Divorce Among the Gulls: An Uncommon Look at Human Nature

The idea that there is some common cause in the workings of the human and animal mind is often ridiculed and dismissed as anthropomorphism. But, asks William Jordan, what if the intellectual establishment has it backwards? What if, instead of attributing human motives to animals, we paid more attention to the animal motives in humans? Divorce Among the Gulls is a startling exploration of this notion. 
Jordan combines a storyteller's imagination and wit with a scientist's uncompromising attention to fact. Whether in a meditation on the extraordinary lives of insects beneath a canopy of alfalfa or in an explanation of the battle between male and female seagulls over which will incubate their eggs, Jordan eagerly throws open the door to his topsy-turvy view of the universe. Throughout, he evokes a sense of the fundamental kinship that yokes us all, human and animal, to the natural world. Divorce Among the Gulls is a thought-provoking and gracefully written essay.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Jordan, William

Psychology & Counseling

Perennial

Bill Jordan's life changed forever the day a stray cat nesting under his bougainvillea bit him on the hand. A reformed biologist, Jordan had no particular love for animals and felt vaguely contemptuous of those who did — until the cat, beckoning with a wink and a yawn, led him on a journey to exotic lands, strange cultures, and fascinating discoveries. As their bond deepened and the cat's health began to fail, Jordan was forced into a commitment more devoted and sincere than any he had known before. Puzzling through his own feelings, he came to some remarkable conclusions: that those we love live in the synapses and molecules of memory, and that as long as we exist, they exist as part of our brain. It doesn't matter to our neurons whether the loved one is animal or human; the mechanism is the same. Even so, the two relationships are quite different: A cat is a creature with whom one shares solitude; with a human being, on the other hand, solitude generally means a failed relationship. And while communion with animals is usually considered inferior to communication with human beings, the truth is that the need for companionship is a human trait. In the absence of other companionship, the human mind will grow around any living thing like a vine. Bill Jordan learned that the first time your mind grows around a cat, you don’t realize you have fallen in love until it’s too late.

A Cat Named Darwin: How a Stray Cat Changed a Man into a Human Being

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Pets & Animal Care

Houghton, mifflin, harcourt

In this endearing memoir, William Jordan's reluctant adoption of a stray cat leads to an unexpectedly deep bond, one that will be immediately recognizable to anyone who has ever fallen under the spell of a pet. When Jordan brings Darwin into his home, he is forced into a commitment more devoted and sincere than any he has known before. He observes Darwin not only with the lovestruck gaze of a doting pet owner but also with the keen eye of a trained scientist, and he ruminates insightfully on the complex relationship between humans and their pets. Through issues of territory and separation, sickness and health, Jordan's heartrending memoir of his relationship with Darwin is made irresistible by his "self-effacing honesty, his ever-present wit, and, above all, the unashamed nakedness of his emotions" (San Diego Union-Tribune).

A Cat Named Darwin: Embracing the Bond Between Man and Pet

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Harvest

Spanish Still Life in the Golden Age, 1600-1650

Arts & Photography

Kimbell Art Museum

Book by Koch, Charles; Jordan, William; and Murphy, Richard.

Administrative Law: Cases and Materials Selected State and Federal Statutes: Fifth Edition: 2006 Statutory Supplement.

Koch, Charles

and Murphy, Richard

LexisNexis

Examines the correlation between animal and human behavior

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

NORTH POINT PRESS

Biological Sciences

North Point Pr

A practical guide to controlling pests on plants in the home and greenhouse

What's eating your houseplants?: A guide to controlling indoor plant pests

Rodale Press

Packed with real-world solutions and unique financial insights, William Jordan's book delivers a powerful tool for protecting wealth. Built upon nearly two decades of experience and crafted through the first decade of the new millennium, the wealth tools and techniques within Strategic Wealth are able to withstand today's unpredictable economic conditions. While affluent investors discovered during the 2000s that the "buy and hold" or "time in the market" strategies they were sold failed to deliver on their promises, the principles and investment approach discussed in Strategic Wealth continued to hit the target. Realizing that "Wall Street doesn't get it", William Jordan has designed financial strategies to deliver what wealthy investors want most: peace of mind. If you desire an approach to wealth management that emphasizes protecting principle without sacrificing potential returns, Strategic Wealth delivers.

Strategic Wealth: Protect Your Wealth from the Markets, the Government, and Wall Street

Business & Money

Investing

Pursuit Publishing

Ancient Concepts of Philosophy

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Books by Jordan, William