Both newbie and experienced bird watchers will enjoy the author's research on bird vocalizations and behaviors, which tell us so much about what is going on around us. Access to audio files on the web make this book even more useful. The danger is that you may never be able to ignore the sounds of birds again. I would rate the book even higher if I did not need to look in another source to see the birds the author writes about; the newbies lose out here because, beyond the robin, most of the birds may not be easily identifiable to them. Some newbies may lose interest, as a consequence.