Part 1 Preface Chapter 2 Chapter 1: Encounters with Monsters Chapter 3 Chapter 2: The Natural History of Bigfoot Chapter 4 Chapter 3: The Social History of Bigfoot Chapter 5 Chapter 4. Bigfoot Scrutinized: Why the Greatest Hits are all Misses Chapter 6 Chapter 5: The Patterson Film Chapter 7 Chapter 6: Further Musings on Footprints Chapter 8 Chapter 7: Three Red Herrings Chapter 9 Chapter 8: A Science of Sasquatch? Chapter 10 Chapter 9: The Eyewitness Problem Chapter 11 Chapter 10: The Bardin Booger Chapter 12 Chapter 11: The Phenomenon Part 13 References Part 14 Index Part 15 About the Author
David J. Daegling, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Florida, is a biological anthropologist specializing in the study of primate anatomy and biomechanics.
I could not put it down! It is absolutely marvelous. Daegling's
handling of the subject itself, as well as his treatment of the
tension between science and, well, not science, is masterful. His
writing style is spot on, perfect for a book written by a scientist
for a popular audience.
*Kenneth L. Feder, Central Connecticut State University*
Here is the book that both true believers and doubters have long
been calling for: a serious scientific look at the evidence for
Bigfoot's physical existence. Elegantly reasoned and written,
Bigfoot Exposed treats the subject with an open mind, the care and
depth it deserves, and respect for everyone involved. Those of us
who remain hopeful that Bigfoot walks should definitely read this
enjoyable book, as well as the skeptics. While Dr. Daegling cannot
prove that Sasquatch is strictly legendary, he certainly raises the
bar for belief in North America's giants. This can only be good for
all in search of the truth.
*Robert Michael Pyle, author of Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the
Dark Divide*
How do you prove the nonexistence of something like Bigfoot? You
can't. But you can critically examine the evidence, and apply
scientific ways of thinking to establish probabilities that the
wild man of the woods does or does not exist. In Bigfoot Exposed,
physical anthropologist Daegling shows us how to reason
scientifically. Anyone interested in critical thinking will want to
read this book.
*Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director, National Center for Science
Education, Inc.*
Daegling's level-headed dissection of the (surprisingly) enduring
legend of Bigfoot is more thoughtful and bemused than derisively
dismissive. But there's no question that the biological
anthropologist—a specialist in primate anatomy and biomechanics,
useful disciplines for a study of primate bones no one can find and
for analyzing a creature's distinctive gait—both starts and ends
his examination of evidence for the big beast's existence as a
confirmed skeptic. He's a scientist, and scientists depend on
verifiable data; his thorough examination—more a reasoned
debunking—of the existing data brings refreshing clarity to a
muddled mystery. By book's end, Daegling has convincingly refuted
the few seconds of film allegedly capturing Bigfoot, back in 1958,
and skillfully undercut the "proof" of oversized footprints by
reporting on men who constructed fake feet. And he has, almost
sorrowfully, assessed the arguments of the truly obsessed, which
link Bigfoot's essential invisibility to the intervention of UFOs.
It's not likely to change minds, however: as Daegling himself
notes, myths don't depend on facts to fuel their persistence.
*Publishers Weekly*
Highly recommended. All public and academic levels/libraries.
*The Washington Post*
David Daegling has written a wonderful book on the North American
Bigfoot myth. It is conversational in style, and peppered with
exceptionally well-written turns of phrase. The book is admirably
thorough, and a model for others to follow in debunking myths.
*Jeffrey K. McKee, The Ohio State University, author of The
Riddled Chain and Sparing Nature*
I think Bigfoot Exposed is a wonderful contribution to the legend
of Bigfoot and emphasizes the correct role for science within the
controversy. The arguments advanced are sound and not only
well-constructed but artfully so. Overall the book is terrific! If
someone wanted a comprehensive scientific review of Bigfoot, there
presently are no other good options.
*Michael R. Dennett, Scientific and Technical consultant to the
Skeptical Inquirer, writer and longtime researcher into the
legend of Bigfoot*
Bigfoot, aka the Sasquatch, gets no respect, especially from
scientists. So complained the creature's advocates, and
anthropologist David J. Daegling agreed with them. In writing
Bigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologists Examines America's Enduring
Legend, he drew upon not only his own specialty but also, with the
help of friends, the physics of human movement. The latter was
helpful in analyzing such traces of the creature as casts of its
footprints and a film in which it is allegedly seen walking in its
Nortwest U.S. habitat. Daegling's conclusion is straightforward:
'The absence of physical remains—bodies or parts thereof—is to my
mind the most devastating argument against the Sasquatch.' One
point made much of by Bigfoot enthusiasts is the sheer number of
reported sightings that paint a relatively consistent portrait of
the creature. It would be preposterous, they contend, to think that
so many people could have entered into a kind of conspiracy to
plant so much similar evidence. Daegling rejoins that this mode of
argument sets up 'a rhetorical trick known as the false dilemma.'
It hardly takes conspiring to produce a consistent profile of a
Bigfoot. 'If potential hoaxers can read a newspaper or operate a
television remote,' the author writes, 'they have the ability to
acquire descriptions of Bigfoot evidence and recreat that evidence
in short order.'
*The Washington Post*
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