GIFTS OF THE CROW How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans

Through numerous revealing, funny, and even poignant anecdotes and solid scientific research, the author demonstrates the complex brains and behaviors of corvids—crows, ravens, and jays. He also shows how humans and these complex creatures share behaviors, including the use of language as well as risk-taking, awareness, and problem-solving. The book is interesting but heavily scientific. And this makes for difficult listening. At times, the book’s tone shifts from conversational to highly scientific in succeeding paragraphs. Narrator Danny Campbell's tone makes the work sound more like an upper-level college course than a book for a general audience. The authors' enthusiasm for the subject is evident, but it's not enough to quickly engage the listener. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2012]