Product Description
A harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a boy abandoned by his parents during World War II, this classic novel, originally published in 1965, is a dark masterpiece that examines the proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love. It is the first, and the most famous, novel by one of the most important and original writers of this century.Amazon.com Review
Many writers have portrayed the cruelty people inflict uponeach other in the name of war or ideology or garden-variety hate, butfew books will surpass Kosinski's first novel, The PaintedBird, for the sheer creepiness in its savagery. The story followsan abandoned young boy who wanders alone through the frozen bogs andbroken towns of Eastern Europe during and after World War II, tryingto survive. His experiences and actions occur at and beyond the limitsof what might be called humanity, but Kosinski never averts his eyes,nor allows us to. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (113)

Ultimately worth it but only VERY ultimately.
I read The Painted Bird because of a long ago made recommendation. The description of the plot is generally available and so I won't repeat it here. The blurbs and descriptions in the book made it seem as if its autobiographical or at the very least based on a true story, with comparisons to The Diary of Anne Frank. When I started the book and began to get a sense of its remorseless and graphic depravity, I made allowances because of the fact that "these things happened" When I discovered that this was all completely fictionalized, I was not inclined to continue, since it is very graphic and I'm a squeamish guy and those are not my literary tastes. As I continued reading though, the accelerating orgies of senseless violence actually desensitized me in the way that mirrored the boy's quest. You become hardened and shell shocked by the depravity and also grateful for the small reliefs, brief chapters that don't climax in incest or bestial violence. You feel assaulted and end up cheering on violence done to those who first perpetrated it and ready to side with anyone with most rudimentary social codes which in this book is the Red Army heading to Berlin. Anyone familiar with the conduct of the Red Army during that time appreciates the low standards you would have to have to look upon them as saviours, yet the events in this book are so harrowing and filled with nearly prehistoric codes of interaction that the reader searches for relief in any vestige of "modern" concepts of decency and civilization. In that it is a brutal subject, brutally handled it is hard to recommend that someone go through the experience; I can say however that when you are done you feel like you have gained an insight and just a tinge of the terrifying dread that is part of this perpetual human condition.

`Was such a destitute, cruel world worth ruling?'
`The Painted Bird' was first published by Jerzy Kosiñski in 1965, and revised in 1976.It is a fictional account of the personal experiences of a boy aged six who could be Jewish or might be a Gypsy taking refuge in Eastern Europe during World War II.It is a fictional account filled with hate for Polish peasantry and packed with excruciating, horrifying detail of rape, murder, bestiality and torture.

'The Painted Bird' depicts a journey through a very brutal and brutalising hell.There are no safe places, really, for this boy.He may have escaped with his life but he can never escape his experiences.

There are good reasons to not like this book: it is not, as has been thought, an autobiographical account of Kosiñski's own experiences.Additionally it relies on the proximity of the Holocaust to intensify its own horror; it demonises Polish peasantry as both cruel and backward; and it wallows in violence.But for all of that, it has its own haunting power.

I've first read this novel at least 20 years ago and recently revisited it.I do not like the graphic, seemingly unending violence.The point is made and reiterated: man's inhumanity to man takes many forms and vulnerability is often relative rather than absolute.Did Kosiñski really regard the world as being beyond redemption?Is that the question he was posing in this novel? Is that why he committed suicide in 1991?Did he write this novel to give voice to his own despair as a consequence of the events of World War II?For me this novel raises far more questions than it answers.And some of those questions about the author and his intent colour the way I read this novel.I cannot `hate' it: it is far too well written for that.I cannot `love' it: it is far too ugly and there are far too many questions unanswered.Instead, I `like' it in an uneasy sort of way because it makes me wonder about the world.

I won't need to read it again.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

SICK SICK SICK
I can only say that this man must have been very sick in his mind to write this and suicide did us all a favour.He has made the Poles out to be as sick as himself and its all lies.How dare this book be taken seriously?If it is fiction then his detailed descriptions are something in his mind which are really perverse and dangerous.The Poles suffered as much as anyone and for them to be portrayed in this way is insulting and I am ashamed to see the well known and up til now respected so called intellectuals' praise of this work. i wanted to burn the book but its from the library.A health warning should be put on the front. If those sort of things did go on I would assume they were rarities rather than the norm as he makes out to be.The more scary thing for me would be that I was the only one who detested this book but I am not alone.Arthur Millar and his ilk have gone down in my estimation.

Uncomfortably real
I'm surprised by any negative reviews of this WWII, quasi-Holocaust tale of a young Jewish boy wandering on his own during the war.

The story is indeed rather "creepy".It's not a "feel good" read.It's also well told and beautifully written.The sexual, brutal, and homicidal aspects were, I thought, handled rather delicately yet without losing the intended hard-punch impact.Certainly some tough topics, but nothing gratuitous here.

It's very thinly veiled that this is (tragically) an autobiographical novel.An important work in this genre', and again, very well written.Probably not for the extremely timid, but if you can handle frank truth, don't let the hand-wringers scare you away from reading this one.

Fraud?
Among my main subjects of interest, which dominate my reading, are the horrible European history of the 20th century, and the literature by and about emigrants.
One of the best known, but controversial authors of the small group of writers who moved to the US or UK as adults and then were successful writers in English, is the Jewish Pole who adopted the name Jerzy Kosinski.

He published this novel, The Painted Bird, in 1965, and produced some of the most heated controversies in literary history. I am not sure if it is at all clear by now whether he actually wrote the book himself and whether he really wrote it in English. The book was received as a semi-autobiographical narration of the wanderings of an abandoned 6 to 10 years old boy in the wilderness, actual and social, somewhere in an unnamed East Europe during WW2. We meet incredible superstition and brutality, not just war related.

The boy is dark haired and has dark eyes and speaks upper class Polish. For the people in the flat country, he is like a painted bird: the metaphor relates to the sadistic act of catching birds, painting their feathers, and releasing them to the rejection and aggression by their flocks.

In his foreword to the 1976 edition, Kosinski denies autobiographical content and declares his tale as fiction. In the meantime it had been established that his own real life experience had been much different, that Polish farmers had actually saved him and his parents by hiding them and giving them a fake Catholic identity. With this background, I must say I can understand the accusations that the book is anti-Polish. During Communist times, the book was banned in Poland and Kosinski was attacked as traitor and American influence agent. I am not sure if that hits the truth, but there is something very fishy here.

Let's put it in a nutshell: I expected something somewhere between Imre Kertesz and Primo Levy, but what I get is more like Tarantino or Rodriguez without the tongue in cheek.
The novel gives us one scene of sensationalist brutality after the other. It is a picaresque hell ride, and the puzzling aspect is: the violence is not war related. It is practiced by the rural population on a peace time basis: sadism, rape, mutilation, lynching, blinding, whipping, you name it. I am disgusted.
Kosinski's 76 foreword refers to accusations of uncalled for violence, and he justifies it by saying that all war witnesses say that the reality was even worse. Maybe that is so, but the real problem is the violence level in the scenes which are not war related.

Another aspect that condemns the book is this: the narration is supposed to be that of a little boy of 6 and later. Kosinski failed completely to give the story a plausible childlike voice. On the other hand, the events have too much immediacy to be taken for the recollection of an adult who remembers his childhood. This is all very wrong.
I really wanted to like this book, but I can't.
... Read more

Product Description

All Alex could see was her long, thick, copper-colored hair. Pale smooth skin. Lips that were naturally tinted pink. Eyes that were green like sea grass.

He stopped himself. His best friend Reese might be dead. But in Alex's mind, Cassandra was still very much the man's wife.

Cassandra. The forbidden woman Alex had yearned for from the first moment he'd laid eyes on her six years ago. The woman who'd been married to his best friend--the friend he'd lost to the sea. The woman who was rebuilding his family's bed-and-breakfast...and who just might, in the process, be rebuilding his anguished heart.

Customer Reviews (6)

WARD'S EXCELLENT IN THIS 3rd FROM THE MOOREHOUSE SERIES
I absolutely love this series and FROM THE FIRST is now included as one of my all time favourite romances. It is book 3 in the Moorehouse Legacy which I discovered through being a fan of JR ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood. Each book just gets better and with this instalment we finally get wounded and grief stricken brother Alex`s story and wow its smokin good.

Alex Moorehouse has been with us throughout as we watched his sisters find true love and I've always wondered about him. As the physically and emotionally injured sailing champion he was abrupt, harsh and distant. Spending time with a bottle while his shattered leg healed and his mood worsened. He reminds me of (for all you Ward fans) a delicious combination of Zsadist and Phury and how awesome is that!

Alex has been in love with his sailing partner and best friend Reese's wife for 6 long years and coveting her from afar is pure torture. On the rare occasions when he's forced to spend time with her, he's flat-out rude for fear that one of them will see the truth in his eyes. Ever since the accident Alex has been in a living hell because although Reese is now dead in Alex's mind his wife is still very much married and as much as he wants her he can never have her, she is forbidden.

Cassandra has just taken a new job overseeing the rebuilding of the Moorehouse B&B, she's looking forward to getting out of New York and spending some quiet time by the lake. Everything would be just perfect except for Alex. The eldest Moorehouse is still living on the property and as much as he unnerves her she's going to have to see him everyday. She just doesn't understand why he hates her so much? Why does he pull her closer one moment only to push her away in the next? And what secrets is he hiding behind those anguished yet yearning eyes? It's a winding road our couple face as the secrets pile up and one nights promise of passion spirals into a lifetime of wanting more. Will Cassandra still love him when she finds out the truth about the night her husband died? And will Alex ever be able to overcome the guilt and let her in if she does?

This is a great read that will have you will falling in love with Alex and through some clever writing on Bird's part be left wondering about the night Reese died until the very last chapter. There are also many familiar threads beginning here that were only brought to their full creation within the BDB and I can't recommend this series enough to Ward fans (and romance lovers alike) I would however recommend reading them in order. Cheers!

1-Beauty And The Beast 2-His Comfort And Joy

Great book!!!
This book is full of angst and a tormented hero to die for. I love Alex and I thought Cass was a good match for her. I would highly recommend this book. I enjoyed reading these books more than JR Ward Black Brotherhood books. These people have more genuine feelings.

Awesome love story ....
From the First by Jessica Bird
Silhouette Special Edition # 1750 - April 2006
Moorehouse Legacy trilogy - Book # 3

Alex Moorehouse knew he was first class scum. What kind of man lusts and then falls in love with his best friend's wife? And that storm, that ended up being a hurricane, swept up on them so fast; the sea was so angry. He really hadn't meant to let go of Reese' hand and then let the sea swallow him up; had he? The nightmares tortured him. It seemed only right that the sea had damaged him too; and he, after countless surgeries, should have lost his leg, but it was still there, still an agony. Cassandra had never been able to understand what it was that she had done to offend her husband's partner and best friend. It had to do with that day on the boat, when she'd caught Alex naked out of the shower. Had she let him see how much he attracted her? She hadn't realized it then, but maybe Alex had, and it was because of his innate sense of honour that he'd been avoiding her for years. Avoiding Cass now wasn't an option, as she'd agreed to restore the family B&B after a fire has gutted the kitchen and damaged the rear of the inn. As a resident in the workshop behind the B&B, Alex would have no place to hide while he continued his rehab.

Awesome love story. I can certainly see why From the First earned the RITA for Ms. Bird. Alex is a tortured hollow man when Cass sees him for the first time since her husband's death. In a moment, when Alex was sure he was dreaming, he revealed to Cass how vulnerable he was and in that moment he'd begun to heal. That was also the moment Cass realized that she'd always been attracted to Alex, a revelation that shakes her. Beautifully written and it was great to visit with the characters from the other books in the trilogy. I'm looking forward to reading Spikes story. It's up next. :D

Moorehouse Legacy series ...
Beauty and the Black Sheep - SSE# 1698 - July 2005
His Comfort and Joy - SSE# 1732 - January 2006
From the First - SSE #1750 - April 2006
A Man in a Million - SSE #1803 - January 2007

This won the Rita?
While the premise was good, the hero's characterization was weak.He ran hot and cold, waffling between being "The Warrior" (the nickname given to him in racing circles) and being "The Wimp" (the nickname given to him by this reader).He wasn't redeemable to me despite all efforts by the author.And had Miss Bird ever studied Desmond Morris or heard Linda Howard's 12 Steps of Intimacy, she'd know a man can never pull away in the middle of sex.Once a man takes that step, there's no turning back.

The heroine was unbelievable for me.She was far too experienced in her field to be so young.And why did she put herself through such hell with her late husband?Once she learned of his affairs, she should of cut bait and run.I'd have felt much better about her had she taken this step.

And lastly, most of the conflicts in this novel could of been resolved with a few conversations and that's the sign of weak conflict.

Don't think I'll be picking up any more of Miss Bird's books.Or those of her alter-ego either.

Interesting foreshadowing...
For those who don't know, the author who writes as Jessica Bird also writes as J.R. Ward, author of the Black Daggerhood series (paranormal). I read the first two books in the Moorhouse series before reading this one. Both were all right but forgettable, so I wasn't expecting much from this one, but despite big plot and characterization problems, it was much better than the others. I found myself actually caring what happened to the characters, though as the other reviewer comments, the hero (Alex) is really not an admirable character at all. The heroine, Cassie, is a little unbelievable herself. (Where exactly did she pick up the skills to know all about construction work?)

The really interesting thing about the book to me is that I do start to see J.R. Ward's touch here. The male characters in this book are bigger than life, and relate to each other in ways very similar to the Black Daggerhood group. I do find myself wanting to read their stories, and am expecting that each Jessica Bird book I read will get better and better, as happened with this trilogy. (If you enjoyed the male characters here and haven't read the Black Daggerhood series, you're missing something!) ... Read more

Product Description
Introduced in 1977 and completely revised in 1994, these bestselling photographic field guides have become the birding bibles of more than four million enthusiasts. Virtually every bird found in North America is brought to life in a full-color photograph and with textual information on the bird's voice, nesting habits, habitat, range, and interesting behaviors. Accompanying range maps; overhead flight silhouettes; sections on bird-watching, accidental species, andendangered birds make these the most comprehensive field guides to birds available.

Note: the Eastern Edition generally covers states east of the Rocky Mountains, while the Western Edition covers the Rocky Mountain range and all the states to the west of it. Amazon.com Review
Covering 508 bird species found east of the Rocky Mountains,the revised second edition takes into account changes in taxonomy anduses improved photography. At the heart of the guide is a set of 646well-made color photographs whose subjects are organized by easilydiscerned characteristics (e.g., "chicken-like marsh birds," such asthe clapper rail; "gull-like birds," such as the kittiwake; and"upright-perching water birds," such as the common murre). Thephotographs are then keyed to textual descriptions of the birds'appearance, range and habitat, nesting characteristics, andbehavior. Easy to use and handsomely produced, this belongs in everyeastern birdwatcher's collection. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

audubon society field guide....very good
The book was received quickly and was in great shape.I've used it many times, identifying birds in my backyard and at the local lake.I would use the seller again.
Thank you.

poor delivery
book ordered and it is now 30 days since being ordered. delivery promised in up to 21 days (i do not understand why media mail was not offered-i use it often and delivery is without a hitch) and it is now 30 days and no book!! greatly disappointed!! j.m. fleisher

I am really enjoying National Audubon Society Field Guide
I love it!!! I received it actually sooner than expected, absolutely as good as new, and I will not hesitate to place my next order with Affordable Products.Thanks, E.McEarchern

national audbon socity field guide
The condition of the book was excelent. However I was looking for better photos to aid ID of birds.

National Audobon Society's book
The book came expediently and in mint condition. We are very pleased with our purchase. ... Read more

Product Description
This field guide covers the avifauna of western North America using detailed artworks, maps and text. Lighter than the original North American Bird Guide", the book is designed to be suitable for regular field use and has a fully integrated format allowing quick and easy reference." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Field Guide to Birds of Western US
I ordered this book on May 23, 2010.It is now June 24 and I have NOT received the book so I really can't review it; however this is the favorite field guide for birders so hopefully it will arrive - someday.

just great
I will use this guide soon in the wild. It is very handy and has beautiful images. Lots of remarks to the essential characteristics that you need to determine the birds. And maps to guide you where the specius is at which time of the year. I am glad I bought it.
Ron

Best Arizona Field Guide for Birders
This book is easy to use for all levels of birders. It is the only book you will need. Super drawings indicating what to look for in species. Detailed info about calls, appearance, location - lacks nothing. Perfect bird book and the one I carry with me when I am birding.

Wonderful Guide
Sibley puts together some of the best guides. If you are serious about your bird watching hobby. This guide is a must.

Great bird book for amatuer & veteran birders alike.
Sibley does it again with helpful and easy to understand tips for identifying birds. If you like to watch birds and want to know more about which ones you are seeing and their habits, etc. this book is for you. And it makes a great gift for the bird watcher in your life. ... Read more

Product Description
A powerful and redemptive novel of love and family, from the author of the bestselling Blue Shoe, Grace (Eventually), and Operating Instructions.

Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent-she aced AP physics; athletic-a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared.

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions will have profound consequences.

This is Anne Lamott's most honest and heartrending novel yet, exploring our human quest for connection and salvation as it reveals the traps that can befall all of us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

No real plot.
Anne Lamott is a great describer of hip communities. Her pleasant California world is a vividly graphic one into which the reader can enjoy visiting: town gatherings, the character-types who frequent them, with the food and clothes of the culture all vividly rendered. It's a world in which I'd like to live, and I relish the immersion. The problem is that the story itself is a static situation, rather than moving and reaching into an arc that unfolds, peaks and then crests, resolving significantly enough, somehow, to make it worth having read. The plot points don't build the tale into something that grows, but rather each event is like an identical highway post that repeats over and over, going nowhere.
Rosie is a one-dimensional drug-addict who keeps taking different drugs in scene after scene, with only the slightest variation- and she keeps inventing lie after lie for her spineless, clueless, enabling mother. If this shallow, unappealing girl carries anything in her that could give us the insight to help us feel sympathy,we're not allowed to see it. She just keeps drugging and lying for over 200 pages until I almost put down the book. I knew she would crash, but it was taking way too long. Finally, almost to the end, she does, and ends up in an enforced rehab,spending her college funds on a resented sobriety that it seems clear she will end the second she gets out. I found it depressing to read about someone tossing away her life over and over, without any insight as to why it was happening- although the background details are described beautifully.

how mother's really are...
After reading the reviews, I checked Anne Lamott's new book out of the local library.The reviews applaud her non-fiction but hedge on applauding her fiction. Yes, it's true for me as well: I love her non-fiction.And, I love Bird by Bird...the most brilliant writing book ever.But I loved this story as well.One of the reviews talked about wanting to shake Elizabeth, Rosie's mother, and say...'Wake-Up!!' Don't you see that she's a flake...just like the others. But in truth...you don't want to wake up to what is happening when your child is sinking.You want to believe she/he is telling the truth.You want to know that you have done a great job. And no matter how 'stalled' Elizabeth's awakening was...that is what most parents do.It was painfully real to read the interchanges between Elizabeth and James, and James and Rosie, and Rosie and the teacher, and Rosie ...and Rosie ..... Totally, painfully real. I wanted less of the 'holy-rollers' events....But that's me.I would have liked more at the end.More of the growth.Anne Lamott has the voice to tell this story, and albeit not perfect, the story is alive with truth, however painful it may be to swallow.

I loved it
Like most of the other reviewers, I am a loyal fan of Anne Lamott's non-fiction.This is her first novel that I truly loved.I'm a mother with a young daughter and also from the Northern California area.So, there was a lot I could relate to in the book.I felt that Anne Lamott's voice came through in the novel and that there was an obvious link between the story and the subjects of her non-fiction (parenting, religion, friendship, addiction...) I finished it and the next day drove it over to my girlfriend's house.I can't wait for her to call me so that we can talk. That's the best endorsement I know for a book.Thank you Anne!

Truths and untruths
Anne Lamott is wise, wry, and grounded.She is also an astonishingly good writer.(For proof, see her book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.)I just finished her latest novel, IMPERFECT BIRDS, which I liked quite a bit -- not because the writing itself is so perfect (her fiction somehow isn't as powerful as her nonfiction), but because the story she tells is so moving.Lamott's story focuses on Rosie, a high-school senior who is succumbing to her addictions to various drugs and is drawn into an increasingly complicated web of lies to her parents about her behavior.It's a compelling narrative about the vulnerability of youth, the destructiveness of lying, the power of parental love, and the beauty (and ugliness) of truth.

Rich portrait with abrupt ending
Ann Lammott is one of my favorite authors. Her books are real and true, this one included. I felt like I was in the heads of Rosie and Elizabeth, the two main characters, going through the trials of adolescent drug addiction with them. On the down side, this book has a sudden and unexpected ending. It's as though the author got sick of writing this story and just stopped, just before the climax of the story. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide teaches birders to use the characteristics of wing types and feather morphology to identify feathers - not only by species but also by their place on the bird's body. The introductory chapters give a detailed overview of the feather - how feathers developed, the parts of a single feather, and the variety of types of feathers on a bird. In the feather identification section, over 400 colour photographs show feather samples from 379 bird species from all over North America. Along with the wing type of the species and a map showing its range, several types of feathers are included for each bird; each feather is labelled with its type and its size. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Instructional Guide
Education never looked so classy!
Museum quality photographs, beautiful
illustrations, and detailed explanations
suitable for even fledgling birders.
Great maps are a bonus and accelerate
learning for newcomers.
It is obvious from the end result that
this book was undertaken with great care
and more importantly, with deep awareness
of the mystery and beauty associated
with our feathered friends.

A gift to field biologists and hobbyist
What a delight to have this tool. This is the birdwatcher's geocaching. I have spent many years picking up feathers and testing my ability to identify the bird from which it has come.I enjoy it personally but am also a field biologist who uses that data to describe details of a discovery, including bird remains that have been left as a result of predation or impact from transmission wires or wind turbines.I have since purchased 4 more copies for my colleagues and field staff.Other than the unfortunate mislabeled plate on page 30, I have found the book accurate.I believe the authors approach to depict flight feathers was an appropriate choice as they are the most telling of species.The more we learn, the more we respect nature's gifts.Thank you for your tremendous tedious efforts.

At last...a user friendly Bird Guide!
I pre-ordered this book after hearing a good friend talk about the authors and the work that went into producing it.What an amazing book.The full color photos are fantastic...crisp and clean, easy to match in the field to feathers found.The regional maps are great.The book is laid out well and very user friendly (or idiot friendly in my case, haha).The information is clearly communicated.I hope that the authors will collaborate and do a non-native guide as well...hint, hint.:)

Missing Pages
I ordered this book in advance because I keep a feather collection at the science museum where I work. I was excited to get it, and basically like the book a lot. However pages between pg. 246 and pg. 263 are MISSING. There's no gap in the binding, so the book isn't damaged, and when I look online I can see the missing pages there.

Is this a publisher's goof? Has anybody else noticed this in their copy? Be sure to take a look when you buy! Maybe buy it from a bookstore where you can check in advance!

Very helpful guide
The day I got the book I used it and have been using it about every day since. I work in a nature center and park so there are constantly feathers to be identified, especially since migration is starting. I have recommended the guide to several of my friends and coworkers and will continue to do so. Easy to use, easy to identify the feathers using the book. ... Read more

Product Description
See information for first edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

My granddaughter loves it!
My 13 year old Granddaughter has suffered with ADHD and it's comlications all of her life.She loves this book that helps her understand others are going through it too and gives her hints on organizing herself and getting things done.It has made a difference in her life!

strikes the perfect tone -- with one caveat
I think the layout and approach of this book is excellent.
The use of vignettes and the input from ADHD youths is well implemented.
Very useful material is presented, and presented accessibly.
Excellent overall.

... BUT ...

The authors' caveat regarding medication is watered down.And it belongs IN FRONT OF the advice given.

Pharmaceuticals are controlled for many reasons.The book should make it abundantly clear that medicines are serious business, and should only be considered after adequate consideration and in consultation with AND ONGOING SUPERVISION BY medical professionals.

I'm not anti-medication.But I do think that this book is a little too glib on the seriousness of medication.

best ADD book for teens and parents of ADD teens
I have read many books on ADD (I have it, both kids have it).This is by far the best book for teens to read to understand their ADD and how it affects their lives.PArents should read, too.Helps to understand what kids are going thru.Started out as library book, and then bought this copy.Make sure you give your teen a pack of post-it notes as they read thru to mark passages.Recommended to teens, parents and any psychologist who claims to understand ADD.

For Tweens and Teens with ADHD
This is an upbeat and hopeful book written for tweens and teens, but a good read for parents of kids with ADHD as well.The children in this book are high achievers or talented in some way, so they make good role models.Lots of hard science written in an interesting and age appropriate way.Also lots of tips for coping with situations that can be challenging for kids with ADHD.

Great book for teens & young adults
This book is easy to read, in down-to-earth language, and Question & Answer format.Presents ideas from a teenager's 1st person perspective.Covers a variety of relevant topics.Besides helping parents and teachers, I think high schoolers, college kids, and maybe junior high kids will find this book to be useful. ... Read more

Product Description
Joe Allston is a retired literary agent who is, in his own words, "just killing time until time gets around to killing me." His parents and his only son are long dead, leaving him with neither ancestors nor descendants, tradition nor ties. His job, trafficking the talent of others, had not been his choice. He passes through life as a spectator.

A postcard from a friend causes Allston to return to the journals of a trip he had taken years before, a journey to his mother's birth­place where he'd sought a link with the past. The memories of that trip, both grotesque and poignant, move through layers of time and meaning, and reveal that Joe Allston isn't quite spectator enough. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Will make you feel old
I liked Stegner's "Angle of Repose", but this book just seemed to be too depressing.The main character keeps reminding the reader of his body falling apart and the ravages old age inflicts upon us, sooner or later, if we live long enough.

The story that takes place in the main character's past, as he recalls it, is interesting and filled with splendid descriptions and illustrations, for which Stegner is indeed a master.But the downer, for me anyway, is the continual return to "present day life" of the main character, his negativity, and grim outlook on life.

Not enough optimism in this book for me, nor enough deep sorrow to provide a moving experience.I didn't feel like it delivered.Sorry.:(

A Little Slow and Somewhat Improbable
I purchased three of Wallace Stegner's books in one book.They are Angle of Repose, The Spectator Bird, and Crossing to Safety.I started and completed The Spectator Bird.Wallace Stegner is clearly a very thoughtful author with much talent.But The Spectator Bird does not have have enough action or move along fast enough for me.I also found it improbable that the main characters would go to Denmark and spend time with a royal family that is riddled with incest.On the positive side, The Spectator Bird gave me a warm feeling because the marriage of the two main characters works.Their marriage is about friendship and fidelity.To summarize, other readers might find this book extremely satisfying even though it is not my cup of tea.

A Couple Looks Back Over The Years of Their Marriage
I am a fan of Wallace Stegner.Everything he's written is at least very good and most are excellent.This book follows All the Little Live Things (Contemporary American Fiction) and the characters of Joe and Ruth Allston are in both books.

This novel is quite good.Joe Allston and his wife Ruth look back at their time together by reading his journals of their visit to Denmark. Ruth has always suspected that Joe had an affair with the mysterious and tormented countess, Astrid.

The book deals with guild, choices and pain.It is very WASPish and masculine in its attitudes.This is found in many of Stegner's books.My favorite books by him are Crossing to Safety (Modern Library Classics) and All the Little Live Things (Contemporary American Fiction).

A life lived, a life rememberd, a life imagined, intersect
A meditation on a life lived and a life remembered.The time is the early 1970's. Joe Alston, a retired literary agent, nearly seventy, receives a post card from a Danish woman, Astrid, who he and his wife met 20 years earlier on a trip to Denmark.

Upon receiving the post card from Astrid, Joe retrieves the journal he kept during the trip and ends up reading it to his wife, Ruth.The novel is the story of Joe telling the story of his and Ruth's trip to Denmark.A story within a story.The inner story brings up an old, unhealed wound between Joe and Ruth.

On the trip to Denmark Joe was looking for his past and the birth place of his mother.Instead of finding his "safe place", he found a dark story, and a countess who's charms nearly overwhelmed him.He also found a complicated and twisted story of science, genetics and incest, which his mother escaped when she emigrated to the United States.He lost the illusion of a romanticized past.

The outer story is about coming to terms with growing old, and what it means to be an old person in a youth oriented world."But if you're old, you're up against discrimination that doesn't even know it's discrimination".Joe scoffs at research which attempts to understand and explain being old. He describes a research questionnaire he receives as "Another of those socio-psycho-physiological studies suitable for computerizing conclusions already known to anyone over fifty."

An aging Susan Blixen, better known by her pen name as Isak Dinksen, author of Out of Africa, appears as a character in the story of the trip to Denmark.In describing Blixen, there is a paraphrase of Tennyson, "She resents rusting unburnished when she wants to shine in use."There is also a reference to Plato's allegory of the cave, experiencing life as the shadows cast on the wall by other lives, and the troubling thought that we are not the shadow casters, but only the wall which catches the shadow.

There are wry, satirical comments, such as those on self-indulgent turns in literature and the writing of memoirs. "Writing your life implies that you think it worth writing.It implies an arrogance, or confidence, or compulsion to justify oneself, that I can't claim.Did Washington write his memoirs?Did Lincoln, Jefferson, Shakespeare, Socrates?No, but Nixon will, and Agnew is undoubtedly hunched over his right now."

There is also playful humor, one continuing example revolves around Joe's cat, Catarrh, "who loves to creep up under your chin to sleep, and is never happier when he is lying on your book", and is "a heat seeking missile if there ever was one."

In short this is a rich, entertaining novel, that packs a lot into it's 214 pages. For example, there is the thread involving Joe's dying friend Tom Patterson. Linked to this thread is Joe's former doctor Ben, a chronic gregarious gadfly and now a personal friend. A type of doctor who has faded into history.In the end there are loose threads.But that is good.It leaves an empty space be filled by the reader's imagination and speculation.

To Have and to Hold
Joe, a retired literary agent, and his wife Ruth in their senior years considering how to integrate life experiences while preserving the precious.Read it to find out!
This book is perfection in writing.The plot is spooled out artfully, and not so sparingly that one just gets frustrated- as many new trendy novels do these days.The Spectator Bird is to be appreciated on many levels- how to write a novel, how to develop a plot, how to create characters one cares about, spot on use of language and expression, how to gift one's reader with having learned something about him/herself, how to live one's life-how to have and to hold the people one loves.
If you are reaching the stage of your sixties, you'll feel not a few uncomfortable twinges of how you feel at that 'age of anxiety'.I did througout. But I promise you, you won't be left feeling bereft or hopeless; and you might just be pricked to change your attitude for the better by this book.
Wallace Stegner was a true American treasure of a writer.I found him after his Pulitzer for The Angle of Repose.I've read three more- Crossing to Safety being another of his greatest, I think.Mr. Stegner will keep book clubs and readers everywhere enthralled for years to come.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (25)

Excellent Guide
This guide is probably the best European guide available.The only problem is that to make it portable, they had to shrink the pictures and text.This might be a problem for some people.I believe the original was larger.

Great Book-but I didn't take it to Europe
This is a wonderful bird book. The descriptions are excellent, the illustrations wonderful. But I ended up taking the not-as-good Peterson Guide to Europe recently because-this book is very heavy for a field guide. When you are doing trans-continental travel weight matters. I hope they reissue this book at some point but in a format the drops some of the weight. I used it to study and confirm information on my spottings when I got home, but had to eliminate it from my baggage when I started trimming items to get a more reasonable weight.

Great content, poor proof-reading
This is the new, second edition of the BEST European Field Guide. It improved on the first edition, that was in itself an excellent guide.Anyone doing any serious birding in Europe needs this book.
If it wasn't for the poor proof-reading that has led to numerous errors, typos etc, then it would get 5 stars.
A reprint is due shortly, so may be worth waiting.

In a Class of its Own, Really
A super guide, and the newest English edition based on a Swedish original which has been translated into 13 languages and which has sold nearly three-quarters of a million copies.

Quality is the highest of any guide I've seen. Colors are true (If color is off, identification may be impossible.) The print, although small, is clear and easy to read (An exasperating number of sightings seem to occur at dusk or dawn.) and the paper is high-grade (If the book goes outside it's eventually going to get wet.)

Svensson compresses a tremendous amount into the text, and along with taxonomy and terminology, the tight, 6-page introduction offers a wealth of practical advice. The distribution maps extend well beyond Europe to the east and also take in much of North Africa. They are small, however, and unfortunately the abundance symbols, often a useful tool, are limited to England and Ireland. There's a great section at the back on vagrants and accidentals.

Mullarney's and Zetterstrom's illustrations are truly excellent and also in a class of their own. They often give multiple depictions on the ground and in-flight, both from above and below, along with examples of slight coloring variations. (Don't even think about buying a guide with photographs -- a good illustration is "truer" than a photo and far, far, far easier to use.)

The downside is the quality of the book may limit its usefulness in the field. The amount of information and the profusion of illustrations make it nearly twice the size (and weight) of good older guides (now out of print) and it's maybe 10-times bigger than pocket guides.

If you're going to put it on a bookshelf or pigeon-hole it in a Volvo or Land Rover along with a magnum set of binoculars, that won't matter. For a Cinquecento? A tight fit. If it needs to go in a purse, carry-on, suitcase, knapsack, backpack, saddlebags or bicycle panniers? I'd still buy it, but I'd also get a pocket guide and leave this one home or back at base-camp for later reference. Anyway, it's the kind of book it would be a shame to see beaten up.

The Second Edition
It's been a long wait: over the years I've placed orders for this book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and a couple of different bookstores; amazon.ca finally came through for me less than two weeks after the second edition was released in the US--just when I was about to break down and order it from the UK. So I can't blame Canada.
And the wait was worth it. From the publication of the first edition a dozen years ago, there has been no serious debate about the unsurpassed quality of this guide, and the new edition is even better than its predecessor. "Progressive" taxonomies are taken into account in many groups--gulls and the gray shrikes spring to mind as obvious examples--and the sequence of species has been updated to begin with the waterfowl. Many birds, even whole plates, have been repainted; a first look-through finds the new figures invariably an improvement.
The only disappointments, mild ones at that, are instances where text space is used to tell the reader that an identification "requires specialized knowledge." Why not instead at least hint at what that "specialized knowledge" is? Similarly, the plate captions for American Herring Gull mention the importance of close observation of the primary pattern in adults, without telling us precisely what we should be looking for and at. An enduring problem is the several instances of poor translation; the Great Gray Owl captions, for example, are full of instances where the translator's verbum pro verbo rendering produces an incomprehensible English text.
And as long as I'm carping, let me reveal my age with a complaint about the size of that text. I cannot read it without a magnifying glass, and my guess is that I'm not alone. But the glass reveals wonders: compare the accounts in this book and in Sibley or Nat Geo for any species found in both North America and western Europe, and prepare to be amazed by how very much more information is provided here. This book and its authors still set the standard for field guides, and any birder, in any location, will learn a huge amount from it. ... Read more

Product Description
An Abridged Version of Farid Ud Atta's "Mantiq Ut Tayar"(reprint 1924, 19 x 12.3 x 1 cm)Amazon.com Review
Like Rumi and Hafiz, the name Attar conjures up images ofpassionate attraction to the divine. Attar was a Persian Sufi of the 12th century and his masterpiece is The Conference of the Birds, an epic allegory of the seeker's journey to God. When all the birds of the world convene and determine that they lack a king, one bird steps forward and offers to lead them to a great and mighty monarch. Initially excited, each bird falters in turn, whereupon the leader admonishes them with well-targeted parables. These pithy tales are the delight of this 4,500-line poem, translated deftly into rhymed couplets. What is your excuse for not seeking God? Your life is fine already? You prefer material pleasure? You are holy enough? You have pride, lack courage, or are burdened with responsibility? Attar has an answer to encourage you on the path to the promised land. And when you get there, the king may not be what you'd expect, but you must make the journey to see. --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Sufi mysticism couched in a nice allegory
Thousands of birds (ordinary mortals) gather under the leadership of Hoopoe (Dervish) and set out for a long journey in search of simorgh, their king. As the journey starts the birds come up with various excuses to avoid the long and treacherous journey while Hoopoe admonishes and advices them using witty anecdotes and parables. Finally, after having withstood the tribulations of the journey, after having crossed the seven valleys, a dedicated few of them reach their destination and, overcoming the initial confusion and bewilderment, meet their king. Thus the search for simorgh ends with thirty of them meeting the si morgh and life's secret is revealed to them.

This work is a beautiful allegory depicting the human condition and suggests the route to eternal happiness by eliminating the Self, focusing on Divine love and by understanding the notion of Unity with the Divine. It also provides a gentle introduction to the Sufi metaphysics or, at least, the branch followed by Attar. From Khayyam, who is also considered to be a Sufi, you will hear an interpretation that is polar opposite.

In the context of today's headlines. . . .
. . . . it is instructive and corrective to have a glimpse of
what was: a lyrical, medeivalist tradition that saw the denial
of the self as a path to union with the infinite.

Just as it's important to be aware of the gently lascivious
Omar Khayyam as an antidote to today's puritanism, it's also
worthwhile to remember Farid ud-Din Attar a cosmopolitan skeptic
whose tolerance of human frailty is in service of lofty
spiritual aims.
The Conference of the Birds is an allegory of the search for
the divine. The hoopoe who was the messenger of King Solomon
serves as the Cicero on the quest. The allegory is told in
short snippets, stories of doubt, fear and faith. One can imagine
each of them forming miniature tales and sermons.

Long, spiritual allegories can make pretty tough reading,
but the episodic nature of Conference makes it a book to
be enjoyed in snippets. Keep it at the bedside or wherever
you enjoy a literary nibble.

It's interesting to note that worldly, human Attar came to a
bad end. He was accused of heresy, his goods were plundered
and he was forced into exile. Can we hope for a better outcome
this time?

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

Wisdom of the Sufis - for any faith.
The writings of the Sufis are, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful and challenging spiritual works in existence.Rumi's works are currently undergoing something of a renaissance in the Western world but the name of Farid Ud-Din Attar is not as well known.This is unfortunate, since The Conference of the Birds provides, in my opinion, a much better insight into Sufi philosophy than the bits and pieces of Rumi floating about the New Age universe.

Attar's beautiful descpriptions, exqisite metaphors and delightful parables describe the stages on the soul's journey to union with God. An extended metaphor for the soul, the birds gather and travel through various valleys to reach the Simorgh - a state of ectstatic oneness with deity.The Hoopoe acts as the guide and provides answers to the bird's questions and doubts about the journey - usually with short illustrative tales.These tales are each tiny drops of gold, the longest being only a few hundred lines.The overarching theme is the denial of the self to gain ultimate bliss.This is no intellectual exercise and much of the advice given is shocking and revolutionary.In the extended tale of Sheik Sam'an, the Sheik leaves his faith and becomes a Christian for the love of a woman who ultimately spurns him. His apostasy and depravity astound his followers who swiftly abandon him.A Sufi teacher chastises them for their lack of faith and eventually they return to his side.Sam'an then reconverts and his love is converted too.The message would seem to be that to find God it may be necessary to abandon conventional notions of behaviour and faith and plunge forward with wild abandon, losing the self.Some of the stories may shock our sensibilities, and no doubt had the same effect on Attar's medieval audiences.A kind of counter-culture attitude is displayed in the book, with tales of romantic love between men and other "un-Islamic" behaviours challenging accepted norms.

As to the book itself, the translation is done in "heroic couplets" which according to the introduction, best suits the style of the arabic original.It at first seems a little stilted but soon lends a beauty of its own to the work. A fairly substantial introduction helps put the book in context and describes what is known of Attar's life and times. A biographical index is included which provides details on the many characters - often historical - who people the pages of the poem.This book is a beautiful little gem, filled with a lot of wisdom.It is definitely worth the read for members of any faith, even those who aren't practicing Sufis.

Transcendent translation
I can't compare this poem to the original Farsi as I don't read that language, but this translation is amazingly readable. The reader gets enough notes and extra information to understand a bit of the context, but it never interferes with immersing oneself in this allegory of the journey toward union with the divine beloved. The individual birds on this journey come to life for the reader and the 13th century narrative literally takes off!

A wonderful guide to self-realization
This book is a masterpiece on spirituality, self-search, self-identity and self-realization. It provides an unparallel and wonderful guide for reaching to oneself and God. The wonderful philosophy of Attar has the potential to change the world from greed, violence and chaos to self-discipline, love and peace. The book has the capacity to transform the mindsets of fidels and infidels alike to become the master of one's own persona. The book is a must read for anyone interested to know oneself and the world. ... Read more

Product Description
In celebration of the centennial of Roger Tory Peterson s birth comes a historic collaboration among renowned birding experts and artists to preserve and enhance the Peterson legacy. This new book combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds into one volume, filled with accessible, concise information and including almost three hours of video podcasts to make bird watching even easier. 10.00 inches tall x 8.00 inches long x 1.00 inches wideAmazon.com Review
Product Description
In celebration of the centennial of Roger Tory Peterson's birth comes a historic collaboration among renowned birding experts and artists to preserve and enhance the Peterson legacy. This new book combines the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds and Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds into one volume, filled with accessible, concise information and including almost three hours of video podcasts to make bird watching even easier.

• 40 new paintings
• Digital updates to Peterson's original paintings, reflecting the latest knowledge of bird identification
• All new maps for the most up-to-date range information available
• Text rewritten to cover the U.S. and Canada in one guide
• Larger trim size accommodates range maps on every spread
• Contributors include: Michael DiGiorgio, Jeff Gordon, Paul Lehman, Michael O'Brien, Larry Rosche, and Bill Thompson III
• Includes URL to register for access to video podcasts

Excerpts from Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
Click on each image below to see a larger view

Colorful songbirds with heavy, seed-crushing bills, cardinals and grosbeaks are popular at feeders.

In North America, the Orchard and Baltimore Orioles are fairly widespread in the East; Bullock's is widespread in the West; and the Spot-breasted Oriole is limited to South Florida.

Peterson sometimes painted over figures on a plate and sometimes even cut them out. Canyon Wren was missing from the original art. Michael O'Brien painted a new Canyon Wren for inclusion in the new field guide.

The Orange Bishop is native to Africa but has been introduced in California. Peterson had not painted this bird for his field guides, so Michael O’Brien painted this one.

Customer Reviews (31)

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
THE field guide.This copy is a little too large to slip into your day pack.

PETERSON FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF N. AMERICA
Got it for hubby who saw it at a friends home and HE LOVES IT, uses it every time a bird flies into the yard!!

***** ROGER TORY PETERSON "WROTE THE BOOK" ON BIRDWATCHING *****
On the 2008 edition:

Coming from a family of avid amateur naturalists we have always had the RTP Field Guide to Eastern Birds in our homes and this, the latest edition, which is for the entire continent, is the fitting successor in a series whose originator literally "wrote the book" on birdwatching.

With excellent field guides also now available from National Geographic, Sibley, Audubon, Smithsonian & Kaufmann; perhaps Peterson's greatest legacy is the popularization of this foundational natural history avocation to the point that it's devotees can and do support such diversity and quality.

TIP: The one page index inside the front cover really makes for that crucial speed that we all need for successful bird identification.

Good illustrations, but some confusion
Pros: Bigger format, bigger pictures, arrows pointing to major identification characteristics, some subspecies and color variations.
Cons: Some pages too crawded, so it is not obvious which name/description goes to which picture (that might be a problem for a begginer), different order of groups (book starts with geese, most other guides start with loons), few pictures not very accurate (bill shape on some warblers).

Peterson North America
The used price on this new book (2009) is amazing. The book is in nearly-new condition. The binding appears to be bound signatures, not just glue-bound pages. At this used price, I bought two copies! ... Read more

Product Description
With all-new range maps, updated text, and 40 new paintings, the completely revised editions of two classic Peterson Field Guides are sure to be valuable additions to any birder's pocket or daypack. At a trim size of 5 x 8, they are portable but also beautifully illustrated. Photographs, while modern looking and colorful, capture just one moment in time. The paintings in these guides, however, show all of a bird's key field marks and use the Peterson Identification System to make bird identification easier for beginning and intermediate bird watchers. 1.20 inches tall x 5.00 inches long x 8.00 inches wideAmazon.com Review
Product Description
With all-new range maps, updated text, and 40 new paintings, the completely revised editions of two classic Peterson Field Guides are sure to be valuable additions to any birder's pocket or daypack. At a trim size of 5 x 8, they are portable but also beautifully illustrated. Photographs, while modern looking and colorful, capture just one moment in time. The paintings in these guides, however, show all of a bird's key field marks and use the Peterson Identification System to make bird identification easier for beginning and intermediate bird watchers. A team of professional birders has updated the text, the maps, and the art for these authoritative guides. Expert birders also created 35 entertaining and easy-to-use video podcasts, which are available to download. They make fun and educational viewing on a computer desktop or MP3 player.

Last updated in 1990, the Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds covers nearly 600 species on 176 color plates, with 588 comprehensive range maps, now included with the illustrations. Every bird watcher in western North America will want to own this long-awaited, up-to-date fourth edition.

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A Look Inside Peterson Field Guide to Western Birds
(Click on each image below to read about the bird group)

Finchlike Birds	Grosbeaks	Parakeets and Parrots

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... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Peterson still the best for bird ID!
Sure there is lots more competition from other bird books now; but for ID of birds Peterson is still the best!The use of "points of emphasis" drawings to distinguish what makes a species different is still the best technique and biggest help - even for experienced birders (and I fit this category knowing warblers by their song).Do not go with books that use photographs whatever you do - birds just do not look like the photo in real life; as there is significant variation by bird. But a few characteristics are prominent on all birds of the same species - thus, Peterson drawings emphasizing these prominent points are the most helpful approach.Also, do not try to make a reference book with more info into a "field guide" for ID - too much info is bulky and confusing and harder to reference "in the field".RTP is still King and his legacy lives on...

Still good, but losing ground
This is a copy of a review I wrote for the eastern edition, but I think it fits them both.

I really wish I could agree with the glowing reviews given by others, but I can't, at least in some respects. I grew up with the original Peterson field guide, and it was my parents' bible.The revisions over the years greatly enhanced the original material.I doubt there is a "seasoned" birder out there who would not say that the Peterson guides are responsible to a great extent for their love of birding.
As soon as They were available I signed up for the pre-order of both the eastern and western editions.I have had them now for around 5 months, and they have never left the house.I can only really comment on the eastern edition, because I never had a previous western ed., but I assume this applies to both.
The book's content is at least 95% the same as the previous edition. I have spotted an added picture or two, but not many.Colors have been changed slightly, but I am not sure that they are better, and it may just be the printing process.The text is updated to agree with current information, bird names, etc., but I haven't noticed much else.In that the pictures and information in the guides has always been excellent, all well and good.
The complaint I have is that the book is just no longer a FIELD GUIDE to me, as past editions were.It is thicker, somewhat heavier, and for a very poor reason, in my estimation.The difference is primarily in the back section of range maps, which has almost doubled in size.It takes up roughly 1/4 of the total size of the book. Now, we all refer to a range map from time to time, but I would bet its something like 1 in 300 times we use the book.Beyond that, the regular pages have smaller maps for the birds which suffice very well at least 95% of the time.To waste all that space and weight is ridiculous.If it is necessary to include all those large maps, I suggest they should be published separately and packagedwith the guides, letting the user decide whether or not to carry them.I'm betting not 1/10 of 1% would.The old guide slid nicely into a pocket of my field pants.I won't be doing that with the new one, I'd be afraid it would rip the pocket out, if I could get it in at all. The newest National Geo. guides are top notch, and they are smaller, thinner, and lighter than Peterson, as are others.The "big Sibley" has become the bible for most birders, although mine will never leave the house or car because of size, so that leaves out the new Peterson from any primary use other than possibly the "bird feeder birder".My feeling is, the people at Peterson "just don't get it" as far as their niche in the guide book business goes. I feel guilty for being a detractor of this "new standard", but I would feel more guilty if I did not.

The Best of the Best
This is probably my fourth or fifth copy of Peterson's Field Guide and I was blown away at the improvement! These have always been the Gold Standard of field guides, but this edition tops them all. Whether you are new to birding or an old 'lister' this is essential for you.

Fantastic Book!
Everything you would want to know is in this book! pictures, places, descriptions,songs,and more! wonderful knowledge great prices here cant be beat!

Life-long Love for the Peterson Guide
There is a stack of bird books sitting near the window in my living room from which I watch a bird feeder and its visitors every day. I have an ancient 2nd edition of Peterson that really started me watching birds. So, I admit that I have a sentimental attachment to my Peterson Guides. I have hauledPeterson Guides over 4 continents. The National Geographic Guide is a back up for me, when I am trying to compare characteristics of the birds I see. Sibley I keep for comparison and because I love books-and as a general U.S. Guide. But, day-to-day, year-to year, I still carry my Peterson in a knapsack with my maps and snacks and use it as my comfortably dog-eared companion.

I also love this new addition. Although it is a bit larger, it is still smaller that my Sibley guide. It also has some of the improvements that made the Sibley guides popular, such as maps on the same page as the bird illustrations. (Another reviewer has complained the maps are not accurate, but I must admit that I only use the maps as a very general reference. The bird migration and shifting populations seem to make the presence of many birds "outside the map" a real possibility where I live).

The larger illustrations are a real improvement (much appreciated as my eyes age). The biggest difference for me, after years of birdwatching, is that the Peterson Guide is only one of the sources I consult. Now I carry a field guide but am more likely to take field notes and sketches home to look at more than one source. Perhaps because I studied art when I was young, I prefer the less constrained illustrations by Peterson vs. Sibley. All in all, the Peterson Guide is still the one I will carry with me in the field as the quick reference. I have often heard that Peterson is not for "serious' birders. Well, it has served this amateur well for several decades. The new addition is a delight. It is not prefect, there is no perfect; but if I were to recommend one guide to western birds, this would be the one. ... Read more

Product Description

There are ghosts at Bird Lake, and they're haunting Mitch Sinclair and Spencer Stone. Not the Halloween kind, but ghosts of the past. Memories of how life was before—before the divorce, before the accident. Can their ghosts bring Mitch and Spencer together, as friends? Or will their secrets keep them apart?

Customer Reviews (8)

Somewhat Disappointed!
After reading Booklist's starred review, I was really looking forward to reading this book, but I found the book somewhat disappointing. The writing was beautiful and I loved the storyline of the two boys with their respective problems (or "ghosts"), but I was hoping for more substance. Perhaps it was lacking the substance I was hoping for because it's a M-G novel rather than a YA novel, but, just the same, I was disappointed.

A Very Quick Sweet Read
I think I was expecting a deeper book based on the advertisement that was in my son's folder. Let me say this is a sweet book and I enjoyed reading it, but it is not the profound book that I was expecting. It does cover the issue of death, abandonment (through divorce) and trying to fit the world into the changes that has just happened in a boy's life ... it just does not go into deeper details. It is hard for me to relate to the characters as Mitch and Spencer.

Mitch was at Bird Lake with his mom and grandparents. His dad had just announced that he was leaving them for another woman. Next door to his grandparents' house is an old house that seems to be in serious disrepair. He was spending his free time at the abandoned house until Spencer shows up. Spencer is the son of the woman who owns the house and this was his first visit since he was a child. When Spencer was a baby, his older brother Matt, drowned at Bird Lake.

There were secrets involved and revelations revealed. All in all, it is a cute book and really good for younger readers, who may not completely understand the depth of the issues that Henkes was trying to portray in this novel. It is a quick read and I enjoyed it. I just wish it was a little bit more deeper like others I have read.

4/22/10

Great Read!
I had read "Olive's Ocean" by Henkes in the past and was blown away (and I am a male in my 30s!).So it was an easy decision to read "Bird Lake Moon" when it came out.And I was not disappointed at all.Henkes' attention to detail (without long descriptions that get you off track), along with very real and natural responses from the characters, brings the story to life.And I am not saying that just to say that he does it well.Rather, reading this book is more like an experience than simply witnessing a story, and thus that realism and corresponding empathy engages the reader.

Bird Lake Moon
My knowledge of Kevin Henkes, the author, never extended outside of his picture books (and what picture books they are!). I thoroughly enjoyed his fun titles like Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Chrysanthemum and for the longest time, I thought this was all there was to Kevin Henkes. I hate to admit it, but it wasn't until recently that I realized his novel Olive's Ocean was a Newbery Honor Book. I didn't even know he wrote novels (he's written 8)! So when I saw that the Wisconsin native's latest novel, Bird Lake Moon, was being generously reviewed as everything from a ghost story, to an edge-of-your-seat page turner, to a suspenseful summer adventure yarn, I couldn't get my hands on a copy fast enough.

The last thing Mitch Sinclair wanted to do this summer was stay with his grandparents at Bird Lake. If Mitch had it his way, his parents would NOT be getting a divorce and his family of three would be working out their problems together at home in Madison. Spencer Stone wanted nothing more than to come to his family's cabin on Bird Lake, but ever since his 4 year old brother drowned in the lake years ago, the getaway has lost its appeal. This summer however, Spencer is getting his wish as his family looks to return to Bird Lake and put their past behind them.

I should tell you up front, I have A LOT to say about this book and that this review will be very long. If you'd rather discover some of the plot particulars on your own, you might not want to read on. Some people would maybe think I give away too many SPOILERS. But if you too, are wanting to read this book, and are expecting some of the very same things I expected (a ghost story, a mystery, adventure), please read on, because you'll find that nothing I discuss is truly worthy of a SPOILER WARNING. The thing is, there is no mystery or suspense or summer adventure in this story and what really upset me upon reading it, despite the expectations I set, is that there very easily could have been.

I suppose I can maybe see where the "ghost story" comparisons come in. The only satisfaction Mitch gets out of Bird Lake is the uninhabited house that sits next to his grandparents'. When Spencer's family shows up, occupies the house, and ruins Mitch's own private hiding place, he feels that he can scare them away by making it look as if a ghost is haunting the house, unaware of the fact that the Stone's lost a family member in the lake years ago. This may sound a bit demented on my part, but that could serve as one heck of a premise, especially with the alternating point of view chapter style that Henkes uses here. I was excited about where this could go, but instead, it goes nowhere. In fact, Mitch confesses this and the cat is let out of the bag early on.

I guess once the story got going, I found myself somewhat intrigued by one small mystery. What happened to young Matty Stone, Spencer's dead brother? How did he die and why is Spencer's mother still having a hard time dealing with his death many years later? I'm not saying that moving on from such an event is an easy thing to do. A tragic loss such as this, probably stays with some people forever. But Spencer's mom just acts so darn peculiar in the book, that something HAS to be up. It's as if she's hiding something from us, and the rest of the family. Do we ever find out about Matt Stone's death? Nope. To lead us to believe that there may be more to the story, only to leave us hanging, is maddening to me, high expectations or not. This coming from an author who has not just a Newbery Honor, but a Caldecott Medal attached to his name.

So my last hope was in the `adventure' department. It was inevitable that these two troubled boys were going to meet, connect with each other, and have one good `ole rip-roaring summer. Wrong. In fact, nearly 70% of the book goes by before their paths even cross. And when they finally do meet, Henkes wants the reader to feel their friendship, but really gives us nothing. The boys play in the lake together. Once. That's all we get.

No ghost story, no mystery, no adventure. Just two boys facing grown-up problems and handling them on their own. Don't get me wrong, Henkes' writing is pretty strong in some of these moments, particularly Mitch's struggle coming to terms with his parents' eminent divorce and his father's infidelity. I think many children will be able to easily connect with Mitch and will have shared many of his same thoughts. The alternating chapter style, bouncing back and forth between each boys' point of view, was unique but since I didn't find Spencer to be all that interesting, his half of the book really disrupted the flow of this story.

In the end, I just couldn't get over my expectations, couldn't get over what this book could have been. I realize that I set those expectations and that if you come in with none, maybe you'll discover a nice little story about the effects of divorce on children. As for me, I hope the next time I read a Kevin Henkes book, that it stars Lilly and her purple, plastic purse.

A Teacher's Perspective
This piece of Contemporary Realistic Fiction contains several deep themes including death, the development of moral character, sibling relationships, and friendship. The story would be a classic person vs. self conflict, but also contains a bit of person vs. society because of Mitch's current family situation.

I could relate to Mitch's inner struggles as he attempted to right his own wrongs to save his friendship. I think everyone has experienced the remorse that follows bad choices and the inner tug-of-war that follows. We've all asked ourselves, "How do I make this right?" I also thought the contrast between the two families' dynamics was intensely interesting and thought provoking. The differences in the personalities of the two main characters could often be traced back to their prior family experiences.

This book would be perfect for literature circles in the classroom. Small groups of students would benefit from discussing Mitch's struggle to develop moral character and the implications of his impulsive decision making. In addition, I woud keep this book handy for students encountering divorce and encourage them to think about how Mitch grows and develops through his family's changes. ... Read more

Product Description
North America's preeminent writers on birds and nature follow the wildly successful launch of their Stokes Field Guides to Birds with two new identification guides designed specifically for beginners. Beautifully designed and easy to use, these handy guides are certain to become the top choice for beginning birders everywhere. Color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

excellent for adults and children
This book was given to my 4yr. old who enjoys basic feeder birdwatching with me( Ohio). At the same time I was given a much more comprehensive guide. I use this beginners book all the time, much more than any of my other (adult) books. The color matching makes it soooo easy, and I haven't spotted a bird I couldn't find in the book. Also it gives just the right amount of tips and information on each birds so that kids aren't bored with it. It's also perfectly sized and has held up to 2 years of abuse so far. If your kid has a slight interest in bird watching and is interested in what type of birds he/she is spotting,or if you want to identify birds quickly and aren't too hard core about learning extensive info about them, this book is perfect.

Good book. Well laid out.
Good layout - by bird colours.
Excellent use of pictures.
A little more information about each bird may have improved the book, as it focuses primarily on helping you identify them.
I bought this used for $3 - so excellent value.

I recommend it.

Great little Reference Book
Nice photos - Clear - perfect little book to keep on the mantle and grab it when you want to flip through it to find a bird.It is a great little beginner book for bird watching.

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO BIRDES/EASTERN REGION
I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THIS GREAT BOOK OF BIRDS. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A GOOD PICTURE + LEARNING BOOK ON BIRDS
IN MY AREA.EX: SHOWS A GREAT PIC., COLORED AREA ON MAP WHERE BIRD WILL BE FOUND IN THE EASTERN AREA, THEN TELLS YOU ABOUT BIRD,WHAT BIRD SOUNDS LIKE, AND EATS.WHAT IS GREAT THE BOOK EVEN SHOWS YOU THE MALE & FEMALE. IRECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL BEGINNER BIRD PEOPLE...EVEN IF YOUR NOT A BEGINNER IT HAS GREAT PICS & INFO (NICE HANDY SIZE BOOK) TO HAVE HANDY. THROUGH IN THE CAR, GARAGE, PURSE, ETC...

Simple book on ornithology
very attractive photos of birds. Information brief but informative. Easy to use, a young person would not have a problem ... Read more

Product Description
Each book: - Helps children identify different species. - Features detailed true-to-life illustrations. - Has fun activities and projects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Great get out of the house companion
we love this book.It is fun.The illustrations are really good, so when you see something outside, you can actually look it up in the book and find out what it is!Starts great discussions.

Birds Nests and Eggs
I've purchased most of the books in this series so far & plan to purchase the remainder.The illustrations are stunning.They are excellent non-fiction books.Highly recommended for our generation of video-game-crazed nature deficit children.

Interesting for 6-year old granddaughter
Meredith was immediately interested in the guide and it has accompanied her on outings (so say her parents).

awsome book!
Birds, Nest ,and Eggs Mel Boring Reading Level 4.8

Birds, Nests, and Eggs is an excellent book. It is great for a book report or just to read for fun. It is about birds and what kind of tree they nest in. It also tells you what kind of calls they make. It shows you how long it takes for the eggs to hatch and when they learn how to fly. They show you how the birds trick you. They show you how to do some experiments. Again I strongly recommend it.

Excellent learning tool!
I purchased 5 books of this series for my five year old daughter for Christmas, as she wanted a "field guide" like her older sisters when exploring our 45 acres of woods.After reviewing these books before giving them, we decided to use them as part of our science program for our home school.These books have bright and colorful pictures, short accurate explanations of the animal, their habitat, eating habits, and even some of the popular anecdotes that go along with the animal. (For example, the myth about the stripes on the wooly bear caterpillar in relation to the length of winter)It has the appropriate warning for studying certain animals and tips on studying nature in general.What we enjoy most is that many of these animals can be found in our back yard to furthur study. Each book deals with three types of animal, such as Caterpillars,Bugs, and Butterflies.They are separated into sections dealing with each type.At the end of the section is a wonderful hands-on project the child can basically do on their own within the recommended age group (9-12) or with some assistance for a younger age group like my daughter. This particular one is a little different in that instead of having three sections, it is one section dealing with each type of bird, incorporating their nests and eggs, with the projects interspersed throughout. My 5 year old begs us to read these books to her and loves the projects.I highly recommend this book and others in the series for those who want their children to learn about nature and how to respect it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Turning his camera to the world of birds, Andrew Zuckerman has a created a new body of work showcasing more than 200 stunning photographs of nearly 75 different species. These winged creatures from exotic parrots to everyday sparrows, and endangered penguins to woody owls are captured with Zuckerman's painstaking perspective against a stark white background to reveal the vivid colors, textures, and personalities of each subject in extraordinary and exquisite detail. The ultimate art book for ornithologists and nature enthusiasts alike, Bird is a volume of sublime beauty.

Customer Reviews (13)

Was expecting photos, not graphic art.
Hundreds of pages of beautiful "photos" of birds on white backgrounds. From the other comments I was expecting photographs with incredible detail. Instead they look like photos that were edited in Photoshop with the watercolor and pencil effects. As photographs they are somewhat flat, 2D, and suffer from artifice. However, if you like the drawings in the birding books you'll love Bird, because that's exactly what you get. You can see what the images look like on the Amazon page for the book, in the section labeled "Take a Closer Look: Selected Photographs from Bird." They are beautiful, they just aren't photographic in appearance.

Absolutely gorgeous
I love painting birds - it's a passion (not that I'm very good at it).This book is paradise for anyone wanting to use it as a base for painting a bird and whacking in lots of details.Gorgeous beautiful book - I'm thrilled with it.Mr Z is a stunning photographer.And the price is great too - beats buying it from a bookshop in Australia where it's about $95.

Big, beautiful birds
Andrew Zuckerman shoots again! Now, in the big and beautiful book, //Bird//, Zuckerman takes his plain-white background, eye for composition, and talent with the camera to aviaries, zoos, and wildlife preserves to capture some of the most striking and vibrant images in existence of over seventy-five different species of the eponymous flying creatures that have captured the imaginations and fascinations of humans since the beginning of history.

//Bird// is a collection of two-hundred photographs of, obviously, birds, but less obviously (at least until one looks through the book for themselves) of some of the most visually interesting, gorgeous, and astounding birds that can be seen. By taking the birds out of their natural environments, or reasonable facsimiles thereof, he personalizes the images of the birds, or rather allows the animal's personalities to shine through by removing all competing imagery. Zuckerman approaches this task of photographing the birds from an artistic and aesthetic driven point of view, rather than using the standard documentative direction. However, this is not to say that the images are creatively over-indulged, in fact it's quite the opposite: Zuckerman seems to have a no-nonsense attitude about his photography that shines through, in the end results, by creating stark and powerful images.

Reviewed by Jordan Dacayanan

Andrew Zuckerman
Beaufitful book.Am leaving it in the main room for our families to read at the Hospice whereI work to give people comfort

Incredible Studio Photos!
Zuckerman is a magnificent photographer and conceptualist , with a fine team of handlers and keepers that enable him to create portraits of birds that are beyond compare.This book is to the modern, and photographic, world what the intricate drawings of creatures were to The Enlightenment.

The book is a joy to experience.Small wonder that it only has a single-word title, for it defines the concept of "Bird" completely.Zuckerman captures the complete range of the species, from regal presence to menace to thrill.

I was so taken by this book that I ordered "Creature" immediately.They are both treasures. ... Read more

Product Description
Howard Norman's The Bird Artist, the first book of his Canadian trilogy, begins in 1911. Its narrator, Fabian Vas is a bird artist: He draws and paints the birds of Witless Bay, his remote Newfoundland coastal village home. In the first paragraph of his tale Fabian reveals that he has murdered the village lighthouse keeper, Botho August. Later, he confesses who and what drove him to his crime--a measured, profoundly engrossing story of passion, betrayal, guilt, and redemption between men and women.
Amazon.com Review
Though judging a book by its cover is ill-advised, assessingThe Bird Artist by its first paragraph is a safe bet. HowardNorman's second novel lives upto all expectations promised by the kind of beginning that makes areader beg for more and then panic that the rest will not be as good:"My name is Fabian Vas. I live in Witless Bay, Newfoundland. You wouldnot have heard of me." "Obscurity is not necessarilyfailure, though; I am a bird artist, and have more or less made a livingat it. Yet I murdered the lighthouse keeper, Botho August, and that isan equal part of how I think of myself."

There are echoes of Vladimir Nabokov's infamous narrator, Humbert Humbert,in Fabian's confessional tone, witty humor, and emotionaldetachment from the series of bizarre events he describes. Set at theturn of the century in a remote cod-fishing community, The BirdArtist is a love story of sorts, filled with curious characters anda chowder restaurant. The men wear "knitted underwear all year roundlined with fleece calico" and periodically escape the island to pursuetheir livelihoods on the sea. But the women are land bound. Helen Twomblysuspects fellow villagers of stealing her milk bottles. Alaric Vas suffersfrom arthritis that no liniment relieves and plots her son's arrangedmarriage with a fourth cousin in Richibucto, New Brunswick. Meanwhile,Fabian's childhood love, Margaret Handle, propels herself and the plotforward with unwieldy energy. How did things for a mild-mannered man who justlikes "to wake up early, wash my face, and get out and draw birds" go sowrong?

Norman, a folklorist and naturalist, presents us with the possibleexplanations in the form of fine details from an island life heresearched while living in a remote Inuit whale-hunting community. Hecarefully examines the inner isolation of his characters. The severelandscapeand the weather serve as the perfect metaphor. If you're looking forlinguistic pyrotechnics, Norman's economy won't suit you. In The BirdArtist--a finalist for the 1994 National Book Award--there is as muchto admire on the page as what's not. --Cristina Del Sesto ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Speechless
I don't have a lot to say about this moving, thrilling book. I loved it. It's been awhile since I opened a book and had to finish it right away. I loved the dialogue; there was a great deal of honesty. I can't say I believed this world existed, but felt it could have and should have. There were choices for good and bad. The author knows about sanity and craziness and gets us to wonder and care if the characters will let their crazy side or sane side call the shots. Original, appealing, imaginative, evocative, suspenseful.

one of my all-time favorites
This is one of my favorite novels. It helps to appreciate our quiet country to the north of us and especially Newfoundland. But most importantly it is a great piece of literature. I am curious that there are those who actually "loathed" this book in the reviews here but I would bet their idea of a good book is a world apart from those who did enjoy it. The story does have a weird twist but the characters and the "landscape" are what pulled me in like a true masterpiece-a great story well told.

A Great Read
All I can say is that "I LOVED this book!"If I, as a writer, can hold the reader as captive in my stories as I was held by The Bird Artist, I will be a truly happy author indeed.

engrossing good read
This was my second reading of this book and I believe I may have enjoyed it twice as much the second go-round. The characters were so believable and interesting and the setting was quite visual, made more so by the descriptions of different birds. The first person narration was engaging. I mostly loved the complexity of the characters and their stories but the plot definitely pulled me along as well.

enjoyable, fast, fairly well written
a compelling story of an artist's life in a tiny Newfoundland town, around 1900.the bottom line: i couldn't put it down and read it straight through -pretty rare for me in recent years, Norman's foreshadowing and solid character development was enough to successfully create some anticipation and sucker me in.still, it's not a five-star book; the writing is a little uneven, with dialogue sparkling on some pages, not on others, little factoids of Newfoundland life sometimes seem pushed in, sometimes he loses momentum and i occasionally found myself just skimming through paragraphs.but certainly a fine enough book for a plane, vacation, quiet evening, etc.the mix of a long personal history and nice character interaction and development is reminiscent of another recent bestseller, `the kite runner', which is longer and denser, yet seemed executed at a slightly higher level all around - well worth a look if you enjoy `bird artist.' ... Read more

Product Description
Gooney Bird Greene likes to be right smack in the middle of everything. That's why she wants to have the lead role of Squanto in her class Thanksgiving pageant. But that role will go to whoever finds someone to be the room mother. All the parents are so busy, no one can bring cupcakes to the play. Gooney Bird Greene to the rescue! She finds a room mother alright, but promises not to tell who it is until the day of the play. Now the kids are really busy getting ready for the show. But will the mystery room mother really show up? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great!I learned a lesson.
I read this book and I thought it was great because it kept my attention all the way through.I couldn't stop reading it.

Gooney Bird and the Room Mother enjoyable
As I began to read the front flap of the book it immediately aroused my curiosity."Who is the Room Mother?" I think that students in the primary grades will relate to the character and will want to continue to read the rest of the series.Gooney Bird appears to be witty and funny. The book appears to be an enjoyable read.

Heartwarming Story and Teaching Aid as Well
For those of you with daughters looking for books with strong, memorable female characters, Gooney Bird Greene is a must read series. We borrowed this book from the library initially, and enjoyed it so much we bought a copy for my daughter's 3rd grade class, along with 8 dictionaries for the third graders to use. Not only is it an enjoyable story for the first- to third-grade age range, it also motivates them to learn how to use a dictionary. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the story is not quite as strong as the first book, but it is still an enjoyable read.

Additionally, it has a surprise ending that got me choked up, and when I checked to see how my daughter's teacher liked it, she had also been surprised and choked up by the ending.

Lastly, it wasn't until we picked up some other books by Lois Lowry that we discovered she has won a couple Newbery awards for other books she has written.

Squanto
I loved Gooney Bird Greene and so did my class of second graders. This one was less exciting.I had high hopes for it because we study Sqaunto.We will read it next year and I am sure we will learn to use our dictionaries like GB's class.

loved it
Gooney Bird Green is in search of the perfect room mother for her second grade class.The teacher has set up a contest.The person who finds the class a room mother will get to be Squanto in the Thanksgiving play.Join Gooney Bird in her search.You will be surprised to find out who she finds to fill the role!
The book was very funny.
I would recommend this book.It's a must read for all Lois Lowry Fans.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (35)

Love it!!!
My 2 and 4.5 year olds love this book. It is one of their favorites and never fails to make them laugh. It's a must have.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner
Themes: friendship, caring
Content areas: early reading -repetitive language, writing - punctuation, Art - expression

Quick teacher/parent read aloud or early reader. For older primary students (2nd) this humorous tale is perfect for quick draw responses. Adults will crack-up too!

I adore Elephant and Piggie!
Easy Readers are kinda a pain to deal with. You want to hold your kid's attention naturally (they won't want to read a boring book, and who can blame them?) while teaching them something, and you want them to want to read the book again. Reading a book more than once increases their understanding. (Plus, you probably don't have enough cash to buy enough books for your kid to read them each one time only.)

This is a tough sell. Kids don't want to read "books" that are nothing but thinly done excuses for teaching "-at" words, or practicing their first Dolch list. They want to read literature! Not baby books! And you're holding them back! (And then they open up literature and get frustrated. You just can't win.)

Well, forget all that. Elephant and Piggie is your solution.

These books are definitely easy. They have few words, and a lot of repetition of the words they have. (They're told in (very funny) dialog, and for humor one character often repeats another's sentence verbatim. "There is a bird on your head." "There is a bird on my head???")

But they're also FUNNY. I'm a grown-up, I see these jokes telegraphed a mile away, and I still crack up reading them.

And the illustrations! Just enough to help the cautious reader... but not so detailed that the reader can depend entirely on them to tell the story. No, you have to read the words.

These books are wildly funny, and they're educational. Your kid will read them to tatters. What more can you ask?

My favorite part of this book has to be Piggie's tears when the eggs hatch. Awww.

This is what my first grade students have to say about the book.
IN the book There is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems Gerald has a bird on his head.He does not like it.Piggy tries to tell him it is ok.I like this book because it reminds me of My Friend is Sad when the bird goes on the Piggies head.I think if you like funny books you will definately like this one.It is a hillarious book because Gerald goes AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

By, Malia age 6

I like this book because it is by Mo Willems and all his books I like.If you like funny you will like Mo Willems.
by, Jaun age 6

Great for Beginner Readers
If your child is a beginner reader, this is a great book to start with.Each page has just enough words and illustration that it wont overwelm them and they can read it independently.This book was one of the books suggested in my daughters summer reading program. Since I didnt have time to get it from the library, it was easier for me to order it through amazon.I have say I am glad I made that choice, because these books are keepers.My girls loved this book and some of the other elephant and piggie books I've ordered after this one.I agree with another reader, my girls will read anything, except books.Until elephant and piggie came into their lives that is.

... Read more

Product Description
Become the best bird host in your neighborhood. Let The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible be your guide to the foods and feeders, plants and projects that will guarantee you a yard that's absolutely brimming with birds!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Backyard Bird Feeders Bible
What a great book. I have started feeding birds and this book gave me so much more knowledge on the subject. I highly recommend it.

One of the BEST bird books on the market.
My better half and I being bird lovers for years have bought dozens of books on this subject. Out of all the bird books we have bought this one is by far one the best we have ever bought. Very descriptive, to the point, and covering a wide range of bird subject issues. Cannot speak highly enough about this book and should be owned by every avid bird watcher. A real wonderful and great book, very knowledgable, a must have.

Great for beginners
I have recently become interested in attracting birds to my urban backyard.This book is so useful.It provides a wealth of information on birds, but there is also a huge amount of information about additional urban wildlife.This has inspired me to plant a hedge in my backyard to provide a safe habitat for the wildlife.Well written and very funny.Highly recommend.

birds
good ideas, good bird house plans and good seed mixes.want to bird watch from your front porch---get book

The Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible
Anyone enjoying nature needs this book.I use it routinely to refresh my memory on
what types of food to use to attract more birds to our feeders.We have also attracted a family of mule deer to dine on apples nightly.My husband and I are like keepers of the zoo keys.We have dogs, cats, birds and fish, and they all live harmoniously with us.The dogs and cats sleep together, lick each other's faces and "tolerate" us in THEIR home.I think I would like to come back as one of my animals.The bed seems to always be full--although we don't sleep as well as we should.

This is a fabulous book with alot to learn. ... Read more