The book entitled “Humans and bears. Politics and coexistence models” engages into dialogue with the latest debates in nature conservation: how to achieve rather successful coexistence with non-human species; how to transform human–wildlife relations from conflict to coexistence, rather than merely mitigate conflicts; how to apply convivial conservation as a novel conservation approach in cases of coexistence with large carnivores worldwide. To further our understanding regarding these, the book presents a comparative analysis of two cases in rural Bulgaria evidencing different degrees of conflict and coexistence between humans and brown bears (Ursus arctos). The first is a case of human-bear coexistence in Yagodina-Trigrad area, Rodopi mountains where humans and brown bears cohabit rather peacefully, having developed mechanisms and practices that facilitate coexistence in the absence of formal regulation rules. The second case – Arda-Mogilitsa area, same mountain range, presents rather conflict coexistence between humans and bears with diverse factors preventing conflicts’ mitigation. Through a comparison of the cases the book highlights the main factors that lead to conflict in the second case as well as those that might help to instead foster coexistence. The book is structured around three main research questions: human-bear coexistence strategies; knowledge of humans and non-humans (brown bears); economic factors, influencing coexistence (with a focus on ecotourism and compensatory mechanisms). The first identifies and outlines local adaptation and conservation mechanisms developed to live with bears or those preventing them. The second explores the pursue of knowledge (of humans and bears) and its role for minimizing potential conflict. The last focuses on the political-economic processes encompassing human–wildlife interactions as well as conservation policy and practice. This analysis is situated within the growing discussion of convivial conservation as a novel approach intended to transform conservation policy and practice, discussing both its potential and challenges to its application in the cases of coexistence with large carnivores. Applying multispecies research approach (ethnography of multispecies encounter) the book also contributes to growing discussion concerning how nonhumans should be understood and included within conservation policymaking and convivial conservation, in particular.