The Big Year (Abridged): A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession Audiobook

" The movie has been changed, of course, but it is entertaining...worth watching. It changed my mind about visiting some of the high-traffic birding destinations. The visit to Attu, in the Aleutians, was pretty funny. "

" An entertaining look at how three bird watching fanatics chase after birds all across North America to see who can see the most birds in one year. It was a bit slow to start but as I got to know the characters I was drawn in to the story. Obmascik's writing is full of wit and hilarious at times. I heard Jack Black is going to be in the movie which was shot in Vancouver and I loved trying to figure out who he was going to play. "

" This book reminded me once again it's not a good idea to read books on subjects you're not all that interested in. It was mildly interesting to learn about the development of competitive birdwatching but I could not work up any excitement about the three birders followed in the book. The movie fictionalized the story in a time frame much better for me, two hours. This book is well-written but you need to care about the subject matter to really get anything out of it. I don't even feel like I can write about it in my blog. "

" Because of this book's subject matter--birdwatching--I can't seem to persuade anyone to give this book a try. But The Big Year is much more about human behavior than avian antics. The book is filled with quirky, obsessed characters who will do almost anything to edge out their fellow birders. I found this to be one of the most delightful books I've read in recent years. The books is funny and suspenseful, even if you don't care much for birds or birders. "

" This book had a quirky and potentially interesting premise, but I gave up on it. It was fun for a while, but I can only tolerate caricatures of over-the-top obsessed bird watchers for a while. The writer's sardonic tone is funny at first, but it gets old because it does nothing to make you care about the people being described. "

" I enjoyed this book but I'm not sure that a non-birder would. "

" I tend to like books that detail obsessive nerds indulging their innocuous obsessions. And that, more or less, is what Obmascik delivers in a quick, fun read. That said, there were a few instances where Obmascik might have gotten a bit carried away (e.g., describing the inner life of a watched bird) and there was nothing terribly original about the writing or structure of the book. "

" An interesting windows on the passion of bird watching. "

" Love this book!!! Definitely on my favorites/recommend to everyone list. ;) "

" I picked up this book on a whim and enjoyed the entire experience, but what I remember most is my shock that it was a true story. "

" Interesting to learn about the personalities of birders and what birding is all about. "

" A great, fun, read! Especially if you like birding. Now, I can watch the movie. "

" Interesting book, hard to put down. Somewhat unevenly written, and I wish it had photos. But overall a fun read. "

" Saw the movie and had to read the book...three birders out to challenge the numbers of birds they could see in a year...humorous and wonderful tales...and great birding info "

" loved it ,easy reading,fun,learned about a new subject "

" I just really enjoyed this book. Easy and fun to read, great real characters - and a inside look at a feat that will never be rivaled. And it doesn't hurt that i'm a birdnerd, too! "

" $60,000 and 745 birds seen in the continental US along with 275,000 miles traveled makes this for one interesting read about people that might, just might, be insane. "

" Funny and well written. If you grew up around 'bird people' or are one yourself, you'll love it. It's a great and often hilarious account of obsessive birders on a quest to see more birds in one year than anyone else ever has. Why? I still haven't figured that out... "

" This is the best book I've ever read on competitive birdwatching. Funny story of a strange obsession. "

" this is a pretty good book. certainly a quick and enjoyable read. unfortunately, because it's non-fiction, the characters' stories don't play out as they would in a novel. in other words, the character i was rooting for didn't win the race. "

" I was really surprised by how much I liked this book. "

" Fast, easy read with lots of great, vignette-style writing that made me what to get out there and do a "Big Year" myself some day. "