Never Look a Polar Bear in the Eye: A Family Field Trip to the Arctic's Edge in Search of Adventure, Truth, and Mini-Marshmallows

Overall this is an entertaining and witty book. As someone who has also visited Churchill, I wondered how the author would feel about this small town who's numbers swell every fall with tourists who want to see the magnificent polar bears waiting for the ice to freeze on the Hudson Bay. The author is there for the same reason but he seemingly puts himself above the mere tourist because he is doing research {in order to write this book}. He is critical of the tourists yet he puts himself into a variety of situations with the intent that he will see bears. His goal is the same as those he criticizes. Additionally, he is pretty critical of the shabbiness of the town, yet criticizes their efforts to earn money catering to the tourists during the season. And, he admits to living in an apartment where he and his family have no furniture because their stay in the community is temporary. He redeems himself somewhat by giving an accurate accounting of the numbers and health of the bears which he admits is much better than his preconceived vision was. Because of this honesty, he has been criticized by climate change activists who have adopted the polar bear as the symbol of environmental doom. Their numbers are larger and their health is basically the same as it was decades ago...some years better, some years worse. It is truly a survival of the fittest scenario.One comment I must make about his condemnation of the tourists who take the tundra buggy excursions...I stayed at the tundra buggy lodge parked on the shore of the bay. The author accuses the drivers of allowing the tourists to shout at the bears, bang on the side of the tundra buggy to get their attention. Our guide and driver NEVER allowed this behavior. We did not pursue bears, but instead parked and allowed them to approach the vehicle if they so chose. I'm not sure which company he went with, the my Natural Habitat guide and driver never would have allowed us to act so disrespectful.

I found this book funny and entertaining, but I wouldn't bet the science on it. Unger spent only a week with one scientist in the field, and one that, in his own admission, was marginalized by other polar bear biologists. The rest of the book is his family vacation for 3 months in Churchill, with various bear watching tourist excursions.Unger gives you a good picture of Churchill, and the life there, as well as the local color. I came away with a clear idea of the economics and exploitation of the polar bear scene there. But as far as a science writer, this is not the book. In the end, Ungar gathers a few facts and decides his opinion lies somewhere in the middle--global warming is definitely real, polar bears will face a difficult and limited future, but there will remain some bears living in the far north regions of the Arctic where ice will still be found. Frankly, I don't see how he can come to a 'conclusion' when even the most prominent climatologists and bear scientists cannot predict what will happen with certainty.Read the book for a good laugh and a cursory understanding of polar bears.

I bought the book because I will be visiting Churchill on a tour in November. I thought it would give me a good look at the polar bear situation and whether the creatures are actually endangered or not. It did give me that. It also gave me an overdose of the author's condescending attitude towards tourists. Having lived in a resort area for seven years, I am very aware of the way locals feel about tourists. It's a love-hate affair. To be fair to those who have spent multi-thousands of dollars on a polar bear excursion, though, it's not like a seashore daytripper. For what it's worth, locals like those who stop into town for six months or so even less than the daily and weekly visitors. That's probably why they advised the author to go outside and ignore the warning signs. They wanted him to be eaten.

Loved this book. It started out on a serious note but it turned out to be an hilarious accounting of the author search for the truth regarding the fate of the polar bares in Churchill, Canada. Highly recommended this book.

Zac really compiled a great book with research and personal insights into the research. The character development and location descriptions were detailed and created a tapestry of scenes and events that put you firmly in the environment. It was an enjoyable read and if Zac's aim was to make us question everything we read, and be objective and sceptical of polar bear issues, he mastered it. well done.

I read this book as my husband and I traveled to Churchill in August. We were there to see beluga whales but hoped to see a bear ( which we didn't). This book was delightful and accurate in its description of Churchill, which we enjoyed immensely. As tree huggers who grew up in the 60s, the scientific and environmental issues discussed in the book were very much appreciated.

I thoroughly enjoyed Zac Unger's writing style. The facts he presented challenged some of my beliefs and changed them. What really impressed me was his dedication to his project. He moved to Churchill, MB to do his research. He was changed by the experience. His wife and kids went to Churchill with him without a murmur! A good read. I highly recommend it.

The eco types will note that the author went to the location where the bear concentration is the heaviest, and where they are most used to people, but the fact that there are so many doing so well here means that even if they lose some range over the years due to climate change IF that occurs, the bears are not in imminent danger of extinction and are actually thriving in some places.

Great read. Confirmed my suspicions that global warming and polar bear extinction are myths. Easy read, lots of educational data.

a very good book of northern life