This is a unique biography of black, brown (grizzly and Kermode/spirit), and polar bears. From their prehistoric evolution, through their history of survival and demise due to humans and fragile environments, to the future of bears and humans, the author shares scientific and personal observations of these magnificent and misunderstood creatures. Marion, a French naturalist, author, and filmmaker, has observed bears for over 40 years in Japan, Siberia, Alaska, Finland, and BC. He shares his belief that bears are a reflection of ourselves. Once bears lived symbiotically with humans, as evidenced by international legends and customs. On Being a Bear includes insights into the medical potential of using bear microbiota, serum, and bile for understanding human conditions like muscular atrophy, osteoporosis, kidney disease, and neurological disorders. Recommended for nature lovers and science inquiry projects.

248 pp., 5.25 × 7.5", b&w photographs and illustrations • Bibliography • Index

Source: Association of Book Publishers of BC - BC Books for Schools (2021-2022)

Rémy Marion's profile page

Lambert Wilson's profile page

RÉMY MARION is an author, photographer, and documentary filmmaker who has devoted his life to observing bears in the wild since the 1980s. Marion is a member of France’s national societies of geographers and explorers, and he is considered to be one of the country’s leading authorities on brown bears and polar bears.

“[T]here’s plenty of entertaining biology and anthropology alike in these pages. Those with a fondness for our shaggy fellow mammals will enjoy Marion’s wanderings in the world of bears.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Marion's obvious love for bears shines throughout this very readable primer on our ursine cousins.”
—Booklist

“[A] holistic look at brown bears, black bears and polar bears...a celebration of all things bear.”
—Hollywood Soapbox

“[On Being a Bear] delivers a precise and passionate account of the current state of bears wherever they live. It deserves a prominent place on the shelf of every serious lover of the ursus species.”
—Bernd Brunner, author of Bears: A Brief History, Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds, and Winterlust:Finding Beauty in the Fiercest Season