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The Biggle Poultry Book: A Concise and Practical Treatise on the Management of Farm Poultry
by Jacob BiggleWhen Jacob Biggle first published his book on the management of poultry, there were more than 300 million chickens and 30 million other domesticated fowl in the United States. Today, the trend continues with thousands if not millions of chickens and other fowl being raised in suburban and urban backyards across America. Biggle's aim was to "help farmers and villagers conduct the poultry business with pleasure and profit." To that end, this handy little volume contains all the information the reader needs to know, such as:The various breeds of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, and pigeonsThe most common diseases and enemies that threaten our feathered friendsRaising hens expressly for eggs rather than meatThe farmer's flock versus the village henneryThe art of hatching eggs and caring for chicksWritten for the practical farmer who raises poultry and eggs for market,The Biggle Poultry Book will also appeal to collectors of farm ephemera and anyone else who is nostalgic for a simpler way of doing things. Illustrated with sixteen color plates by Louis P. Graham, and hundreds of black-and-white photographs and illustrations throughout, The Biggle Poultry Book is as beautiful as it is useful and a treasure for the home library.
The Biggle Swine Book: Much Old and More New Hog Knowledge, Arranged in Alternate Streaks of Fat and Lean
by Jacob BiggleWhen Jacob Biggle first published The Biggle Swine Book in 1898, hog husbandry was undergoing major changes. New feeding methods had come into vogue, new breeds of hogs had been developed, and significant progress had been made in curbing swine-borne epidemics. Even the public perception of pigs as filthy creatures wallowing up to their knees in mud had brightened, and pigs were accorded a modicum of respect. But with the onset of railroad development across the United States, the backyard pig farmer started losing ground to slaughterhouses and large processing plants.The Biggle Swine Book captures this moment in American history when home animal husbandry was giving way to more industrialized meat production. Nevertheless, Jacob Biggle continued to offer guidance to the small-scale farmer on all manner of livestock issues, centered around the proper breeding, feeding, and care of pigs. His book includes valuable instructions on: What to do at farrowing timeConstructing the piggery and styKeeping on top of the manure pileButchering and curing meatsProtecting your animals from various pig ailmentsIllustrated with photographs, engravings, and line drawings throughout of all things pig-related, this book is a glimpse into a bygone era when sows and their litters had a place on every farm, and people knew exactly where their bacon came from.
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition: Complete Chart Information about America's Most Popular Songs and Artists, 1955-2009
by Joel WhitburnThe Essential Reference Guide to America's Most Popular Songs and Artists Spanning More than Fifty Years of Music Beginning with Bill Haley & His Comets' seminal "Rock Around the Clock" all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out "Poker face," this updated and unparalleled resource contains the most complete chart information on every artist and song to hit Billboard's Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955. Inside, you'll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hits for the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includes biographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, the song's highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, as well as the original record label and catalog number. Other sections--such as "Record Holders," "Top Artists by Decade," and "#1 Singles 1955-2009"--make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits the handiest and most indispensable music reference for record collectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and pop music fans alike. Did you know? * Beyoncé's 2003 hit "Crazy in Love" spent 24 weeks in the Top 40 and eight of them in the #1 spot. * Billy Idol has had a total of nine Top 40 hits over his career, the last being "Cradle of Love" in 1990. * Of Madonna's twelve #1 hits, her 1994 single "Take a Bow" held the spot the longest, for seven weeks--one week longer than her 1984 smash "Like a Virgin." * Marvin Gaye's song "Sexual Healing" spent 15 weeks at #3 in 1982, while the same song was #1 on the R&B chart for 10 weeks. * Male vocal group Boyz II Men had three of the biggest chart hits of all time during the 1990s. * The Grateful Dead finally enjoyed a Top 10 single in 1987 after 20 years of touring. * Janet Jackson has scored an impressive 39 Top 40 hits--one more than her megastar brother Michael!From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Billionaire And The Virgin: Billionaires And Bridesmaids 1 (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #1)
by Jessica ClareEnter the illustrious world of Jessica Clare's billionaires and bridesmaids. Fans of J.S. Scott, Louise Bay and Melody Anne will be be dazzled by the scorching-hot chemistry of this New York Times bestseller. You met the six bachelors of the Billionaire Boys Club... Now it's time to pair up some filthy-rich billionaires with lucky ladies in waiting and enjoy the spoils... Marjorie Ivarsson is the picture of naivete. A hardworking waitress raised by her grandmother, an evening playing bingo is her sort of socialising. But when she's invited to be a bridesmaid at her friend Bronte's wedding, she enters a whole new world. Whisked away to the billionaire groom's private island, Marjorie is awe-struck by the glitz and glamour. But what dazzles her most is notorious playboy and hot-shot TV producer Robert Cannon. After Marjorie saves Robert from drowning in the island's turquoise lagoon, she can't help but feel drawn to him. But she's not the only woman intrigued, and with his wild and womanising ways, they couldn't be more wrong for each other. With the blistering attraction between them becoming hard to ignore, and the idyllic, irresistibly romantic island as their playground - will opposites attract? Want more exquisite romance? Look out for the rest of the Billionaire and Bridesmaids series or take a spin with the steamy Billionaire Boys Club starting with Stranded With A Billionaire.
The Billionaire Takes A Bride: Billionaires And Bridesmaids 3 (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #3)
by Jessica ClareEnter the illustrious world of Jessica Clare's billionaires and bridesmaids. Fans of J.S. Scott, Louise Bay and Melody Anne will addicted to this sizzling, coveted New York Times bestseller. You met the six bachelors of the Billionaire Boys Club... Now it's time to pair up some filthy-rich billionaires with lucky ladies in waiting and enjoy the spoils... Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn't love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order. By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she's still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn't want to be alone. And she really, really doesn't want to date. So when their mutual friends' upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle. But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected...After more divine romance? Look out for the rest of the Billionaire and Bridesmaids series starting with The Billionaire And The Virgin or take a spin with the steamy Billionaire Boys Club starting with Stranded With A Billionaire.
The Binge Watch Guide: The best television and streaming shows reviewed
by Chris RobertsThe 100 best streaming shows reviewed and rated. You may have viewing time on your hands – this guide will give you ideas for what to watch next, with reviews of more than 100 of the best shows around, from the BBC, ITV, C4, HBO, Amazon Prime, Sky Atlantic, Netflix, Disney+ and more.From The Affair to The X-Files, Fawlty Towers to Fleabag, Parks and Recreation to Peaky Blinders and from Game of Thrones to The Crown.
The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure
by C. D. Rose Andrew GallixA darkly comic, satirical reference book about writers who never made it into the literary canonA signal event of literary scholarship, The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure compiles the biographies of history's most notable cases of a complete lack of literary success. As such, it is the world's leading authority on the subject.Compiled in one volume by C. D. Rose, a well-educated person universally acknowledged in parts of England as the world's pre-eminent expert on inexpert writers, the book culls its information from lost or otherwise ignored archives scattered around the globe, as well as the occasional dustbin.The dictionary amounts to a monumental accomplishment: the definitive appreciation of history's least accomplished writers. Thus immortalized beyond deserving and rescued from hard-earned obscurity, the authors presented in this historic volume comprise a who's who of the talentless and deluded, their stories timeless litanies of abject psychosis, misapplication, and delinquency.It is, in short, a treasure.
The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music: From Adele to Ziggy, the Real A to Z of Rock and Pop
by Dylan JonesThe Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music is an incredible and opinionated collection of celebrated cultural critic Dylan Jones's thoughts on more than 350 of the most important artists around the world—alive and dead, big and small, at length and in brief. This A to Z reference is the true musical heir to David Thomson's seminal The New Biographical Dictionary of Popular Film. Jones writes entertainingly about bands that have inspired, bedeviled, and fascinated him over the years.
The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music: From Adele to Ziggy, the Real A to Z of Rock and Roll
by Dylan JonesThere are dozens of music encyclopedias, and many are full of career minutiae and critical acuityThey’re also obsessively objective and pathologically comprehensive. The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music is a book that springs from personal prejudice. Celebrated journalist Dylan Jones works his way through the work of over three hundred fifty of the most important artists in the world—alive and dead, big and small, at length and in brief. From A Tribe Called Quest to Frank Zappa, via Chet Baker, the Clash, Brian Eno, and Gorillaz, with a nod to Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Tame Impala, and Scott Walker. Along the way he discusses the White Man’s Overbite, Aquacrunk, Air Snare, the Brill Building, doo wop, Eel Pie Island, funeral music, and Neurotic Boy Outsiders.Many of the people here have been included because they’re intriguing, and many more because it would have been perverse not to include them. Others are here for different reasons. We know that Julian Lennon will never have as much cultural resonance as his father, but as the child of one of the most influential entertainers of the twentieth century, his story is no less fascinating. And Lloyd Cole might not have built a career as sturdy as Leonard Cohen’s, yet as a tale of unfilled promise, his CV is second to none. “As a critic, the music you like completely informs any objectivity you might attempt about a particular artist—if you’re seeking communion with something, how can you not have an opinion about it? When music moves you, it makes you dizzy, and you’ve got every right to dismiss music that leaves you cold and unmoved. Yes, you might trust the judgment of those whose opinion you respect, but in the end, personal prejudice has to win out.”The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music is the most opinionated book about music you will ever read.
The Biopsychosocial Formulation Manual: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals
by William H. Campbell Robert M. RohrbaughBased on George Engel’s model, The Biopsychosocial Formulation Manual presents ways to help psychiatry residents and students effectively gather and organize patient data to arrive at a complete mental health history in a limited timeframe. While most current models only take one factor into account, Campbell and Rohrbaugh emphasize and analyze three essential components (biological, social, and psychological). The process of identifying pertinent data for each component of the biopsychosocial formulation is explicated in detail. A separate section outlines how to use the biopsychosocial formulation to generate treatment recommendations. This volume includes a complete package for practicing the biopsychosocial method; this easy-to-use guide includes a data record sheet and downloadable resources to facilitate organization and assessment, appealing to both the psychiatric professional and the trainee.
The Bird Atlas (DK Pictorial Atlases)
by Barbara TaylorTake a peek inside the beautiful and absorbing world of birds with this lavishly illustrated children&’s bird atlas.From the Amazon Rainforest to the Rocky Mountains, this fully-fledged children&’s bird guide will take you on a guided tour, continent by continent, to meet some of the most spectacular birds in the world! Get ready to journey through different biomes, like rivers and desserts, to discover fun facts about birds that will fascinate and inspire every budding ornithologist. In this bird book for kids, you&’ll learn why flamingos are pink, why birds migrate and who migrates the farthest, and which bird species are endangered.Packed with hundreds of incredible, life-like illustrations, this educational book is a pictorial guide to the birds of the world. It showcases birds from every continent as you&’ve never seen before with detailed maps pinpointing where different species of birds can be found. See magnificent snowy owls in the Arctic, tiny three-wattled bellbirds in the Caribbean, towering ostriches in Africa, and gorgeous depictions of the flighty American Robin. A Truly Breathtaking Celebration of BirdlifeThe Bird Atlas is arranged in order of continent - Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, North America, South America, and Antarctica. Every continent is introduced with an overview of the ecology, climate, and landscape, and the typical and incredible birds that live there. This children&’s book is the perfect introduction to our feathered friends and makes a great gift for the new generation of birdwatchers.Inside the pages of this children&’s atlas, you&’ll discover: • Fascinating facts about birds, from why vultures are bald to how bald eagles actually aren&’t • Why some species are endangered and what can be done to protect them • Birds that can be found in different countries and continents of the world, their habitat, geography, and climate More from DK Books:Don&’t miss out on more fascinating atlases! After exploring this fascinating bird book for kids, your child can move on to The Body Atlas to discover the inner workings of the human body. Next up is The Animal Atlas that takes children on a tour to meet the animals of the world.
The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond
by Laura EricksonLearn the how’s and why’s of bird behavior, from flirtatious mating practices and gorgeous birdsong to flying south for the winter. In this lively reference book, Laura Erickson addresses hundreds of real-life questions sent in to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s foremost authority on birds. <P><P> With expert advice on bird watching techniques and equipment, feeding and housing birds, protecting habitats, and much more, Erickson guides you through the intricacies of the avian world with a contagious passion for our feathered friends.
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
by Jennifer Ackerman'A celebration of the dizzying variety of bird life and behaviour, one that will enthral birders and non-birders alike' The ObserverFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds. 'There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.' This is one scientist's pithy distinction between mammal brains and bird brains: two ways to make a highly intelligent mind. But lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviours they've previously dismissed as anomalies. What they're finding is upending the traditional view of how birds live, how they communicate, forage, court, survive. They're also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own - deception, manipulation, kidnapping, infanticide, but also, ingenious communication between species, collaboration, altruism and play. Some of these behaviours are biological conundrums that seem to push the edges of - well - birdness: A mother bird that kills her own infant sons, and another that selflessly tends to the young of other birds. Young birds that devote themselves to feeding their siblings and others so competitive they'll stab their nestmates to death. Birds that give gifts and birds that steal, birds that dance or drum, that paint their creations or paint themselves, and birds that summon playmates with a special call - and may hold the secret to our own penchant for playfulness and the evolution of laughter. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behaviour, birds vary. It's what we love about them.'Biologist and bestselling author Jennifer Ackerman knows what she's talking about . . . Chapter by meatily evidence-based chapter, she lays out the assumptions that underpin our understanding of birds - and then pecks them apart . . . Her knack for catching the personalities of different species in gorgeous, playful prose further collapses comfortable barriers between the human and the birdlike . . . More than it is a book about birds - and it is, indisputably, a book about birds - The Bird Way is about diversity and tolerance. A little bird told me that's just what we need in 2020' Daily Telegraph, ***** (Five Stars)'Jennifer Ackerman is not a field researcher, but with her eye for a great story she converts the scientific findings of others into popular books. The real joy of her book is its close attention to some of the specialists of the region . . . Ackerman is also alive to the humour at play in field research' Mark Cocker, The Spectator
The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
by Jennifer AckermanFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds -- how they live and how they think.&“There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.&” But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviors they have, for years, dismissed as anomalies or mysteries –– What they are finding is upending the traditional view of how birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, survive. They are also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own: deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, infanticide, but also ingenious communication between species, cooperation, collaboration, altruism, culture, and play. Some of these extraordinary behaviors are biological conundrums that seem to push the edges of, well, birdness: a mother bird that kills her own infant sons, and another that selflessly tends to the young of other birds as if they were her own; a bird that collaborates in an extraordinary way with one species—ours—but parasitizes another in gruesome fashion; birds that give gifts and birds that steal; birds that dance or drum, that paint their creations or paint themselves; birds that build walls of sound to keep out intruders and birds that summon playmates with a special call—and may hold the secret to our own penchant for playfulness and the evolution of laughter. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, from the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia and the remote woodlands of northern Japan, to the rolling hills of lower Austria and the islands of Alaska&’s Kachemak Bay, Jennifer Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behavior, birds vary. It is what we love about them. As E.O Wilson once said, when you have seen one bird, you have not seen them all.
The Bird: A Natural History of Who Birds Are, Where They Came From, and How They Live
by Colin TudgeOriginally published: Consider the birds: who they are and what they do. London: Allen Lane, 2008.
The Birding Dictionary
by Rosemary MoscoWith birding more popular than ever, this clever pocket-sized guide is a unique gift that celebrates the obsession with hilarious definitions and clever illustrations of terms that birders know and love. Acclaimed science communicator and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco offers a clever, humorous gift that's perfect for any birdwatching obsessive in The Birding Dictionary. It is a &“dictionary&” filled with hilarious and informative definitions for more than 200 birding terms, plus over 50 witty full‑color illustrations. Terms range from bird species, anatomy, and behaviors to the insider birdwatching jargon that all birders know and speak fluently, from "alpha code" to "zygodactyl." With equal parts quirky humor, accessible science, and impulse giftability, The Birding Dictionary is the latest in Workman&’s legendary &“pocket dictionary&” series, which includes Golfing, Skiing, Sailing, and others, with a whopping 2.5 million copies in print.
The Birds and the Beasts Were There: The Joys of Birdwatching and Wildlife Observation in California's Richest Habitat
by Margaret MillarSanta Barbara in the 1960s was home to two of the 20th century’s most important mystery writers, Margaret Millar and her husband, Ken (Ross Macdonald). It was also home to nearly 400 species of bird. This is the charming story of Ken and Maggie’s quest to see them all. The addiction that is birdwatching comes to vivid life in Margaret Millar’s delightful memoir of her early days as a naturalist. Part autobiography and part birdwatcher’s journal, it is a moving elegy to a bygone place and time. Millar brings her meticulous plotting and no small amount of suspense to these charming stories of a belligerent brown towhee named Houdunit, a larcenous raven called Melanie, and a rat who carefully ferments his grapes before eating them, to name only a few. Ornithology was a passion for both Ken and Maggie and they devoted their lives to it with the same keen sense of detail and, in the case of Margaret, storytelling vigor as they brought to their writing. In this book, the only memoir she wrote, Millar takes us on her journey from curious amateur to obsessive completionist. It is a phenomenon nearly any birding enthusiast will recognize. Ken and Margaret Millar were founding members of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society.
The Birds in the Oaks: Secret Voices of the Western Woods
by Jack GedneyThe first book on the birds of California's oaks, from our most lyrical and observant wanderer of the woods.With charm and delight, The Birds in the Oaks introduces us to the birds who burrow, forage, and soar among California's keystone trees. The mighty oak hosts a multitude of avian denizens—from canopy hoppers to ground nesters to short-billed surface pluckers—who rely on the trees' well-stocked pantry of acorns, insects, and flowers for sustenance and shelter. Spunky kinglets, crimson-eyed towhees, cuddle-craving bushtits, intrepid nuthatches, and impudent wrens are among the many memorable cast members in this pageant of oak-allied birds.Jack Gedney lyrically conveys the beautiful, comic, and endearing qualities of over fifteen bird species, each profile paired with an illustration by Angelina Gedney. His bird-filled tales of adaptation, ingenuity, and sheer persistence also bring to light the warp and weft of cross-species interdependence. The Birds in the Oaks reveals to us the utter joy of birds, the superabundant world of the oaks, and the innumerable interconnections these living beings create.
The Birds of New Jersey: Status and Distribution
by William J. BoyleNew Jersey provides some of the most varied and exciting birding in North America, and more than 450 species have been recorded in the state. Yet there has been no comprehensive and readily available guide to the status and distribution of all these species--until now. The Birds of New Jersey is the most up-to-date and succinct guide for the birds of New Jersey and includes all species known to the state from historical times to the present. Featuring over 200 color photos of rarities and regular species, this book authoritatively provides individual entries that include a summary of status and seasonal distribution, and comments on changes over time. Detailed color-coded maps accompany species accounts, and for species recorded five or fewer times, dates and locations of each record are noted. The introduction examines the state's geography, the history of bird records, and background information to species accounts, and the extensive bibliography guides birders to original sources used in the book. This is the essential resource for birders, ornithologists, and nature enthusiasts interested in the birds of New Jersey and the greater surrounding region. Most up-to-date status and distribution guide for New Jersey and surrounding region All bird species known to the state Species accounts describe the preferred habitat and abundance of species Range maps in color detail seasonal distribution For migratory birds, spring and fall migration times indicated More than 200 color photographs of rare and common species
The Birdwatcher’s Year
by Richard WilliamsonThis handbook is bursting with tips, facts and folklore to guide you through the birdwatching year. Find out how to identify birds by sight or song; learn about their behaviour, habitats, and breeding and migration habits; and discover how to encourage birds into your garden. Includes handy pages for making your own notes each month.
The Birth of Intertextuality: The Riddle of Creativity (Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Literature)
by Scarlett BaronWhy was the term ‘intertextuality’ coined? Why did its first theorists feel the need to replace or complement those terms – of quotation, allusion, echo, reference, influence, imitation, parody, pastiche, among others – which had previously seemed adequate and sufficient to the description of literary relations? Why, especially in view of the fact that it is still met with resistance, did the new concept achieve such popularity so fast? Why has it retained its currency in spite of its inherent paradoxes? Since 1966, when Kristeva defined every text as a ‘mosaic of quotations’, ‘intertextuality’ has become an all-pervasive catchword in literature and other humanities departments; yet the notion, as commonly used, remains nebulous to the point of meaninglessless. This book seeks to shed light on this thought-provoking but treacherously polyvalent concept by tracing the theory’s core ideas and emblematic images to paradigm shifts in the fields of science, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and linguistics, focusing on the shaping roles of Darwin, Nietzsche, Freud, Saussure, and Bakhtin. In so doing, it elucidates the meaning of one of the most frequently used terms in contemporary criticism, thereby providing a much-needed foundation for clearer discussions of literary relations across the discipline and beyond.
The Birth of Tragedy (SparkNotes Philosophy Guide)
by SparkNotesThe Birth of Tragedy (SparkNotes Philosophy Guide) Making the reading experience fun! SparkNotes Philosophy Guides are one-stop guides to the great works of philosophy–masterpieces that stand at the foundations of Western thought. Inside each Philosophy Guide you&’ll find insightful overviews of great philosophical works of the Western world.
The Birth of the Western Economy: Economic Aspects of the Dark Ages
by Robert LatoucheFirst Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Black Prince's Expedition
by H.J. HewittEdward, the Black Prince, is one of the legendary figures of English history. The first son of Edward III and an outstanding military leader, he is famous for his decisive victory at the Battle of Poitiers, and he is one of the most charismatic characters of the Hundred Years' War. This classic study focuses on the crucial phase of his extraordinary career - his daring campaign against the French in central and southwestern France in 1355-7. H.J. Hewitt's work is one of the key texts on the Prince, and it will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in medieval warfare.
The Black Swan
by Anne BattersonSet against a spontaneous cross-country road trip following the migrating birds, this passionate, lyrical memoir is one woman's reflections on midlife, her important personal relationships, her kaleidoscopic past, and her uncertain future. To fifty-six-year-old Anne Batterson, a woman whose life has been filled with adventure -- as a commercial pilot, an international skydiving champion, a trekking guide in Nepal -- her husband's decision to retire felt like a death sentence. Yearning for some way to reconcile herself to the future that was rapidly unfolding before her, she packed up her VW camper and hit the road with maps, bird guides, and little else except the desire to follow the fall migration and the bone-deep hunch that birds had something important to teach her. In this beautifully written narrative of that extraordinary trip, Batterson writes movingly not only about her experiences with the birds but also about the people she loves, has lost, and connects with along the way. Events from the present trigger vivid stories from the past. In the chapter "The Journey Within the Journey," a long, lonely night in a deserted campground in Virginia conjures up the ghosts of a desperate solo road trip she made when she was twenty-one. A towering cumulus cloud in Illinois brings back a breathtaking free fall into a similar cloud in "My Time as a Bird. " An encounter with a great blue heron summons a compelling account of her mother's last afternoon in the world. "Bears in the Woods" describes a run-in with twoDeliverance-type men in West Virginia, which brings back the murder of a dear friend in the woods of Connecticut. By the end of the journey, the ghosts of the past, like the author herself, have become part of a more fluid, more spiritual reality -- wild and spare and elegant and timeless -- one that is always out there, "quickening on the far side of reality. "A unique mix of memoir and nature writing,The Black Swanis a charming story of a woman's odyssey.