This engaging book examines the shared history of people and bears. Hopscotching through history, literature, and science, Bernd Brunner presents a rich compendium of the interactions between the two species and explores how bears have become central figures in our inventory of myths and dreams. He reveals the remarkable extent to which human feelings about bears have been, and still are, mixed. People have venerated, killed, caressed, tortured, nurtured, eaten, worshipped, and despised bears. Interestingly, the varied dealings of humans with bears raise the same question over and again: do our images of bears have much in common with the animal as it really is?The book uncovers new and little-known stories and facts about bears in European, North American, Japanese, Russian, and South and Southeast Asian cultures. Taken together, these perspectives show us new things about the animals we thought we knew so well. It features: quirky and bizarre anecdotes, scientific information on bears threatened with extinction in some areas, a discussion of the phenomenon of 'bearanoia', and more than one hundred historical illustrations that contribute to this unique account of the shared history between bears and humans and the continuing presence of bears in our personal and collective dreams.

About the Author

Bernd Brunner, a graduate of the Free University of Berlin and Berlin School of Economics, is an independent scholar, freelance writer, and editor of non-fiction books. He is the author of The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium, and frequently lectures in the United States.

Reviews

Brunner's comprehensive book on the history of humans and their encounters with bears is one of the most complete that has been written. As with his The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium, Brunner describes in great detail the natural life of bears, their different breeds, and their interaction with humanity from prehistoric times until now. He also includes the folklore and stories surrounding these strong, intelligent animals. The readable text is accompanied by lively illustrations that include sketches, photographs, and wood carvings. Unfortunately, in some areas the captions of the illustrations are in German, but there are labels nearby describing the total group of illustrations to help out. Even though this book is understandable and quite informative, its scholarly, narrow focus recommends it only for academic and larger public libraries where the author's previous books circulate.-Joyce Tallman, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Cleveland Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

"Brunner''s book is full of information about the relationship between bears and humans, and is delightfully illustrated with period engravings."-New York Times Book Review (Paperback Row)