The complete title of this charming memoir by Luke Dempsey is A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See it All. This book tells the story of Dempsey and two friends who travel the United States trying to see as many different species of birds as they can.
Along the way they stay in scary motels, meet scarier people, and see many beautiful sights. Under the tutelage of his friends “Don and Donna Graffiti”, Dempsey develops into an avid and knowledgeable birder (not a birdwatcher). A transplanted Englishman, Dempsey also develops a love and appreciation for the United States and its spectacular natural beauty.
Dempsey generously shares his emotions with the reader: his loneliness; his glee at spotting a rare bird; his gratitude towards his friends; and his fear at confronting the various miscreants they meet on their journeys. Dempsey’ s self-deprecating humor keeps this book from being overly sentimental and mawkish.
I guess the biggest compliment I can give this book is that I went outside and looked for some birds. And there was a turkey in my yard! So-read and enjoy. I received a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program. Thanks!
In USA:
Published in hardcover-Bloomsbury 2008
Softcover edition-Bloomsbury-2009
A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All
La Bibliofille 