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A WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT This is a must read for people who love parrots and freedom and love to study the connundrum of jobs/captive life. The author was ultimately "freed" by enslavement by the flock/project. Anybody can find natural and spiritual lessons in this wonderful book. Wild life isn't a picnic, and the quest for "freedom" can imprison the mind. Even those who live with companion parrots often fail to establish the rapport Mark Bittner achieved with a group of wild parrots. incredible story I'm only halfway through this book right now, but I can't wait to finish it. It's funny and charming. I only started to read it because someone simply recommended it, I had no idea what to expect, but it really is amusing. Sounds very much like "Elsewhere in the land of Parrots" "Elsewhere in the land of Parrots" by Jim Paul, which takes place on telegraph hill also. And is also about the wild parrots of San Fran. And is also an excellent read and a very charming book. I'd be interested to know whose came first. Have not read this yet, so I can't REALLY rate it, this form insists you put a rating. I will be reading it soon though because it sounds like something I will enjoy. I saw it at the library and just had to read it! As a kid growing up in Southern California my dad pointed out a local flock of wild parrots to me. I did not believe him at first but their squawking was so distinctive there was no denying they were indeed parrots. I have been curious about them ever since. On a recent visit to San Francisco I was in the area of Telegraph Hill and I heard that familiar squawking and knew at once what it was. I was standing at the top of the hill, where Coit Tower is, when they swooped by. Amazing! I am so glad someone wrote this book. Amazing! I disagree with the reviewer who calls Mark Bittner a "loser in the lottery of life" and someone who substitutes relationships with animals for relationships with people. Bittner labels himself a "recluse" and a "hermit." His distance from people is, I believe, distinct from his connection with the parrots. What Bittner shares with us is the quest for his humanity. He confronts stubborn rebellion (his refusal to "just get a job"), the ugly realities of the way society works (homelessness, aging of his benefactor) and disingenous romanticism about our connections with nature (which leads to both the parrots' predicament and Bittner's desire early in the story to escape to "the country.") I have always wished I were one of those people who are born with a gift for communicating with wild animals. I am inspired by the idea that such a gift can be cultivated not bestowed. See also:
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