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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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THE WONDER OF BIRDS

Jim Robbins

What They Tell Us About Ourselves, the World, and a Better Future

We all know birds are an astonishing species, though much remains unknown about them. Robbins seeks to answer what is vital about birds, what they teach us about the world and ourselves, and how they inspire us, how have they changed the way we live, and--perhaps most important—Robbins explores what would be completely lost without them.
A fascinating examination of the powerful--and surprising--ways birds enrich our lives and sustain the planet.
The calliope hummingbird weighs the same as a penny and influenced the Wright brothers' flight design; the chicadee's song is considered by scientists to be the most sophisticated, complex language in the animal world and a "window into the evolution of our own language and our society;" and the eagles strong and quietly powerful presence in the disadvantaged neighborhood of Anacostia, D.C., proved to be the most effective option for rehabilitating the troubled teenagers put in charge of their care.

The last few decades have been an accelerating tragedy for birds. Out of ten thousand bird species, 1,313 species are imperiled because of declining habitat, pollution, and a rapidly changing climate. Robbins shows us that we must fight to save the diminished bird population, for the sake of the planet, and for humankind. As technology has become far more sophisticated, our knowledge of birds and the ways they inform our lives increased exponentially. From the use of laser-illuminated atomized olive oil to map the forces at work when a hummingbird flaps its wings, to dissecting bird brains in order to understand the acquisition of language in infants, Jim Robbins details the scientific research at the forefront of the study of birds.

In his Robbins uses his and others' personal stories to encourage readers to think about why birds matter to the human endeavor and this reaches far beyond detailing the scientific reasons birds are essential to our ecosystems.

Jim Robbins is the author of THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES: A Story of Lost Groves, the Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet which established him as an authoritative voice on environmental issues and the preservation of our ecosystems. A number of Jim Robbins's articles on birds have been the Times's #1 most emailed article (http://nyti.ms/2eaPHtV) (http://nyti.ms/2e7mLOE). He is a frequent contributor to the science section ofThe New York Timesand has written for Smithsonian, Audubon, Vanity Fair, The Sunday Times (London), Scientific American, The New York Times Magazine, Discover, Psychology Today, Gourmet, andCondé Nast Travelerand has appeared on ABC'sNightline, National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Morning Edition, and as a guest on the Today show.
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Book

Published 2017-05-30 by Spiegel & Grau

Book

Published 2017-05-30 by Spiegel & Grau

Comments

In this deeply felt and well-supported argument for avians’ value to humankind, science writer Robbins (The Man Who Planted Trees) hits the full trifecta for engrossing and satisfying nature writing. He displays a personal involvement with and ‘soul-stirring wonder’ about his subject, a fondness for the sometimes-obsessed researchers who dive deeply into specifics of anatomy and behavior, and a smooth and engaging writing style through which he conveys a huge amount of factual information while keeping his narrative flowing…The world ‘is fantastically rich and alive with meaning,’ Robbins reminds readers, offering correctives to ‘our inability to sense it’ as well as pointers on where to look.

UK & British Commonwealth: Black Inc.; China (simpl): United Sky ; Norwegian: Cappelen Damm ; Estonian: Varrak

Using enchanting stories and rich historical references, Jim Robbins explores the role of birds on the evolution of human self-awareness.

The Wonder of Birds provides a great and well-timed gift: a portrait of the quiet miracles around us each day of our ordinary lives.By sharing his perspective and insights, Robbins reminds us to slow down and to appreciate—and ultimately, to protect—a natural world that is essential for both our physical and spiritual well-being.

Jim Robbins writes masterfully with lucid prose and deep insight into the human psyche and natural world.In The Wonder of Birds he illuminates the realm of this extraordinary creature that is both a miracle of physiology and a poetic manifestation of our own transcendence.

Engaging, thoughtful…this work is worthy of a place alongside David Attenborough’s documentary The Life of Birds or Graeme Gibson’s The Bedside Book of Birds…Of wide-ranging significance, this offering will appeal to naturalists, anthropologists, linguists, and even philosophers as well as to lay readers.

It’s one for the birds—what a wonderful book! It will give you wings.

A peregrine falcon and a loggerhead shrike, my flying friends, came into the garden the day The Wonder of Birds arrived. I’m surprised they didn’t fly away with it…this exciting book of nature.

Jim Robbins's insight has brought even more perspective into a world I have been discovering most of my life and career with birds.