Parrot (Reaktion Books - Animal) [Paperback]

Paul Carter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Reaktion Books - Animal | Publication Date: March 1, 2006

One of the more nonconformist figures in the animal kingdom, the parrot is linked to humans by its ability to speak—a trait many have found unsettling, though this discomfort is offset by its gorgeous plumage, which makes it one of the most popular members of the avian family. Unlike previous studies that have treated parrots as simply a curious oddity, Paul Carter offers here in Parrot a thoughtful yet spirited consideration of the natural and cultural history of parrots, discussing parrot portraiture, the role and significance of parrots' mimicry in human culture, and parrot conservation, as well the parrot's role in literature, folklore and mythology, film, and television worldwide.

Parrot takes three different approaches to the squawker: the first section, "Parrotics," examines the historical, cultural, and scientific classification of parrots; "Parroternalia," the second part, looks at the association of parrots with the different languages, ages, tastes, and dreams of society; and, finally, "Parrotology" investigates what the mimicry of parrots reveals about our own systems of communication. Humorously written and wide-ranging in scope, this volume takes readers beyond pirates and "Polly wants a cracker" to a new kind of animal history, one conscious of the critical and ironic mirror parrots hold up to human society.

(20060125)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dazzling. . . .After reading his marvellous book, I think he should be elevated instantly to the cockatoo chair at some prestigious Pollytechnical. . . . Offers an amazingly broad survey of parrots in folklore, mythology, literature, and art, all accompanied by sumptuous illustrations. . . . Passionate and brilliant."--New York Sun

 

 

(Eric Ormsby New York Sun 20060504)

"A lively and lovely series. . . . This delightful series gives us animals as both alien and familiar. . . . An exhilarating, often astonishing and sometimes moving series of monographs."--Globe and Mail

 

 

(Martin Levin Globe and Mail 20060407)

"Interesting . . . also some curious facts."--Times Literary Supplement

 

 

(Catherine Humble Times Literary Supplement 20060521)

"A true fan who includes his favorite parrot jokes in the index."--Washington Post

 

 

(Rachel Hartigan Shea Washington Post )

"Humans will continue to be fascinated by parrots, whether as symbol, fantasy, or actual birds, and this book provides much to think about. Parrots, ultimately, is not so much about parrots but about what we can learn about ourselves through a consideration of our interactions with these exotic birds. . . . Most people who have an interest in parrots will want to own this book."

(Patricia K. Anderson Anthrozoos )

About the Author

Paul Carter is professorial research fellow at the Australian Centre, University of Melbourne, and the author of Repressed Spaces: The Poetics of Agoraphobia, also published by Reaktion Books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: Reaktion Books (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861892373
• ISBN-13: 978-1861892379
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,517,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book - highly recommend, February 7, 2006

By 

Parrot Gal (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parrot (Reaktion Books - Animal) (Paperback)

I ordered this book months ago because I'm writing one of my own on parrots and thought it would be helpful in my research. It's much more than I expected. The color plates are fabulous, it's rare and unusual information incredibly well done.

I'd recommend this to anyone -- not just parrot people (all of whom should have this). If you're fascinated by things you don't know and have an inquisitive nature this is for you. Check out the rest of the series they look equally interesting (ant, fox, spider, whale).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What "Parrots", the Birds and the Idea, Have Meant to Human Culture., March 15, 2009

By 

mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Parrot (Reaktion Books - Animal) (Paperback)

"Parrot" is a treatise on the natural history of parrots and their place in human culture -with a certain ideological bent, the ideology being that of an academic who likes to see parrots as a kind of doppelganger for humans, due to their mimicry, and as a symbol of human communications being ecologically structured, due to the presence of parrot references in just about every human civilization. But the book starts out simply enough. Paul Carter divides his discussion of parrots into 3 parts: Parrotics, Parroternalia, and Parrotology. The paper is white and semi-glossy, which nicely reproduces the 101 illustrations of parrots in art and culture, although the small size of the book (5.25" x 7.5") makes it difficult to make out the details sometimes.

Parrotics addresses the evolution and taxonomy of parrots, with an eye to the variety and absurdity of classification systems used by various cultures . It goes on to provide an overview of how human culture has historically represented four major (non-scientific) classes of parrots. Parroternalia talks about the roles that humans have given parrots in society, commerce, in literature, and as companions. Carter's theories on the cultural significance of parrot mimicry is pretty hard on parrot-owners, whom he views as delusional and needy. Parrotology veers toward polemic in its discussion of the parrot trade and parrot conservation. It criticizes the rhetoric of conservation for appealing to self-interest and presents the author's own view of why parrots should be valued and protected.

Carter's ideas about parrots as doubles for humans are thought-provoking, but I found his assessment of how people should relate to parrots, and how they do, to be removed from anything resembling reality. He doesn't give parrots enough credit. They are not simply mimics who babble meaninglessly; their brains have 7 language centers, like humans. He says that their self-image has been "humanized", but we all derive some identity from culture, and it only goes so far. Paul Carter expounds on the "idea" of parrots and compares their captivity to enslavement. But he omits the birds themselves. They're not an idea. They're individuals who have opinions. Of course we see them through our own lens, as they do us. The prose has a rambling quality that can be a bit much, but the first two parts of "Parrot" contain some interesting information and food for thought.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 24, 2007

By 

Marguerite Floyd "writer" (Lexington, Ky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Parrot (Reaktion Books - Animal) (Paperback)

This is a remarkable book I recommend to everyone who has a parrot or even just "likes" parrots.

Carter discusses some history of humans sharing life with parrots, but this book is more about the parrot's place in our psyche; its mythology and its importance to us as a species (ours and the parrot). We need the parrot more than the parrot needs us.

As one reviewer said, read when you're likely to be uninterrupted because Carter does not spoon feed this to you. But your efforts will be richly and doubly rewarded, and you'll never look at a bundle of feathers the same way again.