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jaybirder's review against another edition
5.0
Telling the stories of 3 birders in the 90s in their quest to see the most birds in North America in a single year, this book is a fantastic comedy / nature extravaganza / mini-memior. It's very educational, though that wasn't a surprise, covering bird migration and habitats, often going into detail into the fascinating specifics of a species that the birder trio was chasing. I ended up joining the National Audubon Society while reading this book; and while it may not have inspired me to start my own Big Year, it certainly has given me even more love for the beautiful birds all across the world. I'd highly recommend it to any bird lover, aspiring naturalist, outdoorsman, or anyone who'd like to read a story about the love of nature taken to an obsessive level.
cinereus's review against another edition
2.0
Some interesting tidbits of birding history and some fun anecdotes that made me want to power through, but I couldn't get over how bizarrely corporate the tone of this whole book was, like a self help/adventure book for white collar businessmen. The author spent more time comparing the competitors' financial statuses and making weird team sports metaphors than talking about the actual birding, and applied a lot of creepy "good ol boys" type talk to the whole thing that was super off-putting.
georgiesutton's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
patsaintsfan's review against another edition
4.0
This was a quick read, and much better than the movie. It is really more like a 3.5 stars, but when forced, 4 stars it is. I love watching birds, and cherish my binoculars, so reading of peoples Big Year experiences are fun for me. Although I don't have the desire, or money (who really does?), to do one myself, I can live vicariously through others.
drealuc's review against another edition
5.0
For a bird obsessed gal, this book was an absolute treat from page 1 and is going on my best books of all time list. Non-fiction that reads like a novel and kept me laughing the entire way. You know a book is good when you stop and re-read entire sections to passersby as often as possible.
bookmama3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
glabeson's review against another edition
5.0
Hard not to imagine Jack Black, Owen Wilson, and Steve Martin while reading, but for me that is not at all a detriment. The book goes into a bit more background on the history of birding than the movie. Pure delight. The only thing that would have made it better is if there were pictures of all the birds.
adumbstern's review against another edition
5.0
A great read telling the story of the three attempts at a birding Big Year in 1998. Obmascik manages to keep the story accessible to the “what’s a Big Year?” crowd while still keeping it interesting for the die hard birding crowd. 1998 was a perfect storm for birding in so many ways and this book manages to tell the story well.
“Am I a grown-up birder or just another kid on a treasure hunt?”
“Am I a grown-up birder or just another kid on a treasure hunt?”