Book excerpt: This “up-close [and] graceful account” of the polar bear combines historical accounts, research, and the author’s own encounters in the Arctic (Kirkus Reviews). Polar bears are creatures of paradox: They are white bears whose skin is black; massive predators who can walk almost silently; Arctic residents whose major problem is not staying warm, but keeping cool. Fully grown they can measure ten feet and weigh close to two thousand pounds, but at birth they are just twenty ounces. Human encounters with these legendary creatures can be both exhilarating and terrifying. Tales throughout history describe the ferocity of polar bear attacks on humans. But human hunters have exacted a far larger toll, obliging Arctic nations to try to protect their region’s iconic species before it’s too late. Now another threat to the polar bears’ survival has emerged, one that is steadily destroying sea ice and the life it supports. Without this habitat, polar bears cannot exist. The Great White Bear celebrates the story of this unique species. Through a blend of history, myth, personal observations, and scientific accounts, Kieran Mulvaney tells the story of the polar bear: its history, its life, and its uncertain fate.