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A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All
It was an epiphany: The moment two friends showed Luke Dempsey a small bird flitting around the bushes of his country garden, he fell madly in love. But did he really want to be a birder? Didn't that mean he'd be forced to eat granola? And wear a man-pouch? Before he knew it, though, he was lost to birding mania. Early mornings in Central Park gave way to weekend mornings wandering around Pennsylvania, which morphed into weeklong trips to Texas, Arizona, Michigan, Florida--anywhere the birds were.
A Supremely Bad Idea is one man's account of an epic journey around America, all in search of the rarest and most beautiful birds the country has to offer. But the birds are only part of it. There are also his crazy companions, Don and Donna Graffiti, who obsess over Dempsey's culinary limitations and watch in horror as an innocent comment in a store in Arizona almost turns into an international incident; as a trip through wild Florida turns into a series of (sometimes poetic) fisticuffs; and as he teeters at the summit of the Rocky Mountains, a displaced Brit falling in love all over again, this time with his adopted country.
Both a paean to avian beauty and a memoir of the back roads of America, A Supremely Bad Idea is a supremely fun comic romp: an environmentally sound This Is Spinal Tap with binoculars.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2008
30 people are currently reading
856 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
January 5, 2009
this is a pretty good read, though author, immigrant from england has quirky style, some superfulous cussing and not a very empathetic attitude toward the great unwashed rednecks that live in the good ole usa where most birds still live and he visits (very briefly) to scope a bird. that said, its worth the read if you are interested in birds, birding, environmental history.
better ones of same genre are:
"Kingbird highway :the story of a natural obsession that got a little out of hand" by Kenn Kaufman.
"Lost woods :the discovered writing of Rachel Carson" edited and with an introduction by Linda Lear.
"Parts unknown :a naturalist's journey in search of birds and wild places" by Tim Gallagher.
"Birding across North America :a naturalist's observations" text and photographs by Philip E. Keenan.
"The big year :a tale of man, nature, and fowl obsession" by Mark Obmascik.
"All things reconsidered :my birding adventures" by Roger Tory Peterson ; edited by Bill Thompson III.
"Of a feather :a brief history of American birding" by Scott Weidensaul.
"The life of the skies" by Jonathan Rosen.
i guess, after listing these fantastic other titles, luke dempsey is in pretty good company even to be mentioned with these books, so hurrah to dempsey.
better ones of same genre are:
"Kingbird highway :the story of a natural obsession that got a little out of hand" by Kenn Kaufman.
"Lost woods :the discovered writing of Rachel Carson" edited and with an introduction by Linda Lear.
"Parts unknown :a naturalist's journey in search of birds and wild places" by Tim Gallagher.
"Birding across North America :a naturalist's observations" text and photographs by Philip E. Keenan.
"The big year :a tale of man, nature, and fowl obsession" by Mark Obmascik.
"All things reconsidered :my birding adventures" by Roger Tory Peterson ; edited by Bill Thompson III.
"Of a feather :a brief history of American birding" by Scott Weidensaul.
"The life of the skies" by Jonathan Rosen.
i guess, after listing these fantastic other titles, luke dempsey is in pretty good company even to be mentioned with these books, so hurrah to dempsey.
October 24, 2017
Unfortunately, this book has a rather click-baity title that does not fully express the dorkiness of the author and his associates or the amount of whininess the author manages to summon about many areas of life. If you want an adequate preparation for this book, you need to think of this book as a collected series of travelogues written by someone who fancies themselves to be funny but is misantrhopic and far too leftist to be a suitable commentator on what he sees, a common affliction among writers in our age [1]. The author presents himself as a British expatriate who got a green card through ten years of marriage and, in the breakup of that marriage, fills the void of his life through watching birds. There is a sense of sadness and pathos to his search for new birds, but overall the book tries to frame the author and a married couple he travels with as being somehow more edgy and cool than they really are. It's easy to see why the author wants to be thought of as cool, even in a crazy or odd way, but the author doesn't strike me as out of the ordinary at all in having an interest that leads him to travel or to push himself, as that is a common interest.
The structure of this book is generally chronological in nature, but also geographically defined, as the author begins by talking about a moment of epiphany when a walk near the yard of a Pennsylvania house of his led him to appreciate some birds and think that maybe it would be good to go out of one's way to see them. The rest of the book consists of the author making trips to various places to see birds: the Northeast, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and Colorado, during which the author manages to look down on people he deems as "pregnants" (for being overweight) and even manages to appeal to a drug trafficking jackal on the Rio Grande that he is on his side as opposed to the people against illegal immigration that he only views with scorn and contempt. The author is at his best when he talks about his love of viewing birds, and at his worst when he talks about his misanthropic view of other people. Sadly, there is too much hostility here to other people and not enough of his love of birds to make this a truly enjoyable read.
When one reads this book, it is pretty easy to be sympathetic to the poor birds that people flock after, and puzzled by the way that some people simply list the birds that they have seen and show a great deal of hostility towards others based on their practices. The author here frequently shows himself to be a social justice warrior, among the most tiresome of people to see, experience, or read about, and appears to view this as a good thing rather than as a bad thing. It is little wonder, then, that so many of the author's interactions with other people seem to go badly. His two closest friends seem to be rather odd, teasing him continually about what tomato products he likes and does not like, and the book as a whole is often quite crass, as it when it talks about two amorous pugs and the biting habits of chiggers. At times it appears that the only thing that saves this jerk from jail is the patience and longsuffering of local police who see that the author is merely clueless and self-absorbed and not someone who is an active security risk in photographing things that obviously are none of his business, like the large amount of prisons that have amazing bird-sighting opportunities nearby. Unfortunately, clueless leftists do not make the most enjoyable books on anything.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
The structure of this book is generally chronological in nature, but also geographically defined, as the author begins by talking about a moment of epiphany when a walk near the yard of a Pennsylvania house of his led him to appreciate some birds and think that maybe it would be good to go out of one's way to see them. The rest of the book consists of the author making trips to various places to see birds: the Northeast, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and Colorado, during which the author manages to look down on people he deems as "pregnants" (for being overweight) and even manages to appeal to a drug trafficking jackal on the Rio Grande that he is on his side as opposed to the people against illegal immigration that he only views with scorn and contempt. The author is at his best when he talks about his love of viewing birds, and at his worst when he talks about his misanthropic view of other people. Sadly, there is too much hostility here to other people and not enough of his love of birds to make this a truly enjoyable read.
When one reads this book, it is pretty easy to be sympathetic to the poor birds that people flock after, and puzzled by the way that some people simply list the birds that they have seen and show a great deal of hostility towards others based on their practices. The author here frequently shows himself to be a social justice warrior, among the most tiresome of people to see, experience, or read about, and appears to view this as a good thing rather than as a bad thing. It is little wonder, then, that so many of the author's interactions with other people seem to go badly. His two closest friends seem to be rather odd, teasing him continually about what tomato products he likes and does not like, and the book as a whole is often quite crass, as it when it talks about two amorous pugs and the biting habits of chiggers. At times it appears that the only thing that saves this jerk from jail is the patience and longsuffering of local police who see that the author is merely clueless and self-absorbed and not someone who is an active security risk in photographing things that obviously are none of his business, like the large amount of prisons that have amazing bird-sighting opportunities nearby. Unfortunately, clueless leftists do not make the most enjoyable books on anything.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
January 22, 2009
In this remarkable story, Dempsey takes birdwatching (which, in his words, serves the social use of “keeping those nerdy kids who have no chance of ever making a real friend out of already overcrowded bars”) and makes it cool. While I probably won’t immediately invest in a pair of binoculars, Dempsey has effectively instilled an appreciation of a pastime to which I had never given a single, solitary thought.
On the one hand, the sub-title of this book pretty much sums it up. But on the other, it says nothing. The picture on the cover, if you can see it, only begins to hint at the mirth within its pages. Who knew a book about birdwatching could be hilarious. One reviewer on Barnes and Noble’s website found Dempsey’s humor a little derogatory and believes he thinks he is better than everyone else. What this reviewer fails to recognize, however, is that Dempsey pokes as much fun at himself as anyone. He describes himself as having skin “not exactly white, more an off-gray color, like a once vivid photograph that’s been left too long in the sunlight”. He’s a self-proclaimed “beertotaller”, and occasionally dons the cape of “small injustice man” risking bodily injury over trivial matters. This is edutainment at its best, as I unwittingly learned about the impact of habitat destruction, global climate change and “dunce families” in National Parks, on bird populations...all while being thoroughly entertained.
On the one hand, the sub-title of this book pretty much sums it up. But on the other, it says nothing. The picture on the cover, if you can see it, only begins to hint at the mirth within its pages. Who knew a book about birdwatching could be hilarious. One reviewer on Barnes and Noble’s website found Dempsey’s humor a little derogatory and believes he thinks he is better than everyone else. What this reviewer fails to recognize, however, is that Dempsey pokes as much fun at himself as anyone. He describes himself as having skin “not exactly white, more an off-gray color, like a once vivid photograph that’s been left too long in the sunlight”. He’s a self-proclaimed “beertotaller”, and occasionally dons the cape of “small injustice man” risking bodily injury over trivial matters. This is edutainment at its best, as I unwittingly learned about the impact of habitat destruction, global climate change and “dunce families” in National Parks, on bird populations...all while being thoroughly entertained.
December 9, 2009
A great concept. The title adequately summarizes the goal. But the author and his colleagues spent as much time mocking virtually everyone that came across their path as in birding. I found myself (a birder) wondering what insults this lot would have had in store for me had I been unfortunate enough to be watching birds at my speed and level of knowledge. I've been exposed to this sort of thing quite enough in the field: I don't need to read about it as well.
June 29, 2011
Yeah, just not that great a read. I enjoy birding and British humor, but the author just spends way too much time complaining (about people that are different from him, about environmental problems he hasn't seemed to have done much about himself, etc.). The title and cover are pretty misleading - this book is more of a birding "memoir" than a "quest to see it all." There are some entertaining moments, and birders will find things to appreciate, but don't go in expecting greatness.
June 18, 2014
Laugh out loud funny in many places in this book - I would love to spend a day birding with Luke Dempsey. Found out about a few interesting tid-bits, such as chiggers. In the high desert of Nevada, we don't have them. Luke's descriptions of his/their experiences made me feel like I was right there with them. Makes me want to expand my travels to experience more birds!!
June 2, 2021
As someone in the midst of becoming a bit of a mad birder myself, this book was fantastic. It was funny, exciting, occasionally sad, and chock full of birds. I got excited whenever I saw birds mentioned that I had seen myself, parroted some of the fun bird facts to my poor family, and felt like I was finding a sort of community of others who shared my same affection for watching these beautiful critters. If you're worried this will be a serious non-fiction book, have no fear- while the birds may be the topic of the book, the real story is the adventures and the nonsense that the author and friends get up to. I genuinely laughed out loud at parts, and anytime I am asked if I like tomatoes I have flashbacks to Don. I'm absolutely hanging onto this book for a long time to come so I can reread chapters, especially when I find new birds!
November 11, 2021
I expected to like this book very much, but it does not engage the reader the way that it could. The author is very knowledgeable about birding, and many of the anecdotes he shares about his trio's birding adventures are amusing. Unfortunately, much of the book is devoted to the author's sharing of his sardonic and cynical approach to life. This gets old.
December 17, 2023
I loved this book until I found out that his two companions were composite characters rather than pseudonymed best friends. That made me question the validity of the human interactions throughout the entire book. It forced this delightful nonfiction book into an uncanny valley where you don’t know what is real and what isn’t.
October 23, 2013
This book was just plain fun. The caveat is that it helps if you are interested in birds! Although long sharing my Mom's love of birds seen out the window at our feeder, it wasn't until after I retired that Steve and I have taken a more avid interest in birds and I have actually begun keeping track of the species I have seen. The author describes his being drawn into and reveling in the world of the dedicated birder - with a droll sense of humor to liven the stories. He has two companions - rather eccentric ones - with whom he follows his avocation and their adventures and the birds they seek/find make up the bulk of this book.
March 23, 2013
This is the funniest nonfiction book I've read in a long time. It's also delightfully informative about birds in the United States, and about the people who knock themselves (and sometimes each other) out just to be able to say they've seen a bird. The writing is flawless, the characters and some of the places they go are unforgettable, and the birds are captivating. If you like birds casually, intensely or with a dangerous passion, you'll probably like this book. Put down the binoculars, though. Seriously.
August 2, 2019
A humorous tale about three friends who travel around the USA looking for birds they haven't seen before. The quirkiness of their personalities and their misadventures make it a fun read.
It is a treatise on the beauty and fascination birds and birding, offer, with some discussion on conservation. Beware! You just may learn something.
It is a treatise on the beauty and fascination birds and birding, offer, with some discussion on conservation. Beware! You just may learn something.
January 2, 2023
First, I think it's important to note for this review that this is far from my usual genre; non-fiction and me just don't always see eye to eye. Sometimes we do of course, but I tend to be a fiction reader, needing fantasy world-building and authors with out-of-this-world imaginations to keep me occupied and out of the real, terrifying, non-fiction world.
That being said, this book was good. It felt slow, but I recognize my own bias in that, well, it's a memoir, and not nearly as flashy as the stuff I'm used to reading. Where the book truly shines is its' character building, as by the end I felt incredibly smitten and connected to our three lead characters. I felt like I knew them on a friendly level, and I really appreciated that. It's something this type of book simply can't get away with slacking on, and Dempsey didn't. Such fun, colorful personalities. Well done!
I was drawn to this title because conservation is a passion of mine, and this book definitely did what it set out to do: re-ignite that. Dempsey talks a lot about why people choose to 'bird', and why it can be an unlikely educational tool. In all of environmental sciences, it truly comes down to this reality: if people have no interest in our ecosystems, they will die. Simply by encouraging one to gaze upon the beauty of animals and their majestic habitats, one encourages the spirit of conservation to settle in new hearts. This is why I personally am a strong believer in zoo-keeping, and wish desperately for further education upon how allowing a human to have that pivotal moment where they look upon the absolute godliness that radiates from animals and untouched environments around us can trigger a life-long passion for protecting wildlife. Obviously this all needs to be done strictly and ethically, but that's a conversation for another time.
Dempsey's stories are bizarre, silly, and inspiring. I feel encouraged to get out into my local environment and ask myself-- WHY was this book not as exciting for me as others? Maybe because I have admittedly lost parts of my passion to the grind? Probably. I'd say most of us have, at least a little. That said, this book is a great little reminder of how something as simple as gazing at another little life can be the difference between making sacrifices for the greater good of our planet, and the mass-extinction of our beautiful world.
Lovely little book. Definitely a must read if you're a non-fiction memoir type. Candy bar!
That being said, this book was good. It felt slow, but I recognize my own bias in that, well, it's a memoir, and not nearly as flashy as the stuff I'm used to reading. Where the book truly shines is its' character building, as by the end I felt incredibly smitten and connected to our three lead characters. I felt like I knew them on a friendly level, and I really appreciated that. It's something this type of book simply can't get away with slacking on, and Dempsey didn't. Such fun, colorful personalities. Well done!
I was drawn to this title because conservation is a passion of mine, and this book definitely did what it set out to do: re-ignite that. Dempsey talks a lot about why people choose to 'bird', and why it can be an unlikely educational tool. In all of environmental sciences, it truly comes down to this reality: if people have no interest in our ecosystems, they will die. Simply by encouraging one to gaze upon the beauty of animals and their majestic habitats, one encourages the spirit of conservation to settle in new hearts. This is why I personally am a strong believer in zoo-keeping, and wish desperately for further education upon how allowing a human to have that pivotal moment where they look upon the absolute godliness that radiates from animals and untouched environments around us can trigger a life-long passion for protecting wildlife. Obviously this all needs to be done strictly and ethically, but that's a conversation for another time.
Dempsey's stories are bizarre, silly, and inspiring. I feel encouraged to get out into my local environment and ask myself-- WHY was this book not as exciting for me as others? Maybe because I have admittedly lost parts of my passion to the grind? Probably. I'd say most of us have, at least a little. That said, this book is a great little reminder of how something as simple as gazing at another little life can be the difference between making sacrifices for the greater good of our planet, and the mass-extinction of our beautiful world.
Lovely little book. Definitely a must read if you're a non-fiction memoir type. Candy bar!
April 1, 2018
Actually, the full title of this book is A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See it All."
I will admit that the day I bought this book I had Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket. I will also admit that the large, grumpy bird staring me down from the front cover drew me in.
I love birds but I'm definitely NOT the kind of birder these people are. However, I really LOVED the book. Not only did I enjoy reading about their adventures and what it means to be a birder who lives in the heart of New York City, but the book also helped me understand a few things about my own love affair with birds.
It's funny, weird, intruiging, and sometimes a touch frustrating. There's more than a little bias towards the granola end of the spectrum (a place I live closer to myself, so I was comfortable there). Sometimes it was hard to understand how the minutia of the birding calling can speak to people in a given way.
But overall an enjoyable read and a book I could recommend to pretty much anyone. You will probably want at least a slight interest in birds, but it's not entirely necessary.
I will admit that the day I bought this book I had Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket. I will also admit that the large, grumpy bird staring me down from the front cover drew me in.
I love birds but I'm definitely NOT the kind of birder these people are. However, I really LOVED the book. Not only did I enjoy reading about their adventures and what it means to be a birder who lives in the heart of New York City, but the book also helped me understand a few things about my own love affair with birds.
It's funny, weird, intruiging, and sometimes a touch frustrating. There's more than a little bias towards the granola end of the spectrum (a place I live closer to myself, so I was comfortable there). Sometimes it was hard to understand how the minutia of the birding calling can speak to people in a given way.
But overall an enjoyable read and a book I could recommend to pretty much anyone. You will probably want at least a slight interest in birds, but it's not entirely necessary.
September 9, 2017
I recently (not recently enough) took a birding trip to Arizona with Citizen Scientist Debbie and this book made me long to do that trip again, as well as all the other trips described here.
I wish though, for an age of innocence, one where every travel book, and natural science book did not have to remind me of the ticking clock for our planet. I long for a more Victorian exuberance, a delight in the wonders of the world that is not tempered by the knowledge that if I don't get myself to a certain forest now, I may never see a Kirtlands Warbler.
I wish though, for an age of innocence, one where every travel book, and natural science book did not have to remind me of the ticking clock for our planet. I long for a more Victorian exuberance, a delight in the wonders of the world that is not tempered by the knowledge that if I don't get myself to a certain forest now, I may never see a Kirtlands Warbler.
May 1, 2019
Enjoyed this book for the birds and the glimpses of great American road trip. Keep your iPad nearby if you want visuals and audio to enhance. I found the author a bit confusing, his obvious distaste for people with physical imperfections , lots of comments about paunches and obesity, the overly friendly waitress’s teeth, was off putting. He also was so quick to criticize , lots of times people do things because they don’t know any better, but his instant attacks weren’t particularly educational.
November 2, 2017
Elements of A Supremely Bad Idea were delightful. I wanted to like the author, Luke Dempsey, more than I did. British humor is generally fantastic, but he bordered on snarky to unkind more than once, which was off putting. There is a good bit of legitimate birding information within the pages, and I appreciated his commitment to the environment in general, birds in particular.
February 1, 2021
I am a birder but loved this book for more reasons than that. It is humorous, very well written. I found it very difficult to set this book down. Great job, Mr. Dempsey!! I've already recommended it to another birder and am about to recommend it to a very good friend who is not a birder but I know will love the words, the mental picture, the magic of the words.
September 4, 2021
DNF. Many years ago I was curious enough about birds to get a Peterson's book. Then I moved on. This was the wrong book for me. Aside from not sharing the author's rapture at finding new birds, I just could not relate to the trio or main characters and their travels in search of birds and the odd humans they encounter.
December 16, 2021
This is a fun book, written in a sarcastic witty style that suits me. I don’t suppose everyone likes that style, but it reminds me of the way Carl Hiaasen writes.
The author and his friends are high on the OCD spectrum. I guess most birders are a bit obsessive/compulsive, but he takes it to the limit. He is self-deprecating, but also deprecates others. He seems happiest when he’s watching birds, or with his children, which he mentions all throughout the book.
He keeps lists, like all good birders, but his friends don’t. They just go out and look for birds. They spend more time watching the birds than just listing them. In fact, they deprecate those who just list birds rather than watch them.
I’m not sure that a non-birder would appreciate this book, but it is a good read for anyone who has chased rarities or went on a trip just to watch birds, i.e. a birder.
The author and his friends are high on the OCD spectrum. I guess most birders are a bit obsessive/compulsive, but he takes it to the limit. He is self-deprecating, but also deprecates others. He seems happiest when he’s watching birds, or with his children, which he mentions all throughout the book.
He keeps lists, like all good birders, but his friends don’t. They just go out and look for birds. They spend more time watching the birds than just listing them. In fact, they deprecate those who just list birds rather than watch them.
I’m not sure that a non-birder would appreciate this book, but it is a good read for anyone who has chased rarities or went on a trip just to watch birds, i.e. a birder.
September 23, 2022
A lot of birds in this book. Makes me want to go look at some birds, but also, as a non-birder, it was a lot of "then we drove down X road and stood in the dust for 45 minutes until we saw a ferruginous pygmy owl and the next day we went back out at 5am and were delighted out of our minds to finally see an elegant trogon," so just be ready for that!
May 7, 2024
It's not often I laugh out loud while reading books, but that happened many times over while reading A Supremely Bad Idea. The humor is crass at times, but when viewed through the lens of knowing it was written by a British man pre-2010, it gets a pass. A thoroughly enjoyable read as a fellow birder. I hope to take bird vacations as well in the future.
May 26, 2017
This was such an enjoyable book, and you don't have to be a bird lover to do so. Luke has a very different way of viewing the world, especially those who visit birding sites and don't shut up. It was, like a comment on the cover said, a little like a 'Bill Bryson' book for birders...
April 22, 2018
I truly love most books about birds and birding but by about half way through this I tired of his wit. Great adventures in birding and the interaction with his life, just not my style of humor in the story telling.
November 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this account of these mad birders. I learned of new places to look for birds and resonated with the environmental warnings and observations. The author comes across a bit sarcastically in a Brit sort of way but that did not distract too much.
June 12, 2019
I love birding, so the descriptions of birding trips around the country were quite enjoyable. I found the author's tone to be somewhat snarky and condescending, however, especially towards the locals of the areas he visited. That detracted somewhat from the overall enjoyment of the narrative.
July 1, 2021
Great birding narrative. Suffers from author’s meanness towards humans.
If you want to read about birding adventures in the US, this is a fun read (4 stars). Skip the garbage in between, in which the author condescends towards humans all over America (1 star).
If you want to read about birding adventures in the US, this is a fun read (4 stars). Skip the garbage in between, in which the author condescends towards humans all over America (1 star).
September 8, 2021
Good cover, decent title. After a slow start, this birding memoir moves along with humorous asides. The pictures are good, more would be appreciated. Although I understand the divorce was difficult and the author misses his girls, we really didn't need that. The birds are enough.
May 8, 2017
Enjoyable tale of quirky birders. The author's enthusiasm for all things avian was infectious.
January 22, 2020
Not as good as "The Big Year", which I read twice! Usually British writers have a very understated sense of humor, and I found the opposite in this book.
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