“If you wish to know, seek first to understand.” When the statue of Kenn Kaufman is finally unveiled in the (alas, still yet to be built) Birding Hall of Fame, these words should be inscribed in bold letters across the front of the pedestal upon which it stands.
With the publication of Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed; An Introduction to Birdsong, Simon Barnes brings his unique combination of professional experience and amateur enthusiasm to a very wide potential readership; one that includes not only bird watchers of all levels of experience but those who don’t necessarily even consider themselves bird watchers as well.
While it is often mentioned that Benjamin Franklin disagreed with the choice of the American Bald Eagle to be the symbol of the United States of America and preferred instead that it should have been the Wild Turkey, few have ever had the opportunity to read Franklin’s logic behind his opinion.
The new (second) edition of the Birds of Europe is a must have guide for anyone interested in the birdlife of this geographic area.
The November / December 2011 edition of Bird Watcher’s Digest is now available and contains not one but two Well-read Naturalist produced book reviews as well as a “Well-equipped Birder” review.
Regular readers of The Well-read Naturalist will likely not be surprised to learn that I don’t limit my reading activities just to the category of natural history.
Should you wish to identify a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) you would most certainly consult a field guide. Should you wish to know a bit more about what ornithologists have discovered concerning this species, a life history or ornithological monograph about them would be your best bet. However if you wish to discover what makes [...]
Not a “Year’s Best Books” List {3}
Well friends, it’s nearing the end of 2011 and as a result critics are publishing their “best book lists.” I’m not one to do so and as a result I’m not publishing one. However I am very interested in what you’ve been reading.
By John Riutta Category: Commentary, Well-read Tags: 2011, best, book, History, natural