«“Thank heavens for Mike Stark for rummaging around in creepy caves, unearthing remote museum curators, and otherwise doing the far-flung homework needed to bring us this compelling elegy to one of prehistoric North America’s most spectacular carnivores.”—Paul Schullery, author of Lewis and Clark among the Grizzlies and The Bear Doesn’t Know»

« “A finely crafted mosaic of natural history, historical drama, and personal odyssey—seasoned with musings about the impermanence of life. . . . Mike Stark has managed to bring back to life not only this fascinating animal—Arctodus simus, the giant short-faced bear—but also the paleontologists who risked life and limb pursuing its scattered remains.”—David Mattson, former longtime grizzly bear scientist for the National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey»

"Readers with an interest in paleontology, zoology, or ecology will find this book fascinating. Those unfamiliar with these disciplines may find their curiosity piqued by opening the book."—J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal Star

"A must-have for anyone with an interest in prehistoric bears!"—Birdbooker Report

"This book is journalism at its best."—Vernon Schmid, RoundUp Magazine