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Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom From The Urban Wilderness (2009)

by Lyanda Lynn Haupt(Favorite Author)

3.69 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0316019100 (ISBN13: 9780316019101)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Little, Brown and Company

review 1: I've had this book for a couple of years at least and finally picked it up a few days ago and gave it my full attention. I"m sure glad I did. Certainly, as the title and cover suggest crows feature prominently in this book by urban naturalist, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and as someone who has a life long love and affinity for crows, that it what attracted me to this book. But, this book is not just for those who are especially fond of the lively, intelligent crow, but rather this is a book for anyone budding naturalist who finds themselves looking to connect more deeply with the planet and their own place in the natural world while living in an urban environment. The author acknowledges herself to not be particularly fond of crows (although one can't help but suspect her feeli... morengs about them have been deeply impacted through her study of them). Haupt recognizes the crow's ability to live and thrive in human-infested environments makes them an ideal entry point into the study of the natural urban environment for many of us. She also provides wonderful insight into how a budding naturalist might interact with the world, what mind-set and tools are helpful, and although she doesn't describe it as such she brings a spiritual lens to the contemplative side of observing and making meaning of the wildlife around us. From living convivially with nature, to poetry, to explorations of Saint Benedicts "Benedicts Rule" for monastic life, featuring the practice of lectio divina, or as Haupt describes it "bringing a spiritual or contemplative attention to other spheres of daily life".The crow-lover in me did rejoice in expanding my knowledge of crow's and their behaviour. I revelled in learning their intelligence rivals primates with a similar cognitive toolbox which includes not only causal reasoning and flexibility, but also imagination and prospection. But this book is much more, an inspiration to connection with the world around you, whether you live in the wide-open country, or surround by buildings and concrete.
review 2: A very good book combining a reflective, personal narrative with urban environmental issues and some natural history and behavioral observations of the ubiquitous, oft-maligned crow. I enjoyed the tension and openness of Haupt's viewpoint as she struggles to reconcile her self-acknowledged "eco-activism" with living in Seattle. Like Haupt I find myself having an affection and respect for crows and their antics, and I readily connected with her discussion of St. Benedict and the (probably apocryphal) story of how his life was saved by a crow. "It seems that he loved crows, even though they are not quiet or some bright color of yellow or the least bit rare, and even though they don't sing. It means that the most common thing was not beneath his notice." (pp 152-153) This is not a book for answers but rather a working-out and appreciation of nature and wildness in unexpected places, and how we in human society might live in better harmony with our world. less

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