Review: PARROT by Paul Carter

Parrot by Paul Carter is more interesting for what it says about humans looking at parrots than for what it says about the parrots themselves. From prehistoric rock art of macaws to parrot jokes, Carter's main thesis is that "parrots are dreamed before they are seen"--that the parrot is really a mirror, reflecting mostly our projections of fantasies about Otherness. While that is to a degree true, Carter himself falls into this trap as he incredulously wonders about parrot psychologists and muses on the emotional unstability of loveless parrot-owners. As a book about culture, it was fascinating; as a book about parrots, it was unsatisfying.

Giant Bird enjoyed the book, though, and put some holes in the cover by way of autograph...