A review by alfia
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think, by Jennifer Ackerman

4.0

Lots of cool facts and cool birds (who definitely communicate, learn and adapt, duh), but written in a sloppy, often repetitive and uninspired style. I stupidly thought this was going to be like the books of DIANE Ackerman (a truly inspired and poetic science writer), but alas, this is someone else entirely. She seems like a nice person who has done a lot of journalistic research on select birds, but wow, this shows what lack of a good editor can do. There were too many unsupported or unfootnoted claims, and too many bounces between reportage and gee-whiz bewonderments. I'll be checking on that book on Australian songbirds she references though. Worth it for the facts and refs though.