When Bears Attack: Close Encounters of the Terrifying Kind

by Joseph B. Healy (Editor)

A great collection of bear attack true stories for hikers, hunters, and all who venture into the outdoors.Bears are one of nature’s apex predators, gentle and fuzzy to watch from a distance, fierce and unpredictable when aroused-and then it’s too late for humans to escape a dangerous, fearsome, or fatal encounter. In this collection, we gather the most thrilling and frightening bear-attack stories of the past few decades. Grizzlies, brown bears, black bears-and their unfortunate encounters with humans. This is what happens-When Bears Attack.Joseph B. Healy takes a closer look at some of the notable bear attacks of recent history in order to determine their causes, evaluate what happened, and appreciate the raw power-and danger-of mother nature. He tells tales of hikers enjoying weekend camping trips as well as workers going about their daily routines. Follow along as the victims’ lives are disrupted by bears, and see how survivors were forced to think and act in the moment to stay alive.As modern life continues to encroach on the wilderness, encounters between bears and humans will only increase. Learn about the outcome of these feral clashes in When Bears Attack.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2016

Reviews

[Fred Bradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I found the book to be very well done. However, the chapter titled "Fearing Bears" on page 139 was generally horrible. Not for the subject matter, but for the writing. The main character was an unbelievable ass, and the author's knowledge (or lack thereof) shone through frequently. Also, that chapter was too long and mostly irrelevant to the book's subject matter. The author of that chapter is also the editor of the book - Joseph B. Healy - and I think perhaps he should stick with editing.

Of the twenty-two chapters included in this book, only this lengthy, word-count fulfilling chapter, and the "Afterword" chapter, are credited to Healy. Some of the other twenty chapters aren't exactly stellar, or aren't specifically bear attacks, but all of them are nonetheless far better than the aforementioned chapter that begins on page 139. That said, I found at least a handful of really great stories in this book and the grammar, punctuation, and style is well edited.

[Ron Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verdict: Good bear stories but skip the final section.

When walking in the woods with friends near my place, the usual joke is: “I don’t need to outrun the bear—I just need to outrun you.”

We see very few grizzlies in Greater Vancouver; provincial data show only one to four calls per year from 2020–2025. Black bears, on the other hand, are everywhere. In the Tri-Cities alone there are thousands of calls each year, and I’ve grown a bit too blasé about encountering them.

I’ve even done stupid things myself. Once I spotted a very cute black bear cub up a tree and stopped to take a photo—before realizing what a jackass I was being and backing away before its mother showed up.

The stories here agree on the two times you really want to give bears a very wide berth: a sow with cubs, or a bear guarding a fresh kill. Beyond that, the safety advice is all over the place—like asking gardeners how to grow tomatoes. Ask six and you’ll get nine opinions.

The encounter stories are often gripping. Unfortunately, the final section is weak, including a poor piece by the editor and several nineteenth-century stories, one of them a racist one by Jack London. Best skipped.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this book is good. It’s exactly what it’s supposed to be: informative, engaging. Even thrilling at times thanks to genuinely good writing. I appreciated the few illustrations as well. However, I do have to take away a star for our editor’s contribution to the book. He has his own chapter that is… well just completely unnecessary. It has nothing to do with the rest of the book. He goes on and on for TWENTY pages about how he’s a shit boyfriend for absolutely no reason just to add in a page and a half worth of real story. A story in which a bear… walks past him.
I’m sorry but after 100+ pages of some of the best bear encounter stories I’ve ever read? It really killed the mood. As well as the two Jack London stories thrown in near the end. Just like I said before: unnecessary and unappreciated.
Overall though I definitely got what I wanted from the rest of the book. I absolutely loved how many stories came straight from park rangers and people who work with wildlife. The stories coming from people who truly appreciate these animals makes it all the better.

[Darla Ebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting collection of true stories, however violent. I think my takeaway is to be wary of areas frequented by bears, whatever the color of fur. There are some good lessons contained in these virtual horror stories.

[Kourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the middle of nowhere with a few black bears out in the woods, I found this book an entertaining read. Entertaining, in that you get to see the power of bears and nature, really.