Starting off with admitting that I did not even come close to finishing my Book it Babe Project 2023. I mostly read romance because I wasn’t really into anything else. My second most read books were non-fiction including the one I will be talking about now. This book will fall under “2023 release” for the sake of my 2023 blog post reading goal.
I listened to Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper instead of reading it. I don’t say this often because I don’t do it often, but I suggest listening to it as an audiobook instead of reading it. Mr. Cooper does the narrating and he has a great voice. There are bird sounds in it as well that as hard as you try, you just can’t fit into a physical book.
Birding shifts your perceptions, adding new layers of meaning and brokering connections: between sounds and seasons, across far-flung places, and between who we are as people and a wild world that both transcends and embraces us. In my life, it has been a window into the wondrous.
It is not too heavy on the birds but it does give you a great insight on what true birders are like and a little taste of the excitement you can find in it. I love that he adds in ”The Seven Pleasures of Birding,” which includes the joy of being in a natural setting, the joy of puzzle solving, and the joy of scientific discovery. He does not delve into the Central Park incident too much but uses it as a stepping stone to talk about what African-Americans face today. If you have never heard about the incident you can look it up. It just happened to be on the same day as the murder of George Floyd, but his is a much tamer story albeit still important to know about.
It is important to note that this is a memoir so you will learn about his life as well along with his love of birding. His upbringing in New York is important to understanding him and his love of birding. It is a book filled with wonderful and interesting information about both the man (did you know he introduced the first gay character to Marvel?) and the world of birding. An enjoyable book to listen and/or read.
I also suggest you watch his TV show “Extraordinary Birder” on Disney+
The American Bird Conservancy estimates that in the United States, where the domesticated feline is a non-native predator disrupting the natural balance, cats slaughter 2.4 BILLION birds EACH YEAR. Keep cats indoors and dogs on the leash in protected areas, if they are permitted there at all. The birds–and other birders–will thank you.
Book It Babe 