Thor Hanson works as a conservation biologist and has studied Central American trees and songbirds, nest predation in Tanzania, and the grisly feeding habits of African vultures. He is a Switzer Environmental Fellow, a member of the Human Ecosystems Study Group, and a peer reviewer for nine different scientific journals. In the 1990s, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda, where he helped establish the mountain gorilla tourism program in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Hanson's writing has appeared in both popular and scientific publications. His first book, The Impenetrable Forest: My Gorilla Years in Uganda, won the 2008 USA Book News Award for nature writing. Hanson lives with his wife on an island in Washington State.
BioScience
"From basic research about bird biology and the evolutionary
origins of feather to falconry, couture, and bioinspiration in
industrial design, the book treats us to a series of engaging
essays about feathers, both on and off the bird.... Hanson weaves
his prior encounters with birds and his experiences as a scientist
into the text, offering lively anecdotes about his student days and
subsequent life as a professional grant-seeking field biologist. He
is particularly adept at portraying how science really works....
Hanson's prose is polished, lively, and evocative. The outcome is a
book that is easy and entertaining to read, yet one that is able to
satisfy our intellectual curiosity.... In Feathers, Hanson is
remarkably successful at offering something for everyone. Readers
from young adults to professional ornithologists and from those
interested in nature to those more interested in human culture will
enjoy this book.... Ultimately, Feathers is a book to read for
pleasure, but along the way, we gain knowledge and insight into
nature and our relationship with it."Orion
Wall Street Journal
"[Hanson] has produced a winning book about the extraordinary place
of feathers in animal and human history.... like all true
birdwatchers, Mr. Hanson knows it isn't just the bird at the far
end of the binoculars but the human being at the near end that
matters, and he is writing as much about the human urge to
understand, appreciate and appropriate the wild world as he is
writing about feathers, which he calls, in his subtitle, a 'natural
miracle.'.... Feathers is an earthbound book, but this does not
keep the author--or the reader--from looking up in wonder." New
York Times"[A] fine book.... Mr. Hanson's pleasure in feathers is
infectious.... [Feathers] is gracious, funny, persuasive and wide
ranging. Feathers, Mr. Hanson reminds us, teach a remarkable amount
about evolution, insulation, engineering, archaeology and fashion.
Better still, as this book shows, they allow not only birds but the
human imagination to take flight." New Scientist
Frank B. Gill, author of Ornithology
"Thor Hanson has captured the wonders of feathers in gripping prose
that will likely change forever how you look at birds and their
colorful adornments. This is rich and engaging ornithology at its
best." Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
"If you feel a sudden need to read about dinosaurs, flyfishing,
muttonbirds, and showgirls, this is your book! Absolutely
fascinating history, and a terrific read, Feathers is another Thor
Hanson classic!" Peter Matthiessen, National Book Award winning
author of The Snow Leopardand Shadow Country
"A fascinating book about the most remarkable--and beautiful--of
all avian evolutionary adaptations, with wonderful accounts of
ornithological investigations and the solving of biological
quandaries and questions, all of it unusually well-written. Highly
recommended."
Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen and Mariposa Road
"Feathers is simply a splendid book! Even for one biased toward
butterfly scales, their closest competitors in the animal raiment
line, feathers in all their glory can only be seen as astonishing.
With elegance and wit, Thor Hanson captures not only their awesome
esthetics, but also the astonishing evolution, historical and
cultural impact, and sheer wonder of avian plumage. Rendered in
exquisite detail with delicate touch, like a feather-painting of
old, this is the best kind of natural history--quilled by a real
field biologist who is also a fine writer."
Bernd Heinrich, Emeritus Professor of Biology, University of
Vermont; author of Winter World and Mind of the Raven
"Feathers are truly remarkable. In this book Hanson shows how they
are the key to many of the most fascinating and diverse aspects of
bird biology, how they have affected our understanding of
evolution, and how they have and are enriching our everyday lives.
This is science written in clear and entertaining prose; a great
read."
"[A] sparkling history.... Well-written science adds gravity to the
more featherweight content of witty anecdotes - from interviews
with feather-clad Las Vegas showgirls to plucking roadkill in the
name of biology. The skilful way Hanson combines the two makes this
book popular natural history at its best." Seattle
Times"[D]elightful.... [A] fascinating inquiry into one of those
common things that are easy to overlook until someone shows what a
miracle it is.... Birds, the only animals with feathers today, wear
these magic coats of stunning variety whose forms so perfectly fit
their functions. Hanson's book reveals much about that marvelous
magic." Library Journal (starred review)"[E]njoyable, wide-ranging,
and well-researched.... Highly recommended for birders and science
buffs."
Robert Michael Pyle, author of "Wintergreen" and "Mariposa Road
"""Feathers" is simply a splendid book! Even for one biased toward
butterfly scales, their closest competitors in the animal raiment
line, feathers in all their glory can only be seen as astonishing.
With elegance and wit, Thor Hanson captures not only their awesome
esthetics, but also the astonishing evolution, historical and
cultural impact, and sheer wonder of avian plumage. Rendered in
exquisite detail with delicate touch, like a feather-painting of
old, this is the best kind of natural history--quilled by a real
field biologist who is also a fine writer.""
"Bernd Heinrich, Emeritus Professor of Biology, University of
Vermont; author of" Winter World" and "Mind of the Raven
""Feathers are truly remarkable. In this book Hanson shows how they
are the key to many of the most fascinating and diverse aspects of
bird biology, how they have affected our understanding of
evolution, and how they have and are enriching our everyday lives.
This is science written in clear and entertaining prose; a great
read." Frank B. Gill, author of "Ornithology
""Thor Hanson has captured the wonders of feathers in gripping
prose that will likely change forever how you look at birds and
their colorful adornments. This is rich and engaging ornithology at
its best." Garth Stein, author of "The Art of Racing in the
Rain""
""If you feel a sudden need to read about dinosaurs, flyfishing,
muttonbirds, and showgirls, this is your book! Absolutely
fascinating history, and a terrific read, "Feathers" is another
Thor Hanson classic!" Peter Matthiessen, National Book Award
winning author of "The Snow Leopard"and "Shadow Country""
""A fascinating book about the most remarkable--and beautiful--of
all avian evolutionary adaptations, with wonderful accounts of
ornithological investigations and the solving of biological
quandaries and questions, all of it unusually well-written. Highly
recommended." "Wall Street Journal
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