Meet the Sasquatch [Paperback]

Christopher L. Murphy (Author), John Green (Author), Thomas Steenburg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0888395736 | ISBN-13: 978-0888395733 | Publication Date: September 2004

A highly illustrated presentation on the main findings related to Sasquatch or Bigfoot creatures. The work traces the possible existence of these creatures from early references found in First Nations art to present day sightings and encounters.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher L Murphy in association with John Green and Thomas Steenburg

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Hancock House Pub Ltd (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888395736
• ISBN-13: 978-0888395733
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,327,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written but one sided -- for believers only, January 3, 2005

By 

Glenn R. Boston (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meet the Sasquatch (Paperback)

This is not an objective analysis of the sasquatch. Far from it. Murphy assumes that the creature exists, and this book promotes that view. Its tone is light overall, and it does contain lots of interesting pictures. For example, I was pleased to see other stills from the famous Patterson film, rather than just Frame 352 over and over.

I have a few complaints: Number one, Murphy must know that the "Jacko" story was an old newspaper hoax. Yet here it is, presented with a straight face again. That old chestnut was denbunked years ago. Also, when will someone in the pro-bigfoot community just come right out and admit that Albert Ostman's story of being kidnapped by sasquatches is absurd? Murphy goes right up to the line but cannot bring himself to state the obvious. The clear psycho-sexual overtones of the Ostman story make it highly suspect. To see bigfoot researchers cling to it after all of these years is sad and makes it hard for one to take bigfoot research seriously. Likewise, I find wild-and-wooly unsubstantiated tales out of czarist Russia wholly unpersuasive. Murphy seems to take seriously claims that a female sasquatch was captured in Russia and impregnated by men. A photo of one of the spawns of this union is provided. The man looks to be African American, perhaps even Aboriginal. It's an interesting question how such an individual ended up in 19th century Russia, but I doubt the sasquatch had anything to do with it.

Murphy writes very well, and as I said the book contains lots of cool photographs. It's worth a look, but keep an open mind if you are undecided on the subject and definitely do not believe everything you read in this book. You may want to provide some balance with a more skeptical tome.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The "best material" on the subject???, February 11, 2005

By 

Karl Klein - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meet the Sasquatch (Paperback)

This book is a nice, light compendium of current thought on the bigfoot phenomenon intended for a general audience who may not have been exposed to these matters. I object, however, to the extent folks characterize it as the "best material" on this subject. That honor must go to works containing significant original research like those of Krantz (for scientifically analyzing footprints), John Green (for collecting anecdotal evidence), Bindernagel (for applying wilderness-biology principles to the subject), and journal articles published by Meldrum and others.

Meet the Sasquatch does have its moments - e.g., the numerous photographs, Murphy's discussion of his Bluff Creek model, Kathy Moskowitz's discussion of the "hairy man" pictographs. But much of it indiscriminately rehashes information to present a one-sided, pro-bigfoot view. The book, for example, uncritically perpetuates the Jacko story when, to my understanding, that story is almost certainly false (see Loren Coleman's "Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America", regarding this). The book also contains numerous, distracting typographic errors. Hancock House or whoever edited the book really needs to correct the typos in later editions.

The search for bigfoot has taken huge hits in recent years with the death of Dr. Krantz, the widespread, negative publicity surrounding the "confessions" of Ray Wallace's relatives, and the publication of Greg Long's book (flawed in certain details though it may be, its overall argument that Patterson hoaxed Patty is compelling). If the bigfooters now want to be taken seriously, their best material will certainly need to be better and more balanced than this. To my mind, the ideal material would be a multi-authored text (perhaps a collection of scientific symposium papers presented by proponents, opponents, and the skeptically neutral) that even-handedly presents and addresses various skeptical assessments about the evidence for or against the existence of bigfoot (e.g., Napier's discussion of footprint shapes -i.e., hourglass or not -, Long's discussion of the Patty film's chain of custody, anthropological claims that Alley blew it with his discussion of land otters, other evaluations contained in Skeptic or Skeptical inquirer, etc.).

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great pictures - near zero critical analysis, February 14, 2005

By 

Scott Herriott (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meet the Sasquatch (Paperback)

Very one-sided book on the topic. Accepts a lot of evidence that is far from being scientifically verified. But, due to its great collection of photos, it's a good addition to one's Bigfoot library.