I will try to present here as large as possible a list of reference books concerning bears. In addition, I have set up bears.org to be able to sell books in association with Amazon.Com in order to help those folks who are interested in purchasing titles listed on this page. If a title is available for purchase, you can do so by clicking on the small Amazon.Com logo.

BEARS: Rulers of the Wilderness

Robert Elman

ISBN 0681415894

This book is a very general overview of the bears of the world. The print is rather large, so there isn't much in the way of explanatory text. However, the photography is wonderful and there are pictures taking up half of each page.

The Sacred Paw

Paul Shepard & Barry Sanders

ISBN 0140194541

Bears and their spiritual connections. This book is exhaustive in it's treatment of the mythologies of the bear. It begins with the earliest cave bear cults, and continues right on into the modern use of the Teddy bear as a ward against the fears of childhood. It can be difficult to read at times, though, because it is written like a college paper, an academic research work. But, the sheer quality of the information makes it worth several readthroughs. It is still the best book on the subject, delving even into the biology of the bear, and the effect of bears in literature.

The Great Bear Almanac

Gary Brown

ISBN 1558214747

Another book that covers the full spectrum of bearhood. The Almanac is a treasure trove of assorted trivia about bears. Full of tables and charts, it is a fascinating read. Unfortunately, nearly all of the pictures inside are in black & white, making it difficult to enjoy the beauty of the bear. The text is very engaging, though, so it makes up for the lack of photography.

The Grizzly Bear

William H. Wright

ISBN 0803258658

Mr. Wright is a naturalist, but at one time he was a hunter. After killing many bears, he decided that he wanted to learn more about them. The things that he learned through his explorations changed his view of bears forever. The stunning thing about this book is that it was written in the early part of the 20th century, so the photographs are neat to see.

The World of the Polar Bear

Thor Larsen

ISBN 1555214169

This book is a thin hardcover. It focuses exclusively on the Polar Bear. It has some interesting points, including a good mix of photography and text. However, it never seems to really say anything. Reading the book was rather confusing and didn't arouse a great deal of interest. However, it is about bears, and does have some good information. So it isn't a loss by any means.

Grizzly Bears

Candice Savage

ISBN 0-87156-633-8

Filled with photographs is the best way to describe Ms. Savage's photo essay. She has authored several books, including one on Wolves. Her use of photography and textual information make this book another good one to look at. There is a good amount of information on mythology and behavior, which is good.

BEARS: Majestic Creatures of the Wild

Editor, Dr. Ian Sterling

ISBN 0875965520

The best general bear book in this list. This book has so much information. Great stuff on things like the horror of how Bears are trained to dance, to mating and biology of bears. Information on bear biology is very difficult to come by, so finding a book with as much information as this is a rare joy.

Giving Voice to Bear

David Rockwell

ISBN 0911797971

Another book on the spiritual and mystical elements of bears. This book deals mostly with Native America legends concerning bears, the influence of bear worship on culture, and the rites and rituals associated with homage to the bear. Another interesting read, it is put together much like a story, with information presented in a very easy to follow manner.

Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance

Stephen Herrero

ISBN 0941130827

This is the classic work on bear attacks. It covers everything from case histories and specific incidents and risk factors. There are also a good number of charts and tables giving data tracked over the last century concerning bear attacks.