wYes, humans are on top of the food chain, but as "Man Eaters: True Tales of Animals Stalking, Mauling, Killing, and Eating Human Prey" ($24.95, Lyons Press) points out, sometimes the underdog wins.
Bears get the lion’s share of the book, with stories of humans vs. grizzly, black and polar bears.
The writing is first-rate. "Bears of the Year-Long Day" is a gripping chapter of a trapper and three near-fatal polar bear encounters.
There are enough teeth, fangs and claws for everyone, maybe too many for readers who prefer to see the outdoors through park-colored glasses.
Other wildlife-related books are less scary, and any of them could find their way under someone’s tree or in their stocking on Christmas morning:
No matter how a reader feels about hunting, John Taintor Foote’s "Dog Upon the Waters" will cut through reluctance with its delivery, storyline and tug on the emotions.
The essays cover the vagaries of fish, fishing before funerals and characters on the water. Although serious about fishing, Hall still sees the humor and tries to understand Maine residents’ prejudices when it comes to fish.
Still out there on the water, braving the chill but appreciating the experience? Looking for a destination with more protection than Puget Sound?
Terry Rudnick’s "Washington Boating and Water Sports" ($19.95, Foghorn) can guide you to hundreds of alternatives. He also rates the destinations and gives directions. Lake Whatcom earns a nine (out of 10), Martha Lake an eight.
Slick pages, excellent color photographs of action sequences, and advice from the man Core Sports magazine called the kayaker of the millennium make "Playboating" a must read if you’re contemplating whitewater action on your own or a future on the rodeo circuit.
Color photographs and adequate color drawings will help hikers identify fish, birds, amphibians and mammals from bats to mountain beavers.
Phil Powers offers 240 pages of quality sketches and information that will make your trip into the winter high country a safer one.
Also in its second edition is NOLS’ "Wilderness First Aid" ($14.95, Stackpole), full of knowledge that you might need while mountaineering. It’s arguably the clearest of the first-aid books for the outdoors.
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