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Jennifer Ackerman author biography, plus links to books by Jennifer Ackerman.

Author Snapshot

Jennifer Ackerman

Jennifer Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for more than three decades. Her book What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds explores recent findings on the biology, behavior, and conservation of owls. Her previous book, The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think, was a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Her New York Times bestselling book, The Genius of Birds, has been translated into 25 languages and was named one of the best nonfiction books of 2016 by the Wall Street Journal, a Best Science Book by National Public Radio's "Science Friday," and a Nature Book of the Year by the London Sunday Times. Her other books include Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast (2019 reissue by Penguin Press of her first book, Notes from the Shore), Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body, and Chance in the House of Fate: A Natural History of Heredity. Ackerman's articles and essays have appeared in National Geographic, the New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, and many other publications. She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

This biography was last updated on 06/13/2023.

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Books by this Author

Books by Jennifer Ackerman at BookBrowse
What an Owl Knows jacket
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
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  • and much more!
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