"Look Here, Sir, What a Curious Bird"

A Great Man and His Unheralded AssistantFor some 50 years, Paul Sochaczewski has been on the trail of famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and his little-known assistant Ali.The result of this quest is an imaginative "enhanced biography" of an illiterate 19th-century teenager from Borneo who helped Wallace become one of history's most successful explorers of the natural world. This deliciously speculative book, filled with humor and touching scenes of imagined conversations, takes a hard look at "slippery truth," and, perhaps most important, asks the question: "Is there someone in your life who has quietly helped you, perhaps without adequate recognition, on your journey?"In this innovative approach to biography, you'll discover:New clues that expand our knowledge of Ali's background and careerWhy writing the history of a 19th-century teenage boy from Borneo is so challengingDetails about how Ali collected some 5,000 of Wallace's 8,050 bird specimensImagined conversations that explore emotions and perceptions of Wallace and AliHow each of us has an "Ali" who has helped us along the wayWho's your Ali? Perhaps this book might encourage to reach out to someone forgotten but who eased your path along your journey?