<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>888823</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0865476578]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780865476578]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">888823</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">7</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">2905915</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2001</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:39|5:10|4:20|3:6|2:3|1:0|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">39</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">154</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">86</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">7</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.95]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[33]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[5]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>6975</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Peter Matthiessen]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1233207493p5/6975.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1233207493p2/6975.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6975.Peter_Matthiessen]]></link>
    <average_rating>4.02</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>3480</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>591</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="86">
      <review>
  <id>41957633</id>
    <user>
    <id>1038238</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Marguerite]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Newport News, VA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1038238-marguerite]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1223735807p3/1038238.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1223735807p2/1038238.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.82</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>33</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="nature-and-science" />
        <shelf name="social-science-politics" />
        <shelf name="travel" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 21 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 05 08:43:29 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jan 22 07:38:34 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I sought this out, figuring it's the closest I'll ever get to a crane outside of a zoo. I've read Peter Matthiessen before, and he's a fine writer and an impassioned advocate of wildlife and undisturbed nature. Even so, I found this tedious going at times. The largest chunk I read at one sitting, ab...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41957633">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41957633]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41957633]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>6097220</id>
    <user>
    <id>373805</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Gillian]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lima, MT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/373805-gillian]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1200241193p3/373805.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1200241193p2/373805.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="ecology-nature" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Apr 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 12 09:23:44 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Apr 07 13:39:37 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Well, I FINALLY finished this book, after picking it up and putting it down for about a year and a half (usually not a good sign). It was interesting, but seemed kind of disjointed (maybe that had more to do with my reading habits than his writing).  I was disappointed that he did not spend more tim...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6097220">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6097220]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6097220]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>9675037</id>
    <user>
    <id>264333</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Edward]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[River Forest, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/264333-edward]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192916328p3/264333.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1192916328p2/264333.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1523454</id>
  <isbn>0374199442</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374199449</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003m/1523454.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003s/1523454.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523454.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>4.60</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>5</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="birding" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Birders/Nature Lovers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 28 14:58:01 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 28 15:03:20 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a wonderful book about a group of my favorite birds -- Cranes.  Matthesien has access and information that few people do, and shows how many cultures revere these magnificent birds, and it is this respect that is fueling conservation efforts around the world to help them in their recovery.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9675037]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9675037]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>21323558</id>
    <user>
    <id>1129426</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jody]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1129426-jody-kuchar]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1209569168p3/1129426.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1209569168p2/1129426.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1523454</id>
  <isbn>0374199442</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374199449</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003m/1523454.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003s/1523454.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523454.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="essay-nature-adventure-philosophy" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 30 09:11:27 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 30 09:13:27 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A beautiful book with wonderful photography by Michael (I can't remember his name YIKES).   I was honored to meet Mr. Matthiessen at a book signing event with International Crane Foundation in Milwaukee WI when this book was first available.<br/>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21323558]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21323558]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>25978706</id>
    <user>
    <id>656942</id>
    <name><![CDATA[David]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/656942-david]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217126804p3/656942.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217126804p2/656942.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="armchair-tourist" />
        <shelf name="nonfiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 30 20:07:39 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 30 20:09:03 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An elegantly written tale of the cranes of the world, their<br/>history and their cultural significance, and one man's <br/>travels in search of their story.<br/>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25978706]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25978706]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>16046184</id>
    <user>
    <id>931322</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Paulo]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/931322-paulo]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1257979146p3/931322.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1257979146p2/931322.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Mark Aspelin]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 21 19:34:13 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 21 19:36:01 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Port Rowen, Ontario, Canada<br/>Purchased in Arizona with Mark Aspelin at the birding festival and signed]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16046184]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16046184]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>61232597</id>
    <user>
    <id>2430011</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Thomas]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2430011-thomas]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jun 26 16:32:02 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jun 26 16:41:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A remarkable account of Peter Matthiessen's travels in China, Russia, Mongolia, India, Australia  and Japan to assess populations of the planet's dozen or so species of cranes. Very lucid description of the geography,ecology of the birds and humans who live in these areas. Some of his best non-ficti...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61232597">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61232597]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61232597]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>81513067</id>
    <user>
    <id>2702707</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brad]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Waterloo, IN]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2702707-brad-thompson]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1252078036p3/2702707.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1252078036p2/2702707.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Dec 19 16:35:25 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 19 16:35:25 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81513067]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81513067]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73152658</id>
    <user>
    <id>2579544</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Djll]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Santa Cruz, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2579544-djll]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1251580691p3/2579544.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1251580691p2/2579544.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Dec 19 10:01:45 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 01 17:51:07 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Dec 19 10:01:45 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73152658]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73152658]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>71334416</id>
    <user>
    <id>2741950</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Beth]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2741950-beth]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1253059960p3/2741950.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1253059960p2/2741950.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Sep 15 15:07:51 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Sep 15 15:07:51 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71334416]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71334416]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>70881161</id>
    <user>
    <id>2728958</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Vern]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2728958-vern-wiessner]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Sep 11 14:45:36 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Sep 11 14:45:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70881161]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70881161]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>68846890</id>
    <user>
    <id>124458</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Syd]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New Orleans, LA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/124458-syd]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182106986p3/124458.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182106986p2/124458.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="to-read" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 25 12:06:07 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 25 12:06:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68846890]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68846890]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>68414897</id>
    <user>
    <id>1231279</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Josh]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Higganum, CT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1231279-josh-randall]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1219517676p3/1231279.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1219517676p2/1231279.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1523454</id>
  <isbn>0374199442</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374199449</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003m/1523454.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003s/1523454.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523454.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="nature-n-ecology" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Aug 21 21:26:59 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Aug 21 21:32:24 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68414897]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68414897]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64401870</id>
    <user>
    <id>2545976</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Stephanie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Regina, SK, Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2545976-stephanie]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 21 13:07:49 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 21 13:08:22 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64401870]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64401870]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64107308</id>
    <user>
    <id>194689</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Susan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/194689-susan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1523454</id>
  <isbn>0374199442</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374199449</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003m/1523454.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003s/1523454.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523454.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jul 19 11:58:44 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 19 11:58:44 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64107308]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64107308]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>62410117</id>
    <user>
    <id>140387</id>
    <name><![CDATA[C Rex]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/140387-c-rex]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182293528p3/140387.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182293528p2/140387.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 06 18:27:36 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 06 18:27:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62410117]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62410117]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>59495190</id>
    <user>
    <id>1992799</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Stasia]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Sherman, TX]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1992799-stasia]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="not-available-yet" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jun 13 04:36:39 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jun 13 04:36:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59495190]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59495190]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57437948</id>
    <user>
    <id>2357130</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Angie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2357130-angie-mcintire]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue May 26 18:38:06 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 07 11:59:18 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57437948]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57437948]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>54692084</id>
    <user>
    <id>1732228</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jodify]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Providence, RI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1732228-jodify]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1251664658p3/1732228.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1251664658p2/1732228.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">888823</id>
  <isbn>0865476578</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780865476578</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024m/888823.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179200024s/888823.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/888823.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="-" />
        <shelf name="birds" />
        <shelf name="ecotourism" />
        <shelf name="endangered" />
        <shelf name="science" />
        <shelf name="species" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 02 08:57:38 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 02 08:57:38 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54692084]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54692084]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>54411990</id>
    <user>
    <id>826645</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lee]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tucson, AZ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/826645-lee]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217969847p3/826645.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1217969847p2/826645.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">1523454</id>
  <isbn>0374199442</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374199449</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Birds of Heaven: Travels with Cranes]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003m/1523454.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1184691003s/1523454.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523454.The_Birds_of_Heaven_Travels_with_Cranes</link>
  <average_rating>3.95</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>39</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Acclaimed writer Peter Matthiessen, a self-professed &quot;craniac,&quot; has been  observing and studying all kinds of birds most of his life, but his pursuit of  cranes is closer to a spiritual quest than a naturalist's exercise. These  majestic, mythic, and notoriously shy birds, capable of soaring at heights of  20,000 feet, are often fond of remote and rugged places, so just locating the  birds can be difficult enough, determining an accurate number often impossible.  Some locales, such as the breeding grounds on the Platte River in Nebraska,  boast flocks half a million strong--&quot;by far the greatest crane assemblies on  earth&quot;; other areas support only a precious few. Matthiessen's search for 15  different species of cranes has taken him to hidden corners of Siberia, China,  Mongolia, Tibet, Sudan, and Australia (where Atherton cranes were not even  discovered until 1961). Despite his many years of adventure and wide travels,  each crane sighting is still a thrill for him, and his curiosity and contagious  enthusiasm bring the book alive. But <em>The Birds of Heaven</em> also serves as  an ecological warning: &quot;Perhaps more than any other living creatures, they evoke  the retreating wilderness, the vanishing horizons of clean water, earth, and air  upon which their species--and ours, too, though we learn it very late--must  ultimately depend for survival.&quot; <em>--Shawn Carkonen</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2001</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="to-read" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Apr 29 16:35:25 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 29 16:35:25 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54411990]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54411990]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="science" />
          <shelf name="travel" />
          <shelf name="spl" />
          <shelf name="nature-n-ecology" />
          <shelf name="not-available-yet" />
          <shelf name="popscience" />
          <shelf name="nonfiction" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=888823</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>