Guardian 书评
Giving people audiobooks for Christmas can be tricky, but if you're looking for a one-size-fits-all present, I can't imagine anyone objecting to David Attenborough's latest updated memoir. If you've heard any of his other books - the trilogy based on Zoo Quest, the series that made him a household name, or Life Stories, which consolidated his national treasure status - you may have come across some of the anecdotes before. Never mind - he's a born raconteur. As often as I hear it, I crack up at the one about Nobel prize-winning animal behaviourist Konrad Lorenz's BBC TV debut in the early 1950s. Attenborough, a junior producer, had invited the Austrian goose-whisperer to demonstrate his legendary communication skills with birds. Konrad and goose stare dutifully at the camera while they're being introduced, but then, as he lifts it up to turn it around (it's easier to whisper face to face), the goose, probably nervous, excretes a powerful jet of green goo all over his trousers. "It does not matter," he insists, mopping the mess up with his handkerchief, which he then absentmindedly uses to blow his nose, leaving Attenborough to work out which camera angle will best disguise the streaks of goose shit now covering most of the famous scientist's face. Technology has transformed TV wildlife: 50 years ago cameras couldn't film at night; now cameras the size of lipsticks can be attached to birds' wings. The perfect family audio for long car journeys. - Sue Arnold Giving people audiobooks for Christmas can be tricky, but if you're looking for a one-size-fits-all present, I can't imagine anyone objecting to David Attenborough's latest updated memoir. If you've heard any of his other books - the trilogy based on Zoo Quest, the series that made him a household name, or Life Stories, which consolidated his national treasure status - you may have come across some of the anecdotes before. Never mind - he's a born raconteur. - Sue Arnold.
