New book reviewed on NPR, Fresh Air Feathers: The Evolution of a
Natural Miracle by Thor Hanson In an effort to better understand
the composition of feathers, author Thor Hanson disassembled a
wren bird, which he learned how to pluck from reading The Joy of
Cooking. After hours of plucking, Hanson says, he learned how
the feathers are arranged, how many different types of feathers
the bird has and the magnitude of feathers on a bird. He writes
about the process in his new book, Feathers, which looks at the
evolutionary significance of feathers in birds. There are
several copies available at Marin County libraries. Place a hold
on a copy yourself or call your local library to have a hold
placed for you.