A review by valeriemoore85
The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik

4.0

Most of us have probably done a little recreational bird watching. It can be fun to watch for birds while sitting at a park or hiking. But have you ever considered bird watching as a sport? To some, birding can be a competitive obsession. The Big Year, sponsored by the American Birding Association, is a national competition among birders to see who can spot the most species of birds in North America in one given year. It is a long, hard and expensive competition that requires participants to travel all over the United States and Canada.
Mark Obmascik’s book, The Big Year, follows three driven birders during the 1998 Big Year. Three men with very different backgrounds, (one a salesman, one a techie and one a retired executive) share one thing in common: a love of birding. These three men have chosen, for one year, to devote their lives to that love. Each one goes to extremes to try to spot more species than anyone else.
Filled with descriptions and information about different bird species, this fun, quick read is a real treat for any bird lover. However, there is appeal beyond those interested in birds as well. This book explores obsession and competition in a funny and engaging way. There is also appeal here for fans of travel writing. While this is not a travel book, the competitors do travel all of North America, from remote islands off of Alaska to big cities, in search of birds. Last year Obmascik’s book was turned into a movie starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black as the three obsessed birders. While the movie is a little different from the book, both were wonderfully light and enjoyable.
You can learn more about the American Birding Association and the Big Year at www.aba.org.