Bear: Spirit of the Wild

by Paul Nicklen

Paul Nicklen, wildlife photojournalist, showcases his stunning photography for National Geographic with this collection of North American the grizzly, polar bear, black bear and the rarest spirit bear. Evocative storytelling combines with Nicklen's landmark photographs to reveal the truths and myths about these amazing creatures, and sheds light on their threatened ecosystems. Years of photographing bears in their habitat have given Nicklen a special understanding of these majestic the polar bear, ranked most popular species on Earth; the grizzly, feared and misunderstood; and the black bear, as well as its precious white counterpart, the spirit bear. Nicklen believes that sharing knowledge and stories about bears will impact the way we think of them, and thus ensure their future. Well-known environmentalists such as Wade Davis, Sylvia Earle, Werner Herzog, and Nicklen himself contribute essays to enhance the message of Nicklen's photographs. Quotes from literary figures punctuate the pages, offering insight into the magnificence of these impressive mammals. An epilogue takes a global look at the future of bears.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Art

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over twenty years. As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen captures the imagination of a global audience.

Paul Nicklen lives a life of art, purpose and adventure, combining a career as an assignment photographer for National Geographic Magazine and founder of his own conservation society, SeaLegacy. In addition to being one of the world’s most acclaimed nature photographers, Paul is an acclaimed polar specialist, speaker, author, conservationist, National Geographic Fellow, and a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine with 20 completed stories to date. He has garnered more than 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the year and the prestigious World Press Photo for photojournalism. Paul has written several books including Seasons of the Arctic, Bear, Spirit of the Wild, Polar Obsession and his newest monograph, Born to Ice.

Reviews

[Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photos with interesting short pages of commentary, I particularly liked any information of the First Nations and their relationships to the bears, along with the photos that really show off the bears' personality. A polar bear balancing some ice on his head, or a sub adult taking time to "scratch all his itches"

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of beautiful photographs of four types of bears: Polar, Grizzly, Black bears, and Spirit Bears. I hadn't heard of spirit bears before. They are a subspecies of Black bears; about 10% of known black bears have white fur. They are mainly residents of the west coast of Canada. I found this book very informative about the lives and habits of bears. There is not much narrative; the photos speak for themselves. It is a book published by National Geographic and is a great example of the photography books that they publish.

[Ellie Lerum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the short stories included within the pages, though the focus on this particular book is photography. Regardless, Paul Nicklen included wonderfully captioned photographs, immersive stories to demonstrate the importance of bears in life and culture and beautifully formatted each page.

[Lyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, I admit that I did not read this entire book. I did look at all the pictures though! And they were incredible. I knew before that bears are cool, but now I feel like I have a better understanding for how amazing they really are. I loved these pictures and I would look through this book again for sure.

[June Pecchia]

GORGEOUS. Thought-provoking. Inspiring.

[Gracedlazydaisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning pictures! And informative blurbs on different bears and their behaviors.
If you like bears- I think you'd enjoy this :)

[Clayton Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating and amazing photography and personal anecdotes about the bears of the Northern Hemisphere of (mostly as some of the polar bears are from elsewhere), the black bear (and its sometimes-white spirit bear variant found in the Great Bear Rainforest in coastal British Columbia, with its soaring temperate rainforest conifers, where the ocean and forest are nearly the same ecosystem)

The photographs alone are worth the purchase price, especially if you enjoy wildlife or bears in particular.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've learned a lot about bears in this book.
Such amazing photographs of bears!

Fascinating read, and depressing at the same time, because of the prospect of losing these magnificent creatures. I'm kind of disappointed that bears do not live in the Philippines.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs of polar, grizzly, black and spirit bears. Would be a great coffee table book, if I had a coffee table.

[Miss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible photographs. Varied essay contributors. Much needed reminders that there is more than money at stake when considering the environment in BC.