This is a book for women.

Ms. Lacy is an excellent author. Her technique and imagination are excellent. She writes visual images that come alive in the reader's mind's eye. This book is an excellent read and it is very entertaining.

This is an author-centric book; this is not the book about a crow or crows it is advertised to be. Ms. Lacy is an author and painter who lives in Canada. She writes about taking walks and inspiration and spirituality and painting and ... oh, yes ... once in awhile she writes about her crow, Spirit, or crows, in general.

Regarding Crows: Ms. Lacy teases and seldom delivers. Ms. Lacy writes at great length about how much she learned from her crow, named Spirit. She writes at great length about the fact that she shared so much with Spirit. She writes at great length about how smart Spirit was. She tantalizes! She entices! She makes you hurry to the next page. You can't wait for these revelations to come forth. But, they don't. She doesn't fulfill her implied-promises of great revelations. Mostly she talks about ... her. She tells you how much she's going to tell you, but, then, in the end, she doesn't.

When Ms. Lacy finally gets around to talking about Spirit, it is anecdotal.

BUT!!! When she quotes the letters she received from other Canadians about their crows, the book is crow-oriented. And, there are some excellent items that I did not know. If you want to learn about crows, the cumulative amount of crow is MAYBE ten pages.

Oddly, there is a short bibliography in the back.

While not-talking about talking about crows, Ms. Lacy cannot resist a political cheap shot. Ms. Lacy takes a swat at US farmers who try to protect their crops from crows and phrases her comments to make US farmers to appear as murderous monsters. If you've ever seen crows destroy an entire corn, peanut, or chicken crop (also known as livelihood or income), you understand the farmer's concern....


For The Love of a Crow   May 4, 2001
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

"Black Spirit: The Way of the Crow" details one man's experience caring for a crow. The crow, Black Spirit, sustained injuries that prevented him from being able to survive in the wild. If you love crows or have an interest in birds in general, this is the book for you. If you consider the crow to be only a pest, this book may change your view. Crows are highly intelligent creatures who sometimes lend themselves to mischevious endeavours. I love this book because it enabled me to get closer to the essence of the crow. Laurie Lacey's life was touched by the lively and endearing crow and from the experience he learned things about himself and about life. Seems like a rather tall order for a bird. Enlightenment comes to us from the strangest sources, nothing in the universe is immune to it... or above being used as the bearer of the message. Crows have long been the source of myth and legend, and sometimes, they manifest themselves into the fabric of reality. This book can be more than just about a man taking care of a crow if you consider the spiritual element and the role it played in the author's life. In any case, whether you are interested in bird behaviour or like to dwell in the mysterious, I highly recommend this book.