The Complete Chicken: A Book Review

I’ve always looked askance at the Domestic Chicken (Gallus domesticus) and it's evolutionary progenitor (G. gallus), as if they were not worthy of being considered real birds. All of that changed when I ran across The complete chicken: an entertaining history of chickens, by Pam Percy. The author, an avowed chicken afficionado, presents the lowly chicken in a brand new light in this entertaining book.

Following a brief introduction, Percy reviews “Chicken history: which, when, and where” (Chapter 1), including development of the chicken industry. This is followed by descriptions of the various and sundry breeds of chickens in “Real chickens” (Chapter 2). She then takes the reader on a delightful tour of the role of chickens in human culture, including “The artful chicken” in art, literature, and music through the ages (Chapter 3); “Famous clucks” in entertainment of all sorts (Chapter 4); and the “Household chickens” memorabilia with which we decorate our homes (Chapter 5). Finally, there is “A chicken dictionary and other chicken tidbits” (Chapter 6). The book is lavishly enlivened throughout with an abundance of color and black-and-white illustrations.

I found this book to be highly readable, visually appealing, entertaining, and educational. What more could you want in a book?