Owl

I admit my personal bias had me on the owls' side before I ever read the first page. An owl lived in the oak tree outside my bedroom window when I was a kid. I have a cheesy owl coffee mug. I like owls as much as the "I like turtles" kid likes, well, turtles. Regardless, this volume from Reaktion (one of about thirty on different animals as diverse as fleas and sharks) traces not only the evolutionary trajectory of the owl, but its relationship with humankind from Owlie's first appearance in cave paintings. The author does an impressive job of contextualizing the mythological, literary, cultural, and artistic significance of the owl as well as noting a few of the more odd species and their behavior. Gorgeous photographs are scattered throughout the text as well. The only criticism I have is the author sometimes discusses a given work of art where Owlie makes more than a cameo, such as a painting or etching, but did not include an accompanying photograph. It was noteworthy enough that I began to wonder why Morris included some photographs and not others. Overall, this is a minor blip in a work I otherwise highly recommend.

This is a great book! It truly delivers the information in an exciting format. I got this book as a gift for a friend who (no pun intended) really likes owls. She already has so many owl books, i really wasn't sure what to get. This one sounded good from the description so i went for it. -I couldn't have chosen a better book! This book is overflowing with interesting information. Lots of pictures, and lots of easily-digestible facts. I thought my friend already knew a lot about owls, now she's always telling me new facts she learned from "the owl book". If you like owls, or are looking for a gift for an owl lover, Get This Book!

Owls might not be the totem of our household, but we have more artifacts of owls than of any other animal. Hence, when I saw this book I had to buy it for the house. OWL is about owls: in mythologies from around the world, in literature, and in art, as well as the natural history or zoology of owls. It is copiously illustrated, with numerous photographs of owls and representations of owls both from Western "high art" and from tribal or folk artists.The text is by Desmond Morris, a British zoologist who made his fame as author of "The Naked Ape". It is serviceable but not distinguished. It is intelligently organized, but the execution is rather indifferent. At times, the writing is simplistic and repetitious, as if Morris is skeptical of the intelligence and reading skills of his readership. The parts dealing with the natural history of owls are much stronger than those dealing with the owl in human mythologies and in the arts. Still, I learned enough to justify the three hours or so I devoted to reading it. In addition to certain factoids of owl anatomy and ethology, the most significant "new" information, for me, was the discussion of how in many older cultures or civilizations the owl was seen as evil or a harbinger of death and destruction.I also learned that OWL is just one installment of an "animal" series of books published by Reaktion Books of the U.K. - about forty-five in total, all written by a different author, one particularly knowledgeable and passionate about the animal in question. The books on bees, donkeys, ducks, moose, otter, pigs, tortoises, and vultures are all possibilities for me. Judging from OWL, I am assured that they will be handsomely produced and library quality.

If you, like me, are intrigued by owls and want to know more about them; if you think you like owls, but don't know much about them; if you are a bird lover, including but not limited to, owls--whatever your level of interest---you may want to look further, as this book is bound to disappoint. One can easily imagine why Desmond Morris was asked by the editors of the Reaktion Book series (each book dealing with a different animal or insect) to write about owls. After all, back in 1967 Mr. Morris achieved fame with "The Naked Ape" (which I read and enjoyed 30 years ago). Now 72 years old, Mr. Morris, a British zoologist and ethnologist, appears to have published extensively on animals and their behavior since his breakthrough publication. Unfortunately, one can also just as easily get the impression that Mr. Morris waited until the last moment before the submission deadline for his manuscript, and then, in a panic, Googled "owls" to gather various and sundry facts which he quickly cobbled together with no real unifying theme or approach. The result is a superficial survey, a pastiche that is neither particularly informative nor interesting. For example, we learn that certain cultures revered the owl (Greece), while others did not (Rome); certain Indian tribes appreciate the owl (Pawnee); others fear it (Hopi); some harbor both feelings (Aborigines). These facile descriptions go on for pages (the Index, which is quite brief, nevertheless lists 30 different Native American tribes, each of which merits a sentence or two on their view of owls). In fact the only kernel of useful information this reviewer picked up dealt with the myth of the owls as "wise" and possessed of superior intelligence. Morris points out (based no doubt on his evolutionary background) that many other types of birds (such as the crow) have to live much more opportunistically, by their wits, since they have developed no special survival techniques. As a result, they are much more intelligent than the owl, which has evolved such highly specialized sense organs and physical attributes (soft feathers) that it simply doesn't face the same survival challenges as the generalist does. Beyond that, Mr. Morris could have done us all a favor by reducing the book to its pictures (which are quite good), leaving out his shallow text. At least for North American residents, a far more informative work is "Owls of the United States and Canada: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior." Bottom line: save your money and time for a better book than this; you won't regret it.

British zoologist Desmond Morris, author of the classic "Naked Ape" (about humans, natch), takes you on a fun and fact-filled tour of natural and cultural history. The legends and truths about this enigmatic bird are equally fascinating. Lotsa great illustrations, too. A+.

A comprehensive overview of owls from both a cultural and natural perspective with some nice illustrations and concise details that provides good insight and a sound knowledge base relative to owls.

All you need to know about owls, for nature, art & culture

Being a big fan of owls, it is lovely to have such a delightfully written and researched book dedicated to them by a very good writer in the field. I've learned a lot reading this book, and the illustrations are fabulous.

A marvel of a booklet ! With many unexpected associations with owls, including Picasso's own little owl !!

Any owl enthusiast will enjoy this. Great text and pictures written by an author I consider to be one of the best.

I loved this book so much that I gave a copy to my four grandchildren. Desmond Morris is a genius about animals and this is a masterpiece. See - you can buy a masterpiece for only a few dollars! It's also beautifully produced.