5 comments about Enslaved by Ducks.

1. Enslaved by ducks is hilarious. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever had (or wants) a lot of pets. It is a quick read and I found myself laughing out loud many times with others wondering what was so funny. Bob Tarte certainly captures the essence of the different personalities of the species he happens to be writing about at the time whether it be bunnies, ducks, geese, or parrots. After reading this book you may find yourself realizing that "animals are people also".



2. And then a friend recommended this book. She and I both own parrots...I have both a Timneh and 2 Congos, and I always like to read about parrots and the people they own.
   I had just finished reading one of Stephen King's books, and was a bit out of sorts. It had been a long hard read and I was disappointed in it. And me....a big King fan.
   'Enslaved by Ducks' is far removed from Stephen King. And just what I was looking for. Like another reader mentioned, Bob Tarte has a similar style to Dave Barry, who I love. The book was funny, and it was sad. When you own animals and lose them for whatever reason, it's a big deal. I just wanted the book to go on forever. Of course, now I can order 'Fowl Weather', and keep going, but I'll most likely be sad when I'm done with it.
   I loved the book and the style in which it is written. It would be neat to visit with Bob and Linda and have a cup of coffee with them, and meet the menagerie.
   Anyhow....I recommend the book highly, and had a great time reading it.



3. The first third of the book, I laughed out loud several times. A very engaging writer. I love animals, but am not much on birds. So about halfway through the book, I pretty much had my fill of our feathered friends.



4. I didn't care much for this book. After a few chapters of reading about the many pets this man had in his house it got very boring. I gave up on it.



5. Heard about Bob Tarte's latest book, "Fowl Weather" during an NPR review. When I checked it out at Amazon, I came across the rave reviews for "Enslaved by Duck" and decided to get both. I started with "Enslaved by Ducks" because I couldn't resist the title and it didn't disappoint. Bob and his wife are two people that you enjoy spending time with. You only wish your friends were as funny and warm-hearted as these two. I have to confess that I feel the story did sag a bit toward the end and became somewhat repetitious, but you're free to stop any time you want and don't have to slog toward the credits like I did. Am looking forward to reading "Fowl Weather".

5 comments about Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock.

1. This book has all kinds of chicken coops, whether you are on a large farm or just a small lot. It shows what you need and how to build them. This is an excellent book to get started at raising chickens.



2. This book was money thrown away. There are no plans here that would allow any builder to make one of these. No dimensions, no schematics. Just cutesy little drawings. This is mistitled at best, misconception at worst.



3. If you like chickens, you like this book. It contains many great ides for housing your flock, no matter what the size. She gives you information on where to purchase plans for each design, but I built mine just from the pictures in this book.



4. I agree, a waste of money. There are no plans in this book, some lovely photos at the back and some pencil drawings of the coops, but no actual building plans and no list of materials. If you are already an experienced builder - no problem. If not, don't waste your money. Oh, there is a web site listed to have the plans and materials list for one of the coops mailed to you - that will cost $35.00.



5. Very useful and I think I can do it myself now! Loved the color pictures also.

5 comments about The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird.

1. "At times the earth's fate seems so dire and inexorable that I'm tempted to throw up my hands and say to hell with it." The words are by Bruce Barcott, and they reflect what a lot of people feel when faced with global warming, the current destruction of species that many biologists think is a "sixth extinction crisis" (a previous one wiped out the dinosaurs), or the ruin of natural regions for profit. And yet, Barcott found a story of optimism and hope (even if they might have been eventually misplaced) when he heard about Sharon Matola, better known in her adopted country Belize as the "Zoo Lady". She has become an authority on the scarlet macaw, and led a remarkable effort against strong odds to keep the macaw's only known habitat in Belize from being flooded behind the proposed Chalillo Dam on the Macal River. Barcott tells Matola's amazing story in _The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird_ (Random House). It's a story that might have remained obscure, but it becomes an epic in the way it is told, and it is also a legal thriller as Matola and her cohorts pursue one effort after another within the Byzantine Belize legal and political system.
   
   Matola has quite a history. After leaving a marriage by running away to the circus, she wound up in the early eighties helping to film a nature documentary in Belize. The movie featured orphaned animals, and when it was over, she had a jaguar, an ocelot, a puma, and some exotic birds, little money, and no job. What to do besides paint a sign on scrap wood saying "BELIZE ZOO"? As the nationally-known Zoo Lady, Matola has gotten the populace of Belize interested in its natural resources. There are only two hundred macaws on the Macal River where they make their nests, and a dam would not only destroy the macaws, of course, but drive out other animals like tapirs, pumas, river otters, and howler monkeys. Close evaluation of the economics of the dam indicate that it would result in higher energy rates, not lower. The geological analysis that preceded the dam's construction was full of lies. It claimed that there was granite upon which to build the dam, and there was none. The engineers even arranged to have a map of the site lose by eraser a geologic fault line that could endanger it. In Barcott's words, "the dam was a fiasco: environmentally devastating, economically unsound, geologically suspect and stinking of monopoly profiteering." In the middle of the campaign, the government released its vengeful plan to place a garbage dump adjacent to Matola's zoo, another battle she had to fight. She got the help of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the powerful environmental legal team in Washington, and the battle ranged through the local courts and even to the mysterious Privy Council in London. Barcott takes in each legal battle and financial tomfoolery, producing a book that has a great deal of suspense to it.
   
   I won't spoil the suspense by telling the outcome. "The odds are against us", Matola says late in the book, and gets the answer from an environmental-law solicitor, "The odds are always against us." Matola continues at her zoo, and has taken up, among other battles, the protection and reinstatement into the wild of the endangered harpy eagle. Dams continue to be planned and built, many financed outside the nations that will hold them, and placed in third-world areas containing poor people who won't benefit, and politicians who will. Concentrating the story on Matola makes for a brilliant narrative, spangled with instructive thoughts on matters ecological, financial, and political. In summing up at the end, Barcott writes, "People like Sharon are rare and strange and sometimes aggravating... These people aren't perfect. They aren't simple heroes. They are complex human beings. And we need them. Because without them the world would be lost." Barcott's fine book gives us a deep portrait of Sharon Matola, and she gives us one more reason not to give up on humans and their interactions with their planet just yet.



2. THE BEST FIELD GUIDE TO BELIZE.
   EVER.
   
   
   You probably won't find Bruce Barcott's The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw in the travel book or nature guide sections of your local bookstore or of Amazon.com, but it just may be the best field guide to Belize you'll ever read.
   
   Ostensibly the story of Sharon Matola, founder of the amazing Belize Zoo, and her campaign to defeat the Chalillo Dam on the Macal River in Western Belize and to save the nesting ground of what are believed to be the last 200 Scarlet Macaws in Belize, it's actually a 313-page crash course on Belizean culture, society and politics.
   
   It's also the most riveting, gossipy and entertaining book on the country since Richard Timothy Conroy's 1997 memoir of British Honduras in the 1950s, Our Man in Belize.
   
   Barcott names names. He pulls no punches. As an American writer - he's a contributing editor to Outside Magazine and the author of a book on Mount Rainier, among other things - he doesn't have to worry about making a living in Belize or raising a family there. He points to the high-level corruption that Lord Michael Ashcroft, the British-Belizean politician and entrepreneur, helped introduce in Belize and who "turned the sovereign nation of Belize into his own tax-free holding company," to the fast-buck shenanigans of the second generation of People's United Party politicians, to the seamy Dark Side of the PUP's "Minister of Everything" Ralph Fonseca, to the shrill shilling of party spokesman Norris Hall, to the fellow-traveling of the Belize Audubon Society and even to the bumbling efforts of some well-intended but barely competent Belizeans.
   
   I've been banging around Belize for more than 17 years, but Barcott's book is full of insights I've missed or didn't understand. It took Barcott to tell to me why so many Belizean politicians wear guayaberas and other open-neck shirts (to set themselves apart from their English colonial masters who slaved in the heat in coats and ties). Barcott explained why and how the Belize Audubon Society, which one would think would be on the side of the at-risk Scarlet Macao, helped get the Chalillo Dam approved (the Belize Audubon Society, under President José Pepe Garcia, at that time a quasi-arm of the Belize government, claimed the Scarlet Macao subspecies wasn't really endangered in Belize and that the habitat of the Macal River Valley was duplicated elsewhere in Belize.)
   
   If there's a fault to Barcott's approach, it's that he relies heavily on the gringo side of the outsider-local divide so common in post-colonial countries, including Belize. Many of his primary sources - Matola, ex-Fleet Street newspaperman Meb Cutlack, Lodge at Chaa Creek co-owner Mick Fleming, butterfly expert Jan Meerman, geologist/dolomite miner Brian Holland and others -while long-time residents of Belize and in many cases Belize citizens -- will always be viewed by some Belizeans as expat, white perpetual tourists. Barcott tried twice to interview George Price, Belize's ascetic, incorruptible George Washington, but was turned away: "He's too busy," the retired Price's sister told him. We hear little or nothing directly from Said Musa, King Ralph or Lord Ashcroft.
   
   It also bugs me that Barcott's publisher, Random House, didn't do a bloody index.
   
   Sharon Matola comes across as a complex and sometimes exasperating woman, neither Joan of Arc nor Wangari Maathai. A fluent Russian speaker, a fungi expert, a former bikini-clad circus tiger trainer, the founder and miracle worker of "the best little zoo in the world," Matola, at the height of the anti-dam, pro-Scarlet Macao effort, almost forsake the battle. She became depressed and for a while, as a long-time Rolling Stones fan, turned her focus to a new campaign to get the city fathers of Dartford, a small working class town near London, to build a shrine to native sons Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
   
   Even with Matola at her passionate best, the campaign to stop the dam failed, of course. With most of the economic and political power structures of Belize supporting the pork project, and the giant Canadian utility Fortis dead set on damming as much of the world as possible, there was never much chance it would succeed.
   
   Tellingly, however, Matola did win the Battle of the Garbage Dump. Vindictive members of the government allegedly planned to put Matola in her place by building a dump at Mile 27 of the Western Highway, virtually next door to the Belize Zoo. After some clever maneuvering, some of it involving Britain's Princess Anne, the government backed down and decided to locate the egregious dump elsewhere.
   
   One irony came too late for Barcott to include in his book. The environmental consulting company, Tunich-Nah Consultants, headed by José Pepe Garcia, the former Belize Audubon Society president, conducted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Ara Macao, the overblown planned development on the Placencia peninsula. Ara Macao, Spanish for Scarlet Macaw, received approval to build nearly 800 condos and villas, a marina, casino, 18-hole golf course and 400,000 sq. ft. commercial center, all this on a peninsula with no paved road access and a population of about 2,000. The beautiful, smart red parrots must have shuddered, as they searched for new nesting grounds in their fast-disappearing habitat.
   
   In the end, though, Belize is Belize.
   
   With a population of just 315,000, about that of a small provincial Canadian, U.S. or British city, everybody who is anybody knows everybody else, and it's hard to stay mad. As Barcott visits Belize for the last time in researching this book, in 2005, Matola is getting ready to attend a party at Beer Baron Barry Bowen's Belikin headquarters. Bowen, one of Belize's wealthiest men and the country's political check writer extraordinaire, had helped kick Matola's butt. Now, Barcott learned, it was time to kiss-kiss and make up. That's Belize for you.
   
   ..............
   
   Review and Opinion by Lan Sluder
   
   
   



3. Well written and highly informative, especially regarding the politics of the delightful new country that is Belize. Great background reading if you're planning a trip there - and while there, be sure in include a visit to the Belize Zoo - absolutely amazing!



4. First, a disclaimer -- I'm related to Bruce Barcott, and so was preinclined to like this book because of family and locale references I would recognize. However, this book was much much more than I expected. I'll mention just two things I especially liked about this book. First, it is a true page-turner. I didn't know how the dam project would end, and Bruce's non-fiction story-telling kept me on the edge of my couch throughout. Secondly, I really liked the amount of somewhat tangential information Bruce wove into the main story. He would veer off on some interesting and helpful side road, but always bring the reader back quickly to the fascinating main story and players in the drama. I look forward to the next explanatory journalism that Bruce undertakes.



5. Barcott does a marvelous job of weaving the diverse elements and characters involved in this story into a comprehensive narrative. Better than that, he makes what could be very tedious legal proceedings a stimulating read. Well, the reading is stimulating, as is the subject matter. The situation itself, an instance of convergence on Belize of global forces enacting the doom of another unique wildlife habitat, is less than edifying.
   
   Barcott obviously sides with the environmental forces that ally themselves to fight the erection of a dam that will flood the nesting site of the largest scarlet macaw population in Central America, estimated at less than 200 birds. At times his partiality causes blindness to perspectives he does not share, but overall he does an excellent job of presenting the reasoning of all major stake holders.
   
   Barcott chose his subject well. The story is almost like a novel, with corrupt colonialism-playing politicians, heroic but flawed ex-patriot Americans, big international environmental players and corporations, local businessmen caught in the middle, and even the Law Lords of the British Privy Council. The combatants on both sides are committed, highly motivated, and adept at working the system.
   
   All told, this is a very well-written and enlightening telling of one of many current battles being waged over our planet's last remaining wild lands - what's at risk and what's being done to both exploit and to preserve the remaining pockets of natural diversity.

5 comments about Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways to Create a Haven for Your Favorite Birds (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book).

1. This book is great for those with short attention spans. :)
   
   It's an A to Z format of topics from Acorns to Zinnias. Individual little sections focus on food sources (i.e. acorns, berries, cherries, salvias, suet), common individual backyard birds (bluebirds, cardinals, swallows, etc.), procedures (banding, feeding, first aid), and more. The topics are logical and easy to read and provide lots of little useful tips and tidbits for attracting birds to your yard.
   
   The sections on individual birds generally include getting to know them information and a brief summary of how to attract them as well as some brief information on various types and where they are found.
   
   As an example of the plant sections, the ornamental grasses section gives a short overview of gardening with grasses and best grasses for birds with a chart that includes the plant name, bird attracted, plant description and culture.
   
   The back of the book includes sources, recommended reading, a USDA plant hardiness map and a zone map.
   
   The information is not in-depth (most of the sections are 0.5-1.5 pages long), but it's fun to read and filled with ideas for creating a haven for birds. A few of the more popular sections are given a little more space (water gardens have six pages for instance).



2. I really like the way this author writes: clear succinct explanation scattered with vivid personal anecdotes. This is a sturdy oversized trade paperback that will stand up to years of thumbing through it and carrying it outside.
   
   It's stuffed with beautiful color drawings, side-bars, tables, and landscaping plans. The table of contents is a huge, comprehensive list of topics from A to Z, touching upon everything from bird anatomy to different types of feathers to the coloration and shapes of eggs to project lists to attract birds in all four seasons.
   
   If you can have only one general book on birding, I would recommend this one. With its clear writing and all its illustration, it would be suitable for motivated fifth-graders on up. It also covers so many different common birds that it's not limited to just one American region. Highly recommended. Longer review at OrnateBirdGarden-dot-com.



3. This is a great beginners book. It lacks some types of birds, for pros, but for backyard bird lovers like me, it's perfect. I love the tips and heads up on how to train, feed and attact all types of birds in my area. It even has a page on building a birdhouse!! Lots of homemade treats to give you feathered friends a big smile...LOVE IT!! JK



4. I like this book. I'm a new bird watcher and this book has many good hints.



5. This book is worth its weight in gold. It is loaded with tips on gardening and attracting birds. Good for novice and old timers. Once can never know enough and new ideas are always welcome.

5 comments about Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit (Hobby Farms).

1. I bought a lot of chicken books before I got my first day-old chicks this past spring; this is my favorite one! I keep referring to it over and over. Great basic info. for those of us who have never done chickens before, with lots of practical tips and tricks from those who have been doing it forever! A few goofy, annoying typos and such, but I was willing to overlook those for the good info.!



2. I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings, but I didn't really learn anything from this book and it didn't appear to have anything new to say. I should have returned it when I got it, but returning items are a hassle to me. I was just hoping for some new insight or something more daring or direct. hats off to anyone that attempts writing and the criticism that evolves from such work. I hope her next effort is more interesting.



3. Enjoyed the way the book is written and am pleased with all the good info.



4. I just began raising chickens a few weeks ago. I have learned so much from this book, such as why my chickens are losing their feathers. (They're molting) Who knew? Haha. I highly recommend this book for beginners.



5. A great book. Easy to read and full of useful information for a small scale operation.

5 comments about The Birds in My Life.

1. I'm thrilled that my neighbors love this book. The kids just love the birds! And my older friends love it when they received in Christmas.



2. It's such a lively and vivid portrayal into the bird "characters" that I feel they are my true great friends.
   The author has successfully conveyed her love for these birds to her readers and made them a part of their lives.



3. This is the best book you can get to give as a gift honestly :)
   Would appeal to many, many people, regarless the age or even if you believe they don't care much about birds or things like that, you would see that they will love it!



4. This book surely shows the love animals have inside and the beauty of their inner souls.



5. Not only was the book very pleasing to the eyes, it held my full attention to keep reading non-stop! Fascinating information about the spiritual level of these beautiful birds was also revealed. WOW! Much kudos and thanks to the AUTHOR for enlightening me.

5 comments about Guide to a Well-Behaved Parrot (Barron's).

1. There is a lot of interesting information for beginners. It focus on elements of environment and human behavor that influence our parrot bahavior. The text is well organised so it's easy to go clearly where we are interest to. Paragraphs are relatively short so isn't tired to reat at.



2. I actually wasn't as impressed with this book as I thought I would be. I was hoping for lots of options and things to try to help out a few different behavioral issues, but found very few that sounded like they would work for my birds. Read the book cover to cover and although I loved the pictures, and learned one or two things, I was expecting many more techniques and tips.



3. This is an amazing book! There are so many tips and suggestions for correcting or preventing bad behaviors in birds. The ideal time to read this would be before even bringing the parrot home, but it is a must read for all bird owners. The parrot world is evolving and new things are being learned all the time.....read it to learn!!!!



4. I am new to parrots and this book literally takes you by the hand and addresses whatever issue you are having. I highly recommend it.



5. My hubbie decided to petsit his uncle's macaw but we had no idea why she acted the way she did. She would screech loudly, try to bite us, & if we tried to get her down from our shoulder she would run to our back. We needed information. This book didn't disappoint! Chapter 2 was a treasure trove of information. It had games you could play with your parrot, also how to get your parrot to stop biting. The wobble correction method is what we have been using. Chapter 3 was about developing behavior patterns. This chapter was great in helping us realize height does matter. We were letting Baby D(parrot's name) get on our shoulder and also letting her roam on the top of her cage. She was getting very aggresive and we couldn't understand why.Letting her spend time in places that were high was making her think she was the boss. Chapter 5 Common behavior problems talks about dealing with screaming, chewing, and boredom in birds. It also talks more about the height factor. Chapter 7 talks about reading parrot body language and the pitfalls of leaving your parrot home alone all day.
   
   I learned alot by this book. Parrots are alot of responsibility but they are also lovable. I know they have times when they screech and scream but if you follow this book you should you should have a better behaved parrot most of the time. I see some impovement already in baby D. This book has loads of information that should help you understand all about your new parrot.

5 comments about Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide.

1. This book is loaded with great color photos and tons of good info about how to set-up and maintain a small flock of happy, healthy chickens. Perfect for someone just getting started or, like me, a city gal who just likes to dream about being a farm girl...



2. I really enjoyed this 2007 British book. It is designed for the family considering keeping a few hens in the garden, and is full of information and things to think about. There are (very) brief descriptions of many breeds. A great strength of this book is it's lovely and varied photography (it even has some nice paintings!). It's very entertaining and a FUN read, even including crafts to do with the kids related to chickens! Overall there's a lot crammed in to 150 pages.
   
   Just don't believe the reviewer who said this could be the one book you buy- definitely not true. This is a fun, clearly written book for "dreaming about chickens"-- you'll still need other resources for more indepth information in different areas if you decide to take the plunge. More comprehensive info can be found in "Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens" by Gail Damerow. I also really liked "Living with Chickens". "Choosing and Keeping Chickens" is a great guide to choosing the right breed for your family.



3. An entertaining and informative read, good for the novice or anyone that is just starting with chickens



4. I have been keeping laying hens for fifteen years, and this is the best book that I have ever read on the subject of keeping chickens. It is written with the small flock owner in mind. A caring, humane attitude toward these wonderful creatures comes through both the written content and illustrations in the book. The book covers the usual topics, such as the various breeds, housing and cleaning, feeding, breeding, and health care. It also has chapters on the prospective chicken owner's rationale for having chickens, crafts with eggs and feathers, and yummy egg (not chicken meat!) recipes. The color photos and illustrations are spectacular, and the writing is clear and full of useful information.
   Whether you are new to chicken keeping or are an experienced flock tender, I highly recommend this book.



5. Anyone keeping chickens, especially those new to the art, will welcome KEEPING CHICKENS: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO ENJOYING AND GETTING THE BEST FROM CHICKENS. It offers an all-in-one guide to chickens, from understanding the specific attributes of over 40 breed types to choosing, buying, and keeping chickens healthy. If only one chicken-keeping guide were chosen for either a rural or urban library, it should be this: the easy tips and color throughout make it both practical and inviting.

5 comments about Parrot Training: A Guide to Taming and Gentling Your Avian Companion (Pets).

1. The descriptions and pictures and great is this book. Might get a little complicated sometimes but glad I bought it!



2. This book was a godsend for me. I was blessed with a beautiful 19 year old parrot that was given to me. Fortunately I found this book. It addressed all of our problems. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for advice.



3. This is a great book dealing with parrot training. People can find any information for various problems relating to parrot behaviorism.



4. I'm so glad I purchased this book. It gave me the information I need to raise a happy, well-adjusted bird. The information on body language was quite helpful.



5. there is a lot of information in this book.

5 comments about Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior.

1. This book is well written and extremely informative. A must have for any parrot owner. It is one of those books you can read and then re-read and learn something new each time. It's great as a reference book.
   
   The techniques it suggests are simple and logical and can be applied to any species. It also would be a great book to read to help you choose which type of parrot would be best for your personal circumstances, especially if you are thinking about getting one of the larger parrots.



2. I agree with all of the other raving reviews on this book. The book is well organized, the parrots are organized by continent (Africa, Austrailia, Asia, and S. America) and the author draws similarities between the types of birds from each area. As the title would suggest this book focuses on behavior and gives well defined characteristics of each type of bird, while emphasizing that they are generalizations and that each bird might be different. The author reiterates that the owner should not buy a bird with preconcieved ideas of what they will be like, but love each bird for thier individual personality. All over excellent information and the author is clearly an expert in the area.



3. Together with the other parrot-thematic books from the same author it is the hardware of information I have used. I have an african grey for three years now and at the beginning I made a search for every available information about the topic.
   
   So it happens that this books I liked most as they are easy to understand, easy to read and enjoyable illustrated.
   
   African Grey is a parrot which needs time and you have to keep in mind that he may outlive you by years. So what you teach him now will be remembered in 60years when your children will keep him a company.
   It is a responsibility but a nice one:)
   
   Yes, I can recommend to you.



4. For the person interested in different species of pet birds,their care and personalities, this book offers a generic overview. As an experienced bird "person" I was looking for a more in-depth description of a specfic species. I almost put it down without finishing until I paged to the individual stories of the different parrots. I enjoyed reading the stories of the different birds, their experiences, histories and especially how the newer owners understood and created a more fulfilling environment (love,care and concern)for them. I learned new methods of dealing with birds and appreciate any new method for understanding bird behavior. I would recommend this book for the beginner/intermediate bird lover but for the very experienced bird lover, they would do better to find a publication that discribes just one species. However, they would miss the wonderful stories in this book!



5. This book really gives you a good introduction to the various kinds of parrots that are available. It describes their habits and tendencies so that it makes it easier to choose a new parrot or understand your current friend.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for their first parrot or for an addition to their family.