Prior to my trip to Glacier National Park I did very little research into the park or the wildlife we might encounter. I decided to let my Dad play tour guide and I'd just sit back and take in the experience. I have a terrible tendency to build things up in my mind and then to be disappointed when it doesn't work out the way I had envisioned it. The Glacier Trip was one of the most memorable trips I have ever taken and I wouldn't change a thing about my lack of preparation prior to the trip and by experiencing it this way I truly had numerous "in awe" moments on the trip.

When I got back my curiosity was piqued on a number of subjects, especially the Grizzly Bears. A friend who is a frequent western states hiker loaned me his copy of this book. The very first bear story in the introduction takes place along the very trail that many of my Grizzly shots were acquired. To say I was immediately hooked was an understatement. The book goes on to recount a number of recent bear attacks, both fatal and non-fatal, and examines them in detail.

When I first read the title I thought it was going to be more of a "tales" type of story. While in fact it does recount with great detail the tales of the attacks, McMillion does in incredible job of taking a scientific look into the whys of each attack. In addition to being an exciting read, it is definitely a book that offers a tremendous amount of knowledge on the subject of Grizzlies. Although our trip went off without a hitch I certainly would have handled some of our encounters differently had I read this book prior to the trip.

Even if you have no plans to travel to bear country, but enjoy reading good outdoor tales, this book is a good read. If you've ever traveled to, or plan to visit, bear country I could not recommend this book enough as a primer to what to expect should you encounter one of these magnificent creatures up close and personal. This was one of the best books I have read in the last year by far.