BOOK REVIEW: Tales of a Low Rent Birder

During my career in ad agency work, I often got up early to do a little writing “just for fun” before heading into the office. One thing led to another and I began writing about a generations-old family on one South Carolina’s sea islands (Edisto) and their study of bird life in comparison to human life. This is what led me to Tales of a Low-Rent Birder, a collection of easy-going essays and sketches from the life of an avid bird watcher.

Author Peter Dunne has considerable experience writing about natural history and, particularly, birds. In fact, he founded the World Series of Birding and has held top positions in organizations and publications relating to birds.

Dunne writes what I call “slice of life” moments that allow the reader to look over his shoulder and see what he sees beyond the binomial nomenclature (i.e., the stodgy Latin). You don’t need to be a woods weary birder to enjoy this book, you don’t need special shoes or the “right” brand of binoculars. You can simply enjoy being part of what Dunne sees in the bird world and what about it has kept him dedicated for so many years.