural history, but tells of his survival of a grueling grizzly attack that left him maimed - and still appreciative of the bear.

Admittedly, this book was pretty good. However, I am absolutely befuddled with this man's attitude. He has been mauled twice, the last being quite disfiguring, and he maintains that it is always the human at fault when there is an attack. I beg to differ with him. Just last week, it was on the news about an "unprovoked" attack on two people sleeping in a tent and there was no food lingering odors and no reason for it to happen. Yeah right, the humans were at fault. This man will ultimately suffer the fate of Timothy Treadwell because he is stupidly thinking he is safe when, in fact, this bear WILL attack with no provocation. Unbelievable. All in all, the book itself was good, though the author needs to have his head examined.