Kangaroo Dreaming: An Australian Wildlife Odyssey

Amazon.com

A few miles into the scorched, dusty interior of Australia along the Stuart Highway, naturalist Edward Kanze began counting carcasses. "Kangaroos stare blindly into headlights," he writes, "and the big rigs, drunk on momentum, smash them mile after bloody mile." Kanze, on what he compares at great length to Homer's Odyssey, treks around Australia in a 1980 Toyota Corolla with his wife, packing along a library of natural-history books and a predilection for avian, reptilian, and mammalian mating habits. The author of The World of John Burroughs, as well as of a nature guide to New Zealand, he visits every state in Australia in six months, meeting with park rangers, herpetologists, professional birders, and grumpy crocodile-hunter-types on a quest to intimately know the continent's bizarre wildlife.

Kanze's list of finds is immense, with birds as diverse as orange-bellied parrots, the endangered glossy black cockatoo, crimson rosellas, and deadly Cassowaries, which Kanze describes as "an Emu with a stoop, dark, stocky, with a gaudy red necklace of exposed flesh," and that the Park Service warns has trampled several people. But Kanze's adventures are not limited to birdwatching; in fact, his true pursuit is finding the majority of Australia's 40 species of kangaroos. At first they appear in such scant numbers that he marvels at a single spotting. Soon enough though, the 'roos appear in such great abundance that he shifts his focus to the duck-billed platypus outside of Canberra, the mudskippers in the coastal rainforests near Brisbane, the pythons in Lake Barrine, and the "freshies" (freshwater crocodiles) at Edith Falls.

Going beyond the Attenborough-toned walk in the field, Kanze touches on the realities of the Aboriginal plight, the invasion of the European settler, and the desecration of the Australian landscape. He even pays a visit to an asbestos mining town where passers-through are warned not to breathe the particulate-thick air. By the time Kanze and his wife are plenty full of each other, their broken-down Corolla, and the search for the rufous-banded honeyeaters, the pied herons, the hairy-nosed wombats, the white-browed crakes, the pratinoles, the cane toads, the tree kangaroos, the giant lizards, and the flying marsupials, they have sated their list, and the reader, with Australia's remarkable and often-elusive wildlife. --Lolly Merrell

Customer Reviews:

great book on Australian natural history.......2003-12-01

I read this book just after having finished Bill Bryson's travel book on Australia, "In A Sunburned Country," and the contrast could not be more vivid. Bryson focused mainly on the cities, towns, and people of Australia, and I believe he only saw a few kangaroos in his entire sojourn there. Though he did cover some natural history, most of his work was focused on the human history and culture of Australia. Kanze on the other hand on his massive journey around Australia with his wife Debbie spent very little time in cities, trying to avoid urban areas for the most part, and saw a great deal of wildlife, including probably hundreds of kangaroos. In fact, the principal reason they flew to Australia, bought a car, and spent the better part of a year driving around the continent/country (including Tasmania) was to see a bewildering array of plants, animals, and natural landscapes in the "bush."

The author introduces the reader to a many animals, some familiar, many not. We meet a wide variety of kangaroos, including the "big four," the common wallaroo (known as the "euro" in Western Australia), the red kangaroo, the eastern grey, and the western grey, as well as the musky rat-kangaroo, most "primitive" of kangaroos, smaller than a housecat, distinct in that hops on four feet rather than two, carries nest material with its tail, and is the only kangaroo that raises two young at a time rather than the usual one . They encounter the sugar glider, a marsupial that is strikingly similar to the flying squirrel of North America, one that feeds on the excretions of sap-feeing insects and eucalyptus resin, something few marsupials can digest. A wide variety of parrots (the continent possesses fifty-six species) also amazes the Kanzes when they encountered them in virtually any setting, from rain forest to desert to the middle of large cities. They meet koalas several times, a strange animal that Kanze informs us actually for a time grew more common after English settlement, as Aborigine hunting of them declined as their own populations retreated before the Europeans, only to suffer in turn when koalas caught the fancy of London furriers. They run into the ubiquitous termite mounds of Queensland, thousands of which tower over the landscape up to eight feet in height, vital to the local ecology as they serve the function of earthworms, which are unable to survive the monsoonal inundations of the local landscape. Interestingly, we learn that at least some termite species build their mounds with their broad fronts parallel to the earth's magnetic poles, one end pointing to magnetic south, the other magnetic north, with the mounds thus situated to soak up morning and afternoon sunshine but only present a thin edge to the blistering midday sun. They meet the potentially dangerous cassowary, a huge flightless bird able to run thirty miles an hour, jump five feet into the air, and disembowel a man with the slash of a talon. Advised to hide and freeze should they encounter one in the forest, the Kanzes run into an overcurious youngster and its protective parent at one point, a situation that could have ended in disaster. Told that if one froze they might be missed, as their eyesight is poor, a comment that to me brought to mind "Jurassic Park," a thought the author apparently shared. Kanze roots around underwater with a snorkel and mask for the elusive Arafura file snake, not formerly described until 1980, a snake with unusually loose but rough skin that uses to grip slippery fish, a water snake that hunts, sleeps, breeds, and gives birth without leaving the water. Among the many other animals they meet and describe for the reader are the manatee-like dugong, honey possums (the only terrestrial mammal to subsist entirely on pollen and nectar), Tasmanian devils, the hated alien cane toad, a wide variety of native frogs, bowerbirds, bandicoots, platypuses, flying foxes, dingoes, echidnas (also know as spiny anteaters), lyrebirds, sunbirds, and a wide variety of reptiles including sea turtles, pythons, many poisonous snakes, goannas (among the largest lizards alive today, goanna being the Australian name for a monitor lizard, the name probably a corruption of "iguana"), and crocodiles (both freshwater and saltwater varieties).

I learned a lot about Australian wildlife and landscapes and some about Australian history and culture and really enjoyed the book, but do offer a few small complaints. Kanze repeatedly compares his journey throughout Australia to that of Odysseus and his trials that were described in "The Odyssey." While sometimes the comparisons were apt and even mildly humorous, sometimes they seemed a bit forced and even slightly tedious, with occasional asides into Greek mythology that seemed out of place. Second, many times Kanze mentions taking pictures of a variety of animals throughout his journey, yet there is only the cover picture; nowhere are there are photographs in the book. I would have liked to have seen a few pictures at least of landscapes.

Having said that though, this is a very good Australian travel and natural history book, one I would recommend.

Australia's nature vividly described.......2001-05-11

Ed Kanze's Kangaroo Dreaming should provide a healthy counterbalance to "Survivor II" with its kitschy evocation of aboriginal ceremony and the Australian landscape. In the popular show, the only genuine elements were the landscape of the outback itself and the glimpses of wildlife. In Kanze's clear-eyed view of the same landscape, the aborigines, like our Native Americans, displaying the "ugly and all-too-universal result of western mercantile culture mixing with a tribal society." The aborigines encountered near Alice Springs - unsmiling, clutching whiskey bottles - provide one of the human portraits that truly makes Kanze's book stand out among travelogues of natural history. But as always, Kanze's eye for flora and fauna predominates and his descriptive powers are masterful: "Suddenly, bubbles appeared in the water before me. I cocked my camera, switched on the flash, and held my breath. There - there -there - I was struck dumb by my good fortune. A black, rubbery bill wider than a duck's pushed through the surface immediately before me. It was followed by webbed feet, a hairy face with beady black eyes, and a furry brown body about the size of a muskrat's. I fiddled with the camera. The platypus was so close that my lens could not focus." The frame of Kanze's story is a nine-month, 25,000-mile odyssey he and his wife Debbie took around the rim of, and to the center of, Australia. (In fact, the author has used the sections of The Odyssey itself to parallel their journey.) Along the way they meet friendly and helpful nature enthusiasts - as well as characters they'd as soon never see again. For those of us who will visit "the America on the other side of the world" (Melville's phrase) only via the armchair, the Kanzes make irresistible, funny and erudite traveling companions.

A terrific read!.......2001-04-08

For one who has not been to Australia yet, reading about this wildlife journey has been great fun. The author gives his readers a real sense of the joy of discovery and excitement of the search. Along the way, he imparts a great amount of fascinating information about the countryside and the people encountered during their travels.

I highly recommend Kanze's book for armchair travelers who have an interest in wildlife, or those who may be contemplating such an adventure for themselves. The view of Australia, its people, and its wildlife is extraordinary!

Riding With the Kanze's.......2000-10-05

Great armchair rideabout through the land down under! Witty and intelligent, Kanze has a knack for making one feel as if he and his wife were sitting in rockers in your den telling these tales. He is able to balance intelligence and knowledge with humor and candor of his own foibles. I want to go to Australia!

Great read!!.......2000-10-05

It is always a delight to read any of Mr. Kanz's books and this newest offering is just a joy. Travel is always an adventure and to be guided through the space of Australia by Mr. Kanze and his wife is a rare treat. He expertly weaves the natural history with the constant joys and uncertanty of meeting new people. People, places, nature, and new sights are what travel is about and these two have given the reader the chance to share in their wonder and adventure. BRAVO

Be sure to check out his other books. You won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Well written and superbly illustrated - great for children!

Animal Dreaming: An Aboriginal Dreamtime Story
Paul Morin
Manufacturer: Silver Whistle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Multicultural | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Customer Reviews:

Well written and superbly illustrated - great for children!.......1999-11-06

It is nice to discover a book that both entertains children and informs its' adult readers. Perhaps if we let ourselves hear (and I dare say even believe) such stories more often, our daily lives could not only be enriched, but have a whole lot more meaning to them...

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Zonk, the Dreaming Tortoise
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Zonk and the Secret Lagoon: The Further Adventures of Zonk the Dreaming Tortoise (The Adventures of Zonk the Dreaming Tortoise.)

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Book Description

Children's Picture Book

Dreaming of Animals: dialogue between self and world

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Insights into animal behavior
a timely and beautiful meditation

Dreaming of Animals: dialogue between self and world
Valerie Harms
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

What are the links between the Â“innerÂ” world of our imagination, emotions, and thoughts and the Â“outerÂ” world where we encounter animals? Can it be that the psychological and ecological are one and the same? This book shows how their convergence might alter our perception of Â“community.Â” Currently the connection between people and animals appears dysfunctional because of the accelerated loss of species. Since we will not save what we do not love, this book seeks to restore the honor and importance of animals. Dreams, including daydreams (thoughts, ideas, cultural myths) and sleep dreams, have positive and negative consequences in the world. In order to help heal ourselves and the Earth, this book dives deeply into the lives of many animals, documents our relationship to them over time, and shows how to work with dreams and dialogues. A great emotion, transforming in effect, is released when we take the beauty and power of dream animals to heart.

Download Description

What are the links between the "inner" world of our imagination, emotions, and thoughts and the "outer" world where we encounter animals? Can it be that the psychological and ecological are one and the same? This book shows how their convergence might alter our perception of "community." Currently the connection between people and animals appears dysfunctional because of the accelerated loss of species. Since we will not save what we do not love, this book seeks to restore the honor and importance of animals. Dreams, including daydreams (thoughts, ideas, cultural myths) and sleep dreams, have positive and negative consequences in the world. In order to help heal ourselves and the Earth, this book dives deeply into the lives of many animals, documents our relationship to them over time, and shows how to work with dreams and dialogues. A great emotion, transforming in effect, is released when we take the beauty and power of dream animals to heart.

Customer Reviews:

Insights into animal behavior.......2005-06-10

If you care about animals, you must read Dreaming of Animals. As Valerie Harms notes, we can learn a great deal about animals by observing their behavior, and if we make a practice of writing down our observations, we will gain an understanding and insight into their nature and their inner connectedness with humankind.
I have always believed that animals have a greater range of emotions and a higher intelligence than most people think, and this belief can be confirmed by following the author's approach.
Dreaming of Animals brings to mind fond recollections and a new appreciation of the many animals I have known over the years.
Harms has written a book that gives the reader fresh insights and much to think about.

a timely and beautiful meditation.......2005-04-29

DREAMING OF ANIMALS is a beautiful, caring, and forceful meditation on the relationship between people and animals.

Each chapter has three sections, all of which are fascinating: the details about the specific animal; commentary on how the animal has been "used," perceived, and lived alongside humans through history; and interpretations of this animal in dreams and art. There's a smorgasbord of useful and inspiring quotes from writers, artists, naturalists, and scientists, and the examples of real dreams are interesting and helpful.

I had the strong sense while reading this book that every bit of it, every sentence, was necessary -- no fluff. Harms has written a balanced, forceful book that invites the reader in, and then gives her what she's looking for. We would do well to, as Harms suggests, "have a heart that listens to animals."

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The ZERI Fables series includes 18 beautifully illustrated, bi-lingual Spanish/English children's books that use Gunter Pauli's ZERI* Education model to teach children science. The books include a teachers and parents guide and hands on activities that help children apply what they have learned. Gunter Pauli's ZERI* Education model proposes that children, adolescents and young adults learn science in a way that gives them a more profound academic understanding at the same time that it helps develop their emotional intelligence, eco-literacy, and artistic/creative capacities. If children are to learn how to think, design, create, and dream in systems, then they must be exposed to systems thinking at an early age. Critical concepts become part of the child's long-term memory and the student gains an intuitive grasp of the big picture. Then the learning of the specific tools, concepts, and principles involved become far more appealing. When students start with a story that integrates ethics, economics, biology, and mathematics, they will be drawn to studying those disciplines later on. Pauli's work in sustainable manufacturing and agricultural became the catalyst for a major educational reform in Colombia. The strife and violence that exists in this country spawned an urgent desire on the part of college students to rebuild their society. The professors and engineering students at University EAFIT in Medellin, Colombia, eagerly embraced an integrated educational approach, including a compulsory course in biology for engineering majors. As the concept spread to other universities, the need to mold the earlier educational tracks in this new direction became apparent; first in a High School in Manizales where ZERIÂ's coffee and bamboo projects have taken off, and then in elementary schools which asked for a version of this program adapted to their level, comparable to the Garden School projects of the Center for Ecoliteracy.

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Dreaming with Rousseau (Mini Masters)
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Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0811857123

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Animal Dreaming
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Amazon.com

"Centuries of travel lore suggest that when we no longer know where to turn our real journey has begun," writes author Phil Cousineau. "At that crossroads moment, a voice calls to our pilgrim soul." Many have embarked upon a pilgrimage, but few have understood its mysteries and possibilities as well as Phil Cousineau does (author of Soul Moments and The Hero's Journey). On one level this is a highly useful guidebook packed with great ideas for enlightened traveling--tape recording local voices, music, and sounds; asking contemplative questions to waitresses and bookstore owners; lighting a traveling candle every morning; making an offering to the local deity. But most compelling is Cousineau's ability to expertly map the interior landscape of a pilgrimage--the sights that lead to insights and the borders that lead to breakthroughs as we trek the exterior landscape of our planet. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Geared toward the modern-day pilgrim looking for inspiration and spiritual tools for the road, The Art of Pilgrimage weaves stories, myths, parables, and quotations from famous travelers of the past with practical suggestions and accounts of people on the sacred way today.

Customer Reviews:

"To see with the eyes of the heart".......2007-03-20

Travel - to admit of being transported - moved.

Sacred - entitled to reverence, respect.

Pilgrim - one who allows oneself to be transported.

The Art of the pilgrimage - "the daily practice of slowing down and lingering, savoring and absorbing each move/stage of the journey."

"What matters most is how deeply you see, how attentively you hear, how richly the encounters are felt in your heart and soul." (from Intro: p. xxix).

I like this book. My sister gave me a copy of it when I was preparing to travel to Scotland a few years ago. But the book is not really about the destination nor the things you encounter in your travels. It's about paying attention and being moved. In that sense, one does not need to go anywhere to undertake the pilgrimage. One could stand completely still, listening to music & be completely transformed by the experience. The "art" is the attention, the reverence and respect you give to your encounters on your "journey."

"Any journey, whether as part of a crowd or in solitude, can produce the moment of awe, the vision, contact with the numinous . . . a redemption of our wasted time." That is the "moment of being." That is the art of the pilgrimage.

[Review revised: 7/19/2007]

Part Travel-logue part philosophy of travel, a gentle good read.......2005-12-07

This is part travelogue, but very much a deeper philosophical insight into why we travel - and by talking it Cousineau expresses much of what I felt about travel but hadn't really put into words before. It is very much about getting meaning from the places you visit rather than simply visiting them, which is why spiritual and religious pilgrimages mean such a great deal.

The early christian church recognised this and put together a book of pilgrimage sites, places and ways with details of what was on the way and what was there so pilgrims could make their journey. These early travel books make it clearer the inner motive we have to travel.

Certainly the majority of people these days don't travel on pilgrimages as such any more. Yet to use a similar concept, Cousineau talks about getting meaning from the places you visit in the same way. Visiting a place is about understanding it and finding meaning from it. The more you know and understand why you are visiting somewhere the more satisfying the visit.

there are a great number of anecdotes in here - from people like an Anti-nuclear campaigner to inveterate travelers like Peter Ustinov and Cousineau's own experiences. some of these anecdotes are less successful than others, but it is the mix which gives the book strength.

On a purely aesthetic note, I really liked the hardback version of this book from Conari, the jacket is nicely illustrated with faux letters and stamps, and it also comes with a nice little green ribbon place marker. This would make a lovely gift for someone.

While you might not find deep spiritual insight into your pilgrimage or quest, you might get a deeper understanding of the drive and how to make travel a more profound experience.

The Art of Pilgrimage.......2005-08-30

A great read for someone embarking on their own pilgrimage or thinking about doing it. I'm inspired.

The Art of Pilgrimage.......2004-06-27

Phil Cousineau challenges the reader to think of each trip that you take as a pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is a state of mind... Pilgrimage is an art form... A Pilgrimage can turn an ordinary trip into a life-changing experience.

I highly recommend that you consider reading this book before your next vacation. It will add a new spin onto your journey!

Th Call of the Road.......2002-12-15

Chances are, if you're looking at this book, you're already planning a trip, and are of a mind to make your travel special. If you are not already of a mind to travel, you will be after reading even a little of "Art of Pilgrimage". Read it on the plane, on the bus, at rest stops...but if you read it sitting at home, expect to travel soon...
To put it simply, Cousineau loves to travel, and has written a book that will speak to the traveler in all of us. We are descended from nomads; the instinct is in all of us, but we get bogged down in Mundania. Cousineau mixes great quotes along with observations from his own quests and adventures. The results will most certainly help you to make your own journey a transformative event.

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