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The book that could change how you see your world, from
Going Wild cover

Critical praise for Going Wild
"What makes this book so worth reading ... is not the list of species, but the way Winkler thinks and writes about each one ... Rarity for Winkler is something found in the experience, not in the bird ... Going Wild is written in a plain, simple style, an "easy read"—but all the same, something to linger over. Experienced birders will enjoy the book, but its real influence is likely to be felt among beginning birders and not-yet-birders, who will be inspired by [Winkler's] evocation of the pleasures of truly getting to know one's home and the creatures that share it."
—Rick Wright in Birding

"In this day of X-treme sports and easy travel, there is a surfeit of books about complicated trips to exotic lands in search of rare birds, animals, or peoples. I do enjoy reading those adventure-packed books and articles, but like an adrenalin rush, the pleasure is short-lived and does not affect the way I live day to day. What is rare is a book that will teach you how to better see and appreciate what is in front of your nose, and Going Wild is one of those books."
—Mark Lynch in Bird Observer

"This book gradually won me over ... What gives Going Wild its unexpected power is Winkler's accumulating observations and genuine devotion to his local haunts. He invests himself in his birds through careful attention and long familiarity ... Going Wild convincingly demonstrates the value and power of attachment and locality."
Robert Finch, co-editor of The Norton Book of Nature Writing, in The Weekly Standard

"An account of Winkler's trips and observations might sound unexciting, especially since most Europeans will not know many of the birds that he is speaking about. Yet that is not the case; Going Wild provides a thoughtful and well-informed account of nature ... [and] will appeal to lovers of natural history, especially birds."
—Christopher Perrins, president of the British Ornithologists' Union, in The Times Literary Supplement (London)

"A book urban dwellers with a taste for nature should take to heart ... filled with fascinating bits of information ... What makes Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness so interesting is that practically all of the adventures [Winkler] recounts took place in Fairfield County, Conn., where he lives, between 50 and 75 miles from New York City."
The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Blurs the boundaries between reference, journal, and essay ... There is a tremendous amount of natural history information tucked into this book, skillfully woven into anecdote and personal observation ... Going Wild is an inviting ramble with a knowledgeable guide."
—Julie Zickefoose in Bird Watcher's Digest

"Filled with a love of nature, a strong conservation ethic, and personal touches that make the reader want to learn more, this quiet book will find a niche with fans of good nature writing."
Booklist

"When you’re looking for good books about the natural world, you’re bound to run into a worthy bird book ... such as Robert Winkler’s Going Wild: Adventures with Birds in the Suburban Wilderness."
—Nancy Pearl in More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason

"The book’s staggering account of over 200 species, and in-depth analysis of over 40, gives it dizzying ornithological muscle … What amazed me about the book was the ease with which information was dispensed in narrative form. Without too much cheesy reverential acclaim, the species in Going Wild rise above our normalized subdivided landscape and hold their own prowess. Less an account of species sighted than an extraordinary display of the wildness around us, the birds in the book carry us out of our carpeted stagnation into a world flickering with life at its edges."
—Drew McNaughton, IdentityTheory.com

"With Robert Winkler, National Geographic ... found a genuine birder with an obvious talent for writing ... Whether you are American, British, or any other nationality, this book will translate to your own experiences ... I can give no better plaudit than saying I will recommend this book to all my birdwatching compatriots, and anyone else who harbours the slightest feeling for the natural world."
—Ashley Beolens, Fatbirder.com (United Kingdom)

"[Robert Winkler's] bright writing makes for a very pleasant read."
Yankee Magazine

Selected by World Book Science Year 2005 as one of 16 "important new books about science"

Read an excerpt in National Wildlife magazine: "A Shakespeare Among Birds"

Get your copy of Going Wild now, or buy one for your favorite birder or nature lover. Best deal on the Web: brand new, perfect copies $5 each (69% off) at National Geographic Books.

Copyright © 2004-2007 Robert Winkler


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