A Man for All Species: The Remarkable Adventures of an Animal Lover and Expert Pet Keeper

by Marc Morrone, Nancy Ellis-Bell, Martha Stewart (Foreword)

Before Martha Stewart named him her “pet keeper,” and before millions of people turned to him for advice, Marc Morrone had a simple to learn everything he possibly could about every kind of animal and share that knowledge with others. In this lively, colorful memoir, Morrone offers a heartfelt and candid look inside a life well-lived with creatures great and small, from the domestic to the exotic, from frisky ferrets to renegade reptiles to rare parrots. Morrone is an enthusiastic champion of all animals—furred, feathered, or scaled, domestic or wild—and his lifelong adventures take us from his internationally renowned pet store, Parrots of the World, to his home and personal menagerie, covering his media roles on both television and radio. Inspiring, informative, and frequently amazing, Morrone’s story is a memorable tribute to one man’s passion for the world of animals and his enduring commitment to their care.

In A Man for All Species, animal expert Marc Morrone weaves thrilling, inspiring, strange, and often hilarious experiences with practical advice gleaned over his forty-year career, revealing a world of adventure and anguish, humor and heart, that every pet owner and animal lover will recognize.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Marc Morrone, you make me want to hop a plane to Rockville Centre and spend all day listening to you talk about birds and other pets! Of course, I will not allow you to tell the same (exact!) story more than once, and if you make a comment like, "I also point out that hamsters captivated one of the most famous animal experts in the world," I will make sure you tell us the name of said animal expert. It is not your fault, Mr. Morrone, that your editor and co-author completely overlooked details such as these -- after all, isn't that why you have a co-author and editor? I still think you are some kind of wonderful nature nerd, pet whisperer, and energizer bunny all wrapped up in one. What other book has kept me surfing YouTube for hours, trying to find the Martha Stewart show where Harry the macaw ripped the crest feathers off of Coral Ann the cockatoo? Or trying to find a recording of the tawa-tawa's ("the finest singing bird in the world") song? Respect the Pet Keeper.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun to read!

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Lots of information about various animals and great stories of what happened to this ingenious pet keeper.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better.

[Terri Rosen]

Browsing for books, whether on physical or e-shelves, is a great joy for me. I never know what chance will bring. I was absolutely thrilled just a few days ago to find a A Man for all Species about Marc Morrone, owner of Parrots of the World pet store in Rockville Centre. His t.v. program on Cablevision-- with its furry, feathery, scaly joyful riot of animals--opened a new world for me and inspired me to become a pet keeper. This memoir, co-written by Mr. Morrone and Nancy Ellis-Bell, reads like one of his televised segments. It's earnest, inspiring, educational and full of wonder. I was particularly fascinated to read about Mr. Morrone's early experience with animals. He is a real-life Dickon from The Secret Garden, one of my favorite childhood characters.