Murie's book (originally a scientific monograph) on Ursus horribilis, the great brown bear, is a 242-page collection of observations of the grizzly's actions and relationships with its habitat. Murie's first-hand observations date from 1922 to the 1960s and were made around Denali (the original native name of Mount McKinley).

Murie's observations are dispassionate and objective, seemingly free of any bias for or against the great bear (although, at the conclusion, his admiration for the beast and his passionate desire that mankind refrain from "managing" wildlife do emerge). His observations include such topics as bears' range and movement, mating, mother-cub interaction, food habits, and relationship with various types of potential prey such as caribou, moose, Dall sheep, squirrels, marmots and mice.

As mentioned, Murie's observations deal only with the grizzlies of interior Alaska around McKinley National Park. He occasionally refers to but does not report on the brown bears of the Alaskan southern coastal areas, although he does accept them as a variety of grizzly (some feel that they are different species or sub-species).

Before buying this book, the reader should understand that it is not a "story book" about bears. There is no connected "story line" throughout the book, nor is it a collection of harrowing tales about grizzly attacks on hapless humans. Readers looking for entertainment or excitement should seek elsewhere. However, the book is quite illuminating as to the normal habits of normal grizzlies in their normal environment, and readers who wish to understand the actions (and, dare I say, the thought processes) of these animals will find the book a realistic, down-to-earth resource. It does not propose any encompassing scientific theories or postulate new hypotheses about grizzlies; it merely reports on how they act, where they roam, and how they live. In the end, this fairly long series of observations is quite effective in painting a very realistic and useful picture of both the grizzlies and, to a lesser extent, of the animals upon which they prey or with which they coexist.

There are a few somewhat grainy, black and white photographs reproduced in the book, indicative of the photographic technology available to Murie. Somehow, though, their quality adds to the overall impression of the book as the product of a keen observer of wildlife half a century and more ago. In brief, I found the book interesting and informative, if not exactly a "page-turner," and it should be useful to those who would become naturalists, who are curious about grizzlies, or who, like me, will always feel somewhat entranced by Alaska, the Last Frontier, and its still-wild creatures.

There are so few grizzly bears left alive in the Lower 48 that grizzlies have become mytholigized as either demonic carnivores or hapless river wading salmon fishers.

Adolph Murie was one of our greatest naturalists. His books on wolves, mammals, and grizzlies all share the same great style of writing; that mix of wonder and research that illuminates the true nature of wildlife and man's place among them.

This book tells accounts of bush pilots in the 1930s-1950s. If you like tales of aviation and adventure, check this out.

I just finished this book and hated to put it down. I will buy a copy for a friend who flew in Alaska from 1951 to 1995 and who now flies in the Pacific Northwest. Many of the planes are somewhat familiar to me. I did not fly except as a passenger on a few flights in Alaska when I was there in the Air Force for 20 months in 1951 and '52. The Authors' descriptions of accidents and near accidents point up the difficulty of the combination of limitations of aircraft, landing options (or lack of), hazardous terrain and uncompromising weather. The surviving bush pilots used the most amazing skills to make a success of flying in such a formidable and hostile environment. Excellent book!

Ice Floe is a wonderful collection of poems from the famous and not so famous from around the world who share a common life experience--living in the arctic regions of our globe. The poems are in many languages, some obscure, but all are also translated into english. Many of the poets speak of the unique experiences of living in the far north such as, endless summer days and non-existent winter daylight, as well as wildlife, and the difficulties of living in extreme conditions. I found this a delightful collection of poems.

Kirk and Gramse stepped outside the box of our language to give us a far-north version of the whole human world. Meaning and power comes from the splendor or each poem and from the breadth of the chosen poems--simple to complicated, cheerful to desperate, big idea to tiny. Meaning and power come also from form. Original language with English translation there, unavoidable on the page and strange to one another, but read either version and know our personal human experiences keep us kin. Terrific.

Very entertaining story about a man and his desire to go in the opposite direction of the trend and experience his life as he wants to. This is a chance for the rest of us to get a taste of what it must be like to step into a life that our fears would otherwise keep us from ever doing. The courage of men like Rudy Billberg, help humankind to push the envelope of the human experience and continue the pushing for new challenges.

Rudy Billberg's experiences from from barnstorming to bush piloting as told to Jim Rearden portray a uniquely rich and exciting era of American history. I felt as though I was riding in the cockpit with Rudy buzzing everything from golden wheat fields in the midwest to brave grizzly bears in the Yukon. Bill Rohovit (bill_rohovit@we.xerox.com

This is a very interesting book for anyone who has wondered what life was like in Anchorage prior to the oil boom. It the story of a small time punk who proceeds to get involved in a variety of cheap stunts that all revolve around either gambling, prostitution or racketeering. While it sounds depressing, actually it is a glimpse into the highly spirited society (admittedly the underbelly) that made Alaska such an exciting place to live. For anyone who thinks Alaska is all about gortex or salmon, this is a must read.

I read this book after seeing the movie 'Johnny's Girl' which is based on Kim Rich's life story. As I suspected, the book offered a fuller portrait of the struggles Rich endured and the sense of survial she must have felt. Her writing style is fluid and funny and moving and I recommend this book to readers who value excellent literarily nonfiction. I look forward to her next book!

I became engrossed in the fascinating culture of these people whom the main character ends up living with, and learning so much from.

This was one of those books you wish didn't end, or at least you wish you could follow the characters through the rest of their lives and find out what happens to them after you finish the last page.

This is one of the best books I ever read. It is a facinating story about a man living in our times, who suddenly finds himself living among Eskimos, according to THEIR ways and traditions. These Eskimos have little or no knowledge of the world outside of their frozen tundra and speak their own language. The author did a splendid job of telling the story, it was compelling. It is hard to imagine a culture so different from our own and was simply facinating reading about this man trying to adjust to their ways, as he had no choice, because he was stuck there. THIS book should be a movie, of this I have no doubt.

I think the book is cute for children! The book made me want to know a little bit more on gray wolves, they are so pretty! I love how you write nature books, I wish you would write more books on butterflys! Gorgeous book!

i really like this book, if you are a fan of wolves, this would be your bible.

Well written and encyclopedic in its range, this book is also full of amazing photographs.

This book is an absolute must for mountain and photography enthusiasts. Washburns photographs of Mt. Mckinley are beyond word description. This is the perfect coffee table book that you will look at hundreds of times. When people look at my copy they can't put it down. The mountain is viewed from every angle from high altitude to on the peak itself. Even though these photos were taken many years ago mountain climbers still use this book to get details for new routes. Washburn squeezes in the climbing history of Mckinley (Of which he and his wife are a big part of), between the incredible full page photos. I love this book. I tell friends that they can look at but don't ask to borrow it!

If you like mountaineering books, you should like this one. It does have a few interesting quirks. Roberts was a Harvard student who climbed and this book describes two different ascents in Alaska on Deborah and Mt. Huntington. Not only are the two climbs entirely different, so is the writing style since they were written at different times. The first story is the Deborah ascent made with only one other climber. This story was written later and clearly narrates the climb while the Huntington climb tends to write in a more imaginative style attempting to explore thoughts and reasons why people climb. Frankly, I scanned some paragraphs in the second story as he would get on a tangent and leave the climbing facts. This climb is much more exciting due to the success of the climb and two more personalities involved on the climb. The Deborah climb tends to be one hardship after another. Having said this, there is a shocking occurrence after the successful climb that touches the climbers for the rest of their lives. This story has so emotionally attached you as a member of the party that it is impossible to put down for the last 50 pages. I recommend this book to mountaineering fans interested in the mundane tasks necessary for a successful Alaska assault. Also this will be interesting for readers wanting to explore interpersonal relationships under extreme hardships.

These two books contain some of the best writing ever done on the subject of mountaineering. "Deborah" starts out at a slow plodding pace but then draws the reader into the events that happened to Roberts and his partner in the remote wilderness of Alaska. The dynamics of the two climbers make for a interesting study of how people deal with extreme conditions. "The Mountain of My Fear" is a much more straight forward account of the first ascent of Mt. Huntington. Again the interactions of the climbers as described by Roberts makes for a fascinating read. The tragic ending leaves the author really questioning the whole point of climbing mountains. If I was going to recommend a book for a non-climber to read to gain some understanding of why people climb this would definitely be it.

Loved some of the pictures, but overall they are derivative or strained. Tell these guys to do something new.

This review will have a simple message. As a long-time Alaskan ---I say---Buy this book ---get extra copies for your friends and relatives, and even people you just meet in traffic jams.
For too long Alaska has been dominated by well-meaning, but rather pedestrian post cards. We have a beautiful state and strong people, but post cards have not shown our real diversity.
This book does it all! In the last couple decades, these black and white post cards have become cult classics. One or two are duct taped on honey buckets and slightly broken windows in cabins all over the place. But few people have the collection.
Take for example, one of the best of the best--
"Alaska: 10 Good Men for Every Woman." 10 of Alaska's apparently finest men vie for the attention of one disinterested blonde.
Also one of my favorites:"Giant Alaska Cabbages" Forget other post cards. On this card, the cabbages are as tall as Anchorage office buildings. And inspirational: "First Oldsmobile Ascent of Mt. McKinley." That classic Oldsmobile goes where only a hearty few climbers have gone before.
There are many more. If you can't afford a trip to Alaska this year, buy the book. (it's cheap) Then come up soon and see the real deal, including "Young Lawyers Attempt to Pass the Alaska Bar (guess what kind of bar) and "Hooligan Fishing." Fish off a pier for young Holigans (some of whom may be lawyers). Yuk Yuk. Guaranteed to get you laughing, no matter what the news from Wall Street, Iraq and Wrigley Field!