What a book! I always think a connection to nature nurtures mind, body, and soul, but Scotts's story shows how nature can take you out of a bad environment and open up doors you never even imagined existed!

Rodney was in inner city youth in Washington DC. Being smarter than your average bear, he wanted to get his own apartment that needed proof of income. This is when he decides to get a part-time job and it happens to be with a conservation outfit. With other inner-city youth and himself they start to clean out The Anacostia River. At first he dreads going to work, but then he learns to love it. With great camaraderie with fellow employees they really start to make a dent in the river. The biggest game changer though came with his boss told him he wanted to start re-introducing Eagles to the forestry by the river. As a child Rodney would go to the zoo and be a maze at the hunting birds it’s up to him the seem like a dream come true and one he didn’t know he had. This would be one that changes his life and generations to come. I love the story end the witty casual way he tells it. I love his relationship with his son and his bosses mother and I especially love the way he didn’t hide the ugly parts. This is really a great book and one I highly recommend. I wish I could’ve rated it higher but the most you can give a book is five stars in a definitely deserves everyone of them. I was giving this book by Netgali but I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate most of the review but all opinions are my own.

Rodney Stotts came of age in a rough neighborhood, where guns and drugs were part of daily life. After recognizing the need to get away from bad influences, the necessity of getting a legitimate job in order to rent an apartment led him down an unorthodox path for a young black man during that time. Rodney took a position in 1992 with a new nonprofit, the Earth Conservation Corps. Restoring the polluted Anacostia River that flows through DC gave this young man a desire to help his friends and neighbors, as well as the wildlife that were harmed by the previous conditions. A love for raptors emerged, leading Rodney down a path to becoming a master falconer. Not only did he develop his own raptor education program, Rodney also mentored his own son to becoming a master falconer himself.

Rodney Stotts gave his whole life story in Bird Brother, one that was not pretty but strangely filled with hope. When dealing drugs led to jail, young Rodney did not stop dreaming of a better future. His struggles led him down a path towards healing and hope, for both himself and the wildlife that he desired to preserve.

Bird Brother was well written and narrated. Rodney Stotts was dealt a hard blow in his life circumstances, but grew up to be a great environmentalist despite all that. I would definitely recommend the audio version of this book, as I found it to be engaging and interesting. Rodney's message of not giving up on your dreams came through clearly, that one can achieve despite rough beginnings. For the reasons listed above, I would recommend Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife by NetGalley and the publisher, HighBridge Audio. The decision to review this book was entirely of my own choosing.

James Fouhey did an excellent job of narrating and was a joy to listen to.

I requested this because falconry is something I have always been interested in. I was not expecting to get an inspiring story of a man saving himself from the less than stellar life he seemed destined for. Mr. Stotts seems to be a genuinely wonderful person who is actually doing something to make the human and animal world a better place and he did a great job of laying his story out in an easy to read and entertaining way.

The only thing I would change is the picture on the cover. I would love to see the one that is used on Goodreads that includes Mr. Stotts. I feel like our patrons would be more likely to pick that one up.

Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife by Rodney Stotts is one of the most interesting books I have read this year. I loved this book! Rodney Stotts makes a marvelous personal journey from the danger-ridden streets of Washington DC to discover and fulfill his inner desire to become a conservationist and one of America’s few Black master falconers.
Rodney experienced some trouble during his life before joining a group of young adults who were given the opportunity to make a vast difference in their area. The Earth Conservation Corps offered work projects to restore and conserve the polluted Anacostia River that flows through D.C. The work was hard, disgusting, and sometimes dangerous. As I read about Monique, I felt heartbroken for her and all the team as Rodney writes of this tragedy.
I don't want to post spoilers, but the pride Rodney feels as he answers a call from his adult son, Mike, a DC firefighter who says, "Dad, I want to be a falconer!" is thrilling. Rodney's experience as he tries to rescue and free a tangled sub-adult eagle is awesome the way it circles back to his personal life.
I thought of this book for several days and felt admiration for the author's spirit of wonder and his experience of self-discovery.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I never dreamed I would be so interested in falconry! The memoir of a man who delved into the darker side of life only to come out on the other side due to the love of "big birds" was highly enjoyable. I also really enjoyed the narrator of this audio book (although I would have enjoyed reading the print book as well). The author teaches us much about not only raptors, but life lessons as well. Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review. I would love it if the author would write another book, and hope it is about "Dippey's Dream".

This is the story of a Black man who grew up in the inner city and who developed a deep appreciation and love of nature and wild birds. The chapters alternate between Stotts as young man trying to find his way and his current life as a falconer. This memoir held my interest throughout. I wanted to know how he decided to become a falconer and what happened during his journey. As I read, I found myself thinking about the importance of everyone having access to wild spaces and interactions with nature.
Stotts grew up in Southeast Washington DC surrounded by drugs and gun violence. As a young man, he started working for Earth Conservation Corps, hauling trash out of the Anacostia River. While Stotts had always felt a connection to nature and to raptors, he never saw a future for himself working in conservation or with wildlife. In fact, based on the lives of those around him, he mostly imagined that he would die young or end up in prison. Overtime, the work Stotts did with ECC lead him away from drug dealing and towards environmental education & becoming a falconer. Rodney now works to help underprivileged kids have the opportunity to connect with nature and experience the joy of working with birds of prey.
I enjoyed Bird Brother as an audiobook; the narrator did an excellent job. Thank out NetGalley for and advanced copy in return for an honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really great read for sure, read a few books on birds similar to this and i think i liked this one the best.

1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ]
Bird Brother: A Falconer's Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
by Rodney Stotts
I would have to say I started this book with a lot of ill-conceived judgements. Looking at the description now I can see how I was wrong. I love hawks, and birds of prey, and have personally watched them. Noticing their habits, and colorations, their territories, and their lives as a layman observer. So when I saw this book on Netgalley as a preview, at first glance I was not interested.

The story takes all the preconceptions I had and turns them on its head. Rodney Stotts is a story that should be shared with the young children I teach. His perception of life in urban city slums and projects would connect with so many children over looked by the system not created with them in mind. His personal struggle, from drug dealer to falconer is one of those inspiring stories that can change the world. I hope that Dippy's Dream comes true and he is able to make a youth camp for disadvantaged kids. He can tell them more than others that he has been in their shoes, he knows. Poverty and injustice, the personal struggle when children see the world as surviving just one more day. He can show them that dreaming is not impossible, it is not holding a fragile butterfly in their hand, but hard work, sacrifice, and just the nerve to keep trying when everything goes wrong. I am in awe of his courage, amazed by what he has done already, and hopeful that more stories like his will come true. What an amazing book to share with students, what an amazing man to inspire kids to find their own path.

Inspiring and engaging!
This book tells the story of Rodney Stotts' transformation and redemption from a life of drug-dealing and violence through the healing power of wildlife. As the story unfolds, he moves from a job cleaning up a polluted river just for the paystubs to learning to love nature and discovering his special connection to raptors. Against all odds, he eventually becomes a master falconer and shares his gifts and knowledge with people all over the world.

This book is written with a dual time period, switching back and forth between the early part of Rodney's life and the present day. It surprised me with how engaged I felt in the story, and learned so much along the way. I also learned that there is a documentary about his life on PBS called "The Falconer." Highly recommended!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4494926606?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

A truly inspiring and uplifting story which should be delivered to as many people as possible, especially to young adults.

Rodney's love of nature and enthusiasm is tangible throughout the book and his being a natural born educator is unquestionable. James Fouhey as narrator of the audio version was an excellent choice, he makes this a lively, entertaining and memorable book. I am so glad that I picked this up!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for an Advance Review Copy.

Interesting and inspiring book!
Also the narrator did a good job and has a great voice to listen too.

If you read one book this year, make it this one.

Usually I carefully construct my review in my head as I am reading a book. It grows as I read more of the book. If one were to peer inside my head and take a peek at this review they would discover many drafts that transformed rather than added up. I found myself whole-heartedly believing Rodney Stotts.

This isn't your typical feel good book, put it down satisfied, and then move on to the next thing. I found myself digging through seeds figuring out what native plants I would invest in this year. I saw a red-tailed hawk on the way home from work and felt a sense of peace. I recommend the book to my local library once it is published.

As an educator one message resonated more than any. I began thinking about who I am beyond the job and the job right now if most of us are being honest feels suffocating. Most importantly it lead me to not just hope but make a plan for my next big thing.

*******Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review***************************

'Bird Brother' is a heart-warming and unusual story, and I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version. While I do get an extra kick out of hearing the author tell the story themselves, I still loved the accent and the slightly gravelly tones of this narrator - it felt very genuine, to me at least.

Stotts' narrative moves back and forth in time as he charts his path from dealing drugs to restoring river habitat to becoming a master falconer. Every section held my attention, and it turned out to be an emotional rollercoaster as Stotts recounts a sequence of devastating personal losses. Still, this is mirrored by an equally powerful sense of family and love, as the author encourages his own son to become a falconer, and devotes himself to educating Americans on conservation.

The book is shorter than I'm used to, which was a bit of a downer for me. I would've liked a few sections on the history of raptor conservation in the US interspersed through the narrative. Still, Stotts tells a great story, and it's one that should be celebrated.

(With thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)