Feathers
The Evolution of a Natural Miracle
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
One of America's great nature-writers explores the magic and science of feathers.
“An illuminating study of an evolutionary marvel.” ―Economist
Winner of the John Burroughs Medal
Feathers are an evolutionary marvel: aerodynamic, insulating, beguiling. From flying dinosaurs to showgirls on the Las Vegas Strip, their story spans hundreds of millions of years—yet has never been fully told. In Feathers, biologist Thor Hanson details a sweeping natural history of how feathers have been used to soar, attract, and adorn through time. Applying the research of paleontologists, ornithologists, biologists, engineers, and even art historians, he asks: What are feathers? How did they evolve? What do they mean to us?
Enlivened by Hanson’s field experiences and wide-ranging research, Feathers is a captivating account of the human fascination with this most enchanting natural wonder.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"As light as a feather," "a feather in her cap," "you could have knocked me over with a feather" are just a few examples of how feathers permeate conversation. We usually think about feathers when we're trying to identify a bird at the feeder on our deck, but feathers are found in pillows, sleeping bags, and fertilizer, and a century or two ago they supplied writing instruments and women's hats. Conservation biologist Hanson (The Impenetrable Forest: My Gorilla Years in Uganda) takes readers on a wide-ranging tour of the world of feathers, from Las Vegas revues, whose performers wear thousands of dollars' worth (and they're heavier than you think), to the world of fly fishing, where unscrupulous collectors illegally seek out rare feathers for their lures. Hanson divides his book into five sections: Evolution, Fluff, Flights, Fancy, and Function. He explains clearly for generalists why paleontologists now believe many dinosaurs sported plumage. On the grand tour of Vegas, Hanson visits a shop that still dyes feathers by hand, and in Washington, D.C., he visits scientists at the Smithsonian whose expertise is identifying plumage. Hanson also recounts many personal encounters with feathers and their avian owners in the wild. Readers from science buffs to those interested in cultural history will find this a worthwhile afternoon's read. Illus.
