{"product_id":"duck-victoria-de-rijke-9781861893505","title":"Duck","description":"The squat, noisy duck occupies a prominent role in the human cultural imagination, as evidenced by everything from the rubber duck of childhood baths to insurance commercials. With \u003ci\u003eDuck\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eVictoria de Rijke explores the universality of this quacking bird through the course of human culture and history. From the Eider duck to the Brazilian teal to the familiar mallard, duck species are richly diverse, and de Rijke offers a comprehensive overview of their evolutionary history. She explores the numerous roles that the duck plays in literature, art, and religion--including the Hebrew belief that ducks represent immortality, and the Finnish myth that the universe was hatched from a duck's egg. The author also highlights the significant role humor has always played in human imaginings of duck life, such as the \u003ci\u003eTopographia Hibernia\u003c\/i\u003e, a twelfth-century tome contending that ducks originated as growths on tree trunks washed up on a beach. But the book does not neglect the bird's role in everyday life as well, from food dishes to jokes to beloved animated characters such as Daffy Duck and Donald Duck. \u003ci\u003eDuck \u003c\/i\u003eis an entertaining account of a bird whose distinctive silhouette is known the world over.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Victoria de Rijke\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1861893507\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781861893505\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Reaktion Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/15\/2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.40h x 5.20w x 0.60d","brand":"Victoria de Rijke","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44075102961919,"sku":"9781861893505","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_481b1d18-d219-4102-9739-0c1757565eef.jpg?v=1685457623","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/duck-victoria-de-rijke-9781861893505","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}