Birdscapes：Birds in Our Imagination and Experience

Whatdrawsustothebeautyofapeacock,theflightofaneagle,orthesongofanightingale?Whyarebirdssosignificantinourlivesandoursenseoftheworld?Andwhatdoourwaysofthinkingaboutandexperiencingbirdstellusaboutourselves?Birdscapesisauniquemeditationonthevarietyofhumanresponsestobirds,fromantiquitytotoday,andfromcasualobserverstotheglobe-trotting"twitchers"whosometimesrisklife,limb,andmarriagessimplytoaddnewspeciestotheir"lifelists."Drawingextensivelyonliterature,history,philosophy,andscience,JeremyMynottputshisownexperiencesasabirdwatcherinarichculturalcontext.Hissourcesrangefromthefamiliar--Thoreau,Keats,Darwin,andAudubon--totheunexpected--BenjaminFranklin,GiacomoPuccini,OscarWilde,andMontyPython.Justasunusualaretheextensiveillustrations,whichexploreourperceptionsandrepresentationsofbirdsthroughimagessuchasnationalemblems,women'shats,professionalsportslogos,andaChristmasbiscuittin,aswellasclassicsofbirdart.Eachchaptertakesupanewtheme--fromrarity,beauty,andsoundtoconservation,naming,andsymbolism--andissetinanewplace,asMynotttravelsfromhis"homepatch"inSuffolk,England,tohis"awaypatch"inNewYorkCity'sCentralPark,aswellastoRussia,Australia,andGreece.Conversational,playful,andwitty,Birdscapesgentlyleadsustoreflectonlargequestionsaboutourrelationtobirdsandthenaturalworld.Itencouragesbirderstoseetheirpursuitsinabroaderhumancontext--anditshowsnonbirderswhattheymaybemissing.