Audiobook7 hours
Why Peacocks?: An Unlikely Search for Meaning in the World's Most Magnificent Bird
Written by Sean Flynn
Narrated by Vikas Adam
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
An acclaimed journalist seeks to understand the mysterious allure of peacocks—and in the process discovers unexpected and valuable life lessons.
2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlist Selection
When Sean Flynn’s neighbor in North Carolina texted “Any chance you guys want a peacock? No kidding!” he stared bewilderedly at his phone. He had never considered whether he wanted a peacock. But as an award-winning magazine writer, this kind of mystery intrigued him. So he, his wife, and their two young sons became the owners of not one but three charming yet fickle birds: Carl, Ethel, and Mr. Pickle.
In Why Peacocks?, Flynn chronicles his hilarious and heartwarming first year as a peacock owner, from struggling to build a pen to assisting the local bird doctor in surgery to triumphantly watching a peahen lay her first egg. He also examines the history of peacocks, from their appearance in the Garden of Eden to their befuddling Charles Darwin to their bewitching the likes of Flannery O’Connor and Martha Stewart. And fueled by a reporter’s curiosity, he travels across the globe to learn more about the birds firsthand, with stops including a Scottish castle where peacocks have resided for centuries, a southern California community tormented by a serial killer of peacocks, and a Kansas City airport hotel hosting an annual gathering of true peafowl aficionados.
At turns comically absurd and deeply poignant, Why Peacocks? blends lively, insightful memoir and illuminating science journalism to answer the title’s question. More than that, it offers surprising lessons about love, grief, fatherhood, and family.
2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlist Selection
When Sean Flynn’s neighbor in North Carolina texted “Any chance you guys want a peacock? No kidding!” he stared bewilderedly at his phone. He had never considered whether he wanted a peacock. But as an award-winning magazine writer, this kind of mystery intrigued him. So he, his wife, and their two young sons became the owners of not one but three charming yet fickle birds: Carl, Ethel, and Mr. Pickle.
In Why Peacocks?, Flynn chronicles his hilarious and heartwarming first year as a peacock owner, from struggling to build a pen to assisting the local bird doctor in surgery to triumphantly watching a peahen lay her first egg. He also examines the history of peacocks, from their appearance in the Garden of Eden to their befuddling Charles Darwin to their bewitching the likes of Flannery O’Connor and Martha Stewart. And fueled by a reporter’s curiosity, he travels across the globe to learn more about the birds firsthand, with stops including a Scottish castle where peacocks have resided for centuries, a southern California community tormented by a serial killer of peacocks, and a Kansas City airport hotel hosting an annual gathering of true peafowl aficionados.
At turns comically absurd and deeply poignant, Why Peacocks? blends lively, insightful memoir and illuminating science journalism to answer the title’s question. More than that, it offers surprising lessons about love, grief, fatherhood, and family.
Author
Sean Flynn
Sean Flynn is a National Magazine Award–winning journalist and author who's reported from six continents during the past thirty years. A long-time correspondent for GQ, his work has been widely anthologized and translated into nearly a dozen languages. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and two boys.
Related to Why Peacocks?
Related audiobooks
The Language of Butterflies: How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives Unlocked the Secrets of the World's Favorite Insect Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hummingbirds' Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wayfinding: The Science and Mystery of How Humans Navigate the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Birds of Pandemonium Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Lives of Owls: The Science and Spirit of Nature's Most Elusive Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat's Walk Across America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Superlative: The Biology of Extremes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Sharks Matter: A Deep Dive with the World's Most Misunderstood Predator Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Next of Kin: What Chimpanzees Tell Us About Who We Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs: How the Struggle for Survival Has Shaped Birds and Their Behavior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Life of Life: A Walk through the Reaches of Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Octopus Scientists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5War of the Whales: A True Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive one of History's Most Iconic Extinct Creatures Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tree Story: The History of the World Written in Rings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Liquid Gold: Bees and the Pursuit of Midlife Honey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Breath of a Whale: The Science and Spirit of Pacific Ocean Giants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Biology For You
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Radiolab: Journey Through The Human Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How the Mind Works Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Uncertain Sea: Fear is everywhere. Embrace it. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Second Nature: A Gardener's Education Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hot Zone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in Our Society Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion: Surprising Observations of a Hidden World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Why Peacocks?
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5the part where we had to put the cat to sleep was so sad but beautifully written