Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species - Softcover

aParrots can not only learn to talk but understand the meaning of many words for they are highly intelligent. Some are clad in glorious plumage. Not surprising that they have long been sought after as pets or research subjects and Mira Tweti shares engaging stories about individual parrots and their dedicated owners. But she also tells of the multitude of parrots suffering in captivity, and how the pet trade has brought many species to the brink of extinction in the wild. Informative, compassionate and very entertaining, "Of Parrots and People" is a book for animal lovers everywhere.a
--Jane Goodall Ph.D., DBE, Founder a the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
aMira Tweti's beautifully argued and meticulously researched book is, without question, the most important book published on the state of our relationship with parrots. It is required reading for anyone interested in animal welfare, environmental issues, and changing society's relationship to the natural world and the creatures in it.a
--Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, The Human Society of the United States
aThis book conveys the immeasurable joy of parrots as companion animals, but also serves as a warning to those who may underestimate the emotional demands of these brainy birds. Mira Tweti provides an engagingly written, passionate plea to take the parrot-human relationship very seriously.a
-- Frans de Waal, Ph.D., author of "Our Inner Ape"
a"Of Parrots and People" is a winner on numerous fronts. Extremely well researched and easy to read, Mira Twetias book offers a comprehensive view of what it's like to be a parrot in a human-dominated world. Blending solid scientific research withcompelling personal stories, this fascinating book offers yet more reasons why we must increase our compassionate footprint now, not later when it may be more convenient to do so. The next time someone tells me I'm a birdbrain, I'll wink, smile, and walk away having felt that I've been royally complimented. I'll share this book widely - it is that good.a
-- Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado; author of "The Emotional Lives of Animals"
a"Of Parrots and People" is a long, loud, heartrending squawk for the rights of the captive parrot: a vibrantly social higher intelligence usually condemned for life to solitary confinement. Its only crime: having brains and beauty in equal measure. This is a book to change hearts and minds, a long-overdue call to enlightenment to anyone who ever called a parrot ajust a bird.aa
-- Julie Zickefoose, naturalist, artist and author of "Letters from Eden"
aTweti weaves a wonderful tale of people and parrots that will make you laugh, weep and applaud the wonderful wit and devilry of parrots."
-- Joanna Burger, author of "The Parrot Who Owns Me"

The most important book published on the state of our relationship with parrots."
-Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, Humane Society of the United States

There are an estimated 50 million parrots in the United States today. Their intelligence and extraordinary personalities make them beloved members of the families that bring them into their homes.

In Of Parrots and People, award-winning journalist and long-time parrot owner Mira Tweti reveals the complex world of parrots-their astonishing intellect, often-intimate relationships with humans, and, unfortunately, the calamitous practices of the bird industry. Delving into the secret world of the global parrot trade, Tweti documents the forces driving these remarkable creatures to the brink of extinction. A critical addition to the popular shelf of books about animals and their behavior, Of Parrots and People is a startling wake-up call in the tradition of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.