Simon Barnes (chief sports writer for The Times of London and columnist for Birds magazine) is the sort of birder who thrills at seeing a red-winged blackbird—a knock-your-socks-off bird unappreciated by those “good” bird-watchers who pursue rarities in order to make a tick mark on a list. A how-to guide for connecting with the living universe, Barnes’ lively narrative coaxes readers out to look—to tune in to place and learn about what they see, because “the more you know, the more you ‘wow’.” With looking comes growing insights into what it means to make a living on this planet: the goal of every animal to “become an ancestor” and the role of intact habitats in sustaining us all. But this little book, which balances easily in the palm when open, most readily calls to mind a hymnal. The author’s “trinity of reasons for conservation: duty, self-interest and love,” reveals it as an act of worship—of the beauty and power of life and the incredible biodiversity with which we share our fragile planet.
Simon Barnes (chief sports writer for The Times of London and columnist for Birds magazine) is the sort of birder who thrills at seeing a red-winged blackbird—a knock-your-socks-off bird unappreciated by those “good” bird-watchers who pursue rarities in order to make a tick mark on a list. A how-to guide for connecting with the living universe, Barnes’ lively narrative coaxes readers out to look—to tune in to place and learn about what they see, because “the more you know, the more you ‘wow’.” With looking comes growing insights into what it means to make a living on this planet: the goal of every animal to “become an ancestor” and the role of intact habitats in sustaining us all. But this little book, which balances easily in the palm when open, most readily calls to mind a hymnal. The author’s “trinity of reasons for conservation: duty, self-interest and love,” reveals it as an act of worship—of the beauty and power of life and the incredible biodiversity with which we share our fragile planet. 