Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Book Review: Bird Brain--An Exploration of Avian Intelligence

Princeton University Press sent me another winner for review.  Nathan Emery's Bird Brain: An Exploration of Avian Intelligence is thoroughly enjoyable throughout.

Historically, when someone calls us a "birdbrain," they are not being complimentary. We may need to rethink that, at least for some birds.

This book is a fascinating exploration of how birds learn, think and feel. The book looks at the structure of the avian brain and the abilities it provides to our feathered neighbors. It does this without being stuffy or beyond the reach of the general public with an interest in birds. Short essays on each topic allow a person to explore the book in snippets or to skip around the book to read whatever catches your eye.

For me, the geek, I really enjoyed reading how the experiments were structured to give us insight on how birds "think." I might have liked a little more detail on that, but I can always look that up. For most people, what is presented is enough. Beautiful photography and interesting illustrations add to the overall appeal of the book.

Any bird lover would love to have this book in his/her library. $29.95 from Princeton University Press or $23.32 on Amazon.