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Love, Life, and Elephants
- An African Love Story
- Narrated by: Virginia McKenna
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
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Publisher's summary
Daphne Sheldrick, whose family arrived in Africa from Scotland in the 1820s, is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya's rich variety of wildlife, and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos, and other baby animals from certain death.
In this heartwarming and poignant memoir, Daphne shares her amazing relationships with a host of orphans, including her first love, Bushy, a liquid-eyed antelope; Rickey-Tickey-Tavey, the little dwarf mongoose; Gregory Peck, the busy buffalo weaver bird; Huppety, the mischievous zebra; and the majestic elephant Eleanor, with whom Daphne has shared more than forty years of great friendship.
But this is also a magical and heartbreaking human love story between Daphne and David Sheldrick, the famous Tsavo Park warden. It was their deep and passionate love, David's extraordinary insight into all aspects of nature, and the tragedy of his early death that inspired Daphne's vast array of achievements, most notably the founding of the world-renowned David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Orphans' Nursery in Nairobi National Park, where Daphne continues to live and work to this day.
Encompassing not only David and Daphne's tireless campaign for an end to poaching and for conserving Kenya's wildlife, but also their ability to engage with the human side of animals and their rearing of the orphans expressly so they can return to the wild, Love, Life, and Elephants is alive with compassion and humor, providing a rare insight into the life of one of the world's most remarkable women.
Critic reviews
“If Dame Daphne hadn't already been honored by the Queen of England, I would peronally lobby on her behalf. This extraordinary woman has saved hundreds of orphaned baby elephants left parentless by poachers, as well as rhinos, gazelles and other African animals . . . As if that wasn't enough, she can write, too.” —Chloe Schama, Smithsonian magazine
“Five Stars . . . [Sheldrick] and her pioneering game warden husband David have often been ahead of science in their understanding of African wildlife. Cynics scoffed for years at the ‘thrilling in the air' many people claimed to feel around elephants, and at the rumours that they could communicate over many kilometres--until it was proved that infrasonic calls at a frequency of 21 hertz were responsible for both phenomena . . . An enchanting memoir . . . This book raises many questions about who belongs where: both people and animals.” —Helen Brown, The Daily Telegraph (UK)
“In this highly personal autobiography, [Sheldrick] recounts a lifetime of fostering orphan mammals, reptiles, and birds while raising a family and helping her valiant husband develop Kenya's national parks in an era of political turmoil and rampant poaching. Filled with eyewitness accounts of African conservation, astute wildlife observations, and a touching love story, Sheldrick's book will delight nature-loving readers.” —Rick Roche, Booklist
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Great story!
- By Amazon Customer on 01-06-22
By: Bob Irwin, and others
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The Old Way
- A Story of the First People
- By: Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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One of our most influential anthropologists reevaluates her long and illustrious career by returning to her roots and the roots of life as we know it. When Elizabeth Marshall Thomas first arrived in Africa to live among the Kalahari bushmen, she was 19, and these last surviving hunter-gatherers were living as humans had for 15,000 centuries. After a lifetime of interest in the bushmen, Thomas has come to see that their lifestyle reveals great, hidden truths about human evolution.
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Interesting first hand experience
- By Victor on 05-25-07
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How to Be a Good Creature
- A Memoir in Thirteen Animals
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet's rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy's life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets. This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals - Sy's friends - and the truths revealed by their grace.
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Enchanting Start To 2019....
- By Rory on 01-02-19
By: Sy Montgomery
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Through a Window
- My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe
- By: Jane Goodall
- Narrated by: Pearl Hewitt
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe is a community where the principal residents are chimpanzees. Through Jane Goodall's eyes we watch young Figan's rise to power and old Mike's crushing defeat. We learn how one mother rears her children to succeed, and another dooms hers to failure. We witness horrifying murders, touching moments of affection, joyous births, and wrenching deaths. As Goodall compellingly tells the story of this intimately intertwined community, we are shown human emotions stripped to their essence. In the mirror of chimpanzee life, we see ourselves reflected.
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The wonderful Dr. Jane Goodall
- By knvmxi on 04-05-19
By: Jane Goodall
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The River of Doubt
- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- By: Candice Millard
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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At once an incredible adventure narrative and a penetrating biographical portrait, The River of Doubt is the true story of Theodore Roosevelt's harrowing exploration of one of the most dangerous rivers on earth.
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This audiobook deserves 6 stars
- By D. Littman on 11-15-05
By: Candice Millard
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Ring of Bright Water
- By: Gavin Maxwell
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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'Ring of Bright Water' represents Gavin Maxwell's account of his life at Camusfearna, a remote cottage in the western Highlands, and in particular the two otters, Mijbil and Edal, who became his constant and much-loved companions.
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A Kindness to Creatures Great and Small
- By Sariah on 01-19-18
By: Gavin Maxwell
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The Good Good Pig
- The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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A naturalist who spent months at a time living on her own among wild creatures in remote jungles, Sy Montgomery had always felt more comfortable with animals than with people. So she gladly opened her heart to a sick piglet who had been crowded away from nourishing meals by his stronger siblings. Yet Sy had no inkling that this piglet, later named Christopher Hogwood, would not only survive but flourish.
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Uplifting memoir of a pig + autobiography
- By Diana on 04-04-19
By: Sy Montgomery
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The Road from Coorain
- By: Jill Ker Conway
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1930s, Jill Ker's parents bought a sheep farm on the western plains of New South Wales. In 1944, they lost nearly everything when a drought hit. Forced to leave Coorain, 11-year-old Jill and her mother settled in Sydney where Jill struggled to find a place for herself among Sydney's elite. Her story, both a chronicle of life in the Australian outback and the odyssey of a brilliant woman fighting the constraints of her time, offers a loving view of Australia.
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So glad I (finally) listened to my aunt
- By T. on 07-12-13
By: Jill Ker Conway
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Exploration Fawcett
- Journey to the Lost City of Z
- By: Lt. Col. P. H. Fawcett
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the true story of the real Colonel Fawcett, whose life was the inspiration for the best-selling book The Lost City of Z and an upcoming movie starring Brad Pitt. A thrilling account, it tells of Colonel Fawcett and his mysterious disappearance in the Amazon jungle, which is now considered one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.
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Rather academic, but fascinating.
- By Belinda C. on 04-03-17
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White Hunters
- By: Brian Herne
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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A little over 100 years ago, East Africa was terra incognita to most whites: a land largely unmapped, sparsely settled by Europeans, and teeming with wildlife. It was the hunter-adventurer's paradise, and by the early 20th century, a small, lionhearted clan of explorers and big-game hunters began leading safaris there for money.
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A fascinating account ....
- By Stephen on 01-12-07
By: Brian Herne
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Growing Up bin Laden
- Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World
- By: Jean Sasson, Najwa bin Laden, Omar bin Laden
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A true story that few ever believed would come to light, Growing Up bin Laden uncovers startling revelations and hidden secrets carefully guarded by the most wanted terrorist of our lifetime, Osama bin Laden.
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Fascinating. I could not stop listening.
- By Curatina on 04-14-10
By: Jean Sasson, and others
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Roosevelt the Explorer
- Teddy Roosevelt's Amazing Adventures as a Naturalist, Conservationist, and Explorer
- By: Paul H. Jeffers
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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No American president has been more enthusiastic in appreciating the wilderness and in conserving our nation’s natural treasures than Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919). And no other president wrote more about nature and his explorations of it than T. R., in scattered books, such as African Wilderness, and in his countless letters, including those collected in The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt).
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Performance
- By John on 01-12-18
By: Paul H. Jeffers
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The Stories of Eva Luna
- By: Isabel Allende
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Pena
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Abridged
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Immerse yourself in a world of love, vengeance, compassion, and irony with the evocative stories of Eva Luna. Author Isabel Allende introduced this well-loved character to audiences in her earlier novel, Eva Luna. Listen to Allende talk about the role of writing in her life in Giving Birth, Finding Form. This program also features Alice Walker and Jean Shinoda Bolen.
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Better some Allende than no Allende
- By Perschon on 12-04-14
By: Isabel Allende
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What Elephants Know
- By: Eric Dinerstein
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Abandoned in the jungle of the Nepalese Borderlands, two-year-old Nandu is found living under the protective watch of a pack of wild dogs. From his mysterious beginnings, fate delivers him to the king's elephant stable, where he is raised by unlikely parents - the wise head of the stable, Subba-sahib, and Devi Kali, a fierce and affectionate female elephant. When the king's government threatens to close the stable, Nandu, now 12, searches for a way to save his family and community. A risky plan could be the answer.
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loved it
- By Christina McGrath on 12-30-21
By: Eric Dinerstein
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The Dragon Behind the Glass
- A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish
- By: Emily Voigt
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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A young man is murdered for his prized pet fish. An Asian tycoon buys a single specimen for $150,000. Meanwhile, a pet detective chases smugglers through the streets of New York. Delving into an outlandish realm of obsession, paranoia, and criminality, The Dragon Behind the Glass tells the story of a fish like none other: a powerful predator dating to the age of the dinosaurs.
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A "must read" for all fish professionals.
- By Fishgen on 06-26-16
By: Emily Voigt
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The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel.
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Brilliant
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I want to go there
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How Iceland Changed the World
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The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel.
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Author Read and So Moving
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Modoc
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Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again: through a near-fatal shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, an apprenticeship with the legendary Mahout elephant trainers in the Indian teak forests, and their eventual rise to circus stardom in 1940s New York City. As the African Sun-Times put it, Modoc is "heartwarming...probably the greatest love story ever told".
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Fiction -- Not True as claimed
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The Good Good Pig
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A naturalist who spent months at a time living on her own among wild creatures in remote jungles, Sy Montgomery had always felt more comfortable with animals than with people. So she gladly opened her heart to a sick piglet who had been crowded away from nourishing meals by his stronger siblings. Yet Sy had no inkling that this piglet, later named Christopher Hogwood, would not only survive but flourish.
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Uplifting memoir of a pig + autobiography
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Where does one go without health insurance, when turned away by hospitals, clinics, and doctors? In The People’s Hospital, physician Ricardo Nuila’s stunning debut, we follow the lives of five uninsured Houstonians as their struggle for survival leads them to a hospital where insurance comes second to genuine care.
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Niche perspective
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Secrets of the Savanna
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In this riveting real-life adventure, Mark and Delia Owens tell the dramatic story of their last years in Africa, fighting to save elephants, villagers, and - in the end - themselves. The award-winning zoologists and pioneering conservationists describe their work in the remote and ruggedly beautiful Luangwa Valley, in northeastern Zambia. There they studied the mysteries of the elephant population’s recovery after poaching, discovering remarkable similarities between humans and elephants.
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A vivid view of the savanna in Africa, culture and wildlife!
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By: Mark Owens, and others
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Whatever You Do, Don't Run
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Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry elephants, and the world's most unpredictable animals: herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!
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Drivers May Laugh Too Hard to Drive!
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The Best Strangers in the World
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Story
In his first book, broadcaster Ari Shapiro takes us around the globe to reveal the stories behind narratives that are sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, but always poignant. He details his time traveling on Air Force One with President Obama, or following the path of Syrian refugees fleeing war, or learning from those fighting for social justice both at home and abroad.
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Interesting life…….
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The Exceptions
- Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science
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In 1963, a female student was attending a lecture given by Nobel Prize winner James Watson, then tenured at Harvard. At nineteen, she was struggling to define her future. She had given herself just ten years to fulfill her professional ambitions before starting the family she was expected to have. For women at that time, a future on the usual path of academic science was unimaginable—but during that lecture, young Nancy Hopkins fell in love with the promise of genetics. Confidently believing science to be a pure meritocracy, she embarked on a career.
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Unbelievable
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Out of Africa & Shadows on the Grass
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In this audiobook, the author of Seven Gothic Tales gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives; of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom; of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her; of primitive festivals; of big game that were her near neighbors - lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes; and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful.
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Sketches of Africa
- By Jay Quintana on 03-26-16
By: Isak Dinesen
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Babylon's Ark
- The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq, he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, Anthony defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies.
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Engrossing, inspiring, and a little meandering
- By Skipper on 06-22-15
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
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Funny Farm
- My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
- By: Laurie Zaleski
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Laurie Zaleski never aspired to run an animal rescue; that was her mother Annie’s dream. But from girlhood, Laurie was determined to make the dream come true. Thirty years later as a successful businesswoman, she did it, buying a 15-acre farm deep in the Pinelands of South Jersey. She was planning to relocate Annie and her caravan of ragtag rescues - horses and goats, dogs and cats, chickens and pigs - when Annie died, just two weeks before moving day. In her heartbreak, Laurie resolved to make her mother’s dream her own.
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Heartwarming
- By Petfan on 04-13-22
By: Laurie Zaleski
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A Most Remarkable Creature
- The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World's Smartest Birds of Prey
- By: Jonathan Meiburg
- Narrated by: Jonathan Meiburg
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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An enthralling account of a modern voyage of discovery as we meet the clever, social birds of prey called caracaras, which puzzled Darwin, fascinate modern-day falconers, and carry secrets of our planet's deep past in their family history.
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I don't leave reviews often, but . . .
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By: Jonathan Meiburg
What listeners say about Love, Life, and Elephants
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Kali
- 08-03-13
Bummer of a book.
I’m going to be real, I gave up on this book after dragging myself through 11 hours of the 14 hour long audiobook. My breaking point came when – shocker! – the millionth animal struggling to survive under Daphne’s care, or trying to survive in the wild after leaving her care, dies.
I love animals, and I want to love people’s heart-warming stories of living with animals. I like the idea of these stories. I like my own life, lived with two cats. I worked at the Humane Society and fell under the spell of fluffy unfortunates on the daily. But here’s the deal: I can’t get through these books. The quirky Enslaved by Ducks by Bob Tarte, the kitschily titled book about the PTSD dude with a dog, this dame’s adventures interfering with wildlife after her people (she greatly regrets) fail to colonize Africa. I find these books sweet and mildly irritating and vaguely un-notable. I think Daphne’s descriptions and view of the jungle as enchanting and full of delight is beautifully expressed, and I’d love for her to write a fiction novel that focuses more on people and events in that sort of rare environment – I’d find that intriguing.
I also do find a bit of her cultural belief system the elephant (ha! obvious pun there) in the room. At one point she talks of how she fears a one vote per one person system for an independent Kenya, stating this would give Africans a majority vote over whites. The concept of someone publicly believing Africans should receive less of a vote than white settlers based on skin color is so offensive/racist it made me question if I should have purchased the book at all. On a more debatable thought level than every human being equal to one vote, her husband devotes himself to ending poaching in their area only to be confronted with ideas of overpopulation and arguments for culling. I wonder if this “we know best” attitude of cultural interference is healthy for anyone – the wildlife they have decided needs saving, the indigenous people whose ways of life they have decided to interfere with, etc.
As a final note, this was read by the author. This rarely works and always disappoints me. Daphne Sheldrick is now an older woman, telling the stories of a younger one. It was harder for me to get over the older voice – like I was being told a bedtime story of a yesteryear, the bygone days that I’m sure Sheldrick pines for. I think a younger narrator may have suited the story better.
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18 people found this helpful
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- Mimi Routh
- 08-26-12
A LOVE STORY IN EVERY SENSE
[THE PRINT AND KINDLE VERSIONS OF THIS BOOK HAVE MANY PAGES OF MAPS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. THE AUDIO VERSION DESERVES A PDF FILE OF THE SAME!]
This is the people and animal book I was looking for when I gave a disappointed review to Love at First Bark. This book is first a love story about the life of a very loving woman, two husbands -- both great loves, a daughter from each, and years of fascinating work with animals in Kenya. Daphne Sheldrick tells her own life story, weaving family events with animal friends, scientific discoveries, and world and Kenyan politics. She waxes quite poetic in spots, describing the romance and beauty of the scenery, the scent of ylang-ylang and animal sounds in the night. The story is balanced and consistent, although one chapter may be about high-level politics and the next may focus on an orphaned rhino or elephant they are raising. I found the joyful descriptions of the garden and the small creatures living nearby helps to compensate for the heart-breaking saga of poaching and general corruption.
Virginia McKenna, the narrator, is outstanding. She is a great actress, turning the words into a musical composition expressing fun, excitement and joy, slowing to a whisper for serious parts. She sounds like an old English lady wearing a ruffly blouse, face powder and a flowery scent, which may be just how the author herself would sound. Mrs. Sheldrick is only 78 now, living and working near Nairobi.
Predictably some people will be "turned off" by mention of culling and poaching -- all the wildlife systematically killed through greed, ignorance and bad politics. Well, folks, welcome to the real world! After all, what happened to our own buffalo! I do my own bit in wildlife rehabilitation in California. I cry hot tears when even one bear is disposed of unnecessarily. Too many people around the world still think animals don't matter, can't feel, etc. This is a valid part of "respect life," as a bear cub, eagle or river otter has a tremendous potential for life and joy. So I was actually helped, even comforted, by the way Mrs. Sheldrick handles these painful events in her own story.
As to animal communication, the author believes elephants communicate over wide areas by telepathy. She is not an animal psychic. However, David, her second husband, was an expert at reading the body language of the animals, and in that way they could discern feelings. She and David are not afraid to attribute human emotions to the animals they love. Indeed, elephants are more loving and caring to their family members than most people these days!
This is a totally lovely book! The sad and violent parts are not gratuitous; they have to be told. I love you, Daphne!
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13 people found this helpful
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- K&T NYC
- 07-05-12
Interesting life experience, tedious book
While Daphne Sheldrick undoubtedly led a fascinating life in Africa, this is not a fascinating book. It has the feel of a book that she started writing for her children, and then someone persuaded her to publish it for a general audience, but without eliminating the details that only a family member could find interesting. It is chock full of overly long, banal descriptions, repetitive observations and minor characters who come and go without contributing anything of significance. Every time a major life shift is going to happen, it is telegraphed so obviously that by the time it actually happens you're thinking, "just GET ON WITH IT, already!"
Dame Sheldrick also seems to lack any sense of perspective about things like colonialism and animal welfare. Her views are, understandably, rooted in her era, but several decades on she seems not to have gained any nuance in her point of view, or any sense of the larger societal issues that were at play and which contributed to the complexity of her situation. So she's really not contributing anything new to the literature of that time and place. She isn't one for enlightening analysis, favoring instead a worldview based on sentiment. For instance, she clearly thinks of herself as the "mother" of all these orphaned animals, and she frequently talks about how attached they are to her. But she seems to act primarily with her heart rather than her head, which makes her actions often seem capricious and poorly thought out, and perhaps not in the best interests of these animals she's so interested in protecting.
The narrator of the book contributes to the problem by reading the most sentimental lines in a tremulous whisper, which just emphasizes how amateurish and repetitive the writing is. In addition, she mispronounces words frequently. At first, I attributed this to differences between US and British pronunciation, but then she pronounced the word "geyser" first as "gazer" and then as "geezer" and I decided it was her, not me.
I should mention that the preface to the book is riveting -- if the rest of the book were like this, I would have been far more interested in it. As it is, with three more hours to slog through before my book club meeting, I'm seriously contemplating skipping the rest of it. I'd rate this one a complete waste of time.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Cynthia
- 06-04-12
It's all about the Elephants and the other orphans
What made the experience of listening to Love, Life, and Elephants the most enjoyable?
This is a deeply moving story of life and death of humans and animals. If you have any affinity for Africa and its wildlife, this is an absolute must read. Ms. McKenna, the narrator, was exquisite.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Daphne and David. Plus the whole menagerie of orphaned little ones.
Which scene was your favorite?
The entire book!
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, too bad one needs to sleep sometimes.
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- Sharon
- 03-01-14
An amazing woman and her story
As someone who has worked in the field of wildlife rehabilitation for many years now, I love books like this. Daphne Sheldrick is a true hero of mine and one amazing woman. She has lived an incredible life. Her second husband, David Sheldrick, was Daphne's mentor and soulmate. When he died of a heart attack at 57, Daphne was devastated, but went on to find her own calling raising orphaned elephants. This is no small task, no pun intended, and the knowledge she has gained is used all over the world to help orphaned elephants and other species. The things she has learned about elephants she passes on to the reader, making it all way too sad to see what is happening to these magnificent animals due to poaching. Elephants are light years ahead of humans on almost any level.
This book could have done with a bit of editing. Some things are a bit repetitive, but it is a small criticism.
I think having Virginia McKenna read this book to us was a very good choice. She is about the same age as Dame Sheldrick, and she has quite a bit of experience with wildlife herself. She and her late husband Bill founded the Born Free Foundation. She is a hero of mine as well.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Cindy
- 09-13-18
Good book eventually.
After persevering through the first half of the book I really enjoyed it. I had read other reviews saying to stick with it and I did. Once the author began telling about her life with the animals the book was very good.
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- Ellen Francisco
- 09-15-15
Amazing story
This is one of the best books I have read (listened) to. What an incredible woman Dame Daphne Sheldrick is. Her life is one of passion, love, heartache and compassion and I enjoyed every moment. I wish I had read this before I had been to the orphanage this last March. I tell everyone who will listen to me about the work they are doing and I have adopted several elephants for friends so that they will become involved. Thank you to the Sheldrick family for all that you do.
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- natalia oleinik
- 03-01-19
Amazing
Great life story! Maybe a bit to detailed at some parts. Made me want to buy an actual book. The narrator's British accent was a bit hard for me to follow. But overall AMAZING book
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- Caren E.
- 12-08-18
African life in the bush
what it's like to grow up among the plants and animals of the African plains. if you like Africa and the elephants you will love this story.
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- Rachel Chesterman
- 11-15-18
My Favorite
I loved this story so much. I related to her story of loss and hope. I have always loved elephants but after reading this book I have a deeper understanding and love for them.
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