[Birdtalk] FW: [IBLE] Book Review: To See Every Bird on Earth: A father, a son, and a lifelong obsession.

[James D. McIntyre]

>From IBLE.

 

Jim

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ible at yahoogroups.com [mailto:ible at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
jonathan stoke
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 3:39 PM
To: IBLE
Subject: [IBLE] Book Review: To See Every Bird on Earth: A father, a son,
and a lifelong obsession.

 

Book Review: To See Every Bird on Earth: A father, a son, and a lifelong
obsession.

By Dan Koeppel

 

 

I was enthralled by one man's recounting of his family history, which
included a father who is one of about ten people in the world to have seen
more than 7,000 species of birds (of some 9,600 known species).  While not a
"Big Lister" myself, this book did inspire me to actually create a list from
the checkmarks and scribbled notes in various bird guides I have accumulated
over my lifetime.  It raised my awareness of the concepts of "Birder",
"Counter", "Birdwatcher", "Oronthologist", and "Twitcher."

 

There's some degree of angst through which the author is working.  He
recounts his father's failed marriage and recounts both youthful joys at
sharing discoveries of new birds with his father, as well as feelings of
insignificance as his father peered through binoculars for long periods of
time "always looking away from me."  I sense in the book some degree of
acceptance, understanding, and even pride in his father's accomplishment as
the story unfolds.

 

A special treat for me was the author's recounting of the tales of some of
the other Big Listers.  One was a diplomat who would, after a few years of
birding in a faraway land, ask for a transfer to another continent to begin
anew.  Another was a husband and wife team who only counted a bird seen by
both . and when the wife passed away the husband never added another bird to
his list and declined all interviews for the book.  But most fascinating of
all was the legendary Phoebe Snetsinger.  Diagnosed with deadly cancer,
three independent oncologists told he she had "three months of good health,
then inevitable, rapid decline . and death within a year."  Two million
dollars, and twenty years later, she had encountered 8,450 birds!  After a
7.0 magnitude earthquake in Costa Rica partially collapsed the building in
which her birding group was staying, Snetsinger turned to the group-now
standing on open ground-and said: "Well, we're outside.  We might as well
look for owls!"

 

-- jonathan stoke, Boise

  

 

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