Synopses & Reviews
and#147;Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.and#8221;and#151;from the Preface
From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authorsand#160; of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well.
John Marzluff and Tony Angell examine the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact. The authors contend that those interactions reflect a process of and#147;cultural coevolution.and#8221; They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamicand#151;a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves.
Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.
Review
"Fascinating and beautifully written book. . . . They give a good account of their studies, and while theydon't claim to have found definitive answers to all questions, they have 'opened the door' to future research. And they've opened another door, as hoped, welcoming a wide reading audience too."and#8212;Irene Wanner, The Seattle Times
Review
and#8220;Crows and ravens stir up much interest, precisely for the reasons John Marzluff and Tony Angell give in this handsomely illustrated work.and#8221;and#8212;Bernd Heinrich, author of
Mind of the RavenReview
"With engaging prose and compelling art, the authors tell us how our interactions with other species, especially crows and ravens, have influenced both us and them over the ages . . . .andnbsp; If youandnbsp;believe that we have great impacts on other species but that they have influenced us relatively little, then you should read this delightfully written and illustrated book."and#8212;Gordon H. Orians, University of Washington
Review
"Throughout human history, crows have been reviled and revered in equal measure. Now the corvids of folklore and fable are living up to their reputation for cleverness, trickery and ingenuity. Marzluff and Angell's wonderful book is a user's guide to the biology and culture of these fascinating animals and a testament to man's affinity with nature."and#8212;Nathan Emery, University of Cambridge
Review
"Members of the crow family (corvids), which include ravens, jays and magpies, as well crows, have the reputation of being mischievous, machaevellian creatures, who steal other birds' eggs and raid agricultural crops. But these covids are also reknowned for their wisdom as well as their deceit. This fascinating book describes not only the role corvids have played in our folklore but more generally how corvids have influenced human culture and the impact of humans on corvids. I hope this book will afford corvids the respect they deserve."and#8212;Nicola Clayton, University of Cambridge
Review
"This is the most detailed account I know of concerning crows and their interaction with man. A very readable and thought-provoking book!"and#8212;Noble S. Proctor, Ph.D., author of
Manual of Ornithology and
A Field Guide to North Atlantic WildlifeReview
from the forewordPaul Ehrlichand#8220;This book is the first to produce a grand overview of the human-corvid complex and is truly something to crow about.With any luck
In the Company of Crows and Ravens will stimulate more people to connect with nature by enjoying the antics of these easily observed birds.and#8221;and#8212;from the foreword by Paul Ehrlich, coauthor of
Wild SolutionsReview
"[A] delightful blend of science, art, and anthropology."and#8212;
BooklistReview
"Sleek, evocative illustrationsand#8212;a mysterious light seems to come directly from the eyes and feathers of these birds."and#8212;Susan Salter Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times Book ReviewReview
"The authors' systematic exploration of this history is handsomely complemented by dozens of Angell's pen-and-ink drawings."and#8212;Roxana Robinson,
Wilson QuarterlyReview
andldquo;Full of the grittiness of experimental persistenceandmdash;and the splendour of ravens and dogsandmdash;this is a warm tale of wonderful science.andrdquo;andmdash;Patricia Churchland, Nature
Review
"This remarkable husband-and-wife account of pathbreaking wildlife research in the snows of Maine whisks the reader along on a rare and spirited adventure into three interlocking worldsand#8212;avian, canine, and deeply human."and#8212;Ivan Doig, author of This House of Sky
Review
and#8220;This is also a book of great fascination and even of beautyand#8230;and#8230;Dog Days, Raven Nights is a work of science but it is also a book about research as adventure and as a strange, deeply enriching kind of human fulfilment.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Cocker, Times Literary Supplement
Review
andquot;Enjoy and bond with nature where you live and work. Marzluff has done this, and it has given him contagious joy that shows in the pages of this enjoyable and informative book.andquot;andmdash;New York Review of Books
Review
andquot;As Marzluff shows in this rich account of fieldwork in andlsquo;metropolitan wildsandrsquo; from New Zealand to Costa Rica, such annexed environments andndash; which boast some 75 billion trees in the United States alone andndash; can hostandnbsp; an astounding diversity of birds. But, he argues passionately, intelligently and with scientific authority, any land-use change reweaves the ecological web, and may leave it threadbare.andquot;andmdash;Nature
Review
andquot;andhellip;this book is a terrific compilation of facts about suburban wildlife (much more than birds, and well beyond its US core). There are awful statistics andmdash;about cats especially, but also skyscraper collisions, poisons and habitat lossandmdash; and many happily more positive ones.andquot;andmdash;Rob Hume, Birdwatch
Synopsis
Even as growing cities and towns pave acres of landscape, some bird species have adapted and thrived. How has this come about?
Welcome to Subirdia presents a surprising discovery: the suburbs of many large cities support incredible biological diversity. Populations and communities of a great variety of birds, as well as other creatures, are adapting to the conditions of our increasingly developed world. In this fascinating and optimistic book, John Marzluff reveals how our own actions affect the birds and animals that live in our cities and towns, and he provides ten specific strategies everyone can use to make human environments friendlier for our natural neighbors.
Over many years of research and fieldwork, Marzluff and student assistants have closely followed the lives of thousands of tagged birds seeking food, mates, and shelter in cities and surrounding areas. From tiny Pacific wrens to grand pileated woodpeckers, diverse species now compatibly share human surroundings. By practicing careful stewardship with the biological riches in our cities and towns, Marzluff explains, we can foster a new relationship between humans and other living creatures--one that honors and enhances our mutual destiny.
Synopsis
Twenty years ago, fresh out of graduate school and recently married, John and Colleen Marzluff left Arizona for a small cabin in the mountains of western Maine. Their mission: to conduct the first-ever extensive study of the winter ecology of the Common Raven under the tutelage of biologist Bernd Heinrich.
Drawing on field notes and personal diaries, they vividly and eloquently chronicle their three-year endeavor to research a mysterious and often misunderstood birdand#8212;assembling a gigantic aviary, climbing sentry trees, building bird blinds in the forest, capturing and sustaining 300 ravens as study subjects, and enduring harsh Maine winters in pursuit of their goal. They also shared the unique challenges and joys of raising, training, and racing the sled dogs that assisted them in their work.
Accompanied by Evon Zerbetz's lovely linocut illustrations, Dog Days, Raven Nights is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the adventures of field science and an insightful exploration of the nature of relationships, both animal and human.
Synopsis
The coauthor of the award-winning In the Company of Crows and Ravens and his wife, an animal-behavior expert, offer an engaging account of their days as young field biologists in Maine
Synopsis
In this engaging memoir, husband-and-wife biologists recall their days as young field scientists in the Maine woodsand#8212;studying the Common Raven, training sled dogs, and exploring the ties of marriage and friendship.
About the Author
Q: How did you come to write this book?A: Seven years ago we set out to write a natural history of the American crow, but a much different book emergedand#151;a natural and cultural history of crows and ravens worldwide. Discovering the joint history of people and crows opened our eyes to the close and continuing relationship evolving between people and elements of the natural world. We hope others can experience our discovery. Crows are elegant without benefit of fancy and colorful plumage; they are animated and physically imposing, the fuel for artistic inspiration.Q: Youand#8217;ve studied crows and ravens extensively. Does it seem that they in turn study you?A: (Marzluff) I particularly remember a raven who carefully approached one of myb traps, stopped short of stepping into it, and reached over to pull the grass camouflage off the trapand#8217;s trigger. He turned to look down the road at me before emphatically throwing the grass into the road and deftly reaching over the trap to grab the bread I used as bait. He didnand#8217;t have to look at me, but he didand#151;like a celebratory football player who just scored!A: (Angell) My raven Macaw employed my and#147;greetingand#8221; each morning as a vocal initiation of each day. After a few months of my saying and#147;Hello, Macaw,and#8221; to him as a young bird, he would say and#147;Hello, Macaw,and#8221; sometimes before I spoke, rather like a and#147;Good morningand#8221; greeting. He always used it in this context during his time with me.Q: What might your readers be most surprised to learn about these birds?A: Our conclusion that crows have culture, and that it affects and is affected byand#160; human culture, makes us realize that we share more than some would like to think with other animals. The tales from people who have witnessed apparent crow murders, funerals, and visitations from dead relatives will certainly shake readers. We hope that by bringing up such controversial crow traits, others will study them and help us all understand the actions of these powerful birds. That crows and their kin possess culture that in some ways parallels our own is a consideration not easily addressed.