The Life of the Skies: Birding at the End of Nature
Over cities and jungles and open plains, the sky is animated by the flight of birds, and their presence reminds us of the wild element of life on earth that can never be suppressed. In The Life of the Skies, Jonathan Rosen explores the significance of this timeless pursuit, chronicling his own birding adventures alongside those of John James Audubon, Teddy Rooseevelt, and others. In the process, he discovers the interconnections--literary, philosophical, scientific, and spiritual--between life on the ground and life up above.
“Like millions of people, I take a curious pleasure in staring at birds, but I never knew why. Thanks to The Life of the Skies, I now realize that I am not just indulging a compulsion to classify. In this illuminating and charming book, Rosen shows us the poetry, the philosophy, and the history – natural and human – of the strange modern pastime of birdwatching. You’ll never see a waxwing in the same way again.”
— Steven Pinker
The Life of the Skies is "a tribute to the natural world and man's place in it"
— Bloomberg News
“Birding is so much more than just outdoor recreation. Its sources are woven into history and legend, and its pleasures are ultimately spiritual. Jonathan Rosen has captured all this to deliver a rare and beautiful piece of literature.”
— Edward O. Wilson