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The Genius of Birds - Ackerman - 4 stars
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What an apt read given your avatar! While I admit that birds are not my thing, I am always intrigued by anything even remotely science-y!
Nicole R wrote: "What an apt read given your avatar! While I admit that birds are not my thing, I am always intrigued by anything even remotely science-y!"I did think of you while I read this one. I added another of her books to my TBR today. Notes from the Shore looks even more like your kind of thing.
Jgrace wrote: "I did think of you while I read this one. I added another of her books to my TBR today. Notes from the Shore looks even more like your kind of thing...."I have read that one! I thought the author's name looked familiar but I didn't take the time to look it up!
Birds are my thing! I want to read this after seeing your positive review . . .
Anita wrote: "Birds are my thing! I want to read this after seeing your positive review . . ."It would be an interesting read after reading Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds (or before.)
I always enjoy reading about birds.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Providence of a Sparrow: Lessons from a Life Gone to the Birds (other topics)Notes from the Shore (other topics)
The Genius of Birds (other topics)
The Genius of Birds - Jennifer Ackerman
4 stars
At some point in my childhood, I was told that I was eating like a bird. Being a very nerdy kid, I was able to spout facts about the number of worms a bird must eat relative to its size. I was definitely not eating like a bird. I was also not a ‘birdbrain’. I’m not that smart.
I do have a degree in human developmental psychology and a background in education. Consequently, I do know a little bit about conducting observational studies and some of what neurological brain studies are telling us, at least as far as it applies to classroom teaching.What I know about human learning was surprisingly similar to what Jennifer Ackerman had to say about avian intelligence.
In eight chapters she looks at evidence of of avian intelligence in areas such as ‘Technical Wizardry’, ‘Social Savvy’, ‘Vocal Virtuosity’, ‘Aesthetic Aptitude’, ‘Spatial Ingenuity’, and ‘Adaptive Genius’. Ackerman isn’t a scientist. She’s an observer of birds and the people who study them. The book includes numerous interviews. She cites endless studies and speculates on what current findings might mean. Sometimes, she includes a great deal of technical detail, but this is balanced with personal anecdotes.
This book was packed with information. Fortunately, Ackerman’s lively descriptions and witty writing prevented it from becoming a tedious compilation of research findings. For example,in a chapter discussing the amazing navigational ability of small birds, she said, “A white-crowned sparrow may be nut brained, but it’s far more gifted at navigation than most modern humans.” and she gave each of these birds credit for being “ a single feathered ounce of fortitude”. In the same chapter, discussing avian memory for sources of food, she describes hummingbirds as “energy make visible, their wings a gauzy blur.” The science was interesting, but Ackerman also conveyed a joyful appreciation of the creatures that were being studied.