In Mind of the Raven, Bernd
Heinrich, award - winning naturalist, finds himself dreaming of
ravens and decides he must get to the truth about this animal
reputed to be so intelligent.
Much like a sleuth, Heinrich
involves us in his quest, letting one clue lead to the
next.
But as animals can only be spied on
by getting quite close Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming
a "raven father," as well as observing them in their
natural habitat, studying their daily routines, and in the
process painting a vivid picture of the world as lived by the
ravens.
At the heart of this book are
Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging
creatures, and through his keen observation and analysis, we
become their intimates too.
Throughout history there has existed
an extraordinary relationship between humans and ravens. Ravens,
like early humans, are scavengers on the kills of great
carnivores.
As scavengers, ravens were
associated with hunters they found in the north: wolves and,
later, men. The trinity of wolf, man, and raven in the hunt is
an extremely ancient one.
In considering the appeal of the
raven, Bernd Heinrich suspects that a meeting of the minds might
reside in that hunting trinity.
Heinrich's passion for ravens has
led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven
takes you on an exotic journey--from New England to Germany,
Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling
accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the
eyes of a passionate observer of nature.
Heinrich has a true gift; through
his stories, his beautiful writing, illustrations, and
photography, the ravens come alive.
Each new discovery and insight into
their behavior is thrilling to read. just as the title promises,
the reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of these
wonderful creatures.
Following the dictum of Leonardo da
Vinci--"It is not enough to believe what you see. YOU Must
also understand what you see"--Bernd Heinrich enables us to
see the natural world through the eyes of a scientist. At once
lyrical and scientific, Mind of the Raven is bound to be
a modern classic.