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The Parrot's Lament : And Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity
Eugene Linden Manufacturer: Plume ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0452280680 Release Date: 2000-08-01 |
Amazon.com
When Eugene Linden was writing The Parrot's Lament--a book subtitled "And Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity"--he enjoyed joking around with his 2-year-old daughter Sofia. "Are you a rutabaga?" "I'm not a rutabaga!" she would giggle. "Are you a waterbug?" "I'm not a waterbug!" Soon, Sofia learned to riff off her father's teasing: "I'm not a rutabaga; Daddy is a rutabaga!" or the truly insightful, "I'm not a rutabaga; the baby is a rutabaga. I'm a waterbug!"As a passionate and accomplished student of animal intelligence since the '70s, Linden--of course--couldn't resist comparing Sofia's reasoning to that of an ape, puzzling over the cognitive cusp upon which she teetered. And it's this affectionate but knowledgeable analysis, the gentle transition from rutabagas to metacognition and emergent symbolic ability, that makes The Parrot's Lament so satisfying, sentimental but still scientifically solid. The science of consciousness and animal intelligence is contentious, but many in the field--Linden included--deeply suspect that animals know more than we can verify. Linden lays down the science with clarity and good humor, but he leaves it to his animal coauthors, the amorous dolphins, escape-artist orangs, enigmatic cats, and lying hyenas that populate the book's scores of anecdotes, to make his argument. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
A gorilla shrewdly sells back a missing key chain to the highest bidder. An orangutan picks a lock to let himself out of his zoo enclosure and two elephants adopt a tag-team strategy to keep their handlers from putting them back into theirs. In The Parrot's Lament, noted environmentalist Eugene Linden offers more than one hundred true anecdotes about animal acts of cooperation, heroism, escape--even tales of deception or manipulation of human beings. Drawing on the first-person experiences of veterinarians, field biologists, researchers, and trainers, Linden has compiled a warmly entertaining and powerfully persuasive argument for animal consciousness that, while not human, far exceeds what humans usually grant animals. Scientifically sound and emotionally compelling, The Parrot's Lament contains remarkable stories that are sure to resonate with animal lovers, turning skeptics everywhere into believers.Customer Reviews:
They're smarter than you think!.......2006-11-14
My Goats Bedevil Me!.......2005-05-31
A good book, with some unsettling errors..........2004-04-01
The book is divided into nine categories. He begins with "Games and Humor," in which he explores the ways in which animals amuse themselves. "Trade and Barter" was one of the most interesting chapters, detailing the elaborate systems captive apes have been taught, where they can earn "money" for performing tasks for their keepers, and then spend that money on items they want, such as treats or toys. "Deception" discusses ways animals have tried to fool both their human counterparts and others of their own species. In "Mind Reading and Mental Chess" Linden explores the extent to which animals can be aware of others' states of mind. "Cooperation in Work, Conflict, and Healing" is another particularly interesting chapter, offering examples of service animals that have gone beyond their training to help humans. Included are stories of animals that actually seek out ill and injured people in order to offer them solace. "Tools and Intelligence" concerns that very sticky topic of whether humans, as tool-users, are unique. It appears that we are not, and Linden shows us numerous cases where other species have made use of tools to achieve their aims. The seventh chapter talks of escape attempts - cases where captive animals have shown remarkable ingenuity despite all their keepers' efforts to dissuade them. "Empathy and Heroism" gives us examples of animal heroes, and finally "A Place Where Humans are the Novelty" takes a brief look at those few wild places that are still relatively untouched by humans.
While I really liked the book as a whole, however, there are a few things which cause me to knock my rating down to only four stars. First is that Linden undermines much of his own thesis by devoting an entire preface as a disclaimer that none of these stories can be used as scientific evidence. Perhaps the stories are anecdotal, but this is how much of scientific discovery begins - with pure observation of things. For those of us with wide exposure to animals, it is hard to deny that they do possess some remarkable mental capabilities, even without these stories as additional proof.
And secondly, Linden has done a very poor job of checking his facts. Many of his examples come from animals at the Woodland Park Zoo, which is very close to where I live, and which I have visited numerous times. The first error that leapt out at me is relatively minor - the orangutan Linden refers to as "Tawan" is actually named Towan. But more alarming, one of Linden's stories involves the gorillas at Woodland Park. He claims that the gorilla Jumoke, when separated from the father of her baby, repeatedly tried to climb out of her new enclosure to rejoin him. This is all well and good, except that the "father" is billed as Alafia. Anyone can check the Woodland Park Zoo's website (www.zoo.org) and see that Alafia is, in fact, a female. So something is not right with that particular story. It could be that Linden just mixed up the names - there are a LOT of gorillas at Woodland park - but errors like this make me question the accuracy of the other accounts included. Has Linden made other mistakes in his research?
Overall, though, I would still recommend this book to anyone with a casual interest animal intelligence. Some of the stories are heartwarming, others funny, and others downright amazing. The book is friendly to the layman and does not require any scientific knowledge. It is also well-written and easy to read. If you're doing a study or writing a paper, I would strongly advise you to double-check the specifics of any accounts you intend to reference (due to the above mentioned errors), but for general-interest purposes this book is good enough as is. It's a great testament to the often vastly underestimated intellectual powers of our furry, feathery, and scaly friends.
Witty and fulfilling.......2003-03-13
Excellent.......2002-07-03
The tales of love and escape and the human qualities displayed by animals were touching, too. This book made me do something not not very many other books have done; I laughed out loud. It's a great book for those who have pets or are just interested in tales of animal empathy, deception, and cooperation and intelligence which are sometimes hysterical.
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The Parrot's Lament And Other True Tales Of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, And Ingenuity
Eugene Linden Manufacturer: Dutton / Penguin ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000JZTURA |
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The Parrot's Lament: And Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity
ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0641533195 |
Product Description
From the Publisher Can Animals Think? Scientists have tried to answer this question for decades. In The Parrot's Lament, award-winning writer Eugene Linden turns the question on its head and looks at what animals reveal about their intelligence and emotions through their natural reactions to the people and creatures around them. Talking to zookeepers, researchers, therapists, and trainers, he has unearthed amazing and heartwarming stories, anecdotes of animal humor, game playing, deception, scheming, and subterfuge, as well as tales of compassion, heroism, and love. Some of the stories cross species barriers. Harriet, an orphan leopard hand-raised by a conservationist in India and later returned to the wild, must rely on memory and the bonds of human trust when raging river waters endanger her young cubs. Orky, a killer whale, works together with his human keepers to save his gravely ill offspring. Whether in captivity or in the wild, in a zoo or a family backyard, animals must constantly negotiate the basic issues of their survival. And in these negotiations they show us -- if we pay attention -- everything about who they are. And quite a bit about who we are, as well.
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the parrot`s lament (and other true tales of animal intrigue, intelligence, and ingenuity)
eugene linden ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000SZP1O2 |
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Greenberg's Repair and Operating Manual for Lionel Trains, 1945-1969 (Greenberg's Repair and Operating Manuals)
Manufacturer: Kalmbach Publishing Company ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
Product Features:
ASIN: 0897784553 |
Product Description
Offers over a thousand repair and maintenance tips for Lionel locomotives, operating cars, accessories, transformers, light bulbs, and switches. Provides original Lionel technical advice and handy techniques submitted by toy train collectors and operators over the past ten years.Customer Reviews:
Lionel Repair Manual.......2007-03-15
Grrenberg's Lionel Train Repairs.......2007-03-09
Greenbergs repair.......2007-03-08
Lionel Train Repair.......2007-02-10
very informative and accurate.......2007-02-09
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The Garden at Highgrove
Prince of Wales Charles , and Candida Lycett Green Manufacturer: Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 0297825445 |
Book Description
When The Prince of Wales bought Highgrove House in 1981 the surrounds consisted of a brown path which ran around the house, a lawn and a few thorn bushes. Twenty years later, he has transformed the land adjoining the house into several exquisite gardens which embody his gardening ideals and organic principles. With help from some of Britain's finest designers, including The Marchioness of Salisbury, Rosemary Verey, Miriam Rothschild and Sir Roy Strong, the Prince of Wales has created highly individual gardens which have now, with his own ideas, reached maturity. The Prince of Wales describes the thinking behind each garden, the mistakes and the triumphs, and his plans for the future. Lavishly illustrated with photographs which capture both the scope and detail of each garden, this book will delight and inspire both gardeners and horticulturalists at every level.Customer Reviews:
high quality.......2005-08-29
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The Garden at Highgrove
Charles Windsor , and Candida Lycett Green Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 031227551X |
Amazon.com
When the marriage of Lady Di and Prince Charles fell apart, rumor had it part of the problem had to do with his gardening obsession. Gossip columns claimed Charles paid more attention to his gardens than his wife. The Garden at Highgrove takes readers on a tour of Charles's favorite creation--a maze-like garden surrounding the estate where he has primarily lived for the past 20 years. Various styles thrive within the boundaries of the property: wildflower meadows, formal hedgerows, outdoor rooms, carefully plotted tapestries of Queen of Night tulips. If Diana complained of neglect, Highgrove's landscape looks like it has been lavishly doted on. In one series of photos, we see the transformation of a large plot, viewed from the house, as it has been completely erased and re-created year to year. Who has time to complete and then entirely redo a garden on a regular basis? A prince, of course. Although the landscape glows with a vibrant, almost artificial green, Charles has long been a committed organic gardener. In the introduction he recalls the period when he came around to the cause of environmentalism. While driving through a declining English countryside in the 1960s and 1970s, "I remember longing to heal the countryside, to bind up its wounds and to reclothe it in its rightful form." The Garden at Highgrove will inspire gardeners, even those who don't live in palaces, who are looking for images of elegance and can't afford a staff to keep the hedges perfect. --Emily WhiteCustomer Reviews:
This will join "Vita's Other World" on my bookshelf.......2005-05-06
An inspiration and a teaching tool.......2003-07-01
Of course, there is still a strong bit of advocacy for an organic approach to gardening. But here, it doesn't edge into discussions of European agricultural policy or the historic despoiling of the British countryside. Instead, explanations of the organic method are an underlying, but essential, part of telling the garden's story
The narrative of how the garden has developed over two decades is an interesting one, and any gardener will enjoy and be inspired by the beautiful photography. And although few of us are able to garden on the Prince's scale, there is still an awful lot in here we can learn from, adapt to our own uses, or blatantly poach -- from simple decorating and arranging ideas to complex schemes of crop rotation or building construction. Helpfully, Highgrove's head gardener, David Howard, includes a chapter explaining how the transition from traditional gardening to organic approaches began, and some of the key techniques he employs and lessons he's learned. This is followed by six entire pages of listings of various types of plants cultivated in the different gardens and illustrated in each chapter. This, especially, may prove to be a handy resource for many readers.
If there's one noticeable drawback to this book, it's that there's no overall map or diagram showing where the various gardens are in relation to one another and the house. All I can think is that (assuming there is a reason for not including one) this may be for security purposes -- though that seems unlikely given the number of photographs already included. But after taking an otherwise thorough tour through the kitchen garden, the walled garden, the box garden, the fountain garden, across the terrace, past the sanctuary, under the rose arch, down the thyme walk (my favorite), along the serpentine hedge ... and all the rest, it would have been nice to have a comprehensive view of how it all fits together.
After having read the earlier title about this garden, it was nice to return six or seven years later (in publishing time) and see how it's all progressing. As the quote on the back cover says, "The Prince of Wales has created at Highgrove one of the most admired gardens in the country," and from philosophy to planning to execution, it's a garden that through this book, we can learn things from or, if we prefer, simply sit back and enjoy.
Read and convert.......2003-05-08
Beautiful tour of Prince Charles Highgrove home gardens.......2001-11-26
Inspirational!.......2001-05-15
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Rosemary Verey's Making of a Garden
Rosemary Verey Manufacturer: Frances Lincoln ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0711217912 |
Book Description
The first paperback edition of this highly praised book is the story and journey through a remarkable garden, Verey's Garden at Barnsley House, Gloucestershire, one of England's best-known and finest examples of an English garden. Taking readers on a personal tour, Verey shares learning process in its creation, all
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The Garden at Highgrove
Prince of Wales Charles , and Candida Lycett Green Manufacturer: Weidenfeld Nicolson Illustrated ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0297843346 |
Book Description
When The Prince of Wales bought Highgrove House in 1981 the surroundings consisted of a brown path which ran around the house, a lawn and a few thorn bushes. Twenty years later, he has transformed the land adjoining the house into several exquisite gardens which embody his gardening ideals and organic principles. With help from some of Britain s finest designers, including The Marchioness of Salisbury, Rosemary Verey, Miriam Rothschild and Sir Roy Strong, the Prince of Wales has created highly individual gardens which have now, with his own ideas, reached maturity. The Prince of Wales describes the thinking behind each garden, the mistakes and the triumphs, and his plans for the future. Lavishly illustrated with photographs which capture both the scope and detail of each garden, this is a book which will delight and inspire both gardeners and horticulturalists at every level.
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Cotswold Gardens
David Hicks Manufacturer: WN ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0297843656 |
Book Description
Customer Reviews:
Great Gardens.......2006-03-11
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The Garden at Hidcote
Fred Whitsey Manufacturer: Frances Lincoln ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0711225311 |
Book Description
Tells the story of the garden's creation by the enigmatic American Lawrence Johnston and how it achieved such significance that in 1948 it became the first garden to be taken into the care of National Trust.
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1982 GARDENS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND AVON.
Manufacturer: National Gardens Scheme ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000HHM9VO |
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Cotswold Landscapes
Rob Talbo , and Robin Whiteman Manufacturer: Phoenix Illustrated ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 1841880604 |
Book Description
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Hidcote Manor Garden (Gloucestershire) (National Trust Guidebooks Ser.)
Anna Pavord Manufacturer: Tempus ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 1843590328 |
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Hidcote Manor Garden, Gloucestershire
V Sackville-West Manufacturer: National Trust ProductGroup: Book Binding: Unknown Binding ASIN: 0707800579 |
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A Parent's and Student Athlete's Guide to Athletic Scholarships : Getting Money Without Being Taken for a (Full) Ride
Dion Wheeler Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
Accessories: ASIN: 0809224437 |
Book Description
A Parent's and Student Athlete's Guide to Athletic Scholarships is designed to help young athletes and parents like you understand the recruiting process and the wide array of scholarships and financial aid available. Dion Wheeler, an experienced high school and college coach and parent of two successfully recruited student-athletes, shares his secrets of success in this comprehensive guide.
This book provides the tools, devices, and strategies to give your student-athlete the best opportunity to continue an athletic career in college and to receive financial aid (scholarships, grants, low-interest loans) based upon athletic ability. Wheeler leads you step-by-step through the tangled web of recruiting confusion, duplicity, and unfairness.
By following the program, your prospect will gain an advantage over other equally qualified student-athletes who dream of college athletics and a scholarship based on athletic ability. A detailed appendix includes complete contact information for colleges and universities that offer athletic scholarships.
Customer Reviews:
Where's the Beef?.......2004-01-17
Good Job!.......2001-09-26
Athletic Scholarships.......2000-07-14
The book opens so many doors with information about financial help to both collages and universities that the average person is not aware of. It offers places to seek financial help and rewards for the great amount of time and efforts these athletes put into their accomplishments.
This book which has, listed by states, the names of collages and universities where schoarships are offered, along with the guidelines on how to seek financial help which is so very much needed these days. I only wish a book like this had been available when my children were entering that stage of their lives.
I highly recommend this to anyone who has children or knows of anyone who are athletes and are looking to continue their education.
A High School Coach's Review.......2000-07-07
The other books I've used for recruiting information are mostly designed for Blue Chip athletes. They don't need much help in getting athletic scholarships. This book is written to help the athletes who aren't necessarily Division I prospects. The different ways it helps from Profile creation to the visit, to important questions, to negotiation strategies and scripts to understanding how unfair the recruiting process actually is and how to use that unfairness as a counterforce t level the playing field for parents and athletes is amazing.
The Chapter revealing the real story about Division III recruiting and financial aid for athletic ability is incredibly insightful and powerful.
A Parent's and Student-Athlete's Guide to Athletic Scholarsh.......2000-05-15
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