Dan Koeppel - To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession

To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

1234567...59

Table of Contents

A PLUME BOOK

TO SEE EVERY BIRD ON EARTH

Everyone has his or her addiction, be it coffee, alcohol, or nicotine. Bird-watching is the drug of choice for Richard Koeppel, father of author Dan Koeppel, who writes affectionately but honestly about his fathers obsession with counting birds.

Audubon magazine (editors choice)

Attempting the ultimate bird-watchers achievement is the work of a lifetime. Adroitly written, To See Every Bird on Earth addresses a deep-seated need to relate to nature, expressed in the single way birders know best: cataloging, categorizing, making huge species lists.Alan Tennant, author of On the Wing: To the Edge of the Earth with the Peregrine Falcon

An absorbing story about obsession... Part of the authors charm derives from his good mix of psychology, self-analysis, and travel tales... Good reading; a pleasure to recommend.

Library Journal (starred review)

An irresistible story rich with idiosyncrasynot to mention all those glorious birds. Kirkus Reviews

The first section concentrating on Richard Koeppels early years... is as intriguing on secrets and silences as it is on birding; by the end of this revealing memoir, you will end up admiring Richard and the other zealots Dan Koeppel pays tribute to. Newsday

Poignant... In this candid book, the author shares [the story of his father], [a man who] passionately wanted to become an ornithologist but became the doctor his parents wanted him to be instead.

Publishers Weekly

The intimate portrait Dan Koeppel paints of his father is moving, the insight into a community obsessed with the thrill of the chase an enlightening one.The Guardian (London)

Artfully weaving biography, autobiography, and the history of birding in America... Koeppel tells a story that will fascinate anyone who birds, lives with a birder, or, for that matter, anyone who is obsessed with an arcane pursuit of living with such a person. Beautifully written.ZooGoer magazine (a publication of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park)

Dedicated to Dad, Mom, and Jim.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THE PERSON WHO IS MOST RESPONSIBLE for this book, of course, is my father. In the five years since we traveled to the Amazon together, he has spent more time on the phone with me than, Im guessing, anyone else in his entire life. He was always willing to supply the information I needed, rushing across his house to look up some tiny detailWhat was bird number 962? When did the American Coot split from the Andean Coot?and provide it to me. When I asked him to list his favorite bird sightings, he did so (and made his deadline far quicker than I ever could have). When I needed more, he gave it to me.

If I have a sense of curiosity, I get it from Dad. If I have a sense of fair play, I get that from Dad, too. If I have an independent streak, he inspired it. I can only hope that I have a heart of gold, like he does.

When you tell a story of triumph, you also have to tell the stories of the pain and setbacks that led to that victorious moment. You cant have one without the other. Ive tried to be as honest and unflinching as I can be recounting my dads life. Im sure there are things in here that he wishes I wouldnt have talked about, but I hope hell see why theyre here: because theyre what make his story. Theyre what made him, and me, and my brother.

So there are no words, really, that can adequately say how much Dad has given me. I can only give thanks, and hope that Ive done him justice.

I am also greatly indebted to my mother. Her candor in discussing very difficult issues was both helpful and cathartic; it moved me closer to a place of understanding and forgiveness. I know the past wasnt easy for her to talk about, and it was brave of her to do so. Mom has always encouraged my creativity, and I wouldnt be a writer today without having had her support. (Regarding personal information, as related by both my dad and momin several cases, Ive changed the names and identifying characteristics of some of the people theyve discussed.)

I WISH I WAS THE KIND OF WRITER who was supremely confident in his talents and instincts. But even when I havent had faith in myself, Hanna Rubin has. There is nobody Ive met who has been more supportive, more generous, and more decent to me than Hanna. Before I knew it was possible, she knew that this was a book, and she never wavered, even as I did. I dont know if Ive ever told her how much she means to me.

Hanna introduced me to Laureen Rowland. Laureen started as my agent. She also saw a book in the story of me, my father, and birds, before I did. She spent a year waiting for an absolutely awful proposal, and many more months showing me how to make it better. When she founded Hudson Street Press, the first thing she told me was that she wanted to edit this book. Having her as my editor has been an absolute joy.

The second thing Laureen told me, upon announcing her career move, was that I needed a new agent. She recommended Laurie Liss of Sterling Lord Literistic. Laurie has been determined and protective, supportive when she needed to be, and as tough on me as (I know) she is on the folks shes negotiating with.

THE STORY ABOUT DADS SEVEN THOUSANDTH BIRD originally appeared in Audubon magazine, where it was assigned by Lisa Gosselin. It was the biggest and most personal story Id ever done, and she shaped it expertly; I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for both conceiving the story and for showing me the right way to tell it. Other magazine editorsJennifer Bogo, Peter Flax, Mark Jannot, Jim Meigs, Scott Mowbray, David Seideman, and Bill Stricklandwere all supportive enough to listen when, during pitch meetings, Id inevitably pull out the bird story idea. Some of them even published portionsparts of chapter thirteen appeared in Audubon magazine, chapter eight in Popular Science, and the epilogue in Backpacker.

In the world of birding, Bret Whitney was liberal with his time and genius, inviting me to Brazil and to Austin, Texas, and patiently explaining the most complicated scientific concepts to me, guiding me through the world of modern ornithology. Peter and Kimberly Kaestner welcomed me into their home, and Peter kindly allowed me to interfere with his last big birding trip during his residence in Brazil. I spent a wonderful afternoon with Jim Clements at his home in the California high desert, and he never failed, after that, to answer my questions in great and helpful detail. Tom Snetsinger, Victor Emmanuel, Joel Abramson, and many others were also eager to talk, and took time out to help me understand how they see the world of bird listing. Dozens of birders and ornithologists consented to long phone interviews with me; many invited me into their homes. All of them have my thanks.

Finally, on a personal level, nobody has ever believed in me or cared about me more than Jocelyn Heaney. She was my emotional support during the hardest parts of writing this book. Similar thanks go to Alexis Amsterdam, Deborah Stern, Chris Ryan, Lisa Napoli, and Helen Kim, and especially to Leila Kuenzle. Other friends who provided support and encouragement while tolerating my malleable view of deadlines and bizarre moods were Tom Huggins, Matt Philips and Amy Colyar, Mark Riedy, and Zapata Espinoza. Friends who read parts of the manuscript and saved me from numerous mistakes include Lisa Jenio, Jess Holl, and Michelle Martinez.

Next page

1234567...59

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession»

Look at similar books to To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.

Stan Tekiela

The Kids Guide to Birds of Minnesota: Fun Facts, Activities and 85 Cool Birds

Laura S. Jeffrey

Choosing a Bird: How to Choose and Care for a Bird

Stan Tekiela

The Kids Guide to Birds of Ohio: Fun Facts, Activities and 86 Cool Birds

Brian L. Speer

Birds For Dummies

Pritchard

Bird medicine: the sacred power of bird shamanism

Horne

Bird Watching Watching: One Year, Two Men, Three Rules, Ten Thousand Birds

Strange M.

Tropical Birds of Southeast Asia

Head V.R.L.

The Rarest Bird in the World: The Search for the Nechisar Nightjar

Stephen Moss

Do Birds Have Knees?: All Your Bird Questions Answered

Tim Birkhead

Bird Sense: What Its Like to Be a Bird

Diane Scarazzini

Helping Orphaned or Injured Wild Birds

Anne Lamott

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Discussion, reviews of the book To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.