Noah Strycker has studied birds in some of the world’s most extreme environments, from the high Arctic to the Amazon jungle and Australian bush, and is an associate editor of the American Birding Association’s magazine, Birding. His previous book, Among Penguins, describes a summer in an isolated Antarctic field camp. Noah writes, lectures, and lives near Eugene, Oregon, between field seasons.
Praise for The Thing with Feathers
"Mr. Strycker has the ability to write about the worlds of man and
fowl without simplifying either.... He thinks like a biologist but
writes like a poet, and one of the small pleasures of The Thing
With Feathers is watching him distill empirical research into
lyrical imagery.... Part the palm fronds behind his sentences, and
you can almost see the British naturalist and broadcaster David
Attenborough standing there in a pith helmet, smiling with amused
approval at Mr. Strycker's off-center sensibility." – Wall Street
Journal
“The Thing With Feathers turns a shrewd, comparative eye on a
succession of bird families to explore what [Strycker] calls their
‘human’ characteristics…This is an engaging work which illuminates
something profound about all life, including our own.” – The
Economist
"Lovely, provocative..." – Robert Krulwich, NPR
"Fascinating" – Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"One of the best bird books you’ll read this decade. Guaranteed."
-- BirdWatching
“The Things With Feathers will encourage you to take a closer look
at the natural world around you, and perhaps learn more not only
about what you see but who you are." – Seattle Times
“[Strycker] combines the latest in ornithological science with
snippets of history and his own vast experience in the field to
hatch a thoroughly entertaining examination of bird behavior… In
Strycker’s absorbing survey, we find out how much fun it is simply
to watch them.” – Booklist, STARRED
“[Strycker’s] prose is difficult to stop reading.” – Publishers
Weekly
“A delightful book with broad appeal.” – Kirkus Reviews
“A dazzling variety of avian subjects, including connections
between birds and humans.” – Library Journal
“There’s bird watching, then there is obsessing over why nearly
2,500 different species do the things they do. That’s Noah
Strycker, and this lovely book is compelling to those that chart
the different birds they see on walks, and the rest of us who just
gaze longingly at them as they fly through the air.” –
Flavorwire
“Noah Strycker explores the increasing likelihood that birds enjoy
a vastly richer intellectual, emotional and even artistic life than
we smug humans have ever suspected. Read this book.” – Scott
Weidensaul, author of Living on the Wind and The First Frontier
"As the 'owner' of a dancing Green-cheeked Conure, as a life-long
pigeon-lover, seabird researcher, and falcon enthusiast, I can tell
you that not only is this book full of solid information—I expected
that—but as a writer I am astonished at how loose and easy Noah
Strycker has made the reading for us. This is an insightful and
wonderfully companionable book. I can’t wait to read more from
Strycker; meanwhile we have this gem." – Carl Safina, author
of Song for the Blue Ocean and The View From Lazy
Point.
“A thoughtful, engaging book, encompassing pigeon races, physics,
vulture baiting, the Backstreet Boys, and a mathematical model
applicable to both tennis rankings and chicken hierarchies—a work
of dazzling range, nimbly written.” – Brian Kimberling, author of
Snapper
“I’ve read books about birds all of my life and this is the one
I’ve been waiting for. Birds have a great deal to teach us.
Strycker loves birds, understands their magic and mystery, and can
extrapolate from their behavior wisdom for us all. At last we have
a book worthy of this subject.” – Mary Pipher, author of The Green
Boat
Ask a Question About this Product More... |