eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog: Review of "The Atlas of Birds"

Hi,

So far I've reviewed the following from Princeton University Press (PUP):

And Mr. Unwin's book hasn't broken the trend -- great stuff. That's not to say that I don't have a couple of nits to pick concerning this work, because I do, but when all is said and done, this is a wonderful piece...

On to the picayune and I'll get back to the bigger picture in a second...

When I received the book, the printing process had folded over the corners of a number of pages, and consequentially, they hadn't been cut properly. For me, this is a non-issue, but if I bought the book as a gift, I would have returned it for a pristine copy.
I spotted a couple of errors in the atlas such as the number of times Shakespeare mentions the bird 'Chough'... If that sort of thing 'derails your train', then the decision to buy or not buy this book is the least of your worries.
This tome is loaded with references (over 150), but lack of corroboration of sources makes this old engineer antsy. At least 40% of Mr. Unwin's citations are from a single (and very well-respected) source -- BirdLife International. Corroboration might have been better, though, in the real world, that may not even have been possible.

Alrighty then, small stuff out of the way, on to the heart of the matter. This is a remarkable work. 'The Atlas of the Birds' approaches the subject in eight parts (plus intro, acknowledgements, photo credits etc.):

Introduction To Birds
Where Birds Live
Birds In Order
How Birds Live
Birds And People
Birds Under Threat
Protecting Birds
Bird Table (including indices and sources)

What makes this book special is its layout -- its organization. Everything is in a two-page format, part by part... Let's say that you're interested in bird migration; all you need to do is use the index, check out 'How Birds Live', turn to pg. 80 ('Flyways') and there you go. Like clockwork, pp. 80 and 81 have nice graphical representations of the global bird routes along with descriptions, a pie chart, tasteful photos, etc.

So who should buy this book? Who will really read it? The answer is everyone. (Believe it or not, this is where I may truly tick off both the author and publisher...) Here's the deal... This book is ideal for the bird lover, the student who wants to learn how to write, and the coffee table. It's perfect for the auto repair shop, the doctor's office, and the dentist's office. You name the interested or idle moment and this book is perfect. But here's where I think it really shines -- in the bathroom. I don't say that in the least derogatory -- just the opposite. Whether we like to admit it or not, some of the most meaningful reading is done in the privacy of the 'loo'. Before you jump ugly on me, know that Mrs. CCA had the same first impression, and also some of my most treasured books are in the powder room. It is what it is...

Time to wrap this up... 'The Atlas of Birds' is a must. While a few of the numbers may be open to interpretation or confirmation, Mr. Unwin has nonetheless done himself proud.

By the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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