In the late 1990s, the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, hired Steve Searles as a hunter to cull half its troublesome bear population. But as he began to prepare for the grim task, the bears soon won him over, and Searles realized there had to be a better way. He soon developed nonlethal tactics to control their behavior and overpopulation that heralded a landmark moment in the care and handling of the American black bear. But change was not without its challenges. To some, his success was dismissed due to his lack of formal academic training. Yet Searles never wavered in his commitment, and eventually became not just local folk hero but a nationally recognized expert. This high school dropout saved not just the bears, but, in many ways, his community.
In a tradition that runs from John Muir to Bear Grylls, Searles finds a fellowship with nature and a deeper meaning in the world of bears. Do bears understand things we don't? Are they dialed in to some greater natural force? Unlike us, bears waste little time on unreasonable fears. Bears are fully in the moment. They have an inner peace that seems to offset their power and strength. That may explain why no other animal on the planet is as revered as the bear. As Searles shares his remarkable knowledge and we become immersed in the ursine world, you'll never look at bears or nature the same way again.
Life is never peaceful in Chris Erskine's house, what with the four kids, the 300-pound beagle, the chronically leaky roof, and his long-suffering wife, Posh. And that's exactly the way he likes it-except when he doesn't. Every week in the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune (and now and then in many other papers), he distills, mocks, and makes us laugh at the absurdities of suburban fatherhood. Now, he's gathered the very best of those essays-and invited his kids (and maybe even Posh) to annotate them with updated commentary, which they promise won't be too snarky. This collection of essays is the perfect gift for the father who would have everything-if he hadn't already given it all to his kids.
