The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill by Mark Bittner (2004, Hardcover)

As an avid reader, birder, and pet lover/parrot owner, I figured this book COULDN'T possibly NOT be interesting. I figured no matter what viewpoint this was written from, I was sure to find it fascinating. WRONG. The writer is a a homeless person looking for the spiritual meaning in life, and chooses to do it through NOT going the traditional route of holding down a 9 to 5 job and following the American dream of gathering as many posessions as possible and settling down with his 2.5 children. That alons should have made this book more interesting. Instead, he comes across as a whining, directionless wimp, who never actually figures out anything. Not the meaning of life, not what religion or spiritual path he wishes to follow, not where his next meal is coming from . . .and it only gets worse. Hell, when he takes an interest in this flock of wild parrots living in his neighborhood, he can't even decide whether he likes them or not. Sometimes he loves them, then on the next page he resents feeding them (and not for the money, for the time - which it seems he has plenty of). In one chapter he is opposed to anyone ever touching them or taming them, the next he is trying to figure out how to pet them, and then catch ill ones to help them. WHich then leads to wanting to cathc favorites in the flock as youngsters to have as a pet. This is exactly what most of us would do, but then he squeamishly spends a few pages of your time wondering if he ever should have taken them in at all, and several times mentions resenting having to take care of them. He loves the birds. He resents the birds. He should touch the birds, he should leave the birds alone. He is a real birder, no he is just an admittedly anthromopologizing fool. He is about to be kicked out of his squat and yet has 3 or 4 parrots dependant upon him for their lives, but is too wimpy to make the decision to actually go ahead and try to rehab them to release them to see if they could make it with their flock mates, even with YEARS of advance notice.

Near the end of the book, he pretty much admits that writing the book is just his way of trying to make money off of the birds as he has no other way he is willing to make a living. He is not a birder or a scientist, so those looking for dry facts will be dissatisfied. He is a boring, directionless writer who even makes something as intelligent and charming as a flock of personality-filled parrots seem boring and not worth reading about. I kept plowing through this waiting for the "warm and fuzzy" that I felt SURE was coming . . .SOMEWHERE?? If not for the birds themselves, maybe for the writer? But this book is an aimless meandering of self-pity and mind-numbing boredom. Don't waste your time!

I am extremely sorry that I wasted my time and money on this book, and am sorry that people like me have bought this book to

After seeing the Judy Irving documentary on The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill we thought having the written narrative of same would be worthwhile. We were not disappointed. It will be a constant reminder of how dedication and determination can and did result in a memorable experience.