{"product_id":"pigeons-andrew-d-blechman-9780802143280","title":"Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird","description":"Pigeons have been worshipped as fertility goddesses and revered as symbols of peace. Domesticated since the dawn of man, they've been used as crucial communicators in war by every major historical superpower from ancient Egypt to the United States and are credited with saving thousands of lives. Charles Darwin relied heavily on pigeons to help formulate and support his theory of evolution. Yet today they are reviled as \"rats with wings.\" Author Andrew D. Blechman traveled across the United States and Europe to meet with pigeon fanciers and pigeon haters in a quest to find out how we came to misunderstand one of mankind's most helpful and steadfast companions. Pigeons captures a Brooklyn man's quest to win the Main Event (the pigeon world's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby), as well as a convention dedicated to breeding the perfect bird. Blechman participates in a live pigeon shoot where entrants pay $150; he tracks down Mike Tyson, the nation's most famous pigeon lover; he spends time with Queen Elizabeth's Royal Pigeon Handler; and he sheds light on a radical \"pro-pigeon underground' in New York City. In \u003ci\u003ePigeons\u003c\/i\u003e, Blechman tells for the first time the remarkable story behind this seemingly unremarkable bird.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Andrew D. Blechman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0802143288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802143280\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Grove Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/10\/2007\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.18h x 5.54w x 0.66d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.7\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Upper Grade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQuiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e114326 \/ Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/11\/2007 pg. 58","brand":"Andrew D. Blechman","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43996824174847,"sku":"9780802143280","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_b0e9adf7-8390-4c4f-b5b2-04f3474f2c11.jpg?v=1683343907","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/pigeons-andrew-d-blechman-9780802143280","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}