I mentioned this book in the Pilot Episode of the Cubs Out Loud Podcast. Years ago I bought this book as I started learning about the Bear Community. I have to say that the Bear Handbook was a great representation of what Bears are all about. As Ray Kampf explains in his introduction, this book was not to be taken seriously. However there is truth in those lies. I had loaned my Bear Handbook to a friend of mine several years back and didn’t get it back before he moved from the Twin Cities. I just recently bought the book again and am reading it. Knowing what I know about the Bear Community now, the book is out of date. When the author primary refers all his bear brethren to the BML, Resources for Bears, and talks about Bear Magazine and American Bear as the Bear Magazines, you know there needs to be a volume 2. Technology has grown to encompass more options for the bear community. This includes the many podcasts like mine, the “New” bear sites, bear runs, club mailing list, text messaging, chat clients. I may sound like I’m bashing The Bear Handbook, but I cannot give it anything lower than a 5. For the year 2000 for which this book was published, it was a wonderful representation of the time. Now if only Ray would write an updated version. If you’re a bear, cubs, otter, chaser, et al, you should get this book and have it in your archive.