Feathers

April 25, 2011
"As light as a feather," "a feather in her cap," "you could have knocked me over with a feather" are just a few examples of how feathers permeate conversation. We usually think about feathers when we're trying to identify a bird at the feeder on our deck, but feathers are found in pillows, sleeping bags, and fertilizer, and a century or two ago they supplied writing instruments and women's hats. Conservation biologist Hanson (The Impenetrable Forest: My Gorilla Years in Uganda) takes readers on a wide-ranging tour of the world of feathers, from Las Vegas revues, whose performers wear thousands of dollars' worth (and they're heavier than you think), to the world of fly fishing, where unscrupulous collectors illegally seek out rare feathers for their lures. Hanson divides his book into five sections: Evolution, Fluff, Flights, Fancy, and Function. He explains clearly for generalists why paleontologists now believe many dinosaurs sported plumage. On the grand tour of Vegas, Hanson visits a shop that still dyes feathers by hand, and in Washington, D.C., he visits scientists at the Smithsonian whose expertise is identifying plumage. Hanson also recounts many personal encounters with feathers and their avian owners in the wild. Readers from science buffs to those interested in cultural history will find this a worthwhile afternoon's read. Illus.

Starred review from June 15, 2011

Conservation biologist Hanson (The Impenetrable Forest: My Gorilla Years in Uganda) may be the first to consider feathers in many contexts: paleontology, evolution, physiology, anatomy, aerodynamics, fashion, culture, literature, and history. In this enjoyable, wide-ranging, and well-researched book, Hanson explains the mechanisms whereby feathers keep birds cool or warm; the complex--at times extravagant--role feathers play in wild bird courtship; the controversies among scientists as to how and why feathers evolved; feather forensics, useful in crime and aircraft crash investigations; the millinery trade (feathers as fashion); and the modern use of feathers and the dynamics of the bedding and clothing industries they support. Useful appendixes include heavily annotated diagrams of different feather types and a brief list of major conservation associations. VERDICT Highly recommended for birders and science buffs.--Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011

When a vulture feather accidentally dropped at his feet as he watched the birds fly overhead, field biologist and conservationist Hanson (The Impenetrable Forest, 2000) felt called upon to choose feathers as the subject of his next book.

In this wide-ranging study of our feathered friends, the author also looks at the many uses of feathers throughout history, from featherbeds and down quilts to arrows and pens, and as a fashion statement "in fans, dusters, boas, floral arrangements, and in the fringes of cloaks and shawls," as well as women's hats. In fact, feathers were the highest-value cargo carried on the ill-fated Titanic. As far back as 30,000 years ago, our ancestors recorded their fascination with birds in cave drawings. The discovery of Archaeopteryx, a crow-sized fossil with feathers and the skeleton of a reptile, just two years after the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, was the beginning of a century-long controversy over the evolution of birds, with a consensus reach only recently. It is now generally accepted that birds have evolved from meat-eating dinosaurs. Hanson recounts the many disputes over the evolutionary development of feathers and conundrum of how landed creatures gained the ability to fly, and he explains how even half-formed feathers would have conferred an evolutionary advantage to winged dinosaurs (insulation, protection from insects and thorns, greater maneuverability and sexual display)--all of which play the same function for modern birds and have been adapted for human use.

A delightful ramble through the byways of evolution and the wonderful world of birds.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011
Humans have been enthralled by feathers for millennia. The most efficient insulation ever discovered, feathers can also repel water, attract a mate, hide potential prey, make soundsand, oh yes, allow flight. Feathers are uniquely avian, but where did they come from? Thor Hanson, author (The Impenetrable Forest, 2008) and field biologist, investigates the seemingly simple feather in this fascinating and eminently readable exploration of quills and plumes. From the dinosaur-bird controversyare birds just feathered dinosaurs?to the human use of down, Hanson looks at feathers from biological, paleontological, and sociological viewpoints. Whether hes plucking a road-killed winter wren (this tiny bird sported more than 1,000 feathers), tying his own Silver Hilton fishing fly, trying to snag a nestling muttonbird from its burrow, or observing the feathering of showgirl costumes and couture hats, Hanson imparts a captivating and addictive story that is as intriguing as the feathers themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)