Rating: 
Summary: Most likely does not exist....
Review: Based on studies on the Pacific Northwest, the habiat, the availbility of food and water, and wither it's plausable that this range of land could hide large creatues similar to man for a long time. It just does not fit with the numbers. A sizeable population of these animals would need a far larger range of land to survive and live on. They would need to migrate from place to place to find enough food to survive. But this range of land is populated by people and by cities. It just does not seem likely that these large creatures would remain undetected by humans when we live in an era of satilite images, infer-red photography, and computer enlargements of photographs. Not very likely at all. But this book does not acknowledge this, I wonder what dream world they live in.?!
Rating:
Summary: Strange book but nicely up to date
Review: I enjoyed reading The Locals - but, I feel that it is not the real investigative book that it pitches itself as. It is well written; however, the investigation is lacking in much meat that would make the book and the investigator credible. For instance, the researcher goes off on some expeditions and finds some evidence which either startles him, he runs out of time or just gives up. The reader (and theorist) is left wondering -- why??? If you are on the tracks of collecting pictures and sounds or having a genuine contact, why would you leave the scene and just explain that you ran out of time or gave up? I dont think that is very good science or investigative research. Other than that, its a nice read. It was good fun to read as I traveled through the Skookum/St Helens area myself.
Rating: 
Summary: You need to get this book!
Review: I have been researching and reading about the bigfoot/sasquatch issue for over 30 years and thought I'd read every book on the subject and then foung Thom Powell's book. Powell is involved with the BFRO (bigfoot field researchers organization), one of the best organizations out there concerning bigfoot. He has investigated countless sightings and writes about some very interesting cases that I was not aware of. I have learned a great deal from this book. For years I considered the sasquatch just an unknown primate that lives in our forests of North America. I now have come to the realization that this creature is much more intelligant then we give it credit for. For anyone that has an interest in this subject, I highly recommend this book, you will learn a great deal about this animal and perhaps not be as afraid to take a walk in woods any longer.
Rating:
Summary: You need to get this book!
Review: I have been researching and reading about the bigfoot/sasquatch issue for over 30 years and thought I'd read every book on the subject and then foung Thom Powell's book. Powell is involved with the BFRO (bigfoot field researchers organization), one of the best organizations out there concerning bigfoot. He has investigated countless sightings and writes about some very interesting cases that I was not aware of. I have learned a great deal from this book. For years I considered the sasquatch just an unknown primate that lives in our forests of North America. I now have come to the realization that this creature is much more intelligant then we give it credit for. For anyone that has an interest in this subject, I highly recommend this book, you will learn a great deal about this animal and perhaps not be as afraid to take a walk in woods any longer.
Rating: 
Summary: Top rated Bigfoot book
Review: I view with amusement the semi-critical reviews below, who
complain that certain chapters are too "far out" for them.
I 100% support Powell, since I am a person who had the VERY SAME EVENTS HAPPEN TO ME. The critics are not experienced.
I am - 28 years. I run the Bigfoot Investigation Project and we find similar events monthly, some in person.This book is one of the top two books from the last 20 years. Buy this book!!!!! Now! Bar none. Jon-Erik Beckjord, http://www.bigfoot.org
Rating:
Summary: Top rated Bigfoot book
Review: I view with amusement the semi-critical reviews below, who
complain that certain chapters are too "far out" for them.
I 100% support Powell, since I am a person who had the VERY SAME EVENTS HAPPEN TO ME. The critics are not experienced.
I am - 28 years. I run the Bigfoot Investigation Project and we find similar events monthly, some in person. This book is one of the top two books from the last 20 years. Buy this book!!!!! Now! Bar none. Jon-Erik Beckjord, http://www.bigfoot.org
Rating:
Summary: Don't Judge This Book By It's Cover !
Review: I've taken one star off because I feel the cover and title could have been better, but once I got past that the information and research was worth the read.
This must be the year for fresh thought, actual research and Cryptozoology at it's finest!
Mr. Jerry D. Coleman's "STRANGE HIGHWAYS" and Mr. Thom Powell's "LOCALS" gives their readers one step up from the crowd! I'm a fan of both gentleman!
Interesting, Informative and enjoyable; what more could you ask for in a book?
Rating:
Summary: The Locals is very intersting and true.
Review: The book the Locals is a very intersting books, it brings accross some very good points to nonbeleivers, There are some subjects that Tom touches on that are similar to Jack Kawnee Leprasitis,(Bigfoot and the Ufo Connection). The book is well written and I feel it is one of the best that I have read. I give this book an 11 on the scale of 1-10+++++++++++++++ Eric J. Mazzi Pa.
Rating:
Summary: The Locals, slanted to the author's taste.
Review: The Locals: A review by Ron Schaffner
The Locals:
A Contemporary Investigation of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch Phenomenon
By Thom Powell
Hancock House
ISBN 0-88839-552-3
Copyright 2003
The Bigfoot phenomena is one aspect of Cryptozoology that remains cyclic in nature. Many older reports continue to be discussed time after time without any closure. So, it stands to reason that books on the subject have continued the same path. The only difference being that authors tend to put their own slant on the subject.
The Locals takes a different approach to the mystery by supplying the reader with recent information. Thom Powell, an ex-curator with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has compiled reports from the BFRO's database (http://www.bfro.net) along with his own investigations to add a fresh tone of data into the phenomena.
This reviewer has spent time with the BFRO too. I got to know Thom on a professional basis and corresponded with him on a weekly basis. His tireless work was well known before his book was published. He is very dedicated to his research, specifically in Clackamas County, Oregon. Thom is a science teacher and has applied his own research of Bigfoot reports in an attempt to teach his students scientific methodology.
The Locals takes the reader down the path of how the Bigfoot investigators work in the field. Powell talks about the sciences used in research. He brings the reader up to speed on how the phenomenon has spread through the Internet. Perhaps the strength of the book is the chapters regarding Thom's fieldwork and some of the high profile cases of the BFRO.
But, as the old adage goes - "There's always two sides to the story. Since I am familiar with some of the BFRO cases discussed, I question the merits of some. Allow me to touch on one:
One instant case in particular is Chapter 4 ("Easy Pickin's") where in January 2000 reports that engulfed Leflore County, Oklahoma never proved that Bigfoot creatures were roaming about. There were many questions I had over supposed evidence that was photographed, leading of witnesses and speculation that was offered as evidence.
As I previously mentioned, Thom discusses some of his own personal experiences, such as in Chapter 5 entitled "Dance Hall Days". These investigations evolved from a Washington family who claimed frequent visits by Bigfoots at their rural home. Powell had been interested in setting up cameras and web cams to capture these creatures and here was an opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, he was never able to photograph anything of substance. He has detailed some interesting anecdotes regarding this case. Given Thom's credibility in the field, I feel he is telling the truth and is reporting on what he believes are true encounters, but he's unable to produce the hard evidence that is needed in a field of study that is lacking such a thing.
Through out the book, Powell attempts to explain a pattern of Sasquatch behavior based on reports that were submitted to the BFRO database. He alludes to a possible paranormal connection towards the end. It is my opinion that he is at his weakest here. It becomes difficult to test any hypothesis based on reports submitted to an "on-line" database, let alone any report received by conventional means, such as newspaper accounts. For example, he stresses "drive-by" reports as an indication that Bigfoots have a type of sociological structure that initiates various ritual rights. He offers conjecture that these creatures tend to play games with their human adversaries.
The phenomenon is based on anecdotal reports to bolster a contention that Bigfoot exists. Other than the questionable "skookum cast" physical evidence, footprint finds, video and hair analysis, researchers depend on eyewitness accounts to set forth various theories. It must be noted that testimony of this type is high fallible
Even though this reviewer finds the usual flaws in such an endeavor, I believe it is a must read for the Bigfoot enthusiast and skeptic. It's a fresh look into the phenomenon with recent material for consumption and thought. Credit must be given to Mr. Powell for setting forth some new ideas in a field of study that tends to be so cyclic with the same reports being evaluated to the same tune. This work is something worth reading - just be reminded that is slanted to another author's taste. But, that's to be expected.
The Locals can be found at the large bookstores and along with the web-based outlets. It is modestly priced at $19.95 US/ $24.95 Canada. With the holidays approaching, you may want to consider this book for your friends and family who have shown an interest in such subjects.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit too far in parts
Review: Thom Powell's The Locals could have garnered a better rating but was held back by part of the book. The first half of the book is fairly interesting and Powell puts in a lot of personal views and hypotheses in regards to bigfoots. Some of them I found hard to agree with as he seemed to base his ideas off one occurance and then refer to "in many cases", without giving any secondary event of the same situation. He does this numerous times in the book. The chapter on the Skookum Expedition was a toss up. He presented a decent write up on the matter but also seemed to want credit as the man who thought up the idea of baiting mud holes for potential tracks. The main reason this book doesn't get a higher rating is simply for the "Vanishing bigfoot" and "UFO and Bigfoot" chapters. He throws these two in to "cover all the bases". I felt it was completely unnecessary and actually detracted from the book and subject matter to a vast degree. He also hints at some mental or telepathic abilities in parts of the book, which came of as a bit cheesy. This is a nice introduction for a casual reader if you forget the two above mentioned chapters. For the avid follower, go for it and add it to your collection,just ignore those chapters if you think it's going too far.
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