"Conversational and often humorous, the book is filled with rousing descriptions of what field research used to be like. Hornocker, admitting that technology has made studying elusive species much easier, nonetheless declares that no technology will ever be able to match the primal thrill of locking eyes with a cougar, armed only with a dart gun and tranquilizer. And Hornocker was also challenged by ranchers’ beliefs that cougars engaged in savage killing sprees, leaving countless carcasses of livestock and trophy game behind....Cougars on the Cliff is a gripping memoir about a scientist’s work to end a state’s war on cougars and bring the species back from the brink of extinction."

– Foreword Reviews

"Based on the journals and field notes that the author and his partners kept during the study, this memoir documents the immediacy and excitement of pioneering research, ideas formed from following tracks and discovering kills, reencounters with tagged cougars, and the camaraderie formed during difficult fieldwork. Spiced with photographs of Hornocker and his crew with the cats, as well as maps, this reads like an adventure novel."

– Booklist

"Enhanced with the inclusion of a section of color plates, "Cougars on the Cliff: One Man's Pioneering Quest to Understand the Mythical Mountain Lion" showcases the amazing life and achievements of Maurice Hornocker in a detailed and inherently fascinating memoir (written with the assistance of David Johnson) that will have immense appeal to those interested in wildlife in general, mountain lions in particular."

– Midwest Book Review