Out here, one had to be adept at discriminating between shades of white: porcelain, bone white, eggshell, milky white, pearl. Spotting a polar bear, particularly in a snowstorm, was an ocular feat.

Prepare for adventure exploring the "mythic past and imperiled future" of all eight of Earth's remaining bear species. From South America (home of the spectacled bear) to Asia (sloth bear, panda, moon and sun bears) to North America (black, brown, and polar bears), journalist Gloria Dickie shares the fascinating stories of Eight Bears and the people who either protect or endanger them. (CH)