Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot

by Joe Gisondi

Bigfoot sightings have been reported in every state except Hawaii. Interest in this creature, which many believe to be as mythical as a leprechaun, is as strong today as ever, with the wildly popular show Finding Bigfoot persisting on the Animal Planet network and references to bigfoot appearing throughout popular culture. What is it about bigfoot that causes some people to devote a chunk of their lives to finding one? In Monster Trek , Joe Gisondi brings to life the celebrities in bigfoot people such as Matt Moneymaker, Jeff Meldrum, and Cliff Barackman, who explore remote wooded areas of the country for weeks at a time and spend thousands of dollars on infrared imagers, cameras, and high-end camping equipment. Pursuing the answer to why these seekers of bigfoot do what they do, Gisondi brings to the reader their most interesting—and in many cases, harrowing—expeditions. Gisondi travels to eight locations across the country, trekking into swamps, mountains, state parks, and remote woods with people in search of bigfoot as well as fame, fortune, adventure, and shared camaraderie. Many of the people who look for bigfoot, however, go counter to stereotypes and include teachers, engineers, and bankers. Some are private and guarded about their explorations, seeking solitude during a deeply personal quest. While there are those who might arguably be labeled “crazy,” Gisondi discovers that the bigfoot research network is far bigger and more diverse than he ever imagined.

Genres: Nonfiction, Bigfoot

306 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was far less interesting than I had hoped. While I find the use of the word "obsessive" in the subtitle a bit off-putting (seems judgmental for a writer who frequently states that he is not biased), I decided to give this book a try because I am acquainted with some of the people profiled herein.

The writer -- Gisondi -- is a confused, lapsed Catholic who believes that the search for bigfoot will somehow allow him also to find belief in those Christian tenets from which he's strayed. Therefore, he tags along on a number of bigfoot-seeking expeditions over a period of several years. Gisondi writes very early on (I think it's even the first page) that belief in bigfoot is a matter of faith. That may be true for some, but certainly not for the many, many people who claim to have seen the creature -- they know what they saw and there's no faith about it. I mean, for example, if I see a robin in my yard eating a worm, I don't have to *believe* in it; it's right the hell there in front of me.

Throughout the book, Gisondi talks to a number of bigfooters, most of whom fall into the "robin" category. They've seen it and they know what they saw. Only a few of them have not had bigfooty encounters in the past, and these folks are generally not portrayed as true believers, but as skeptics seeking some evidence of an unexplained phenomenon. All of the expeditions and even the expeditioners themselves fall into the same pattern, so the book felt dull and repetitive to read. Gisondi never does any serious research, nor does he get to know any one bigfooter very well, instead bouncing around the country like a bigfoot tourist. Nothing wrong with that, but honestly this whole book was more "forest" than "trees," if you get my meaning.

I don't know if Gisondi ever resolved his spiritual issues, because he never tells us, and I have to wonder if that was only a flimsy premise to justify in his own mind his fling with 'footing. I hope he had a good time, and I hope ultimately he finds what he needs to find, but it seems extremely unlikely that that will happen along this path.

[Tony Ross II · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected a work from a journalist to be interesting, though I find myself grueling and wincing in boredom throughout this work. Gisdoni makes some funny quips, he shares some cool insider knowledge about the in-fighting between different investigative groups as well. My main complaint is the writing is very dry about mid-way through, perhaps he lost interest in the writing himself.

One aspect I did find interesting was him comparing his search for Bigfoot akin to his spiritual search for the God of his upbringing.

Overall, I’d think you’d have to already have been invested in the idea of Bigfoot to enjoy this book, otherwise it might be a snoozefest to you.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read regarding those individuals who seek in search of Bigfoot and the creature's existence. A good qualitative study of the group and its culture.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

Serious look at many in the field, with a touch of humor. A fresh perspective for anyone interested in the subject .

[Darlyn Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Monster TREK: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot

Full disclosure: author Joe Gisondi and I once worked together in the sports department of the Orlando Sentinel. I like the guy, so I was predisposed to like his book. He has been a serious journalist for over twenty years, and he is now a professor of journalism at Eastern Illinois University, so you may be wondering, as I did, why in the world he would pick such an esoteric topic on which to write a book.

The answer to the question is at once simple and complex.

The simple answer is: he just wants to know. Traveling with Bigfoot hunters as diverse as the well-known Moneymaker, Meldrum, and Barackman, as well as with unknown teachers, engineers, and bankers, Gisondi treks into remote forests, mountains, swamps, and parks, as well as a backyard or two, seeking that elusive prize: a face-to-face encounter with a mythical creature that has been reported as sighted in every state except Hawaii.

The more complex answer is that Gisondi is seeking, through contact with people who truly believe in something both unexplainable and larger than themselves, a faith in the mystical that has eluded him since he was a child. It’s a privilege and pleasure to accompany him, through the pages of his book, on his quixotic quest.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an admitted skeptic. Before reading Monster Trek, I didn't really care one way or another if bigfoot are real. Monster Trek took me into a world I never knew existed, where seemingly sane and normal people venture deep into the woods and swamps around the country looking for a giant, hairy creature to prove its existence. As a skilled journalist, Joe reports unbiasedly about the history of bigfoot sightings and about the researchers who continue the quest to find bigfoot. But what makes this book a really great read and so much more than just another book about bigfoot is Joe's personal story woven throughout the book. Joe takes us along on his own adventures as he joins bigfoot researchers on expeditions, while leaving it to readers to answer for themselves if they believe bigfoot is real or not.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot by Joe Gisondi proved one thing to me: we are all on a journey.
The author gives the reader a glimpse into a piece of Americana that is known only to a few. And, in doing so, proves these men who search for something larger than life, have the same wants, needs, and desires as the rest of us. Better yet, they haven't given up or have settled with no for their answers. With that in mind, Gisondi shows how it's that curiosity that drives us to find our own place in the world.
Monster Trek, simply put, is about passion. and, by the time you put it down, you find yourself wanting to reinvigorate your own journey, ask questions and tap into something greater than yourself.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. Gisondi's book is less a search for Bigfoot than a sociological look at the people who do search. This kind of thing has been done before; probably the finest example is Big Weather, Mark Svenvold's hilarious expedition into the vaguely demented world of storm chasing. Gisondi, on the other hand, doesn't have Svenvold's ability to turn a phrase or make gentle fun of the world he's entered; in addition his oft-repeated belief that looking for Bigfoot might help him with his religious faith is just odd. Needs to have been more tightly proofread also; there are numerous errors of the type spellcheckers miss. Still, those interested both in the Bigfoot phenomena and those who seek it will find this a worthy book.

[Michelle Clement · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written from an interesting angle - a reporter who tries to come at it from a neutral perspective, accompanying various Bigfoot research teams on their outings. I found his discussions about spirituality and the comparisons to believing in something beyond ourselves in the woods as compared to religious stories really interesting, but he did come across as biased (which would be hard not to do). For some reason, his disdain of camping food irked me. I loved the different perspectives, and looking into the researcher's motives for doing so. Overall, an interesting read!