cover image Bigfoot: Exploring the Myth & Discovering the Truth

Bigfoot: Exploring the Myth & Discovering the Truth

Tom Burnette and Rob Riggs. Llewellyn, $15.99 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-0-7387-3631-0

"Bigfoot are naturally going to be seen in remote places," state Bigfoot experts Burnette and Riggs (In the Big Thicket) to open this examination and potential explanation for the existence of the legendary creature. The duo go on to relate a number of eyewitness accounts, as well as their own experiences, before bringing in other experts to corroborate their hypotheses and aid in documenting the elusive beast, leaving with only some footprints to show for their efforts. Skeptical readers will find the book's first half to be informative but predictable. Proceedings take an interesting turn in Chapter Six, "Why It's So Hard to Prove Their Existence," where the authors offer numerous theories before they reach a far-out possibility: that Bigfoot are supernatural creatures that can come and go as they please, appearing and disappearing at will. The book's latter third examines this theory, questioning whether or not Bigfoot are somehow tied to energy fields, electromagnetic disturbances, and the appearance of mysterious light phenomena. The speculations will provide Bigfoot enthusiasts with plenty to contemplate, as will Burnette's assertion that he's captured "the best Bigfoot picture bar none in the world." Oddly enough, neither that picture nor any others are included here, leaving more questions than answers. (Mar.)