The Curse of the Labrador Duck: My Obsessive Quest to the Edge of Extinction

This book proves that it is all about the journey and not just reaching the destination. You will learn surprisingly little about Labrador Ducks in this book (possibly because there is surprisingly little known about them,) but you will learn a lot about rail travel in Europe, how to navigate foreign cities on intuition, the frustrating process of getting in touch with museum curators, and especially how an obsession can take hold of a life. About fifty pages into the book I was struck how similar the author's writing was similar to Bill Bryson. He has the same self-effacing observational humor that makes an obsessive quest (that I would assume few people can identify with) into an entertaining, low-impact adventure. I think Chilton makes a good template of how to appreciate the journey and people you meet along the way. Strangely, this book hits the bulls-eye for me as I am doing a project about extinct animals in North America, so I kind of wonder how this will play in Peoria. When I finished the book I was disappointed that I really didn't learn much more about Labrador Ducks, but I was happy to have been taken along for the ride.

It wasn't until my daughter reachced the age of 9 did I realize I had fathered a birder. On the trail that circumnavigates Putnam Pond (Adirondacks) we actually managed to travel 500 yards in 3.5 hours. Of course we saw a lot of birds and watched a father yellow bellied sap sucker teach his kids how to suck sap. (It involves a great deal of preparation with the tree's bark.) Now, I have inherited this trait from my daughter, and I found this book especially fun to read. While you might not feel the same passion for an extinct bird, the writing is witty, irrevernt in places, and very entertaining. If you know a birder, this book will make a pefect gift.

Dr Glen Chilton, from the list of degrees and professional achievements appending to his name, is a serious scientist. However, he has written a book that for charm and irreverent humor will cause the reader to laugh out loud. This is the story of one man who set out to view all the fifty-something stuffed and skinned specimens still existing of the Labrador Duck--a quest that took him to natural history museums in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium and Russia. The great charm of this daffy idea is Dr Chilton himself, a perfect traveling companion, ready to hit every bar on the way to the natural history museum and full of honest irreverence for the sacred cows of the great cities he visits. One sees the method in his madness, as his bird watching is done indoors in the central areas of great cities. He usually gets into the museum for free. He has a devastating eye for human foibles, a wicked sense of humor and a breezy and casual style that make this off-beat travelogue an absolute gem. Examples can be found on nearly every page: On security checks: "A lady with a hand wand checked my trouser zipper with a degree of enthusiasm that didn't seem entirely professional." On drinking before dinner: "...my dinner companions were Tony Blair, Judy Jetson, Papa Smurf, Alanis Morissette, Sir Bob Geldof, Queen Gertrude of Belgium, Thomas Hardy, and Ed Sullivan." On the Avenue of Americas in New York City: "En route, I met Shopping Cart Man, who stood in the middle of the avenue shouting, "Either you're a Republican and you're for America, or you're a Democrat and you're against America..."" Glen Chilton definitely has the eye for the odd ducks and might be a little daffy himself. To anyone who has ever enjoyed a natural history museum, this book is invaluable because Chilton does not pull his punches in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the institutions he visits. I'd recommend this to fans of travel, natural history, birds, beer and literature as Chilton's frank, off-beat observations are dead on. I'm most charmed by Dr Chilton's method of urban navigation: he just picks out some people who look like they know where they are going and follows them. He's also the kind of guy who won't rest quietly in the hotel room but goes out looking for adventure; he's the oldest guy in the bar, noting that the band does not look old enough to be there. He's a live wire and he's written a wonderfully funny book. Do read it before you go extinct.

I learned more that I ever wanted to know about Labrador Ducks (now extinct). In fact, who knew that anyone wanted to know about them? Or, that there was such a thing? Chilton, obsessively wanting to see every remaining egg and stuffed specimen of Labrador Ducks in the world, lets us travel with him as he visits each of them. Properly studied, measured and photographed, he adds to his resume as the foremost authority on them. Written with wit, this is not anywhere near a textbook. You will know enough, perhaps, to identify a Labrador Duck if a (stuffed) one should cross your path; but not enough to have more than a fifteen second conversation about them. This is more a self-expose of a scientist going way beyond the normal limits of academic study. Only 'collectors' will truly identify with Chilton's motivation; and only 'obsessives' will envy his efforts. His self-deprecating personal references add to the low-key description of his professional investigations. I don't know why the description of this book caused my curiosity to be aroused enough to grab it. I'm just glad it did. "The Curse of the Labrador Duck" is a light, humorous and well written look into a world that few ever see. It's quirky enough to be enjoyed by all. Grab your copy.

A few weeks ago while watching Jeopardy on television one question had to do with the Labrador Duck, and then within a few days this book arrived. Now I have to admit while I like watching birds and even do some water colour paintings of the birds here in the Sierras, I have never known an ornithologist and the ones I have heard of all sounded stuffy and lacking in a good sense of humor. So I was more than happy to read this fun book with the authors great wit, and awesome information that for a novice like myself will mean never ever looking at birds the same again. And looking at our book shelf with all the various Audubon society books, I had never taken the time to learn much about John James Audubon and how he was basically a starving artist and more than a tad eccentric. Did wince when I read that he would travel to remote areas like Bras d'or Harbour where he would kill birds and then pose them with wire so he could paint them. And its interesting reading of Newfoundland and Labrador and how the flies were so big it made travel this side of hell. Was interesting reading of all the places the author had traveled and the 55 stuffed Labrador Ducks he had seen in thirty some cities and the really fascinating characters he encounter along the way. And he is still offering a reward of 10k for anyone who can prove a Labrador Duck still lives. So if you have a bird watcher, or even a duck hunter or someone who loves to travel or loves to read about travel this book would make a great gift.