‘I love birds; always have. The only thing better than love is love plus deep appreciation. The Genius of Birds is a journey of deep appreciation for the beautiful geniuses all around us, in our gardens, sharing our air, and sharing more of our minds than we might have expected.’
Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: what animals think and feel
‘Delightful, revolutionary, and illuminated by the clean, curious gaze of an intelligent seeker, The Genius of Birds is fueled by awe and always, its close cousin, deep respect for the condition of life. It’s a book that demands a moral consideration of the world.’
Rick Bass, author of The Ninemile Wolves and For A Little While
‘[A] gloriously provocative and highly entertaining book. Jennifer Ackerman provides a masterly survey of research in the last two decades that has produced a revolution in our understanding of bird cognition. The Genius of Birds [is] important not only for what it says about birds, but also about the human ingenuity entailed in unraveling the mysteries of the avian brain. It is at once a book of knowledge but also a work of wonder and an affirmation of the astonishing complexity of our world.’
Wall Street Journal
‘A lyrical testimony to the wonders of avian intelligence.’
Scientific American
‘Ackerman offers plenty of interesting tidbits and backs them up with the relevant history or science, using footnotes to avoid cluttering the text with anything that might slow a reader down. This is one of those terrific books that makes a scientific topic fun without dumbing it down.’
Washington Independent Review of Books
‘Ackerman interviews specialists without overindulging in research travelogue, keeping centred on her feathered subjects rather than on the human interactions, and urges against anthropomorphising bird behaviour, correlating specific behaviours to generalised intelligence, or benchmarking the value of avian mental skills to that of humans.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Ackerman writes with a light but assured touch, her prose rich in fact but economical in delivering it. Fans of birds in all their diversity will want to read this one.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘Highly recommended for all interested in natural history, behaviour, and ecotravel.’
Stephen Hupp, Library Journal
‘Ackerman's investigation into the ability of birds to map their world and the intelligence of adaptability wind up a book that shows that although bird brains may be small, birds punch well above their weight class.’ STARRED REVIEW
Nancy Bent, Booklist
‘Ackerman is a pro at parsing scientific concepts in an accessible style, and her lyrical writing underscores her appreciation for the beauty and adaptability of birds.’
BookPage
‘Wide-ranging and engrossing … makes it clear that crows — and birds generally — have a lot more going on upstairs than we ever knew.’
Andrew Fuhrmann, Weekend Australian
‘Richly researched … The Genius of Birds provides engrossing evidence that will have readers looking at birds in a completely new way.’
The Daily Progress
‘The Genius of Birds offers an often awe inspiring tour … made the more affecting by the elegance and beauty of [Ackerman's] language … a fascinating book.’
James Bradley, Sydney Morning Herald
‘Engaging, and full of wonder at the often unsuspected mental feats birds are capable of.’
Weekend Herald
‘As fun as it is revelatory … Time and again, one is struck by these creatures’ ability to think, learn and communicate.‘
William Yeoman, The Weekend West
‘Gloriously provocative and fascinating. The Genius of Birds is at once a book of knowledge but also a work of wonder and an affirmation of the astonishing complexity of our world.’
Mark Cocker, author of Birds Britannica
‘Ackerman has collected a wealth of fascinating anecdotes to bolster her point … The book never comes across as excessively academic. The Genius of Birds isn't just for experts and enthusiasts on our feathered friends. There are plenty of surprising and curious facts to keep the casual reader pecking at it.’
The Times
‘If you're a bird lover, this enchanting book is a must. If you're not, Ackerman's enthusiasm will make you an instant convert.’
Daily Mail
‘[Ackerman's] command of the latest findings on avian intelligence matches that of any top-notch researcher. This is science writing at its best: a book of knowledge, packed with mind-stretching information, but also steeped in a sense of wonder and written by someone clearly moved by the vast complexities of life.’
Spectator, ‘Best Books of 2016’
‘A passionate account of the intelligence of birds.’
Telegraph
‘This elegant scientific investigation and travelogue weaves personal anecdotes with fascinating science. Ackerman delivers an extraordinary story that will both give readers a new appreciation for the exceptional talents of birds, and let them discover what birds can reveal about our changing world.’
Herald
