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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Heinrich is a leading raven expert, whose experiments around string-pulling were a leading part of humans growing realisation of the intelligence of birds, especially corvids. Unfortunately, you wouldn't know it from this book. Heinrich's style is marked by endlessly detailed anecdotes, an absence of discussion of others' work (you could seriously think this slightly crazed man in the woods was all there was of raven research, and he doesn't consider other birds worth studying at all), and a great deal of lone-man-against the elements stuff about the perils of climbing up to nests, and the mechanics of cutting up carcasses. Not only did I seriously dislike Heinrich by the end, it was starting to rub off on how I viewed ravens as well.
So why three stars? Because this will be some peoples cup of squirrel entrails - hell, from the ratings it is a *lot* of peoples - and some of the anecdotes really are significant.
Part of the frustration relates to the age of this material, and that isn't Heinrich's fault. I found his default assumptions so ridiculous - given current scholarship - that I had to double check that they were common consensus at the time. Things like assuming birds have no capacity to predict the actions of others; or take an unfamilar action to achieve a result. He seems often to dismiss the visual acuity of ravens, wondering if they can tell each other apart, and thinking if he covers his face or changes into unfamiliar clothes they won't recognise him. There is even irony in that his experiment - designed to show that ravens are different to all other birds - has been repeated now with a wide variety of species, including not terribly smart ones, with success. So it seems churlish to point out that he constantly underestimates the smarts of ravens, given his strong championship of recognising their intelligence, but it doesn't make the book easier to read.
It would also feel more churlish if Heinrich presented the work of others, and its significance, but as mentioned he does not, aside from the very occasional mention. There is thus no way to posit this into the whole of scientific development. Heinrich isn't going for that feel - I kept fearing he'd been inspired by Thoreau, in that he portrays himself as a passionate recluse (at times shunned by the scientific establishment) rather than as part of a working community of scientists. His motivations are the centre of the book, and relate to his passion for ravens and belief in them, rather than broader scientific inquiry. On the one hand this is a good thing - giving space to his own humanity and avoiding a false sense of detachment - but it does ensure much of your enjoyment of the book will depend on how much you enjoy spending time with him. If the curious naturalist in harsh cold conditions is your thing, you'll love it. I didn't.
So why three stars? Because this will be some peoples cup of squirrel entrails - hell, from the ratings it is a *lot* of peoples - and some of the anecdotes really are significant.
Part of the frustration relates to the age of this material, and that isn't Heinrich's fault. I found his default assumptions so ridiculous - given current scholarship - that I had to double check that they were common consensus at the time. Things like assuming birds have no capacity to predict the actions of others; or take an unfamilar action to achieve a result. He seems often to dismiss the visual acuity of ravens, wondering if they can tell each other apart, and thinking if he covers his face or changes into unfamiliar clothes they won't recognise him. There is even irony in that his experiment - designed to show that ravens are different to all other birds - has been repeated now with a wide variety of species, including not terribly smart ones, with success. So it seems churlish to point out that he constantly underestimates the smarts of ravens, given his strong championship of recognising their intelligence, but it doesn't make the book easier to read.
It would also feel more churlish if Heinrich presented the work of others, and its significance, but as mentioned he does not, aside from the very occasional mention. There is thus no way to posit this into the whole of scientific development. Heinrich isn't going for that feel - I kept fearing he'd been inspired by Thoreau, in that he portrays himself as a passionate recluse (at times shunned by the scientific establishment) rather than as part of a working community of scientists. His motivations are the centre of the book, and relate to his passion for ravens and belief in them, rather than broader scientific inquiry. On the one hand this is a good thing - giving space to his own humanity and avoiding a false sense of detachment - but it does ensure much of your enjoyment of the book will depend on how much you enjoy spending time with him. If the curious naturalist in harsh cold conditions is your thing, you'll love it. I didn't.
An excellent look into the ravens' world. Heinrich is a thoughtful experimentalist and an insightful observer. His ravens (both wild and "tame") are just as complex and diverse as you'd expect an intelligent species to be, so there are ultimately no simple answers. But while the book raises as many questions as it answers, it serves well as an intimate portrait of a fascinating bird.
I'm not rating this because I only read a bit of the beginning then the chapters on wolves and people near the end before it was due back to the library. Very interesting information, if dense in places!
informative
slow-paced
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Mind of the Raven
Readers will follow Bernd Heinrich as he performs various studies to better understand the behavior of ravens. Each chapter is set to undertake a different angle of study. For every experiment performed, there is information on the tools used and different theories that were presented throughout the experiments.
Taking a look into the life of a biologist was enlightening and I guarantee I would not be able to make it in their world. Bernd Heinrich encounters all manner of environments when studying ravens. There are moments he was required to build blinds out in the middle of the wilderness and endure freezing temperatures to continue his studies. At one point he even has to spend hours locating ravens with a handheld transmitting device that is less than accurate. Crashing through uncharted woods for the sake of science is not my cup of tea, but I applaud the people who are committed to doing things like this to better our understanding of animals.
I will admit that this book was dry at times. I am sure that a reader who has studied biology would appreciate the detail given to the theories and experiments, but I found myself losing interest. This book was written for the most part in an unbiased view, and it was lacking the emotion I’ve read in other books on animal studies.
The stories that captivated me were the ones about tame ravens. Bernd Heinrich made a point to meet ravens that were rescues bonded to human families. It was interesting to read about the comparisons he made to ravens in the wild, and his own ravens he kept for observation. So many behaviors ravens learn are tempered by their environment and learned interactions. They are adaptable and highly intelligent birds.
I do recommend this book to more science-minded people. I think those of us that read it for the sheer fact they want to learn more about ravens might find it a bit slow and tedious as I did.
Readers will follow Bernd Heinrich as he performs various studies to better understand the behavior of ravens. Each chapter is set to undertake a different angle of study. For every experiment performed, there is information on the tools used and different theories that were presented throughout the experiments.
Taking a look into the life of a biologist was enlightening and I guarantee I would not be able to make it in their world. Bernd Heinrich encounters all manner of environments when studying ravens. There are moments he was required to build blinds out in the middle of the wilderness and endure freezing temperatures to continue his studies. At one point he even has to spend hours locating ravens with a handheld transmitting device that is less than accurate. Crashing through uncharted woods for the sake of science is not my cup of tea, but I applaud the people who are committed to doing things like this to better our understanding of animals.
I will admit that this book was dry at times. I am sure that a reader who has studied biology would appreciate the detail given to the theories and experiments, but I found myself losing interest. This book was written for the most part in an unbiased view, and it was lacking the emotion I’ve read in other books on animal studies.
The stories that captivated me were the ones about tame ravens. Bernd Heinrich made a point to meet ravens that were rescues bonded to human families. It was interesting to read about the comparisons he made to ravens in the wild, and his own ravens he kept for observation. So many behaviors ravens learn are tempered by their environment and learned interactions. They are adaptable and highly intelligent birds.
I do recommend this book to more science-minded people. I think those of us that read it for the sheer fact they want to learn more about ravens might find it a bit slow and tedious as I did.