What Bird Did That?: A Driver's Guide to Some Common Birds of North America

Amazon.com

Another bizarrely humorous book from the delightfully eccentric mind of Burton Silver and company, perhaps best known for their Why Cats Paint series and related books.

The full-color illustrations of splattered bird droppings in this handy glove compartment guide enable the motorist to identify quickly which species created which display on the windshield. The excreta of a wide variety of avian species are fully described with detailed notes on the animal's food, geographic location, and the best methods of starting a collection. An invaluable companion for all those who wish to learn more about birds and what they do. Inhabitants of Europe may wish to search their used bookstores for a copy of The Comprehensive Field Guide to the Ornithological Dejecta of Great Britain and Europe which is, unfortunately, out of print.

Customer Reviews:

Now let's get down to some serious bird identification!.......2005-10-19

With all the great Field Guides around it is becoming quite simple to identify a new bird.You are out birding and see a bird sitting atop a tree.You line it up in your bins,take note of the field marks,check your trusty guide,and Presto!You have just found a Painted Bunting.Now,let's crank it up a notch.You're driving along a back road,and SPLAT!!What was that?Now you're in the big league of bird identification.Here's where this book comes to the rescue.Yep! now you can stop the car and check out the characteristics of the splat and determine what bird paid you a visit.This book describes what matches your splat."Small,sometimes only the size of a grain of rice.The coiled,rather gaudy and squishy nucleus is delightfully encapsulated in a semi-opaque,frothy envelope."What you got here,my friend, is also a Painted Bunting;but indentified in a whole new way!However if this is what you got,"Messy and generous,with a definite tendency to splood.The thick,creamy envelope sometimes contains solids of bilious yellow (partly digested gristle and fat) that add a sprightly dash of color to the splay."Check the book,what you got this time is our old friend,the Turkey Vulture.
So,if you want to improve your image with your birding friends get hold of this book and amaze them at the next SPLAT.
Oh yeah;another thing,just in case that splat was with the compliments of a bat instead of a bird;this book will also help you make the differentiation.
A great gift for you or your birdwatching friend.

one-trick pony, but a very amusing trick.......2002-11-23

This is a short guidebook to birds with its smart tongue planted deep in its cheek. It's copiously illustrated with photographs of bird droppings (splays) on car windshields and instructions on how to tell what
species of bird they came from. As the authors say: "A knowledge of each splay is essential to fully describe and understand the variations in ornithological dejecta." It's largely by taking the subject exactly
that faux seriously, but then subverting it with the choice of topic and some very funny invented vocabulary, that they elicit laughs. Here, for instance, is one of their terms of art and its definition:

audibon: Soft sound made by avian dejecta as it strikes a windshield and forms a splay. Audi (l) sound, bon (fr) good, literally, good sound.

The book's kind of a one-trick pony, but a very amusing trick.

GRADE: B+

VERY FUNNY - TERRIFIC GIFT BOOK.......2001-07-30

I'd never heard of this book (1991) til 2001. It's incredibly funny. Written in a pseudo-audobon style, each page has a perky 1x1" picture of the species of interest, and a sharp, color 4x4" photo of its supposed bird splat. (whether globby, loose, white, gray, yellow, small, large, starburst-like, etc). Very very funny.

Great book.......1997-03-23

This is a great book and has a great web site too, at, http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk./~design.machine-tanya/ Good book! Great site!

Average customer rating:

A perfect bedtime book
This book is a must for nature lovers of all ages!

What the Sea Saw
Stephanie St. Pierre
Manufacturer: Peachtree Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1561453595

Book Description

A lyrical visit to the seashore in words and pictures THE COMPLEX HABITATS and rich diversity of seashore life are accurately and beautifully portrayed in a new book for young naturalists. It provides a unique and intriguing introduction to the vital relationships between sea creatures, other animals and plants, and the ecosystems in which they live: the water, shoreline, and dunes. St. Pierre's gentle text flows from sea to sky, serenity to storm, and day to night in rhythmic parallel to the timeless cycles of the natural world, beautifully complemented by Doyle's realistic illustrations. Adults and young readers alike will want to return again and again to this joyous celebration of the seashore. A section at the back of the book offers interested readers a more detailed glimpse into the coastal ecosystems and habitats featured in the text, as well as helpful eco-tips that highlight ways to preserve the natural beauty of the coastline.

Customer Reviews:

A perfect bedtime book.......2006-05-03

This is a lovely picture book that will soothe, calm, and enchant young children. It has simple, poetic language that builds rhythmically page after page and evokes the sounds of the seashore, while the lush artwork captures the sights of the ocean and beach with beautiful detail and some fun visual surprises.

This book is a must for nature lovers of all ages!.......2006-04-17

This is a stunning tribute to the sea and the life in and around it. My 4-year-old and I have enjoyed reading it many times over, and I know we will continue to do so. Stephanie St. Pierre uses accessible,lyrical language to convey the mystery, power, and beauty of the ocean world. The artwork by Beverly Doyle is richly detailed and colored. All in all, this is a lovingly created book. I also appreciated the informative section in the back, which enhances a child's understanding of the subject matter and encourages conservation.

What the Cards Said (Circle of Three, Book 4)

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"You Will Be Tested As You Go Deeper Into the Woods..."
IT ROCKS
Fab
"Miss Fortune" is Tarot-able (or terrible) trouble for Annie
Tarot

What the Cards Said (Circle of Three, Book 4)
Isobel Bird
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Wicca | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0064472949
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Book Description

Cards of fortune, tell your I story,
Answer all I've come to ask
let the draw set forth the course
of what has been and yet may pass

Annie's fascination with Tarot spirals beyond her control when her readings become reality. As if cursed, Annie faces friends Cooper and Kate with this newfound power -- a power that threatens the very strength of their Wiccan bond.

Download Description

"PerfectBound e-book exclusive special feature: "The Tarot Diary": What's in your future? Learn from Isobel Bird how to select and use Tarot cards - only in this e-book. Cards of fortune, tell your I story, Answer all I've come to ask let the draw set forth the course of what has been and yet may pass Annie's fascination with Tarot spirals beyond her control when her readings become reality. As if cursed, Annie faces friends Cooper and Kate with this newfound power -- a power that threatens the very strength of their Wiccan bond."

Customer Reviews:

"You Will Be Tested As You Go Deeper Into the Woods...".......2005-06-18

"What the Cards Said" is the forth book in the Circle of Three series, a fifteen-volume set that chronicles the learning experiences of three adolescent girls - Kate, Annie and Cooper, in their year and a day of study in the religion of Wicca.

In this book Annie has discovered her skills in tarot reading, and after she's been talked into playing "Miss Fortune" at the school fair, others pick up on her uncanny habit to accurately predict things. Soon she's the talk of the school, with a range of popular girls requesting information on everything from careers to boys to future events. Flattered by the attention, Annie eagerly agrees to show off her gift.

Well, you don't need Annie's precognitive abilities to know what happens next - some people are freaked out by her premonitions, and when others discover that the future doesn't bring them exactly what they want, they end up blaming Annie for their misfortune. The moral of the story: don't abuse your gifts. But I could've told you that *before* you read this book.

That ultimately is the main problem with Isobel Bird's books - they're just so darn predictable. Just reading the blurbs on the back covers will give away the whole story. Furthermore, some details of this story just don't work well, and are devoid of any meaningful suspense or climax. For instance, at one stage Annie tries to "test" the powers of the cards, and ends up telling Sasha a fib concerning her reading. This results in Sasha running away, and the inevitable "lesson-learnt" speech from her Wicca teachers. But then what happens? Annie solves the problem by doing *another* Tarot card reading, that not only tells the reader what they already know, but doesn't help find Sasha in any way. A few minutes later the phone rings, informing them that Sasha's been found and is on her way home. So much for dramatic tension.

Of course, one might argue that Bird is simply adhering to a realistic course of events, but really, if any practicing Wicca thinks that meeting the goddess Hecate in the flesh, or experiencing Tarot card readings that are *that* accurate comes under the term "realistic", then they're kidding themselves.

But Bird's books are not all bad, as she has a clear, concise (if rather dull) narrative voice, which can clearly describe what the tarot is all about and brings to life a rather enjoyable coven ritual in which the witches-in-training are sent into the woods in order to meet folks dressed as the characters of the tarot.

The three girls are likeable and Bird's most worthy attribute is the way she is gradually letting them grow and learn, but they are also rather unimaginative stereotypes: Annie is the brainy one, Cooper is the rebel and Kate is the popular one who is now suffering for her involvement in witchcraft. They are also surrounded by rather tired stereotypes for friends and associates - the streetwise runaway, the sensitive boyfriend, the catty b*tch (sorry, Amazon would censor me if I spelt it out) and all of their Wiccan teachers are virtual clones of each other.

Ultimately, these books are what I classify as "holiday reads" - they are short, cheap, forgetful buys that you can read whilst travelling, but not be too upset about if they're misplaced.

IT ROCKS.......2002-05-21

Hello, I am a young child who is also reading this series. I have read all but the last and my favorite is still this one! For All of you that have read 1-4 but not five yet i sugest you buy it! In this book The three girls all go on different paths a misty midsummer night. They all think it is a joke played on them by their coven. I warn you, it is not. One of the three will seriously consider giving up witchcraft forever.

Fab.......2001-12-21

This will be the fourth of this series i read, and im really looking forward to it!

"Miss Fortune" is Tarot-able (or terrible) trouble for Annie.......2001-09-09

Annie gets a "karmic spanking" and learns some hard lessons when she uses her special psychic "gifts" at school to become popular. Book 4, in the Circle of Three series by Isobel Bird, follows the lives of three teens, Kate, Annie and Cooper, as they continue their journey through the world of Wicca and discover the magic and mystery within their everyday lives.

When her friends convince her to dress up and play "Miss Fortune, Tarot reader and seer into the future" for their school carnival, Annie reluctantly goes along with the idea. Soon, however, she begins to get too involved in the role when the most popular kids at school begin to take notice of her special abilities with the cards and make demands on her time.

Annie begins to let it all get to her head, until things start to go wrong after her readings and she gets the blame. She begins to use the cards in ways they were not intended with disastrous results. Suddenly popularity isn't so much fun anymore. Does Annie abandon her talent for Tarot, or will she come to terms with how to use her gifts responsibly? With a little help from the triple Goddess of the witches, the Moon-Goddess Hecate, anything is possible.

Bird is consistently creating interesting stories. This one I liked better than the last because it didn't rely on any heavy plot devices (no murdered/kidnapped girls, etc.).

There were some very imaginative segments, such as the girls Tarot exercise in the woods with the elders from the Crones' Circle bookstore. It was the Fool's journey through the Tarot. Everyone went into the woods at dusk with flashlights, followed different paths and encountered different Tarot card characters along the way. But Annie's encounter turns into a true metaphysical adventure.

Readers of previous books in the series won't be disappointed. If you're just getting started, you won't be lost starting with Book 4 as all the books seem to stand up well on their own. If you are looking for fiction on the subjects of magic, witchcraft, and Wicca with a realistic touch, this series is for you.

Tarot.......2001-08-31

Annie has a facination with Tarot cards. After Kate and Coopers insistance that she read for people at the carnival, she becomes a celebrity at the school and does readings for everyone. One problem...the readings begin to go wrong. Aweful endings begin to happen, and Annie is bieng blamed for making it happen. Not to mention the fact that she is getting visions from the Goddess Hecate telling her about her mistakes. Will Annie be able to overcome this test in her life?
Well, although good, this wasn't the BEST. That was it...it was just GOOD. Delightful read, but not as good as the ones before.

Average customer rating:

What Makes a Bird a Bird?
May Garelick
Manufacturer: Mondo Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1572550082

What on Earth Is a Booby? (What on Earth Series)

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What on Earth Is a Booby? (What on Earth Series)
Jenny E. Tesar
Manufacturer: Blackbirch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1567110940

From the Publisher

Would you know a quokka if you saw one? How about a skink or a pangolin? These are not exactly household words, but they are a few of the many fascinating and curious creatures featured in the What On Earth? series for grades 2-5. Each volume fully explores the lifestyles and habitats of animals that few people even know exist. Simple, concise text covers the animal's classification, its unique characteristics, its methods of survival, what the animal eats and who eats it, reproduction and care of the young, conservation issues, and the relationship of the animal to humans. Each book's large size and stunning, full-color photographs bring these remarkable subjects to life. A glossary, further reading list, map, and index make What On Earth books as educational as they are fun!

Grades 2-5; 8 1/2 x 11; 32 pages; Sturdy library binding; Map; Glossary; Further Reading; Index; Large format, full-color photos throughout

Average customer rating:

the quieter, the stronger

What Begins with Bird: Fictions
Noy Holland
Manufacturer: Fiction Collective 2
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Spectacle Of The Body, The: Stories

A Day, A Night, Another Day, Summer: Stories

Typical: Short Stories

A Carnivore's Inquiry: A Novel

Bear V. Shark

ASIN: 1573661252

Customer Reviews:

the quieter, the stronger.......2006-08-20

Noy Holland's second collection of short fiction shows a stronger level of character empathy, revealing characters who are deeply troubled and looking for solutions that may not always be permanent but will allow them to survive through to the ends of their stories. Whether they are barren women looking to connect with a child, any child, or a first-timer in front of a crowd revealing a little too much about himself in the process of introducing a speaker, Noy Holland's characters in this book are thick, meaty and substantive. Anorexics and belligerent veterans in wheelchairs are both touching characters in the end, who act out in ways true to their natures (or the natures they have been handed).

While Noy Holland's writing style gets a little too much in the way in selections like the title piece, her writing at its best moments is very direct to her characters, enclosing you under a tent that's really just a sheet propped up by a table in your living room. The tones are warm and inviting, and though the characters are a little scary, Noy settles them down enough to let you watch them without wanting to run away. But sometimes the quietest characters are the ones who will shock you the most, so be on guard.

What Is a Bird (Science of Living Things)

Average customer rating:

Flawed exposition of evolution

What Is a Bird (Science of Living Things)

Manufacturer: Crabtree Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 086505892X

Book Description

What makes birds different from other animals? Do all birds fly? How are the bodies of birds different? Where do they live and how do they build their nests? These questions are answered in this fascinating new book on what makes a bird.

Customer Reviews:

Flawed exposition of evolution.......2002-06-24

This is such a good book with thorough, well illustrated and clearly written coverage of so many important concepts of bird biology, adaptation and natural history. It's well laid out and well illustrated with a mix of drawings and photos. I liked that it covered feathers and flying mechanics. But it has a fatal flaw in the paragraph on bird evolution. Commendable that they even mentioned evolution I guess, but they did so in such a way as to promote the confusion and misunderstanding of this important biology concept. Here's the paragraph: "Scientists believe that birds were reptiles millions of years ago. Some reptiles evolved, or changed, in order to survive. They grew flaps of skin between their front and hind legs and used these flaps to glide from tree to tree. In time, these flaps became feather-covered wings. It took millins of years, but these ancient reptiles learned to fly. They became birds." This is followed by a picture of a reptile climbing up a branch, gradually morphing into a bird that takes off to fly. There are several problems with this explanation--birds weren't reptiles millions of years ago--modern reptiles and birds have common ancient ancestors. Evolution happens at the level of a population, not an individual, so evolution is not change within an individual, it is change within the genetic makeup of a population. And the reptiles didn't "grow" flaps of skin between their front and hind legs, again, this happened over time through changes in the genetic makeup of the population when those individuals who had the flaps because they were born with them had a survival advantage and passed this trait on to their offspring. Lastly, the photo of the reptile morphing into a bird all taking place on the same branch give the impression that evolution is quick rather than taking thousands of years and thousands of generations. I don't know how I would describe this to an eight year old, but I wouldn't do it the way it was done in this book.

Average customer rating:

Adorable Book, perfect for the preschool set!
Great Book!

What's the Magic Word?
Kelly DiPucchio
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060005785
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Book Description

No matter where Little Bird goes, everyone wants to know the magic word. Is it "Peep-peep?" "Moo-moo?" "Oink-oink?"

How will Little Bird ever find out? Not until Little Bird returns home does he hear the magic word from his very own Mama Bird!

Kelly DiPucchio's rhythmic and noise-filled text combines with Marsha Winborn's colorful illustrations for a delightful swirl of a book.

Customer Reviews:

Adorable Book, perfect for the preschool set!.......2006-11-07

We first found this book at our local library. My son loved it so much that we sought out his own copy. It is a very cute story, and easy to read. There's the melodic rhythm, combined with repetion and rhyming, it soon became a favorite in our household. It is illustrated beautifully as well. We read it almost every night. We have also read "Bed Hog" and loved it just as much. I look forwarding to adding other books by this author to our collection.

Great Book!.......2005-01-15

I just finished reading this book to my 2yr old son and he really enjoyed the book - he could follow the storyline and enjoyed the illustrations - it's a fun little story. Very nice work - would purchase other books from K. DiPucchio.

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The Truth about Bird Flu
Fowl!
A "must have" book with a fascinating premise
ALERT: The coal mine canaries are dying
Planetary Poisons and Bird Flu: Closer Than You Think

Fowl! Bird Flu: It's Not What You Think
Sherri J. Tenpenny
Manufacturer: Nma Media Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0974344834

Product Description

Unflinching, thoroughly researched, and bound to be controversial, FOWL! will change the way you view environmental policy, the pharmaceutical industry, and the government's role in the dissemination of public health information. FOWL! is an investigative report into how dioxin, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), environmental chemicals and industrial chicken farming are contributing to the illness of migratory birds, chickens and humans, making them more susceptible to the influenza virus called "bird flu." The culling of our early-warning messengers is akin to shutting off a blaring fire alarm without looking for a fire.

Customer Reviews:

The Truth about Bird Flu .......2006-07-14

This is an excellent book - a thorough systematic and well researched book which documents the REAL reasons for birds and people to be dying of 'bird 'flu'namely toxic residues of pesticides and herbicides including those persisiting form the agent orange bombings in vietnam, the appalling, cruel and inhumanely toxic conditions in which poultry are factory famed and the vested interests behind decimation of the traditional family poultry breeders and the pushing of a useless and dangerous vaccine. It includes what you really need to know to be healthy which is the only real immunity.
An excellent read, I couldn't stop turning the pages

Fowl!.......2006-06-14

While Fowl centers on the avian flu, it is comprised of information that ties together environmental, political, economic, and health issues in a way that presents a bigger picture to the reader. Dr. Tenpenny's interest and understanding of wholistic health is evident in the research and scope of the book. Through questioning the reliability of reports that the avian flu could jump to humans, she has looked at the bigger picture, which involves our environment, political influences on health care and information, and how economic factors contribute to situations that weaken health.

The book is well written and researched. It is also easy to read and presented in a way that is understandable to the reader. I had a hard time putting the book down. Also of use, was information in the book that encourages the reader to explore further into potential areas of interest,or to become involved in solving the dilemas that contribute to making us all more susceptible to illness.

A "must have" book with a fascinating premise.......2006-05-30

If you are one of those people who strives to keep abreast of important events around the globe in the areas of politics, diplomacy, and militarism, and you are starting to question what is REALLY behind all the bird flu hype, then this is a book for you.

This quality paperback includes a glossary that serves as a guide to governmental and non-governmental organizations relevant to the subjects in the book. Quite impressively, there are more than 20 pages of endnotes in small print after 251 pages of text. The sources are authoritative and competent, all serving to demonstrate the thoroughness of Dr. Tenpenny's research.

The book is very readable and highly informative. Dr. Tenpenny writes in a style that keeps the reader attentive...no dozing off here. Laypersons will have no trouble understanding the material. I thought the book might be technical and dry, overly medical or boringingly scientific. Quite to the contrary, the ordinary reader, such as myself, will find it difficult to put down.

Dr. Tenpenny leads the reader through the history of past scares of pandemics (such as the swine flu and the smallpox scare in more recent times), describes the way in which microbes invade the body and the way in which vaccines are prepared for use against a variety of diseases. After learning the contents of a flu shot and how it is made, rest assured, you will think twice before accepting that injection in the future.

There is far too much information in the book to allow an all-inclusive topical discussion. However, her research connecting environmental pollution and war chemicals, (from WW I forward) to sick wild birds, sick poultry, and sick people is fascinating. The WHO and the UN should take note of the factual and scientifically documented information that they have overlooked.

This book will serve as a valuable reference source. Much of what you may have read in the news has been chronicled in the book, but the information has been explained from a different vantage point.

What makes this book different--and important--is that you will come away with new understanding about bird flu. Among other things, you will understand that cleaning up the environment is the key to preventing pandemics, NOT the massive manufacture and administration of vaccines. This is very different from what you are being told by Faux news.

ALERT: The coal mine canaries are dying.......2006-05-30

FOWL!

Bird Flu: It's Not What You Think

Nearly everyone on earth is aware that global public health authorities are preparing for the day when avian flu virus variant H5N1 jumps species into people and spreads like wildfire around the globe, indiscriminately killing tens of millions of innocent, defenseless people.

But what if it were a bold-faced lie? What if the medical literature and recent history proves that the international bird flu-scare effort is an elaborate hoax? What if birds are being set up as patsies by a conspiracy of powerful government agencies and multinational corporations? What if sick migratory birds and domestic fowl are canaries and the entire planet is a coal mine?

Dr. Tenpenny is a practicing osteopathic physician from Cleveland. She proved her capabilities as a fearless researcher by adventuring into the salt mines of published vaccine literature to prove that vaccines neither safely nor effectively prevent the spread of infectious diseases--and the CDC knows it.

Alarmed by what she felt was a curious overreaction to a few human deaths attributed to a species-jumping avian virus, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny directed her research talents to getting to the bottom of this bird flu hype. She began by asking the following questions: Why are so many birds sick? Who wants all the chickens dead? Why are the human cases clustered primarily in SE Asia and what is the connection to cases elsewhere? Why are vaccine manufacturers being given a blank check to develop a vaccine that will be mandatory? Are global conditions similar to those extant at the time of the 1918 flu pandemic? "From those questions," Dr. Tenpenny assures us, "the story begins to unfold."

Dr. Tenpenny found no scientific evidence to suggest that the H5N1 avian flu would virulently "jump species" and decimate human populations in pandemic proportions.

Dr. Tenpenny did, however, discover a study showing how normally dormant viruses can come alive to fatally overwhelm the immune systems of animals who carry toxic levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls in their tissues. She also found that the vaccine and antibiotic-intensive, vertically-integrated corporate farming of genetically-modified poultry is the primary cause of epidemic illnesses among domestic birds.

The research for FOWL! scientifically supports the notion that germs do not cause disease; dis-ease causes germs. In other words, the truth about bird flu reveals that the development of symptoms and their subsequent severity or potential lethality, are dependent upon the relative health of the host--be he bird, beast or human.

Though she cites and references scores of scientific studies and technical articles that prove it's the chemicals, not the viruses, that we should be concerned about, Dr. Tenpenny is able to convert the complex material into language that we can all understand. The truths she uncovered are much more interesting than the fictions the "experts" are telling us to believe.

Bird flu is not a species-jumping virus threatening all of mankind. The bird flu threat to humanity is a fiction spun by opportunists in government and industry attempting to increase their own wealth and power while continuing their perverse mission of chemically contaminating our planet.

The easiest way to explain the bird flu fiction is to watch bird flu fiction. The ABC TV production, "Fatal Contact," which aired May 9, 2006, portrayed what would happen if...but the entire plot was built around the masses' fear of the unknown, their faith in government emergency planners and trust in pharmaceutical companies. In the movie (and in real life) there is no science to support the theory that a bird virus will mutate and spread all over the world on cocktail napkins and incidental contact, en route to killing hundreds of millions of people in the span of few months.

We should not be confused. The evidence Dr. Tenpenny unearthed shows that the seeds of bird flu were sown by the U.S. military's chemical contamination of SE Asia with dioxin-containing Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and is now coming of age in an era of nuclear effluent, chemical farming and the detonation of depleted uranium munitions in a wireless era of perpetual war.

FOWL! is not just another book. Everyone we know who has read it is stunned by what it reveals and impressed with the clear logic and language Dr. Tenpenny uses to deliver what is, perhaps, the most important message of our time: "Coal mine canaries" are dying all around us and we, as communities of people and nations, can either stop our indiscriminate spewing of toxic chemicals or perish of our own folly.

The Idaho Observer
P.O. Box 457
Spirit Lake, Idaho 83869
Phone: 208-255-2307
Email: observer@coldreams.com
Web: http://idaho-observer.com

Planetary Poisons and Bird Flu: Closer Than You Think.......2006-05-01

Fowl! Bird Flu: It's Not What You Think by Dr. Sherri J. Tenpenny, Insight Publishing, 2006

Review by Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns

The poultry industry would like everyone to think that the avian influenza virus that is currently infecting migratory waterfowl and domestic chickens is the result of birds running wild in the fresh air and open skies. The way to control the virus is to lock up every domestic chicken, turkey and duck, and when that doesn't work, exterminate them en masse and start over, ad infinitum. Between government subsidies, reimbursements and protective insurance policies, companies like Tyson and its Russian, Asian and South American allies can exterminate thousands, even millions, of birds without losing a cent.

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, an osteopathic medical doctor with an integrative medical practice located in Cleveland, Ohio and the author of Fowl!, is one of a growing group of reputable people who argue that the big poultry companies and the genetics and pharmaceutical conglomerates of which they're a part "are positioned to capitalize on the opportunity presented by bird flu" to industrialize poultry farming worldwide.

Dr. Tenpenny shares the view presented by GRAIN (www.grain.org/go/birdflu), an international nongovernmental organization focusing on agriculture, in its February 2006 report "Fowl play: The poultry industry's central role in the bird flu crisis." GRAIN maintains that wild and free roaming birds "are not fuelling the current wave of bird flu outbreaks stalking large parts of the world." The geographical spread of bird flu does not match migratory bird routes and seasons so much as it matches proximity to industrialized poultry farms and trade routes.

Nor is the mass-killing of birds confined to "traditional" cultures, whose brutal live burials and live burnings of birds are glimpsed in the news. Chickens, turkeys and ducks on North American factory farms, like those in China, Thailand, India and elsewhere, are routinely, and with equal brutality, "culled" (exterminated) to control the virulent strains of avian flu and other transmittable diseases that rage in the squalid confines of the football-field long, sunless poultry sheds. As noted by GRAIN, "Rare are photos of the booming transnational poultry industry. There are no shots of its factory farms hit by the virus, and no images of its overcrowded trucks transporting live chickens or its feed mills converting `poultry byproducts' [diseased dead birds and manure] into chicken feed."

Planetary Poisons and Bird Flu

Dr. Tenpenny probes even further. She argues in Fowl! that toxic residues of dioxin and thousands of other poisonous chemicals added through nuclear radiation and nuclear waste are contributing to illness in migratory birds, domestic fowl, and humans. In particular she cites the Vietnam era "Agent Orange," coupled with irresponsible environmental policies in Southeast Asia, China and other parts of the world, including the toxic waste dumps in which chickens are raised. Instead of blaming wild birds for bird flu, she says:

"More likely, the horrific living conditions of industrially raised chickens and the exposure of wild birds to substantial environmental toxicities - including pesticides - have suppressed the immune system of both sets of birds. During long migrations, the birds undergo stressful conditions that utilize energy reserves. Increased utilization of fat stores will mobilize the chemicals that are stored in fat, creating acute poisoning of the birds. The combination of environmental toxicities - dioxin, radiation, and other POPs [persistent organic pollutants], combined with H5N1 - has led to deadly inflammation in the tissues in both types of fowl, leading to their demise. Wild birds and domestic chickens may well be described as the victims of bird flu, not the vectors, and H5N1 is a contributing factor to the demise of birds loaded with toxicities rather than the causative factor. What is happening to the birds around the world should be serving as a resounding wake-up call for the foul condition of the planet Earth" (pp. 195-196).

What About Vaccines?

Vaccines are part of the pollution. The pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Tenpenny and others assert, is using bird flu to rev up the vaccine business by creating a wave of hysteria so people will rush out and buy Tamiflu or its evil twin, products more likely to add to their body's toxic burden than save them from the flu. In lively prose, she charts the history of flu epidemics, pseudo-epidemics and vaccine promotions, past and present, on the part of government and industry armed with free publicity from the media. "Hundreds of millions of dollars," she writes, "have been lavished by Congress to ensure every part of the vaccine development process is in place for the new bird flu vaccine: Development grants, tax credits, advanced purchase commitments, and most importantly, laws that will absolve the companies from all product liability issues that may arise from use of an unsafe product" (pp. 67-68).

To learn how vaccines are made, read the chapter "Influenza Vaccines: What's In That Needle?" Everything from formaldehyde to mercury is involved, not to mention the "accidental" viruses that get loaded into the shot. Flocks of chickens are kept in sterile laboratory cages to produce the tens of millions of fertile eggs in which influenza viruses are grown. When the embryos' lungs are sufficiently infected, the eggs - with the live birds in them - are placed in coolers and subsequently centrifuged. The final product contains residual egg proteins, so people with egg allergies are advised not to get a flu shot.

What Can We Do?

Dr. Tenpenny writes: "After detailing this vivid description of the manufacture of the influenza vaccine, the thought of injecting this into your body - or the body of your baby - should be repugnant" (p. 72). What else can a person do besides avoiding flu shots and rejecting the hype? "Clean up your diet," she says. Get rid of the white sugar and flour, food additives and genetically modified products. But she shies from the most important thing - eliminating the repugnant ingestion of poultry and eggs, the mass consumption of which products is the root source of bird flu, many human illnesses, and a guarantee that the mass exterminations and other vicious treatment of wild and domestic birds will not end ever.

At the same time, Dr. Tenpenny urges people to get publicly active, and her list of things to do includes "animal rights" and "humane handling of poultry." Citing information from United Poultry Concerns, and encouraging readers to support United Poultry Concerns, she makes it clear that the life of birds on factory farms is horrible: "Unknown to most, chickens have a carefully regulated social life and a cohesive social structure; extreme crowding stresses the birds and increases the possibility of illness. Beyond the crushing confinement, conditions within most [poultry houses] are filthy, forcing birds to be reared in complete squalor" (p. 171).

Dr. Tenpenny was a featured speaker at United Poultry Concerns' Forum in Columbus, Ohio in April on "Using the Media Effectively to Promote Farmed Animal and Vegetarian Issues." She spoke vividly on issues raised in her book. Having heard Dr. Tenpenny, I can vouch that she is a terrific, very professional and informative lecturer who welcomes speaking engagements. She's been very kind in acknowledging the contribution of United Poultry Concerns to her understanding of chickens and their plight. Just after the conference, she wrote to me, "Before I came across your information for the book, I was clueless about the farm animal issue. I never gave it much of a thought, and really didn't think of chickens as having feelings." I'm glad she found us.

And I like what she says at the end of FOWL!. "Speaking out," she says, "is not being a zealot or a fanatic. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry were all branded extremists and radicals by agents of the British Crown. If your friends label you as such, you are in pretty good company." There you have it. Stick up for chickens, don't eat animals, go vegan, and tell the world why.
------------------------
Karen Davis, PhD is the President of United Poultry Concerns, a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl (www.upc-online.org). She is the author of Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs: An Inside Look at the Modern Poultry Industry; More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual, and Reality; and The Holocaust and the Henmaid's Tale: A Case for Comparing Atrocities.

How Dinosaurs Took Flight: The Fossils, the Science, What We Think We Know, and Mysteries Yet Unsolved (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards))

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How Dinosaurs Took Flight
Radical, but Rare

How Dinosaurs Took Flight: The Fossils, the Science, What We Think We Know, and Mysteries Yet Unsolved (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards))
Christopher Sloan
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Science & Technology | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0792272986
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Book Description

How did dinosaurs get feathers? How did they start flying? What use were feathers to dinosaurs that didn't fly? Chris Sloan's 2000 book Feathered Dinosaurs introduced kids to the radical idea that some dinosaurs had feathers and that birds are, in fact, a subset of dinosaurs. In How Dinosaurs Took Flight, Sloan returns to these ancient feathered creatures to introduce kids to the fascinating new finds—including a Tyrannosaur with feathers and a dinosaur with not just two but four wings. The author focuses on the tough new questions scientists are asking right now, the evidence they've gathered, the hypotheses that are developing from the evidence, and the unknowns that remain. This book will be the most up-to-date children's book on this topic on the market.

Customer Reviews:

How Dinosaurs Took Flight.......2007-03-29

This book is filled with great pictures and it is very informative. The author did a wonderful job explaining the differences between avian and nonavian dinosaurs. The hypotheses throughout the book are followed by the evidence that has been found on that topic. It's great reading for aboout 4th grade through adult, and nice for reading with your child also.

Radical, but Rare.......2006-02-22

This slim (64 pages) volume carries a hefty price tag, but at this point it's worth it, because there isn't a lot on the market covering the dinosaurs-with-feathers subject (so far as I know). Dr. Xu Xing, who wrote the foreward, is a notable character in the unfolding drama of feathered fossils being found in China.

I consider this book a bit radical in that it runs with the theory of dinosaurs being birds (or was it vice versa?), calling them all dinosaurs: nonavian dinosaurs for the "dinosaurs" and avian dinosaurs for the "birds." It is written in a fairly simple and straightforward manner; I think it is a YA title although I mostly bought it for myself (as a parent having just taken the kids to see the James Gurney's Dinotopia exhibit and activites at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge MA). I think one might want to read it with a child, so that, for example, a younger reader might not end up being teased for insisting that birds are dinosaurs. The theory is out there, it's current, but it's not completely validated yet. I would like to see more well illustrated books on the subject, but this one is a great start.

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