The Bird in the Waterfall: Exploring the Wonders of Water

by Jerry Dennis, Glenn Wolff (Illustrations)

There is nothing in the universe like water. It is unique and beautiful and without it there could be no life on earth. Little wonder, then, that people have always expressed such awe, delight, and reverence for it. The Bird in the Waterfall is a celebration of the wonders of water and the creatures that live in it. While exploring waterfalls and artesian springs, ocean waves and tidal bores, whirligig beetles and torrent ducks, author Jerry Dennis and artist Glenn Wolff address age-old aquatic Why do rivers meander? What are the sources of hot springs and geysers? What causes tsunamis and rogue waves? Why is water blue—and sometimes green, black, yellow, or red? Why do we gather to watch falling water and crashing surf? Why do we toss coins into fountains? At the heart of The Bird in the Waterfall is a profound appreciation for the magic, music, and poetry of water—and a passionate appeal for the protection of this most precious of the earth’s resources. “A passionate appreciation for the magic, music, and poetry of water, and an appeal for the protection of this most precious of the earth’s resources.” — Natural Resources and Wildlife Magazine “Jerry Dennis is one of today’s most readable and informative nature essayists, and his latest book, The Bird in the Waterfall , is a marvelous look at the natural history of oceans, rivers, and lakes. It ought to be required reading for anyone who loves the outdoors, angling, surfing, beachcombing, or birding.” — Buffalo News “ The Bird in the Waterfall is truly science for everyone. When you have finished reading it, you will not only know more, but you may become as charmed with water as Dennis is.” — Earth Magazine “I can’t think of anyone I know—angler, conservationist, scientific reader, curious kid—who wouldn’t enjoy, and learn from, this unusual book. And from endpaper to endpaper, it’s a visual delight, too.” — Fly Rod and Reel Magazine “A lovely natural history… written with a grand, entertaining style.” — Detroit News “Dennis teams once more with artist Glenn Wolff to create a wonderful compendium of fact and folklore, historical drama, and personal anecdote about earth’s most marvelous compound.” — Michigan Out-of-Doors “Jerry Dennis’s clear-eyed essays surpass mere explanation of facts; he conveys the rare gift of understanding the workings of nature, along with passion for its beauties and terrors. His prose is admirably paced with Glenn Wolff’s artistic microcosms.” — Arts Borealis “Jerry Dennis knows water. His new book is a tribute to the magic, music, and poetry of water and an appeal for the protection of this most precious of the earth’s resources… a perfect choice for adults and kids alike who want to discover more about how the world is put together.” — Lake Country Gazette “Nature writer Dennis conveys his deep feelings for all aspects of the aquatic realm… and parlays his fascination with the dynamics of bodies of water into a richly informative description of how lakes and rivers support myriad lifeforms.” — Booklist “Like all fine nature writing, this book instills a renewed sense of wonder for our natural world. A simple drink of water will never be the same again after reading The Bird in the Waterfall .” — Flint Journal “A masterful work of natural history [that] exerts a steady and inexorable pull. This read is well worth your while.” — Traverse Magazine

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

282 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Jerry Dennis was born in Flint in 1954, and grew up in rural northern Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Louisville in 1981, after attending Northern Michigan University and Northwestern Michigan College.

As he began his writing career, he worked as a carpenter for five years. To date, he has written for many publications. Journalistic assignments sent him to Iceland, Chile, and extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Dennis married during this time to Gail. They currently live on the shores of Lake Michigan, not far from Traverse City.

Since 2000 he has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan's Bear River Writers Conference, where he teaches creative non-fiction and nature writing.

As of 2014, he is the author of ten books, his best known book is The Living Great Lakes, about his trip around the great lakes in a rickety ship. He was awarded a place on the Michigan Notable Books list for that book.

In 2014, in response to a pricing dispute between his publisher, MacMillan Press, and Amazon, Dennis set up his own publishing house, Big Maple Press, to produce books which will be sold only through independent booksellers.

His awards include: 2004 Michigan Notable Books, 2004 Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing Award, 2004 Great Lakes Culture Best Book Award Non-Fiction, 2004 The Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature,
2003 Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville, College of Arts and Sciences,
1999 Michigan Author of the Year,
1993, 1996, 1998, and 2003 Best Book of the Year awarded by Outdoor Writers Association of America.

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, for the record - 3 stars means I liked it, found it worth reading, but it wasn't particularly outstanding. I am soon going to grad school to study water, so this book had particular interest for me. I was already familiar with the peculiar and singular properties of water on our planet, but learned much more through this book. It covers a wide array of water based phenomena on this earth in an accessible way. His prose is sometimes annoying because really, he is an enthusiast, not a writer. There were certain chapters which put me in awe of the natural processes, life forms and adaptations that exist in this world. Highlights for me: the chapters on ice, life in the water, water underground and the Sargasso sea. I was reminded of how jaded I can get and how much I really don't know about life on this planet.