Customer Reviews

A Cat Named Darwin: How a Stray Cat Changed a Man into a Human Being

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've known Bill for a number of years and we've usually talked about insects and politics (no further comment).

At a party a couple of years age, Bill started talking about his cats and how he'd discovered the emotional depth and intelligence of cats that was beyond anything he had imagined. I had recently had a similar experience and we spent the whole evening in cat talk.

I've been waiting for this book since that evening and I wasn't disappointed! I wasn't able to put it down!

Bill's writing is a pleasure to read and the book is a love story with all of the joy and pain that comes with an emotional commitment to another creature - human or otherwise. If you're already an animal lover, this story will bring you smiles and tears. If you've never had a deep emotional attachment to an animal, Darwin's story will bring you a understanding of how such a relationship can develop in human terms and, perhaps, encourage you to explore...

This is a gem of a book. Well-written -- sometimes a bit too pithy and scientific -- but despite that, Jordan's inward reflections are the soul-baring and keenly appreciated narratives of the living interplay between human and cat.

This book chronicles the transformation of Jordan the human (who admits to past transgressions against animals in the name of research), as he rescues, struggles with, loves, accepts and pays worthy homage to the cat Darwin as the teacher, with the human as putty being shaped into something finer than the original because of this living breathing oh-so-wise (and which of the felines is NOT wise?!) cat-being.

I can very well appreciate Jordan's well-written almost hilarious definition of unwrapping sharp kitty teeth from his limbs as "defusing a bomb", having myself done that many times with my (totally mis-named!) Baby Twinkle, an equally huge and fearsome female counterpart to Darwin, herself a street rescue.

But I gritted my teeth every time he let Darwin back outside at night and watched Darwin have his cat fights with the neighborhood cats. "For Heaven's Sake!" I wanted to yell at Jordan -- "One cat bite is all it takes! You're inviting a living death by Feline Leukemia or Feline Aids -- and you can easily avoid this by keeping Darwin inside, getting him vaccinated!!! So... when Darwin died a slow and terrible death (I have seen this TOO many times in friends' cats, and this disease is so easily avoidable!!!), I wanted to say "I really hope, Bill Jordan, that your next kitty stays indoors.....".

I commend Bill Jordan for his life-saving dedication to Darwin, his soul searching, his huge huge love for such an innocent being (as I see it, Adam and Eve were NOT thrown out of the Garden of Eden for anything that the cats had done!). Jordan's heart and soul were shining sweet and strong thru every page of his desperate tooth-gritting quest to save Darwin.

When the inevitable happened, Jordan's dialogue in the garden with Darwin is priceless.

Hope, in the form and name of Hoover, walked into Jordan's life at the right time. I hope Jordan learned from Darwin, and keeps Hoover indoors now. I also hope he refrains from any more strange (ie, unknowingly cruel) methods of discipline -- judging by his remorse, I feel that he has learned.

Despite some of my misgivings and heartfelt critiques, I still think Jordan's book is a treasure. I'm sorry Darwin is gone. But he was still a very lucky cat to have found such love in the form of William Jordan.

While I would recommend this book to anyone, I think it'll hit home most closely with those who have ever owned, and perhaps even loved, a cat.

In this book Jordan retells the memory of meeting and accepting Darwin into his home, albeit often in a technical "scientific method" writing style at first. But as the story progresses, you see this colder side melt away, both from the character and the writing, and are left with the tenderness and emotion this man learned to feel for this cat.

There are moments that may be hard to read, as there a scenes involving the veterinary hospital and, as another reader pointed out, a moment where Jordan is mad at another cat for attacking Darwin when he was trying to get them to coexist in his home, as well as reflections of Jordan's youth when he was less concerned for animals. But these scenes help to show just how strong an effect Darwin had on this man's life, and how drastically he has changed. While I am no fan of animal abuse in any form, these scenes had a reason to be included.

The last few chapters had me in tears. As a whole, this is very touching and beautiful book. I bought it out of sheer curiosity at the mention of the title and having finished it...I have no regrets with my purchase.

I was given this book by a dear friend after I lost my cat Jolie to cancer. I felt like the world was ripped out from under my feet. Not many people understand this kind of love for an animal. This book is a very touching story of a kindred animal lovers tale of love and loss. Very well written. Intellegent and charming at the same time. If you have ever loved and lost an animal you must read this book.

This bravura narrative extraordinaire portrays a fascinating journey into a feline friendship, starting from indifference and ignorance to a plateau of alter-ego/soulmate. The phrasing of wit and humor captures the nostalgia of introspection with frank candor. The gamut of emotions culminates in a tangible sentiment of loving memory. You will develop a gentle rapport with Darwin as the pages unfold.

fantastic read. anyone who has a cat and ponders that relationship will love this book. a mix of life's realms all culminate in a primal realtionship between author, cat, and reader. funny, deep, informed, vulnerable, wonderful!

After reading several books on true stories about humans and their animal companions, this book IS THE ONE! The author leads you with an open heart in his relationship with Darwin and how Darwin changed his deepest emotions. We all know how our companions change our life, but he has a way of describing all of this. I saw myself in this book, having lived a similar situation with my dear Sylvester, this story brough out my memories and lead me through the pages with smiles, deep emotions and tears, and at the end a deep sense of acomplishment surfaced once again. There will always be a special place in my bookshelf for this one...

I found this book by seeing a newspaper item on the speaking engagement/book signing here in my town. I arrived early, purchased the book, then read the first half in the car. I had a hard time stopping to go in for the lecture. What a dear story. The author heroically resisted, but eventually succumbed to love's sweet sickness. I have read this book over and over with pleasure. Sure, he's a flawed being, but his love for Darwin overcame all. If you liked Peter Gether's books about Norton, you'll like this one too. Bravo:)

About life and acceptance as much as it is about Darwin, the cat who became the author's authentic companion, Jordan's book offers so much that cannot be found in any "cat book." Jordan's memoir is an exploration of life and mortality, personal and scientific, intelligently emotional.
As Jordan and Darwin become real friends, Jordan explores the intellectual richness of this intimacy. In a tale of friendship and heartbreak, the author is instructive in his asides on biology and metaphysics--not asides at all, we find, but central to experiencing this love.
The prose is elegant yet direct. Jordan's admissions of his own past transgressions and ongoing errors are disarmingly frank, but always germane. For me this story gave not only insights into the possibilities for closeness with other creatures, but also great solace. I recently lost my littlest cat, in circumstances painfully similar to those Jordan recounts: confusion and focus; hope and despair, everyday togetherness punctured by urgent scramblings to the vet; human anguish and denial, the cat's courage and acceptance. This little book has been a real comfort in my grief.
Ultimately Jordan illuminates our amazing opportunities to achieve with our fellow mortal creatures not only intelligent communication, but kind communion. I feel consoled by and grateful to Jordan, and inevitably fond of Darwin, a warm and intelligent guide to the pure grace of friendship.

A brilliant and intense confession, this book examines the tender and deeply personal process of learning to love a cat as a totally life changing experience. It is at times an insightful, humorous and poignant journey into loving and losing a cat. A true story and fascinating read from the mind of a scientist who attempts to explain and demystify our deep connection with cats.