Author: Philip J. CurriePublisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253343734
Category : Birds
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
The setting -- Osteology and Ichnology -- Eggs, nests, feathers, and flight.
Feathered Dragons
Author: Philip J. CurriePublisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253343734
Category : Birds
Languages : en
Pages : 404
Book Description
The setting -- Osteology and Ichnology -- Eggs, nests, feathers, and flight.
The Feather Thief
Author: Kirk Wallace JohnsonPublisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101981628
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 338
Book Description
As heard on NPR's This American Life “Absorbing . . . Though it's non-fiction, The Feather Thief contains many of the elements of a classic thriller.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air “One of the most peculiar and memorable true-crime books ever.” —Christian Science Monitor A rollicking true-crime adventure and a captivating journey into an underground world of fanatical fly-tiers and plume peddlers, for readers of The Stranger in the Woods, The Lost City of Z, and The Orchid Thief. On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin's obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins—some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin's, Alfred Russel Wallace, who'd risked everything to gather them—and escaped into the darkness. Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.
The Thing with Feathers
Author: Noah StryckerPublisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698152735
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 304
Book Description
"[Strycker] thinks like a biologist but writes like a poet." -- Wall Street Journal An entertaining and profound look at the lives of birds, illuminating their surprising world—and deep connection with humanity. Birds are highly intelligent animals, yet their intelligence is dramatically different from our own and has been little understood. As we learn more about the secrets of bird life, we are unlocking fascinating insights into memory, relationships, game theory, and the nature of intelligence itself. The Thing with Feathers explores the astonishing homing abilities of pigeons, the good deeds of fairy-wrens, the influential flocking abilities of starlings, the deft artistry of bowerbirds, the extraordinary memories of nutcrackers, the lifelong loves of albatrosses, and other mysteries—revealing why birds do what they do, and offering a glimpse into our own nature. Drawing deep from personal experience, cutting-edge science, and colorful history, Noah Strycker spins captivating stories about the birds in our midst and shares the startlingly intimate coexistence of birds and humans. With humor, style, and grace, he shows how our view of the world is often, and remarkably, through the experience of birds. You’ve never read a book about birds like this one.
The Feathered Bone
Author: Julie CantrellPublisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 0718037634
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
“Feathers—no matter what size or shape or color—are all the same, if you think about them. They’re soft. Delicate. But the secret thing about feathers is . . . they are very strong.” In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter’s sixth-grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter’s best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry—gone, without a trace. Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda’s daughter sinks into depression. And Amanda’s husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda’s whole world has collapsed. Amanda knows she has to save herself before it’s too late. As she continues to search for Sarah, she embarks on a personal journey, seeking hope and purpose in the wake of so much tragedy and loss. Set amidst the murky parishes of rural Louisiana and told through the eyes of two women who confront the darkest corners of humanity with quiet and unbreakable faith, The Feathered Bone is Julie Cantrell’s master portrait of love in a fallen world.
A Life-Long Story
Author: AnonymousPublisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 3375122977
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 478
Book Description
Reprint of the original, first published in 1859.
The Remarkable Life of William Beebe
Author: Carol Grant GouldPublisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610911458
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
When William Beebe needed to know what was going on in the depths of the ocean, he had himself lowered a half-mile down in a four-foot steel sphere to see-five times deeper than anyone had ever gone in the 1930s. When he wanted to trace the evolution of pheasants in 1910, he trekked on foot through the mountains and jungles of the Far East to locate every species. To decipher the complex ecology of the tropics, he studied the interactions of every creature and plant in a small area from the top down, setting the emerging field of tropical ecology into dynamic motion. William Beebe's curiosity about the natural world was insatiable, and he did nothing by halves. As the first biographer to see the letters and private journals Beebe kept from 1887 until his death in 1962, science writer Carol Grant Gould brings the life and times of this groundbreaking scientist and explorer compellingly to light. From the Galapagos Islands to the jungles of British Guiana, from the Bronx Zoo to the deep seas, Beebe's biography is a riveting adventure. A best-selling author in his own time, Beebe was a fearless explorer and thoughtful scientist who put his life on the line in pursuit of knowledge. The unique glimpses he provided into the complex web of interactions that keeps the earth alive and breathing have inspired generations of conservationists and ecologists. This exciting biography of a great naturalist brings William Beebe at last to the recognition he deserves.
Determined to Get a Life
Author: Ken CrasswellerPublisher: FriesenPress
ISBN: 103916935X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 223
Book Description
In this candid story, this author asks one of life’s essential questions: How do we go on when our hearts are broken? Book One of Determined to Get a Life tells the story of Ken and his wife Lesley, her journey through dementia and eventual death, and Ken’s journey as her husband and caregiver. In Book Two, Ken confronts his grief and the tangle of questions he’s left with after Lesley’s death. With the knowledge that many elderly, bereaved spouses give up on life after the loss of their loved one, Ken is determined to find a way to go on. His path forward emerges as he regularly visits Spirit Island Park, a place he used to enjoy with Lesley. There, he engages with nature and people and rediscovers his will to live. Included in Book Two is a rich collection of short stories—some written by Lesley, some by Ken, and some by Ken and Lesley together—introducing a colourful cast of characters and exploring topics such as loneliness, illness, addiction, and spirituality. At its core, Determined to Get a Life is a message of hope to anyone suffering darkness and despair in dementia’s wake. With lucidity and strength of character, Ken sets out to prove that it’s possible to connect once more with the beautiful world, to find peace, and live a purposeful life.
The Wall of Birds
Author: Jane KimPublisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062687875
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 281
Book Description
A celebration of the diversity and evolution of birds, as depicted in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's magnificent 2,500-square-foot Wall of Birds mural by artist Jane Kim. Part homage, part artistic and sociological journey, The Wall of Birds tells the story of birds' remarkable 375-million-year evolution. With a foreword by John W. Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and full of lush photographs of gorgeous life-size birds painted in exacting detail, The Wall of Birds lets readers explore these amazing creatures family by family and continent by continent. Throughout, beautifully crafted narratives and intimate artistic reflections tell of the evolutionary forces that created birds' dazzling variety of forms and colors, and reveal powerful lessons about birds that are surprisingly relevant to contemporary human challenges. From the tiny five-inch Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird to the monstrous thirty-foot Yutyrannus, The Wall of Birds is a visual feast, essential for bird enthusiasts, naturalists, and art lovers alike.
Life through the Ages II
Author: Mark P. WittonPublisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253048141
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 167
Book Description
What was life like on our planet long before the early humans emerged? Paleontologist Dr. Mark P. Witton draws on the latest twenty-first century discoveries to re-create the appearances and lifestyles of extinct, fascinating species, the environments they inhabited, and the challenges they faced living on an ever-changing planet. A worthy successor to Charles Knight's beloved 1946 classic, Life through the Ages II takes us on an unforgettable journey through the evolution of life on Earth. Dozens of gorgeous color illustrations and meticulously researched, accompanying commentary showcase the succession of lost worlds, defining events, and ancient creatures that have appeared since the earth was formed, creating an indispensable guide to explore what came before us.
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