Bears: A Year in the Life

When first published, Bears received excellent reviews and sold particularly well. The book focuses on an entire year in the lives of the three bear species found in North America -- the brown bear, the black bear and the polar bear. Matthias Breiter shows how these widely feared but rarely encountered animals hunt, feed, play, mate and breed.

Based on the bears' yearly cycle, from when they awaken from hibernation and give birth in February through the return of winter and another hibernation, the book includes:

• Polar bears and their unique marine habitat
• Brown and black bears across their ranges
• Dangers from bears that live too close to human habitation
• Biology and breeding
• The five bear species that do not live in North America.

Bears is lavishly illustrated with more than 125 remarkable color photographs taken in the wild. By shattering myths and revealing unusual facts, this book increases the understanding of these magnificent creatures.

Matthias Breiter is a renowned photographer and cinematographer and the author of nine books. He has been a guest lecturer at the Smithsonian Institute, and his award winning photographs appear regularly in magazines, including National Geographic and GEO.