Scott McMillion

So I have this weird obsession with bears. I absolutely love them - I could (and have) watch them for hours. I'm also terrified of them. The only nightmares that I continue to have from childhood are ones where I am running from bears. On trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, or any national park with bears, I am both thrilled and horrified at the idea of seeing a bear. Its definitely a mixed relationship.

So of course, I had to pick up this book.

In each chapter, Scott McMillion begins by describing the circumstances surrounding a bear mauling. The who, the when, the where and (most times) the why are all discussed. He then attempts to address the larger issue, whether it has to do with human error (i.e., hiking quietly and alone) or controversial practices (i.e., does a bear develop a "grudge" if it is constantly trapped and relocated?). Although he attempts to be somewhat neutral, he clearly wishes his readers to have an understanding about why bear attacks happen, and what practices should be used to make the chances of a mauling significantly smaller.

The writing is very good. It was definitely a book I enjoyed reading. I would have rated the book higher if he spent a little more time discussing grizzly behavior, policies, and arguments - at times it felt like we were spending a lot of time discussing what the victims' bodies looked like - but I realize that many people are drawn to the gory details, and this may be a good way for McMillion to get more readers and thus promote his message to a wider audience. It's definitely not for the weak minded - I don't consider myself a squeamish reader, and I had trouble at a few parts. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone interested in why grizzly attacks happen.

And for the love of god people, don't feed the bears!… (mer)