Customer Reviews

World of the Polar Bear

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"The World of the Polar Bear", first published in 1978 and reissued in 1989, is a nice introduction into the realm of the famous white bear. Author and Norwegian biologist Thor Larsen spent years studying polar bears in their natural habitat; the result is a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book discussing their lives and habits.

The wonderful photography would be worth the purchase price of the book on its own. The images from Norway, Russia, Alaska, and Canada tell the story of an animal uniquely adapted to survival in the High Arctic, including on the Arctic ice cap. Larsen details the then-current efforts to preserve the species, primarily from trophy hunting. The possible threat from the latest trends in global climate change wasn't on the table in 1989, but readers can be reassured that polar bear populations in Alaska and Canada, at least, continue to thrive.

"The World of the Polar Bear" is highly recommended, even in used condition, to readers with an interest.

I picked this book up because of a recent news magazine touched upon the vanishing Polar Bear. Whether we blame global warming or simple evolution, these gentle giants are fast disappearing.

The world of the Polar Bear captures in word and picture a lasting legacy. Chapters include:

Early encounters with man

Polar Bears and early explorers

Characteristics and Distribution
-Distribution
-Migration
-Population discreteness
-Population size

Hunting and Feeding

Mating and Denning

Research and Conservation

Protection and the future

It was the last two chapters that piqued my interest the most. Perhaps they will for you as well?

The photography included in this book is stunning; National Geographic quality. Along with the woodcuts and illustrations we get a broad pictorial history of these bears voted "favorite animal of 2006" The text further serves to educate and inform us about the history and probable fate of this special species.

If you are looking for a reference book about Polar Bears, I could not recommend this more highly.