{"product_id":"9781771600712","title":"The Real Thing: The Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e is the first official biography of Ian McTaggart Cowan (1910–2010), the “father of Canadian ecology.” Authorized by his family and with the research support and participation of the University of Victoria Libraries, Briony Penn provides an unprecedented and accessible window into the story of this remarkable naturalist. From his formative years roaming the mountains around Vancouver looking for venison to his last years finishing the voluminous and authoritative \u003ci\u003eBirds of British Columbia\u003c\/i\u003e, Cowan’s life provides a unique perspective on a century of environmental change—with a critical message for the future.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAs the head and founder of the first university-based wildlife department in Canada, Ian McTaggart Cowan revolutionized the way North Americans understood the natural world, and students flocked into his classrooms to hear his brilliant, entertaining lectures regarding the new science of ecology. His television programs in the 1950s and ’60s,\u003ci\u003e Fur and Feathers, The Web of Life and The Living Sea\u003c\/i\u003e, made him a household name around the world. He was also responsible for hiring a young David Suzuki, who followed in his nature-show-host footsteps.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eIllustrated throughout with colour and black-and-white photos from all aspects of Cowan’s life, \u003ci\u003eThe Real Thing\u003c\/i\u003e takes the reader on an adventurous and inspirational journey through the heart of North American ecology, wilderness, landscape and wonder.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rocky Mountain Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47165513662704,"sku":"9781771600712","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781771600712_p0.jpg?v=1763708209","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781771600712","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}