Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America »

Loren Coleman, M.S.W., has researched the Copycat Effect for more than two decades. Coleman has been an adjunct professor at various universities in New England since 1980 and a senior researcher with the Muskie School for Public Policy. He is currently the primary consultant for the State of Maine's Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. The author, coauthor, or editor of more than twenty books, including the critically acclaimed work Suicide Clusters, lives in Portland, Maine.

For years, scientists and researchers have studied, speculated about, and searched for an enigmatic creature that is legendary in the annals of American folklore. Now, learn the truth about...

BIGFOOT!

In this fascinating and comprehensive look at the fact, fiction, and fable of the North American "Sasquatch," award-winning author Loren Coleman takes readers on a journey into America's biggest mystery -- could an unrecognized "ape" be living in our midst? Drawing on over forty years of investigations, interviews, and fieldwork on these incredible beasts, Coleman explores the modern debates about these powerful, ape-like creatures, why they have remained a mystery for so long, and what we can learn about ourselves from these animals, our nearest cousins!

From reports of Bigfoot's existence found in ancient Native American traditions, to the controversial Patterson-Gimlin film of a Bigfoot in the wild, to today's Internet sites that record the sightings almost as soon as they occur, Coleman uncovers the past, explains the present, and considers the future of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the natural world.

KLIATT

Every library needs an update of its section on Bigfoot, and this will serve good high school readers and adults. All his life, Coleman has been a naturalist and is regarded as a serious contemporary researcher, so he has more credibility than most as he writes on a subject many dismiss as a hoax. When, in 1957, he watched a Japanese-made SF movie about "an unknown species of hairy, upright creature," he began a lifetime odyssey in search of the elusive beast/human called variously the Abominable Snowman, Yeti, Sasquatch, Bigfoot (a name that took hold in 1958), Windigo, and quite a number of other labels. Coleman presents evidence that includes footprints, handprints, sounds, a long history of newspaper reports, and interviews with numerous persons of varying reliability. He has firm beliefs about physical characteristics, habitat, and numbers; he believes Bigfoot to be nocturnal and intelligent. The well-written book is full of intriguing anecdotes and examples, combining folklore and research. The range of Bigfoot lore is wider and deeper than most would imagine, and Coleman has done a good job of documenting it for a popular audience. He includes a nine-page bibliography of sources and an appendix titled "Twenty Best Places to See Bigfoot." KLIATT Codes: SA;Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Pocket Books, Paraview, 278p. illus. bibliog. index., Boardman