Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Birding Babylon -- does the title of this book sound familiar to you? If so, then you, like me, are one of thousands of people who have been reading the author's blog with the same name. Birding Babylon: A Soldier's Journal from Iraq by Jonathan Trouern-Trend (2006, Sierra Club Books), is one of only a handful of published books out there that began as a series of entries "posted" on a public blog instead of a proposal sitting on an agent's desk. But even when it was "only" a blog, excerpts were quoted in the media and the author was interviewed at least once (by National Public Radio) while he was still in Iraq.

This small book, designed to resemble a birder's notebook, is barely larger than a wallet, so it fits easily into a purse, backpack or large coat pocket. Inside its covers is a compilation of selected messages from the author's blog, arranged in chronological order (blogs are published in reverse chronological order) and edited somewhat for publication purposes. The book is similar to many online bird watcher's journals that detail their daily or weekly bird sightings. Well, except for two differences; first, the birds listed in this book are not the typical North American species and second, this book was written during the year when the author was stationed at the largest American military base in Iraq, Camp Anaconda, which is just north of Baghdad.

I read this book solely while I was on the subway, and the bite-sized blog essays, consisting of one or two discrete observations per entry, was well-suited for that situation. I was especially intrigued by the subtle but omnipresent life-death dichotomy of a soldier watching birds; observing and learning about the abundant birdlife in this war-torn country; talking to the local people about the animals that inhabit the area. Unfortunately, I found myself wishing the author would provide some details about the story behind this story; the local Iraqis who befriended him, his fellow soldiers, and his favorite birds and their daily behaviors that he observed while he was stationed at Camp Anaconda. I also wished he would have said more about what he saw and experienced while visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. But overall, this little book was an enjoyable glimpse into the natural history of an ancient land. (But perhaps my wishes are the basis for his second book?)

Jonathan Trouern-Trend has a bachelor's degree in biology and has been an avid birder for 24 years. He served with the 188th Area Support Medical Battalion in Iraq from 2004-2005. He currently works for the American Red Cross Blood Services in their Epidemiology and Surveillance program. He lives in Marlborough, Connecticut, with his wife and their five children.