"Prime Arctic predator and nomad of the sea, ice, and tundra, the polar bear endures as a source of wonder, terror, and fascination ... [This book] traces and illuminates this intertwined history, from Inuit shamans to Jean Harlow lounging on a bearskin rug, from the cubs trained to pull sleds toward the North Pole to cuddly superstar Knut"--Cover flap.