Among the Bears : Raising Orphan Cubs in the Wild - by Benjamin Kilham, Ed Gray
A first-person account of wild bear behavior that is both a thrilling animal story and a groundbreaking work of science... In the spring of 1993 Ben Kilham, a naturalist who lives in the woodlands of New Hampshire, was given the "chore" of raising a pair of orphaned wild black bears. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Kilham wanted to raise the cubs to live successfully in the wild, but had to rely largely on his own common sense to achieve this goal. The experience changed his life. While spending thousands of hours with the cubs, Kilham discovered unknown facets of bear behavior that have radically revised our understanding of animal behavior. Now widely recognized for his contributions to wildlife science, Kilham reveals that black bears are altruistic and cooperate with unrelated, even unknown, individuals, while our closer relatives, the supposedly more highly evolved chimps, cooperate only within troops of recognizable members.

Walking With Bears : One Man's Relationship With Three Generations of Wild Bears - by Terry D. Debruyn, Terry, Ph.D. Debruyn
A biologist specializing in black bears of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Terry DeBruyn realized that the only way to protect a wild species is to gain a deep understanding of its behavior and needs. Like Jane Goodall, Diane Fosse, and others who have closely witnessed the lives of wild animals, DeBruyn, with enormous patience and respect, succeeds in acclimating a North American black bear with cubs to his presence. The rewards are immense. DeBruyn becomes a privileged guest, watching intimate family scenes; nursing, grooming, and wrestling among den mates. As he learns of their moods, relationships, and tragedies, he draws the reader deep into the lives of the most fascinating and feared of all wild animals. Walking with Bears is an endearing and moving tale of interspecies friendship.

Summer With the Bears : Six Seasons in the North Woods - by Jack Becklund, Patti Becklund (Photographer)
Poignant and entertaining, and enhanced by photos that reveal a unique and amazing friendship, Summers with the Bears is a fascinating chronicle of what happens when humans and wild animals cross the boundaries into each other's world. -- "A small miracle....Unpretentious, totally honest, utterly revealing, it stands alone in my experience with animal books. It is a fully transparent window into the real world that we are in danger of losing." -- Farley Mowat, author of Never Cry Wolf

Shooting Bears : The Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer - by John Pezzenti (Photographer), Lew Freedman (Introduction)
While numerous books in the subject of bears exist, none has approached their subjects with such drama, adventure, and extraordinary showmanship as John Pezzenti, one of the foremost wildlife photographers working today. Confronting his subjects as close as is humanly possible and still surviving, Pezzenti needs no special effects. He creates uniquely intimate portraits of these giant beasts and pulls the viewer himself into the middle of his photographic event immersing the reader in all the action and the thrill of proximity. The result of this amazing twenty-five year passion is a collection of the most compelling and powerful photographs ever taken of bears in the wild. Find yourself face to face with the great bears of North America - Polar, Brown, and Black - through this stunning book.

Regardless of which book you do read on the subject of bear avoidance, keep in mind that sometimes bears will do the unexpected. It's difficult to prepare yourself for any/all possibilities in the wilderness but the following books should instill in the reader a good deal of caution and knowledge on the subject of bear avoidance, as well as a healthy respect for this magnificent animal.

Bear Encounter Survival Guide - by Gary Shelton, James Gary Shelton
Bear Encounter Survival Guide, the first book on the subject by Gary Shelton, has become the authoritative work on how to survive bear attacks. It is now used by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, the U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service in Alaska, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Western Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, plus hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals. He's also written a second book on the subject: "Bear Attacks : The Deadly Truth" and a recent third book "Bear Attacks II : Myth & Reality" which also contains a bit of information on couger attacks.

Bear Attacks : Their Causes and Avoidance - by Stephen Herrero
Bear Attacks is a thorough and unflinching study of attacks made on man by the great grizzley and the less aggressive, but occasionally deadly, black bear. This is the sometimes horrific, yet instructive, story of Bear and Man. This book is for everyone who hikes, camps, or visits bear country -- and for anyone who wants to know more about these sometimes fearsome but always fascinating creatures. "Some readers may be uncomfortable with the descriptions of the bear attacks, but they supplement the author's points and provide graphic illustration of the potential damage a bear can inflict."

Mark of the Grizzly : True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned - by Scott McMillion
Mark of the Grizzly leaves nothing to the imagination or to legend. The book collects the true stories of 18 attacks by grizzlies between 1977 and 1997. Like any good investigator, Scott McMillion thoroughly examines each mauling and its aftermath. The people in these stories are from all walks of life--hikers, hunters, runners, wildlife photographers, and biologists in the field. They meet up with the Great Bear in Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, in Alaska, Montana, British Columbia. For most of these people, the mark left by the bears is one of lasting fear, but also of respect; in some cases, reverence. These survivors tell a gripping story. In the fatal attacks recounted here, many mysteries remain. But these are not mystery stories or horror stories. The terror of a grizzly attack has the power to teach us how to behave in the presence of these magnificent animals and how to avoid dangerous encounters. This blend of lesson and terror makes for a book you'll find hard to put down.

Grizzly Country - by Andy Russell
Few people know grizzlies as Andy Russell does. The grizzley bear has always inspired awe in man, but the animal's true nature and character has long been shrouded in myth. In Grizzly Country Russell shares stories from a lifetime of experience observing the bears. In wonderfully engaging prose, he puts the bear's habitat and range, habits, antics, food, life cycle, and temperament into perspective.

Night of the Grizzlies - by Jack Olsen
No human had ever been attacked by a grizzly in Glacier National Park until a summer day in 1963. On the same night 2 separate attacks took place by 2 different bears. These 2 bears weren't man eaters, so what happened? Why the attacks?? Follow this chilling story and learn the reasoning and IMPORTANCE behind the signs "Don't Feed The Bears".

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