Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance    by Stephen Herrero Order:  USA  Can McClelland & Stewart, 2009 (1985) Softcover      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This is a revised edition of Stephen Herrero's Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, originally published in 1985. It's based on the author's 'seventeen years of research and scientific analysis of detailed records of 414 bear-human interactions, 357 of which involved injury or aggression', and includes many black and white photos. Stephen Herrero, who holds a Ph.D. in animal behavior, himself 'had thousands of interactions with bears.' Though grizzly bears are generally more dangerous than black bears, Herrero reassures us that 'the chances of being injured by a grizzly are small if proper precautions are taken.' In the first half of his book, he discusses different bear encounters, 'suggesting what to do if they happen and how to minimize the chance of their happening.' These chapters address Grizzly Bear Attacks; Sudden Encounters with Grizzlies; Provoked Attacks; The Dangers of Garbage and Habituation; Other Attacks; Aggression Without Injury; The Tolerant Black Bear; The Predaceous Black Bear; and Avoiding Encounters. After five fascinating chapters on aspects of bear behavior, the author concludes with how to manage bears for mutual safety in rural and remote areas. Herrero tells us that 'The best weapon to minimize the risk of a bear attack is your brain', and advises us on how to use it to determine the nature of the attack (defensive or predatory) and the type of bear (black or grizzly) and to react accordingly. He offers his very informative book to help us 'walk in the woods without unreasonable fear of bears.' Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews