Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable read about birds, birding and birders
Review: A well-written book by someone who enjoys birding, but is far from obsessed by it (a lack of obsession is sometimes a good trait to have!). I found that I was able to relate to many of the stories; particularly those when he was searching out a specific species of bird, or the differences in birding alone or with a partner (I prefer the buddy system -- he comes around to it slowly).
Being a New Yorker (& living on Long Island specifically) I was somewhat offended about his (& his fellow southerners) belief that nature ends at the New York border. Fortunately his birding trip on a winters day to Cold Spring Harbor seems to have changed his mind (so might a visit to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge or even Central Park). His tale of birding in Iowa, in particular his experience with the Iowa Birding Hotline, was good for a few out-loud laughs.
I was less interested in his research of the naming of the cardinal, or his disdain (though I share it), for the starling.
All-in-all, a good read about the big (and small) pleasures to be found in the pursuit of birds.
Rating: 
Summary: The Verb 'To Enjoy'
Review: I am soooo NOT the target audience for Mr. Cashwell's book, given the fact that the only thing that might normally make me hyper-aware of birds would be if a very large one suddenly landed on my head. Taking that into consideration, then, the fact that I find his book so delightful and enlightening says more to me than if I considered myself to be more of a fine-feathered friend. It also means that I'll be giving Mr. Cashwell's book to all of my more ornithologically-minded friends, not to mention language/literature buffs, since Mr. Cashwell's amusing musings are by no means confined to things that fly and should therefore not be - dare I say it? - pigeonholed into just one category.
Rating:
Summary: "The Verb 'to Enchant'" is what this author does
Review: I'm not into "birding" at all, and I just loved this book. Reading it was like having a smart, funny friend around to tell me fascinating stories. I didn't want the book to end. (How often does THAT happen?!) Of course, if you are a "birder" this book is something you will want to own. Also, it would make a terrific gift for anyone who enjoys a good read.
Rating:
Summary: "The Verb 'to Enchant'" is what this author does
Review: I'm not into "birding" at all, and I just loved this book. Reading it was like having a smart, funny friend around to tell me fascinating stories. I didn't want the book to end. (How often does THAT happen?!) Of course, if you are a "birder" this book is something you will want to own. Also, it would make a terrific gift for anyone who enjoys a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: Mr. Cashwell has written a delightful book that all would enjoy. Regardless of whether or not you can tell the difference between a warbler and nuthatch, Cashwell enthusiasm for birding and his skill with the language will keep you chuckling throughout. If you love stories about family, friends, travel, and well, birds, this book is sure to please.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: Mr. Cashwell has written a delightful book that all would enjoy. Regardless of whether or not you can tell the difference between a warbler and nuthatch, Cashwell enthusiasm for birding and his skill with the language will keep you chuckling throughout. If you love stories about family, friends, travel, and well, birds, this book is sure to please.
Rating: 
Summary: Verb implies action and it is missing in this book.
Review: Peter Cashwell never really captures the spirt and pleasure of birding in "The Verb to Bird". The book is more of a forced literary exercise than a story about birds, birding or anything else. A collection of anecdotes related to the author's occasional hobby, the stories are not compelling nor do they capture the imagination. Cashwell's fascination with the mundane is illustrated by his search for the origin of the name Cardinal. He is surprised when he finds the bird was first named by Spanish, Portugese, and French explorers as he is chauvinistic enough to think Anglo Saxon settlers were the first to see this bird in North America. Following the the tale of his discovery leads to some very boring reading, as is the case with the whole book. In the end I had to work hard to finish this book even though birding is a passion in my life. I would not reccommend this book except as an example of how a person with excellent literary credentials can take an intersting subject and make it quite boring. Perhaps if Cashwell would work more on building his birding skills he would be able to write better on the subject. Sorry for the bad review. As Sandy Komito said: "In birding integrity is like virginity, you can only lose it once."
Rating:
Summary: Verb implies action and it is missing in this book.
Review: Peter Cashwell never really captures the spirt and pleasure of birding in "The Verb to Bird". The book is more of a forced literary exercise than a story about birds, birding or anything else. A collection of anecdotes related to the author's occasional hobby, the stories are not compelling nor do they capture the imagination. Cashwell's fascination with the mundane is illustrated by his search for the origin of the name Cardinal. He is surprised when he finds the bird was first named by Spanish, Portugese, and French explorers as he is chauvinistic enough to think Anglo Saxon settlers were the first to see this bird in North America. Following the the tale of his discovery leads to some very boring reading, as is the case with the whole book. In the end I had to work hard to finish this book even though birding is a passion in my life. I would not reccommend this book except as an example of how a person with excellent literary credentials can take an intersting subject and make it quite boring. Perhaps if Cashwell would work more on building his birding skills he would be able to write better on the subject. Sorry for the bad review. As Sandy Komito said: "In birding integrity is like virginity, you can only lose it once."
Rating:
Summary: Verb implies action and it is missing in this book.
Review: Peter Cashwell never really captures the spirt and pleasure of birding in "The Verb to Bird". The book is more of a forced literary exercise than a story about birds, birding or anything else. A collection of anecdotes related to the author's occasional hobby, the stories are not compelling nor do they capture the imagination. Cashwell's fascination with the mundane is illustrated by his search for the origin of the name Cardinal. He is surprised when he finds the bird was first named by Spanish, Portugese, and French explorers as he is chauvinistic enough to think Anglo Saxon settlers were the first to see this bird in North America. Following the the tale of his discovery leads to some very boring reading, as is the case with the whole book. In the end I had to work hard to finish this book even though birding is a passion in my life. I would not reccommend this book except as an example of how a person with excellent literary credentials can take an intersting subject and make it quite boring. Perhaps if Cashwell would work more on building his birding skills he would be able to write better on the subject. Sorry for the bad review. As Sandy Komito said: "In birding integrity is like virginity, you can only lose it once."
Rating: 
Summary: Bland and unsophisticated
Review: Peter Cashwell seems a bright and pleasant fellow, and I'm delighted that he has taken up birding. But the essays in this volume, charming as a sentence or thought can be here and there, do not sustain the interest of a reader interested in either birding or good writing. Cashwell's ornithology is shaky, and there are just too many places (the maudlin Christmas Eve story, or the unnecessarily protracted account of his library work on the name 'cardinal') that his tone flags into the mundane.
For real thoughtfulness, turn to Levine's Lifebirds, a title that has never got the press it deserves--and one of my favorite birding books of all time.
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