Product Description
My Parrot, My Friend is a straightforward book that addresses a growing need for parrot owners and their birds. When difficulties develop in the home, or a clash in avian and human natures makes for unhappy birds and angry owners, many times the sad consequence is painful termination of what could have been a long-term, joyful relationship. Happily, there is an effective remedy and it lies in a program of behavior modification. That program is fully detailed in this well-written, wonderfully detailed text. In addition, the text helps readers to find the right bird so problems can be sidestepped altogether, and it explains which birds not to consider and why. My Parrot, My Friend shows how parrots grow and develop, and how behavioral problems can start. The book explains behavioral modification, how it works, and how to apply it in specific situations. Case studies and an examination of pertinent issues add considerable interest to the text. These and other special features make this one of the most indispensable reference books you will ever use. My Parrot, My Friend is the first book to approach the subject in such depth for the lay reader. It will make a significant difference in how pet owners view and relate to their birds and will point the way to happy endings where once there were none.
Customer Reviews:
Best Parrot Book!.......2007-03-26
Parrots - from budgies to Hyacinth Macaws - are nothing like dogs and cats. For one thing, most of them outlive us. When you get a parrot, you get an individual with the smarts of a 5 year old kid who's emotionally stuck at 2. My Parrot, My Friend gives you all the insight you'll need to get started in and maintain a healthy relationship with your fid (feathered kid). In my 40 years as a parrot companion, this is the first book that I found having everything necessary to ensure you have the proper understanding of the committment needed - time, money, patience, more time, humor - to have a healthy, happy parrot.
Good overiew and enlightenment.......2006-10-21
This book is a good read in bringing one's common sense understanding of parrots in general. I was able to formulate a more educated sense when working with my parrots... basically it gives scientific, common sense information.
A must for the home library.
BJBichon on "My Parrot, My Friend".......2006-07-08
This book was recommended by another bird site as the only book you will ever need to understand your bird. I think I was expecting too much. It reads a little like a clinical tome; too many words, too little said. Yet, the monochromatic photos and diagrams, editing errors, and misspelled words cause you to question the credibility.
Wow.......2006-04-26
This book is very thourough.
I recently got it "out of the closet" and it helped my boyfriend understand my two goffins cockatoos much better.
It's easy to read, entertaining, and full of useful information.
Well worth the money.
One must have book!.......2005-08-24
This book has saved me alot of trouble and pain on my part and the bird I almost got. I have learned more from this book then from any other. I suggest this book to anyone concidering getting a large bird!
Book Description
This unusual book is a detailed guide for the parrot owner who wants to breed the birds but has no prior experience. The author, an experienced breeder, covers all of the basics in layman's terminology, and points out both the rewards and pitfalls connected with parrot breeding. Topics covered include who should (and who should not) breed parrots, obtaining breeding stock, providing housing and supplies for a parrot flock, maintaining flock health, avian reproduction, incubation, rearing chicks, working with an avian veterinarian, and selling chicks. The author concludes with a helpful list of information sources for parrot breeders. More than 60 full-color photos plus line art.
Customer Reviews:
a very good book.......2006-11-10
This is a very good book. Some authors fill their books with jargons and make the books difficut to read. But Soucek writes in plain language. She makes professional knowledge of parrot breeding understandable to a parrot lover like me. Photos are clear and illustrative. I considered this book is the best one among books of similar topics.
Hobby breeding just made easier.......2005-08-02
Well being a hobby breeder I must say that I had learned somewhat through the years. I walked into a book store and took my husband's advice for once, it turned out to be most rewarding. The Parrot Breeder's Answer Book is filled with so much information which answered alot of my questions concerning my current breeding. Most of all the book is fun to read and the amount of pictuers add alot as well, far from boring like other related books. I must say taking my husbands advise did work out this time since it never ends up good. I would recommend this book to my fellow bird breeder's especially my mother in law she can really use this book as a Christmas Gift.
Yours Truly
Martha Ferrer
The Parrot Breeder's Answer Book.......2005-07-28
Very informative, I've been a breeder for 11 years and learned a few things I didn't know!
You will never leave home again...almost.......2005-07-10
THE PARROT BREEDER'S ANSWER BOOK was written by Gayle Soucek, who has been breeding and training parrots for a number of years and maintains a flock of 70-80 birds at her Chicago home. The fact that she has been able to raise baby parrots in such a cold hostile environment is amazing, especially when she informs the reader that at times she must transport the babies to work because they require "round-the-clock"feedings, just like human babies. Of course she is hand raising the birds she feeds herself. Parent raised babies are cared for all day by mom and dad, but hand raising birds is the key to training them to be friendly animal companions. Reading this book one wonders where Ms Soucek finds the time to care for birds as she works full time for a bird supply business, is involved with a number of bird organizations and writes articles and books. Soucek says "you will never travel again" if you get into this business, and she has a point, although she undoubtedly travels to various locations to speak and lecture.
Soucek covers all the important aspects of baby-bird raising including parent nutrition and avian reproduction; preventive health care, including when to call your vet and when to "do it yourself"; baby nutrition including diets and hand feeding; housing, including cage requirements (do you know the difference between an incubator and a brooder?), air, water and light requirements; characteristics of birds reproductive systems including the difference between DNA sexing and the more invasive laproscopic sexing.
As a full-fledged bird breeder, I found this book highly informative, and recommend it to anyone who thinks bird-breeding is a "hobby."
The Perfect Parrot Breeding Guide.......2002-02-17
This is an excellent book for those who are looking into breeding parrots. It gives good information on the pros and cons for breeding, and comes with excellent pictures and illustrations. This is such a wonderful guide to breeding parrots RESPONSIBLY. It is incredibly honest and straight forward on the benefits and pitfalls of breeding. Very easy reading and informative. Also comes with a reference guide in the back. Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- Colorful, well-written, and kind
- A must have for any parrot lover!
- A must have for any parrot lover!
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Pet Parrot Book, The (Pet Reference Book)
Dr. Peter J. Snyder
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Fiction
| Nonfiction
Birds
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Veterinary Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
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The Parrot Problem Solver
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Eclectus Parrots
ASIN: 0764106082 |
Book Description
Here is a volume that deserves a place on every bird owner's bookshelf. It combines the author's warm, personal narratives with thought-provoking coverage of little-discussed topics relating to parrot care. They include the future of the parrot species in a world of shrinking natural habitats, and the hormonal changes a parrot undergoes in the course of its life cycle. The author also offers insights that explain the sometimes mysterious actions of parrots. He illustrates factual information about parrots with examples and stories drawn from real life. Readers will find an entertaining and informative combination of scientific fact and instructions on the daily care of parrots with humorous anecdotes. Illustrated with full-color photos.
Customer Reviews:
Colorful, well-written, and kind.......1999-05-28
The Pet Parrott Book is a colorful, extremely well-written, and kind treatment,offering both novice and experienced parrott companions thoughtful advice. Highly recommended.
A must have for any parrot lover!.......1999-01-19
Dr. Snyder's book is both informational and fun! His writing style makes it easy to read and understand for the layman. I would strongly suggest this book for both new and potential parrot owners as a great foundation for their future parrot libraries!
A must have for any parrot lover!.......1999-01-19
Dr. Snyder's book is both informational and fun! His writing style makes it easy to read and understand for the layman. I would strongly suggest this book for both new and potential parrot owners as a great foundation for their future parrot libraries!
Book Description
One of the more nonconformist figures in the animal kingdom, the parrot is linked to humans by its ability to speak--a trait many have found unsettling, though this discomfort is offset by its gorgeous plumage, which makes it one of the most popular members of the avian family. Unlike previous studies that have treated parrots as simply a curious oddity, Paul Carter offers here in Parrot a thoughtful yet spirited consideration of the natural and cultural history of parrots, discussing parrot portraiture, the role and significance of parrots' mimicry in human culture, and parrot conservation, as well the parrot's role in literature, folklore and mythology, film, and television worldwide.
Parrot takes three different approaches to the squawker: the first section, "Parrotics," examines the historical, cultural, and scientific classification of parrots; "Parroternalia," the second part, looks at the association of parrots with the different languages, ages, tastes, and dreams of society; and, finally, "Parrotology" investigates what the mimicry of parrots reveals about our own systems of communication. Humorously written and wide-ranging in scope, this volume takes readers beyond pirates and "Polly wants a cracker" to a new kind of animal history, one conscious of the critical and ironic mirror parrots hold up to human society.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-09-24
This is a remarkable book I recommend to everyone who has a parrot or even just "likes" parrots.
Carter discusses some history of humans sharing life with parrots, but this book is more about the parrot's place in our psyche; its mythology and its importance to us as a species (ours and the parrot). We need the parrot more than the parrot needs us.
As one reviewer said, read when you're likely to be uninterrupted because Carter does not spoon feed this to you. But your efforts will be richly and doubly rewarded, and you'll never look at a bundle of feathers the same way again.
Fascinating!.......2007-08-28
It would be a good idea to plan on reading this book at a time when you have little or no distractions. I found myself having to re-read a paragraph or even a page if I was interrupted, but I am sure you will find this book as fascinating as I did. See my website for full review.
Fabulous book - highly recommend.......2006-02-08
I ordered this book months ago because I'm writing one of my own on parrots and thought it would be helpful in my research. It's much more than I expected. The color plates are fabulous, it's rare and unusual information incredibly well done.
I'd recommend this to anyone -- not just parrot people (all of whom should have this). If you're fascinated by things you don't know and have an inquisitive nature this is for you. Check out the rest of the series they look equally interesting (ant, fox, spider, whale).
Book Description
"If You Were a Parrot" is whimsical story that has children imagining what life would be like if they were a pet parrot. The parrot's special feet allow it to climb curtains, bookshelves, and plants. The hooked beak lets the parrot chew all kinds of great food: seeds, nuts, chair legs, popsicles--sticks and all--and even a telephone directory! Join the parrot as it goes through its daily routine of climbing, chewing, eating, bathing, and finally, snuggling down for the night after a long day of parrot fun. The "For Creative Minds" educational section has parrot fun facts; tips for taking care of a pet parrot and a make-a-beak craft to supplement learning.
Customer Reviews:
If You Were a Parrot.......2007-08-11
Owning large parrots I found this book to be a wonderful explaination for younger children. It's colorful images and simple wording make learning about parrots fun and interesting for the little ones. Great book !!
More than a Mimic: If You Were A Parrot.......2007-03-30
How can I have lived this long and never noticed that two of a parrot's toes are on backwards? This playful and original book about life as a parrot is as entertaining as it is educational. My view of parrots is forever changed!
Enter a Fantasy Parrot World!.......2007-03-21
This fun 330-word picture book encourages the young reader to enter a fantasy world in which he imagines himself to be a parrot. Parrot behaviors are pictured, often with the child in the story imitating them.
I like the Creative Minds page cautioning people to think carefully about the work, expense and inconvenience before one gets a parrot for a pet. I thin the page with the black and white world map could have been color-coordinated to help the child determine the different regions where the various parrots are from.
I think children would love making their own beaks.
Overall, this is a delightful book suitable for young children who love parrots and like a good time.
Fun with Parrots!.......2007-03-03
What would it be like if you were a parrot? This enjoyable book tells you just how it would be to be a parrot throughout your day. You would even eat a popsicle, stick and all!
Author Katherine Rawson writes about parrot behavior and preferences in an amusing, informative way. Sherry Rogers illustrations enhance the text with dramatic scenes showing parrot behavior by painting children with beaks, claws, and the abilities to climb curtains and imitate phones. Young children will have so much fun imitating the parrots and parrot-children in this book. There is even a fact sheet in the back that tells children how to care for a pet parrot. This is a fun book for children ages 3 - 8.
If You Were a Parrot.......2007-01-19
Absolutely fabulous book! This book incorporates personality information along with being a very realistic view of companion parrot care. You are able to get a real sense of what it is really like living with a parrot! My business deals with companion bird owners 100% and I am definitely going to add several copies to our "library" and encourage anyone thinking of getting a bird to read this first - for fun and education.
Product Description
The fact that many birds learn to talk (and know what they're saying!) is proof that birds are not just a pretty addition to the living room. Bird owners know that their pets have unique personalities and that they demonstrate their thoughts and feelings. This book explains why birds behave the way that they do, how to recognize behaviors that indicate boredom, stress or poor health and how to work with a pet bird to modify undesirable conduct.
Customer Reviews:
my two wonderful blue and yellow golden macaws.......2006-08-08
hi, my husband and i seem to be having difficulty in mating our birds, some days, they both seem to be enjoying eachothers company,but yet, other days ,they seem to fight like they hate one another. weve been told to put them in a different room where they will be alone and have privacy, but iam afraid that abbott (female) will rescent us or feel that we dont want her anymore. do we stop handling them all together? our birds are very needy, love attention, effection, to be held and played with, how can we get them to mate without making them feel hurt, not loved,ect.? abbott(female) is 12 years old and gizmo(male) is about 10 years old, i know that abbott would be a great mother to her babies, think she needs this. please help us to try and learn how to do the right things the right way. my birds are like my kids, i love them and would do anything i possibly could to give them a happy home, and keep them knowing that their loved. thank you so very much, very glad to have found your page on my computer tonight, have a great day or night, GOD BLESS YOU, rick and christine mcknight 7-8-06 2;03a.m.
One of the Best Parrot Books Available!.......2000-12-28
Julie covers everything a bird owner needs to know in this book, from behavior of the bird in the wild, to behavior as a pet. As a bird breeder of many years, this is the book I recommend to most bird owners, or potential bird owners, as one they need to read. BUY IT! You won't be sorry!
A MUST HAVE FOR ALL BIRD OWNERS!!!.......2000-08-19
THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS! GIVES DESCRIPTIONS OF BIRD BEHAVIORS AND THE REASONS THEY BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO. GIVES INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO MANAGE UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS AND DISCIPLINE. LISTS THINGS TO WATCH FOR TO KNOW IF YOUR BIRD IS SICK. GIVES CLEAR INSTRUCTION ON FIRST AID FOR YOUR BIRD. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE BOOK. IT IS EVERYTHING A BIRD OWNER NEEDS TO KNOW. A++++
A MUST HAVE FOR ALL BIRD OWNERS!!!.......2000-08-19
THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS! GIVES DESCRIPTIONS OF BIRD BEHAVIORS AND THE REASONS THEY BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO. GIVES INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO MANAGE UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS AND DISCIPLINE. LISTS THINGS TO WATCH FOR TO KNOW IF YOUR BIRD IS SICK. GIVES CLEAR INSTRUCTION ON FIRST AID FOR YOUR BIRD. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE BOOK. IT IS EVERYTHING A BIRD OWNER NEEDS TO KNOW. A++++
Interesting, light reading.......2000-08-16
This book is not authoritative but rather anecdotal in presentation. The author does not present herself as an avian expert, but does provide some good, "readable" information in a easy going format. It is comprehensive, and DOES cover a wide range of species. True, the author's Grey, Sinbad, is mentioned and shown throughout the book, but other species do recieve her attention. She recommends nuts and bolts for toys, but fails to mention that they must be free of zinc. (Stainless steel for example). I would not rely upon this book as my primary source of information, but rather as supplemental to other more authoritative texts written by avian experts.
Average customer rating:
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Parrots (Perfect Pets)
Linda Jacobs Altman
Manufacturer: Benchmark Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Nonfiction
| Birds
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Pets
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 076141102X |
Customer Reviews:
Parrots.......2002-10-22
Parrots are realy good pets because you could teach them to talk. You have to feed them seeds, such as sunflower and sesame seed. Soon you teach them to say little words like hello. Then they will be on your arm. When they learn to talk you will be making conversations with them. I will recommend this book to everyone I know.
Kevin W.
Product Description
Clicker training is a fun, easy, and quick way to build a stronger bond with your bird.
You can learn to build trust and cooperation, get rid of excessive screaming, biting, and other undesirable behaviors, give scared birds confidence, help older birds learn to trust, and more!
Works with parrots of all species and ages.
This kit includes the following:
*Clicker Training for Birds, the 150 page book of complete training and care.
*The i-Click clicker.
*A target stick.
*A treat sample bag of millets.
Amazon.com
When Eugene Linden was writing The Parrot's Lament--a book subtitled "And Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity"--he enjoyed joking around with his 2-year-old daughter Sofia. "Are you a rutabaga?" "I'm not a rutabaga!" she would giggle. "Are you a waterbug?" "I'm not a waterbug!" Soon, Sofia learned to riff off her father's teasing: "I'm not a rutabaga; Daddy is a rutabaga!" or the truly insightful, "I'm not a rutabaga; the baby is a rutabaga. I'm a waterbug!"
As a passionate and accomplished student of animal intelligence since the '70s, Linden--of course--couldn't resist comparing Sofia's reasoning to that of an ape, puzzling over the cognitive cusp upon which she teetered. And it's this affectionate but knowledgeable analysis, the gentle transition from rutabagas to metacognition and emergent symbolic ability, that makes The Parrot's Lament so satisfying, sentimental but still scientifically solid. The science of consciousness and animal intelligence is contentious, but many in the field--Linden included--deeply suspect that animals know more than we can verify. Linden lays down the science with clarity and good humor, but he leaves it to his animal coauthors, the amorous dolphins, escape-artist orangs, enigmatic cats, and lying hyenas that populate the book's scores of anecdotes, to make his argument. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
A gorilla shrewdly sells back a missing key chain to the highest bidder. An orangutan picks a lock to let himself out of his zoo enclosure and two elephants adopt a tag-team strategy to keep their handlers from putting them back into theirs. In The Parrot's Lament, noted environmentalist Eugene Linden offers more than one hundred true anecdotes about animal acts of cooperation, heroism, escape--even tales of deception or manipulation of human beings. Drawing on the first-person experiences of veterinarians, field biologists, researchers, and trainers, Linden has compiled a warmly entertaining and powerfully persuasive argument for animal consciousness that, while not human, far exceeds what humans usually grant animals. Scientifically sound and emotionally compelling, The Parrot's Lament contains remarkable stories that are sure to resonate with animal lovers, turning skeptics everywhere into believers.
"Eugene Linden reveals how animals demonstrate aspects of intelligence as they escape from, cheat, and outfox humans." --Time magazine
"These amazing true stories confirm what many of us always suspected--that animals would make better humans than most humans would." --Carl Hiaasen
Customer Reviews:
They're smarter than you think!.......2006-11-14
This is a wonderful book. Having had companion animals all my life, I've never had any doubt whatsoever that our four-legged and/or feathered friends have a lot more going on in their little heads than some people give them credit for. Just because an animal can't use human words doesn't mean they can't think, feel, or communicate; and this book demonstrates that very well. My only "complaint," such as it is, is that there was no reference whatsoever to a parrot's lament. This rather disappointed me since I have a companion parrot, have read a lot about parrots, and was interested to hear Mr. Linden's story about a lamenting bird. Other than that, it's a great book!
My Goats Bedevil Me!.......2005-05-31
I suspect that my goats have me figured and are now trying to outsmart me. Apparently they don't think it's very hard. Because of the steep hills, hollows and giant boulders here at Flying Goat Ranch, the goats' territory is not securely fenced. Down by the road, where there's little to entice a hungry goat, there's just a wire to let them know their boundary. If I appear when they are outside this line, they crawl back under the wire and scoot up the hill. On the other hand, at the upper end of the ranch, the neighbor's fence is more substantial, but quite old and full of holes. I've tried to patch them, but the goats always find a new outlet so they can explore those greener pastures. If I confront them outside of this fence, they play dumb and wander back down along the fence line toward the front of our place, as if they don't know how to get back inside. Even if I approach them sounding the dinner bell (in response to which which they normally fly straight to their food area), they will still take this indirect and ineffective route, rather than take the quickest way to the food--through the opening of the fence. I suspect they don't want me to know their secret outlet, So I hide while I ring the bell and trick them into taking the quickest way back--the fence hole they came through--and from my hideout I discover their secret opening.
A recent book has collected many stories better than to demonstrate that animals possess several aspects of intelligent awareness, including a sense of humor as well as the ability to deceive. The Parrot's Lament and other true tales of animal intrigue, intelligence, and ingenuity (Dutton) gets its title from a story about a African Grey parrot, Bongo Marie. Its owner had a number of birds at her house, including an Amazon parrot, Paco, that Bongo Marie especially disliked. One day, the owner was removing a roast Cornish game hen from her oven when Bongo Marie flew over and shouted, "Oh no! Paco!" in an excited tone. When the owner produced Paco to show he was still alive, Bongo Marie responded in a disappointed tone, "Oh, no!" and then broke out into raucous laughter. The author of the book, Eugene Linden, an award winning science writer, has collected many of his stories from professional animal handlers (zoo keepers, animal researchers, etc.) and has included research studies, both of which provide a factual and intellectually curious tone to balance the natural sentimentality.
Escape stories involve not only animal cleverness, but also deception. In one case, for example, Fu Manchu, a male orangutan, baffled zoo keepers by his ability to open a door that allowed regular escape. Surreptitious observation revealed that he kept hidden in his cheek a secret tool: a wire he used to pick the lock.
A story of double deception among the animals themselves comes from an observation station created by Jane Goodall in the wilds of Tanzania. Just at the moment that one chimpanzee found a cache of food, a more dominant chimp appeared on the scene. The first chimp walked away from the cache and acted nonchalantly until the second chimp left the scene. When the coast was clear, the first chimp went over to the food and began to eat. However, the second chimp had only appeared to have left. He was observed to have hidden himself in the bushes and spied on the first chimp to learn of its deception. When the secret was exposed, the dominant chimp returned to the scene and claimed the food for himself.
Pet owners often attribute to their animals more intelligence, awareness and cunning than psychologists think they deserve. In the academic community, animal awareness is still as much an anathema as ESP. I don't think the church is as against animal awareness as much as is the university, even though it was the church who invented animal dumbness to create a spiritual gap between them and us. But evidence is mounting to force a conclusion that animals do think, have feelings, and are creative. Some animals, such as chimps and parrots, are even able to learn how to use symbolic language intelligently. Their ability to deceive, as cute or unattractive as it may be, is a quite important clue about their minds. The act of deception shows an awareness of the mental states of others and an understanding of how those mental states can be misled. My goats seem to assume that as long as I don't see them walk through the fence, I won't know there's a hole in it, so they seem to act so as to plant a false belief in my mind.
At a time when threats to the welfare of animals abound, it's good to hear stories that speak to us about their recognizably human qualities. When we empathize with them, it helps us connect to them as beings like us. In that way they become as our teachers, inspiring us to develop a more sensitive and caring relationship with the critters with whom we share this planet.
A good book, with some unsettling errors..........2004-04-01
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this exploration of animal intelligence. Linden writes clearly and succinctly, and does a great job of weaving his stories together to support the points he makes. He has taken examples from both his personal experience, and from numerous print sources and interviews with other people. Most of the stories revolve around captive animals (as pets and in zoos - primarily because these are more easily observed), though some examples from the wild are included. In addition, an overwhelming number of these case studies involve the great apes (particularly orangutans and gorillas) and dolphins. This is to be expected, as these species are generally considered to be among the most intelligent, but there are also tales of birds, pigs, large cats, and others.
The book is divided into nine categories. He begins with "Games and Humor," in which he explores the ways in which animals amuse themselves. "Trade and Barter" was one of the most interesting chapters, detailing the elaborate systems captive apes have been taught, where they can earn "money" for performing tasks for their keepers, and then spend that money on items they want, such as treats or toys. "Deception" discusses ways animals have tried to fool both their human counterparts and others of their own species. In "Mind Reading and Mental Chess" Linden explores the extent to which animals can be aware of others' states of mind. "Cooperation in Work, Conflict, and Healing" is another particularly interesting chapter, offering examples of service animals that have gone beyond their training to help humans. Included are stories of animals that actually seek out ill and injured people in order to offer them solace. "Tools and Intelligence" concerns that very sticky topic of whether humans, as tool-users, are unique. It appears that we are not, and Linden shows us numerous cases where other species have made use of tools to achieve their aims. The seventh chapter talks of escape attempts - cases where captive animals have shown remarkable ingenuity despite all their keepers' efforts to dissuade them. "Empathy and Heroism" gives us examples of animal heroes, and finally "A Place Where Humans are the Novelty" takes a brief look at those few wild places that are still relatively untouched by humans.
While I really liked the book as a whole, however, there are a few things which cause me to knock my rating down to only four stars. First is that Linden undermines much of his own thesis by devoting an entire preface as a disclaimer that none of these stories can be used as scientific evidence. Perhaps the stories are anecdotal, but this is how much of scientific discovery begins - with pure observation of things. For those of us with wide exposure to animals, it is hard to deny that they do possess some remarkable mental capabilities, even without these stories as additional proof.
And secondly, Linden has done a very poor job of checking his facts. Many of his examples come from animals at the Woodland Park Zoo, which is very close to where I live, and which I have visited numerous times. The first error that leapt out at me is relatively minor - the orangutan Linden refers to as "Tawan" is actually named Towan. But more alarming, one of Linden's stories involves the gorillas at Woodland Park. He claims that the gorilla Jumoke, when separated from the father of her baby, repeatedly tried to climb out of her new enclosure to rejoin him. This is all well and good, except that the "father" is billed as Alafia. Anyone can check the Woodland Park Zoo's website (www.zoo.org) and see that Alafia is, in fact, a female. So something is not right with that particular story. It could be that Linden just mixed up the names - there are a LOT of gorillas at Woodland park - but errors like this make me question the accuracy of the other accounts included. Has Linden made other mistakes in his research?
Overall, though, I would still recommend this book to anyone with a casual interest animal intelligence. Some of the stories are heartwarming, others funny, and others downright amazing. The book is friendly to the layman and does not require any scientific knowledge. It is also well-written and easy to read. If you're doing a study or writing a paper, I would strongly advise you to double-check the specifics of any accounts you intend to reference (due to the above mentioned errors), but for general-interest purposes this book is good enough as is. It's a great testament to the often vastly underestimated intellectual powers of our furry, feathery, and scaly friends.
Witty and fulfilling.......2003-03-13
I enjoyed this book of anecdotes about animals behaving in smart, original, creative, and sometimes heroic ways. It was written in a very accessible style, and I enjoyed the author's sense of humor. The book was well-divided into sections: games and humor; trade and barter; deception; mind reading and mental chess; cooperation in work, conflict and healing; tools and intelligence; escapes; empathy and heroism; and a place where humans are the novelty. I would've liked to have read more about the last section, about animals who have no fear of humans in a virtually untouched jungle in Africa. The only thing that puzzled me about the book was the rather apologetic tone regarding animal intelligence. The tone tries to pacify scientists and other people who aren't convinced that animals possess intelligence. I have never doubted that they do. I'm sure most people who have pets or work around animals feel the same way. It's too bad that we have to be apologetic about believing that the important life forms that share our planet have the capacity to think and feel. As the author points out in the last chapter, based on what we're doing to the planet, it's sometimes questionable which species is really the one without intelligence.
Excellent.......2002-07-03
I have a bird myself, and though she doesn't display any higher intelligence, these stories were humerous and fascinating.
The tales of love and escape and the human qualities displayed by animals were touching, too. This book made me do something not not very many other books have done; I laughed out loud. It's a great book for those who have pets or are just interested in tales of animal empathy, deception, and cooperation and intelligence which are sometimes hysterical.
Book Description
It's obvious that Abby and Tess love animals. After all, they've already aced their way through challenges involving ants, goats, goldfish, hamsters, lizards, and pot-bellied pigs! So these precocious pet-sitting sisters are ready-set-go to tackle their next assignment. Together they sign up for Pet Partners to participate in AAA — animal-assisted activity. This special program at their dad's hospital brings animals and patients together as part of their therapy to help them feel better. The pair decide to visit Elliot, a little boy with his leg in a big white cast. Unfortunately, he hasn't said a word since his automobile accident. Imagine his surprise when, instead of a cute puppy or a cuddly kitten, Abby and Tess waltz into his room with Chiku, a chatty African gray parrot!
Books:
- Once A Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf
- Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship
- Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship
- Pigeons and Doves: A Guide to Pigeons and Doves of the World
- Poison Dart Frogs (Reptile and Amphibian Keeper's Guide)
- Poodle Clipping and Grooming: The International Reference (Howell Reference Books)
- Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker
- Raising The Past
- Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome
- Running with the Buffaloes: A Season Inside with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and the University of Colorado Men's Cross-Country Team
Books Index
Books Home
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