Out on a Limb: What Black Bears Have Taught Me about Intelligence and Intuition

Kilham (Among the Bears) has spent the bulk of his life raising, observing, and rehabilitating injured bears and thus has amazing stories to tell about the bonds he has formed with these powerful animals. He has seen mothers disciplining their cubs, courtship behavior, multigenerational family gatherings, and much more. However, the author incessantly reiterates his role as a scientific outsider and regularly attacks mainstream science while asserting that he has created his “own method of art and science.” Like many on the fringes of science, he believes that anecdote and intuition are far more important than statistical patterns. His interpretation of all that he has seen and experienced is steeped in intuition and rife with anthropomorphism. What complicates matters even further is that Kilham seems to confuse scientific terms, from “altruism” and “niche” to “natural selection” and “evolution.” He offers what might be New Age gibberish in place of meaningful science: “Once stabilized, an organism can remain in a stable form for millions of years.” Though Kilham presents a huge amount of fascinating material about black bear behavior, his book is flawed. 16-page color insert. (Nov.)