A small and very readable book about the life of birds. It mentions various behaviors from different species and discusses how they relate to humans and our lives, and how they can help us learn something.

The book is divided into many small parts, each dedicated to a specific behavior. The authors describe the behaviors, analyze them briefly, and make a parallel with humans to show how it can be useful for us. I liked that the findings of ornithological research were used, but unfortunately, the studies are not noted and there are no references. I did not find it very restrictive (although one of the authors is an ornithologist) as the book is mainly philosophical and not strictly scientific. I also liked the fact that almost always an evolutionary explanation of the behaviors was given; this is important because the book has an otherwise romantic to philosophical perspective on examining these ideas. The description of the evolutionary factors that lead to these mainly ingrained behaviors avoids misleading readers who are not very familiar with zoology and ethology.

Although I believe that "The Philosophy of Birds" could analyze certain ideas more in-depth at some points, I don't think it necessarily should be a bigger book. It can be quite profound if someone takes the time to process all the ideas. It covers many behaviors and explains things simply and with some very accurate observations of our daily lives. It is definitely not a self-help book, but it doesn't aim to be - and I don't think it should be. The ideas discussed provide enough stimuli for thought but do not try to promote a specific type of lifestyle - one can simply read it to appreciate birds more. I think this book is aimed at a wide audience, especially those interested in birds and their habits. Everyone can learn something from it, and that's why I would recommend it to almost everyone.