What do readers think of Alfie and Me by Carl Safina? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Alfie and Me by Carl Safina

Alfie and Me

What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

by Carl Safina

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • Published:
  • Oct 2023, 384 pages
  • Rate this book

  • Buy This Book

About this book

Reviews

Page 4 of 4
There are currently 26 reader reviews for Alfie and Me
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Pau J. (Bath, ME)

Alfie & Me and the Rest of the Universe
I've never read Carl Safina before, so I didn't know to expect that he includes a massive amount of philosophy along with his observations of the animal world. I was very interested in his observations and care of the owl he rescued, along with his vast knowledge of the animal world as a whole. Of course we all relate to each other, human and animal, and the writings of philosophers can enlighten us and open our minds. But I think Safina goes a bit overboard in this book by about 100 pages of too much philosophy.
Catherine H. (Asbury Park, NJ)

Alfie & Me
Part of this book is about the rescue of Alfie, a baby owl and the relationship with the author. Unfortunately, the main theme is about the ills of humanity caused by Western philosophy & religion. How our minds and values have been negatively influenced was discussed ad nauseam, leaving little room for the story of Alfie.
Although, I agree with the author on the fragility of human existence, I was not expecting a story on an orphaned owl to include everything from Schrödinger Cat to John Coltrane. I should have guessed 16 pages of references and a bibliography could not all be about owls.
This book was not for me. I only finished it because I agreed to write a review.

Read-Alikes

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket
    The House of Doors
    by Tan Twan Eng
    Every July, I take on the overly ambitious goal of reading all of the novels chosen as longlist ...
  • Book Jacket: The Puzzle Box
    The Puzzle Box
    by Danielle Trussoni
    During the tumultuous last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, a 17-year-old emperor known as Meiji ...
  • Book Jacket
    Something, Not Nothing
    by Sarah Leavitt
    In 2020, after a lifetime of struggling with increasingly ill health, Sarah Leavitt's partner, ...
  • Book Jacket
    A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens
    by Raul Palma
    Raul Palma's debut novel A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens introduces Hugo Contreras, who came to the ...

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Pony Confidential
    by Christina Lynch

    In this whimsical mystery, a grumpy pony must clear his beloved human's name from a murder accusation.

Who Said...

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

H I O the G

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.