Overview

In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores the newly discovered brilliance of birds and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research-- the distant laboratories of Barbados, the bowerbird habitats of Australia, and the ravaged mid-Atlantic coast after Hurricane Sandy--Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are revolutionizing our view of what it means to be intelligent. Beyond highlighting how birds use their unique genius in technical ways, Ackerman points out the impressive social smarts of birds. They deceive and manipulate. They display a strong sense of fairness. They play tug-of-war. They cultivate social networks. They teach their young. They alert one another to danger. They may even grieve. Ackerman delivers an extraordinary story that will both give readers a new appreciation for the exceptional talents of birds and let them discover what birds can reveal about our changing world. The Genius of Birds richly celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.

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9781665150224

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Reviews

"""A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence."" -- ""Scientific American"" ""Gloriously provocative and highly entertaining...A masterly survey of research in the last two decades that has produced a revolution in our understanding of bird cognition...It is at once a book of knowledge but also a work of wonder and an affirmation of the astonishing complexity of our world."" -- ""Wall Street Journal"""

A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence. -- Scientific American Gloriously provocative and highly entertaining...A masterly survey of research in the last two decades that has produced a revolution in our understanding of bird cognition...It is at once a book of knowledge but also a work of wonder and an affirmation of the astonishing complexity of our world. -- Wall Street Journal

Author Information

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science, nature, and human biology for almost three decades. Her books include Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body; Ah-Choo: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold; Chance in the House of Fate: A Natural History of Heredity; and Notes from the Shore. She is a contributor to Scientific American, National Geographic, the New York Times, and many other publications. She is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Margaret Strom, a New York-trained actress, graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and holds both BA and MA degrees in theater, as well as an MS degree in educational administration and supervision. She has narrated more than five hundred books for the Library of Congress, and is the voice of business, private, nonprofit, medical, and government industrials and commercials.

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