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The Robin
The Robin
Nov 17, 2024 10:41 PM

Author:Stephen Moss

The Robin

Acclaimed naturalist and birdwatcher Stephen Moss brings us a year in the life of Britain's favourite bird - the robin.

In The Robin Moss records a year of observing the robin both close to home and in the field to shed light on the hidden life of this apparently familiar bird. We follow its life cycle from the time it enters the world as an egg, through its time as a nestling and juvenile, to the adult bird; via courtship, song, breeding, feeding, migration - and ultimately, death. At the same time, we trace the robin's relationship with us: how did this bird - one of more than 300 species in its huge and diverse family - find its way so deeply and permanently into our nation's heart and its social and cultural history? It's a story that tells us as much about ourselves as it does about the robin itself.

No other bird is quite so ever-present and familiar, so embedded in our culture, as the robin. But how much do we really know about this bird?

'There is no doubt that Moss's book, with its charming cover and quaint illustrations, will make it into many a stocking this year' The Times

Reviews

Moss’s prettily illustrated book is full of such curiosities. Gratifyingly, though, it steers clear of becoming a dry deluge of facts, a pitfall of so much ornithological writing… Moss, a nature broadcaster and a lecturer in creative writing, is a good storyteller, seamlessly linking biological fact with the anecdotal… There is no doubt that Moss’s book, with its charming cover and quaint illustrations, will make it into many a stocking this year. Yet, this is far more than a book for Christmas. There is a serious message here. The more we learn about our favourite bird, the more we realise how much we don’t know. This gulf is evidence of how we have become distanced from the natural world… Moss’s charming paean to this bird that lives hard and dies young reminds us that it deserves to be more than a whimsical symbol of festive cheer

—— Patrick Galbraith , The Times

Well illustrated… The structure, examining a year in the life of the Robin in the UK, allows Moss plenty of scope to bring in a huge range of historical, literary and scientific references, and the result is a highly readable and enjoyable examination of a species that probably sparks more interest in birds in the UK than any other.

—— Matt Merritt , Bird Watching

A gem

—— Sue Price , Saga Magazine

This unpretentious little book, with a nice retro feel, follows the life of the Robin… Stephen Moss writes seemingly easily (perhaps for him it is so), telling all you want to know about Robins in a straightforward, always enjoyable style… It is a stimulating and worthwhile read

—— Rob Hume , Birdwatch

Can a Mediterranean diet help avert Alzheimer's? Mosconi's persuasive account of the surprising connection between food and brain health sparkles with well-researched nutritional evidence. Brain Food offers culinary wisdom and reasons for hope in equal measure.

—— Richard Wrangham, PhD, Ruth B. Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University and author of Catching Fire

Over the years, I have learned so much from the work of Dr. Mosconi, whose accomplished credentials spanning both neuroscience and nutrition are wholly unique. This book represents the first time her studies on the interaction between food and long-term cognitive function reach a general audience. Dr. Mosconi always makes the point that we would eat differently and treat our brains better if only we could see what we are doing to them. From the lab to the kitchen, this is extremely valuable and urgent advice, complete with recommendations that any one of us can take.

—— Dr. Richard S. Isaacson, MD, author of The Alzheimer's Prevention and Treatment Diet, and Alzheimer's Treatment Alzheimer's Prevention: A Patient & Family Guide

Scientists know that diet plays a huge role in brain health - and now Brain Food distils this research into a practical guide. Dr. Mosconi provides accessible advice and lots of options for fuelling your brain and ageing well. This is an empowering resource for anyone who wants to take their brain health into their own hands (and spoons, and forks).

—— Kelly McGonigal, PhD, author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress

The most influential man of reason…intellectually rigorous to a fault.

—— Oliver Thring , Sunday Times News Review

With his latest book, ‘Science in the Soul’, Richard Dawkins continues the legacy of Carl Sagan, though of course, in a more combative mode...
Richard Dawkins is one of the best science popularisers of our times. He is also an eminent evolutionary biologist...
All the articles in this compilation are ultimately soul-elevating in the sense that they emphasise the importance of reason and spirit of science in approaching many of the problems which we may think as being outside the realm of science or domains where inducing a hostility to a scientific approach is possible....
Dawkins is an extraordinarily talented author and persuader ...Dawkins also comes across in this collection of essays as a warm rational scientist who is interestingly so open to the innocent human fascination for the grandeur of nature.

—— Aravindan Neelakandan , Swarajya Magazine

Dawkins at his most delicious. These are some of the finest treasures of non-fiction you'll find anywhere

—— Derren Brown

Now, more than ever, public intellectual scientists like Dawkins are needed to counter the forces of faith, fiction, and farce dominating our so-called “post-fact” society.

The Oxford University professor is the embodiment of the concept of the public intellectual

—— Iain Ellis , www.popmatters.com

It was a delight to be introduced to this largely forgotten polymath of that great age of scientific discovery, the 19th century.

—— Tony Rennell , Daily Mail

After decades of neglect, Richard Girling has brought Buckland out of the shadows with panache. Buckland was clearly a man of parts who exuded bonhomie from every pore… It is impossible not to be left with the impression that Frank Buckland was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived; and Girling does him proud

—— Serenhedd James , Church Times

Richard Girling’s engaging biography chronicles Buckland’s visionary ideas on conservation, as well as his many eccentricities.

—— Jane Shilling , Daily Mail

Captivating… Intriguing… Wondrous

—— Saga Magazine

A book which is so fascinating and moving that it has genuinely made me more fond of trees.

—— Bookseller

Will inspire women of all ages

—— RED Magazine

Fantastic

—— Irish Independent

[A] handsome hardback full of fascinating facts about space and women behind space exploration. Colourful illustrations and great writing

—— Sarah Webb

A brilliantly readable history of space exploration

—— Scoop Magazine
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