The Meaning of Birds

by Simon Barnes

Overview

A gorgeously illustrated and enchanting examination of the lives of birds, illuminating their wondrous world and our connection with them.

One of our most eloquent nature writers offers a passionate and informative celebration of birds and their ability to help us understand the world we live in. As well as exploring how birds achieve the miracle of flight; why birds sing; what they tell us about the seasons of the year and what their presence tells us about the places they inhabit, The Meaning of Birds muses on the uses of feathers, the drama of raptors, the slaughter of pheasants, the infidelities of geese, and the strangeness of feeling sentimental about blue tits while enjoying a chicken sandwich.

From the mocking-birds of the Galapagos who guided Charles Darwin toward his evolutionary theory, to the changing patterns of migration that alert us to the reality of contemporary climate change, Simon Barnes explores both the intrinsic wonder of what it is to be a bird—and the myriad ways in which birds can help us understand the meaning of life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681776958
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	153 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Simon Barnes was the chief sportswriter for the Times of London. He is the author of several books, including the bestselling How to be a Bad Birdwatcher as well as The Meaning of Birds, which is available from Pegasus Books. He lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

Loosely organized as a series of conceptual chapters, [The Meaning of Birds] is passionate, inviting, even lyrical…Barnes provides a companionable view of why we love birds, their lives and futures.

The New York Times Book Review - Richard O. Prum

★ 11/06/2017
British novelist and nature writer Barnes (How to Be a Bad Birdwatcher) infuses this playful, conversational exploration of the relationship of birds to humanity with a sense of well-informed wonder. He demonstrates patient attention to the world around him, combining thoughtful scholarship with a skill for conveying particulars in accessible language. At the book’s core is Barnes’s belief that “you impoverish yourself if you accept only science, just as you impoverish yourself—perhaps more greatly—by ignoring science.” Barnes covers a mix of bird-watching topics, including song and coloration; functional topics in human-bird interaction, such as the development of falconry; and more metaphorical topics, including musings on birds as symbol or as markers of time and place. He also ably shares personal experiences without moving the lens too far from plumage to person. Barnes doesn’t present any individual profiles, seeing fellow bird watchers as a collective even while thinking of songbirds as unique personalities. Chapters about extinction, conservation, and species diversity express a mix of optimism and pessimism, but Barnes’s mood remains one of profound, though not overbearing, appreciation for his avian cotravelers. Line drawings from 19th-century birding guides give this book a contemplative feel. This is a generous volume in which Barnes unabashedly shares his affinity for “anyone with birding in the blood.” Illus. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"An eclectic and often witty volume that aims to show how birds live their lives and in doing so, how they've touched on ours."

BBC Countryfile

"Barnes' fascinating with the avian world is at the heart of this book, a passion shared through engaging, often lively and always conversational text."

BBC Wildlife

"A celebration of birds and how they help us understand the world we live in."

Nature's Home

"Barnes explores our fascination with birds and the importance they have played in our understanding of the world, from Darwin’s finches to the intercontinental migration of birds."

Book Riot (50 Must-Read Nature Books)

"A celebration, an exploration, and an exhibition. A cornucopia of facts, ruminations and appreciations—beautifully illustrated with multiple line drawings—The Meaning of Birds educates, entertains, and sends hearts soaring as Barnes shares his knowledge of and devotion to his subject, his eloquence and his wisdom."

Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Passionate, inviting, even lyrical. Barnes provides a companionable view of why we love birds, their lives, and futures."

New York Times Book Review

"[Barnes’s] premise is that people need birds, and if we pay attention to them, they can help us understand the world we share. Illustrated with stunning black-and-white illustrations."

Birdwatching

"A wise and witty celebration of birds."

The Countryman

Barnes explores our fascination with birds and the importance they have played in our understanding of the world, from Darwin's finches to the intercontinental migration of birds.

[Barnes's] premise is that people need birds, and if we pay attention to them, they can help us understand the world we share. Illustrated with stunning black-and-white illustrations.

A celebration of birds and how they help us understand the world we live in.

A wise and witty celebration of birds.

An eclectic and often witty volume that aims to show how birds live their lives and in doing so, how they've touched on ours.

Barnes infuses this playful, conversational exploration of the relationship of birds to humanity with a sense of well-informed wonder. He demonstrates patient attention to the world around him, combining thoughtful scholarship with a skill for conveying particulars in accessible language. A generous volume.

Barnes' fascinating with the avian world is at the heart of this book, a passion shared through engaging, often lively and always conversational text.

Glowing praise for birds from the prolific nature writer and novelist, who is filled with great affection and admiration for our feathered friends. The core message of this delightful book will appeal to birders everywhere.

Passionate, inviting, even lyrical. Barnes provides a companionable view of why we love birds, their lives, and futures.

From the Publisher

2017-09-28
Glowing praise for birds from the prolific nature writer and novelist, who is filled with great affection and admiration for our feathered friends.Former Times (London) chief sportswriter Barnes (Ten Million Aliens: A Journey Through the Entire Animal Kingdom, 2013, etc.) writes that these gravity-defying winged creatures of flight are what we humans want to be. Besides delighting our eyes and ears, they help to give meaning to our lives. "Birds," he writes, "more than any other group of living things, draw us into the world beyond humanity." They teach us not just about flight ("flight envy is part of the human condition"), but also about color (feathers), music (songs), time and place (annual migrations), and killing and death (raptors). They pervade our myths and stories as powerful symbols (the eagle, the dove), and they have long provided us with sustenance. Chickens, writes our knowledgeable, eloquent, and opinionated guide, tell the story of mankind, from the beginnings of civilization to the gruesome technology used by the fast-food industry. Throughout, beautiful black-and-white illustrations, many taken from a variety of 19th-century sources, complement the author's witty, conversational prose. Besides arguing that birds have helped us understand our lives and our world—e.g., the birds that clued Charles Darwin in to the idea that species could alter; new migration patterns that demonstrate climate change—Barnes writes with urgency that birds need us more than ever. In the final chapters, the author discusses extinctions and near extinctions and threatened bird populations that have been rescued by human actions. Yes, writes Barnes, birds need people, but people need birds, too.Previously published in England, the book may have greater resonance with those more familiar with the birds, organizations, and conservation efforts there, but the core message of this delightful book will appeal to birders everywhere.

Kirkus Reviews