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leemac027's review
5.0
What a wonderful book!
Science and research can sometimes be a slightly boring read (no disrespect intended, but its mostly not exciting to the general public) but this book delves into research undertaken by the Max Plank Institute and puts a very human, and animal, face into the process.
Michael Quetting writes about his year of looking after 7 geese, right from hatching through to maturity, to end up being able to utilise these amazing birds in understanding their flight patterns, formations and how they use air currents, leading to possibly obtaining meteorological information for weather prediction in places where we can't do that now.
The beauty of this book lies in the bond between Michael (Papa Goose) and the geese, right from imprinting Michael as their 'parent' through to the conclusion of the research.
The amazing thing is the strong bond this group made together. Not only did the geese learn from Michael, but the geese taught Michael many things as well, including perhaps a new perspective on what really is important in life.
A truly beautiful and emotional book.
Science and research can sometimes be a slightly boring read (no disrespect intended, but its mostly not exciting to the general public) but this book delves into research undertaken by the Max Plank Institute and puts a very human, and animal, face into the process.
Michael Quetting writes about his year of looking after 7 geese, right from hatching through to maturity, to end up being able to utilise these amazing birds in understanding their flight patterns, formations and how they use air currents, leading to possibly obtaining meteorological information for weather prediction in places where we can't do that now.
The beauty of this book lies in the bond between Michael (Papa Goose) and the geese, right from imprinting Michael as their 'parent' through to the conclusion of the research.
The amazing thing is the strong bond this group made together. Not only did the geese learn from Michael, but the geese taught Michael many things as well, including perhaps a new perspective on what really is important in life.
A truly beautiful and emotional book.
mackenzie_reads's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
A funny and touching memoir about a man and his seven geese that imprinted on him in the name of science. This book contained less of the science/data that I was expecting, and was more the author’s experience living with and working with the geese.
lowlandsbeach's review
5.0
Loved it. Warning, you must find goslings entertaining to like this book!
ryner's review
3.0
What child, upon learning about imprinting phenomenon in baby birds, has never mused "What if I got a hatchling to imprint on me?" Folks, Michael Quetting got to live out our fantasies, and it's simultaneously as adorable as and a lot messier than our blithe imaginings. Read about his year living in a small camper in Germany raising greylag goslings who think he's their papa. The writing could have been a bit more polished, but the weirdest aspect of the book is the bizarre dialect the locals seem to speak when communicating with Quetting -- are they members of a Quaker community, or is it just an unusual way to translate from the original German?
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
I received this ARC via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
susannam's review
4.0
I loved this book. The author's account of his time as the imprinted parent of seven goslings is moving and never too cute. Michael Quetting has been given the mission of raising this clutch of geese as part of a research project designed to equip birds with tracking equipment that would allow taking meteorological data and other information. It's not easy: as their parent, he endures poop-covered clothing, limbs that fall asleep because he doesn't dare remove his hand or foot from their sleeping area (pandemonium and panic for the little geese if he does), and, later, tracking them down when they go astray. He is newly divorced and stressed, but in his growing relationship with the geese, he finds a rhythm and focus that is so complete and centered on just being, just existing in the day as it unfolds, that this experiment transforms him. The geese have definite personalities. Without anthropomorphising them, he still develops bonds - even love - for his charges.
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