Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science

The book is concise, scientific and knowledgable. I am not looking for sensationalistic stories, I am looking for scientific data on the mystery of this hominid. This book did not dissapoint.

If you were to only own one book on the subject matter this would be it. It has a scientific approach and well researched. I have had this for years and bought several copies for gifts.

I first learned about "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science" on November 10 of this year, when I was sitting in my car listening to NPR's "Talk of the Nation/Science Friday". They had a guy on named Jeff Meldrum, who was talking about Sasquatch sightings. He sounded very knowledgeable and intelligent -- oh, and he had a new book out. Intrigued, I sought it out at the local Borders store. It was, I think, a very good sign that it was in the "Science/Biology" section, rather than the "Paranormal" section sandwiched in between "Crop Circles" and "UFOs". Now, most of us have probably heard tales of Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, from childhood onward. It's part of American folklore. I think subconsciously I'd always kind of associated Bigfoot sightings with ridiculously gullible people who might also claim to have seen Elvis at the local shopping mall. Steven Spielberg poked fun at this in one scene of his classic film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". But a funny thing happened as I dug into the book, a nice, sturdy hardcover tome suitable for reading while propped up in bed. I learned that a wide variety of people have seen signs of something big and mysterious in the woods of North America. These are experienced backwoodsmen, hunters, trackers, naturalists and primatologists. Sightings by settlers go back to the mid 1800's. Even Jane Goodall, a world-renowned export on apes, was persuaded by the evidence she'd examined. It would seem that, whatever Sasquatch may turn out to be, it's no joke. Without repeating the entire book, I will instead list some of the big questions and observations that are made or raised therein. o The chapter on Cryptozoology discusses various "unknown" creatures which may exist around the world. One of these is the yeti, or "abominable snowman", of the Himalayas. How similar are its footprints to those of Sasquatch? o One useful technique for discovering unknown mammal species in remote places is to consult with indigenous peoples. They, after all, are in the best position to know where to look. So, what does Native American legend and lore, and artwork, have to say about Sasquatch? o There have been some pretty infamous hoaxes concerning Bigfoot, particularly the ones perpetrated by Ray Wallace and his family members. Does this mean that all Sasquatch sightings are hoaxes? How would it be possible to tell real ones from fake? o There are tantalizing fossil remains of an ancient giant ape called Gigantopithecus. Could Sasquatch turn out to be one of these? Just how hard is it for fossils to be created in places like Oregon and Washington State? How commonplace are fossils for known primate species, such as chimpanzees and gorillas? o Casts of Sasquatch footprints, including known forgeries, are quite abundant. What does detailed analysis of the presumed "real" ones have to say about the kind of creature which made them. How similar are they to, say, bear paw prints? o What about dermatoglyphics, th

Over the past couple of years, I've read quite a few books on Sasquatch. Of the newer books, "Raincoast Sasquatch" by J.R. Alley was easily the best...until now. I really don't know anything about Alley and I can't say anything about his motivations, but as I read the many other recent books I kept getting this feeling that "Bigfoot is Big business" to quote Jerry Coleman. Indeed it seems that some current "researchers" compile a list of sightings and then proceed to make incredible postulations about all aspects pertinent to Sasquatch and unfortunatley, some even make sweeping generalizations about known animal behavior which are in fact completely untrue. Up until now, there appeared to be a lack of true scientific investigation on behalf of the research community and in many of the recent books there was a general request from these guys for academia to investigate the Sasquatch phenomenon. Well, thanks to Jeff and the other researchers involved, we have a good scientific book to read and enjoy. This book is by far the best of the rest. It's not chock full of sightings, it's not hinging all bets on "Patty", and it's not pursuing the UFO-Bigfoot theory. Thank God! What you do get is good material from footprint examinations by a specialist in bipedal biomechanics, dermatoglyphics, vocalization analysis, some "Patty" discussion, and some statistical analysis. The latter which I find a little problematic. I think Fahrenbach has developed a nice, simple methodology for trying to determine some metrics for Sasquatch feet. I don't agree that his stats will necessarily remove or otherwise separate hoaxes from real feet based upon dimensions. If we consider that the ultimate purpose of a hoax is to have fun and "pull the wool over someone's face", then wouldn't we, as a hoaxer, intend to create a fake foot which will conform to known dimensions? It seems unlikely that anyone would fake a footprint 30 inches long and 5 inches wide because who would believe it? Thus, it seems more likely that a hoaxer would make 15 or 16 inch feet that are sufficiently wide as to agree with other prints. Therefore, I think Fahrenbach's data would be more convincing if he chose to include data from measurements made on fake feet which supposedly are in collections. Then, we would get a true comparison of where these fake feet lie in comparison to assumed real feet. Furthermore, I think consultation of a local soils specialist may help in constraining the predicted weight of the beast because they could determine some range for the lithostatic, effective, and hydrostatic forces necessary to compress the soil. This may only be applicable to fresh prints. Other than those minor concerns, I think this is an excellent book and a way forward for the science. Hopefully, Jeff has started an enduring investigation into the world of Sasquatch.

To list everything that is good about this book would require a recitation of virtually everything in it. This is a great book for anyone curious about, or skeptical of, the sasquatch/bigfoot mystery. It provides a clear, rational, science-based examination of the evidence that stands head and shoulders above many of the other books on the subject, and Jeff Meldrum avoids the proselytizing--both pro and con--that characterizes the work of too many other authors in this field. While it is a companion piece to the DVD of the same name, it goes far deeper in its examination of the mystery than time allowed in the show. Bravo!

I have a collection of over 200 books related to bigfoot. Dr. Meldrum's "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science" is the most significant book on the subject I have ever read. Finally putting all we know into one cohesive text, Dr. Meldrum addresses the evidence, hoaxes, theories, concepts, and "myths" related to bigfoot in a professional and scientific manner. Significant in the book is the discussion of the Skookum Cast, Patterson/Gimlin film, footprint evidence, and dermatoglyphics. I highly recommend this book as it will be quoted by the bigfoot community for years to come! Kathy Moskowitz Strain

It took me only 3 1/2 days to finish this book, the third-most important Sasquatch book to have in your collection (followed closely by "Meet The Sasquatch" and "Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us"). Meldrum covers so many topics that were covered in the TV special that preceded this handsome volume, but the book goes beyond the TV special. Meldrum discusses the Ray Wallace fiasco, the Patterson/Gimlin Film (with an exclusive interview with Bob Gimlin), video footage, footprint morphology and dermatoglyphics, bear/Sasquatch misidentifications, Great Ape behavior and its parallels to Sasquatch behavior, statistical data and information and several other different topics. I would say if you only buy one Sasquatch book this year, make it this one. It's terrific, well-written and scholarly and sober. Would make a great Christmas or birthday gift for the skeptic in your family or circle of friends.