In the Company of Crows and Ravens

"Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves."--from the Preface

"If corvids could read--and it seems they can do damn near everything else--they would surely find this book as entertaining and instructive as this human does."--Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History

From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authors of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well. Examining the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact, John Marzluff and Tony Angell contend that those interactions reflect a process of "cultural coevolution." They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamic--a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves.

Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.

Author: John M. Marzluff, Tony Angell
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 05/01/2007
Pages: 408
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.7lbs
Size: 9.10h x 7.00w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9780300122558


Award: Washington State Book Award - Winner

About the Author

John M. Marzluff is Denman Professor of Sustainable Resource Sciences and professor of wildlife science, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington. Tony Angell is a freelance artist and writer in Lopez Island, Washington. Together the authors combine more than 60 years of scientific and artistic fascination with crows and their bird relatives.