Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie is subtitled "an ursine odyssey" and that certainly fits. In this very readable nonfiction book, Dickie details the history and current standing of the eight remaining bear species on earth. Across the globe, (almost all) bears are in trouble and this book gives the reader an excellent but not overwhelming understanding of why. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the organization and content; each chapter focuses on one bear species. Dickie often begins with a unique tidbit or the cultural relevance of the species and then moves on to her experience seeking out the bears in their habitat, followed by or interwoven with the challenges that species is up against, and ending with a fact based, level headed prediction of what might become of that bear in the near future. 

If you have ever been awed or curious about bears, this is an excellent book- even if you are not a frequent nonfiction reader. Well cited and researched, and backed by personal travels, Dickie does an excellent job at making the scientific content very digestible. I learned a lot reading this book and it is a new nonfiction favorite.