Neues von den Kolkraben, 25. Februar 2002

Für alle die seit der „Seele der Raben" auf Neuigkeiten über Corvus corax und aus den Wäldern in Maine warten hat Heinrich ein neues Buch vorgelegt, das unser Bild vom Kolkraben um neue Aspekte ergänzt. Spannend beschreibt er Beobachtungen, Experimente und Exkursionen nach Alaska und Deutschland zu Verhalten, Gruppendynamik, Ernährung, Fortpflanzung und Spieltrieb der Raben. Besonders sind die Betrachtungen zur Kooperation der Raben mit Wölfen und dem Ersatzwolf Mensch, die sich schon in alten Sagen und Mythen finden. Mitreißende Verhaltensforschung und Naturerzählung, humorvoll aber wissenschaftlich korrekt geschrieben, illustriert mit schönen Schwarzweiß-Fotos - ein Genuß bis zur letzten Seite, nicht nur für Rabenfreunde.

      Not Quite Stellar, 23. August 1999

I found this book to be fun to read at times, and I enjoyed learning about this interesting bird. But I found too many loose ends, where Mr. Heinrich gave up on a study before he finished it. A simple remotely controlled video camera would have helped him immensely in his study of wild ravens, but yet, he seemed to never use one and kept accidentally scaring them off. This is one scientist in need of an assistant to cover his works in progress when he has to attend other things. Several times, he mentioned studies that were ruined because he had to leave. All I can say is; I hope he gets more funding or finds someone to help him. He seems to have made some inroads in understanding ravens, it would be sad if this is all he did with his studies.

       Mind of the Raven. An honest view without skullduggery, 14. Juli 1999

In this day and age it is refreshing to find that there are researchers willing to share personel views along with the hard evidence of their findings.

In the case of Dr.Heinrich I find that even when he makes an assumption it generally becomes fact with hard evidence to back his views. To read Mind of the Raven after reading his earlier book Ravens in Winter is to watch wisdom developing in what was already a very wise being.

Mind of the Raven should be mandatory reading in all of our schools.It is an excellent example of how we should view all life forms within our world. With curiosity and understanding.

JR.Inghram

       A wonderful wonderful book, 11. Juli 1999

Living in the mountains of colorado, I first became aware of ravens when one followed while I was tracking elk in the back country. It followed me, flying along tree to tree, "talking" to me, cocking its head as if waiting for a reply. With that introduction, I started noticing other odd behavior... huge flocks wheeling, and playing with each other... mimicry of the calls of raptors... and so forth.

I saw this book, and thought: its about time I learn something about the minds of these animals. Why do they do what they do? Well ravens are more interesting than I thought. Makes one wonder why social scavenger-hunters (humans, coyotes, ravens) turn out so clever regardless of where they pop out of the animal kingdom.

BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT... Prof. Heinrich's narrative is totally engaging and entertaining. I found myself laughing over and over gain as he quietly dropped comments about famous ornithologists that have died climbing trees, or the risks involved in demonstrating which bumblebees are edible to one's experimental charges (ie showing young ravens what's good to eat). It becomes very clear ethologists are an interesting species in themselves.

If you're interested in birds, or have ravens around, or generally interested in experimental ethology: this one is among the best

       Mind of the Raven" is thought-provoking, comfortable reading, 18. Juni 1999

To compare this book to Heinrich's "A Year in the Maine Woods", is to compare apples to oranges. "Mind of the Raven" is more, a continuation of the thought-provoking analysis the author began in his earlier work, "Ravens in Winter". "Mind of the Raven" carries us many steps farther in understanding, as an intriguing account of the on-going evaluation of these impressive birds' mental agility and singular place in nature. Heinrich takes us not only to the woods of Maine, but to Germany, California, the Artic, and Yellowstone Park, while he examines those qualities which define Ravens as a unique but adaptive species in a changing environment. Heinrich shares with us the scientific and personal experiences which reveal Ravens both as individuals, and as members of a complex but flexible social order scientists are only begining to understand. "Mind of the Raven" is not a dry, technical journal, and while not "light" reading, it is certainly comfortable reading. Heinrich's writing style is refreshingly "open". The book is, in the end, as revealing about the process of scientific fieldwork, success and failure, and the perserverance of an inquisitive mind as it is about Ravens. I would recommend "Mind of the Raven" to anyone interested in the continuing studies of animal intellect and behavior. Additionally, I heartily recommend it to mature young adults with an exceptional interest in these study areas. Heinrich's book reveals that while travel, and many hours of observation in "tight places" may be required to answer particular questions within a given field of science, a great deal may also be learned in our own backyards, with patience and an eye for detail.