Mark of the Bear: Legend and Lore of an American Icon - Tapa dura

Mark of the Bear is a remarkable collection of ten original and previously published essays by leading American nature writers. Edited by Paul Schullery, it is a tribute to the spirit and romantic image of this American icon through stories of adventure and discovery. Filled with spectacular full-color photography by some of the nation's best nature and wildlife photographers, Mark of the Bear provides a unique personal encounter with these living legends.

isappeared as the bear walked out of the thin snow, as the new snow disappeared into open patches of sun. I thought of how the mild sun must feel on his thick coat ... I thought of the sweeping length of his claws. How can the world still have such a wondrous beast in it -- just on the edge of surviving, but still here? -- Rick Bass

Powerful, fierce, and magnificent, the Bear is the subject of myths and legends -- an animal that strikes in us a sense of fear, caution and curiosity. Portrayed in folklore and fiction as naive yet intelligent, forgiving yet vicious, the Bear transcends all that divides man and animal, suggesting how alike we are, yet how fascinatingly different.

If we are lucky, we see the Bear through its tell-tale signs -- a claw-scarred tree, the buried carcass of an elk or deer, or the chewed remains of a salmon left along a mountain stream. But we come to know the Bear through those who have encountered them, those who have met the Bear face-to-face and sur