While I found that Luke Dempsey did not quite live up to the comparison of Bill Bryson (I had only one laugh out loud moment while reading "A Supremely Bad Idea") I thoroughly enjoyed this book about birding. I often found myself envious of the adventures that were being had by the author and his two birding companions and am wondering what I am missing by only having these bird-centric adventures vicariously instead of on my own. I would have like a little more background on birding, or a glossary of sorts, because I still do not know what a scope or a life bird is. Overall it is commendable that the author was able to take a seemingly dull subject and make it an entertaining and educational story. ( )

I just can't resist a book with a cover like this one: a supremely annoyed-looking bird, with a flattened bird-watcher lying the road below. It really does convey the whole point of this non-fiction book, which traces one obssessed bird-lover's attempt to add to his life-list, and see as many feathered creatures as possible. Along the way, the author/birder teams up with a goofy married couple who are even more bird-brained, so to speak, than he is.

I enjoyed this book's gentle humor and, as a bird-watcher myself, was fascinated to read its information on various backyard species I have long admired.

I was disappointed to discover, after reading a few chapters and then glancing at the end notes, that the narrator's fellow birders were not, in fact, real people, despite their obviously made-up names. I guess the author felt he had to make a disclaimer, in light of so many writers who have recently sold memoirs that turned out to be pure fiction, but it did take away from my enjoyment of the book, to a small extent, to realize that some of what happens in the story was just that: story, and not real life.

Still, you won't be supremely disappointed in this book, and you will enjoy it.

Overall I enjoyed this book, with the exception of the occasional witticism that felt forced (such as a shop owner being so huge that he had a "fivehead"), and the repetition of the joke of why Luke hates tomatoes (that grew stale quickly). While I understand his marriage is personal and private, I would also have appreciated a little more context around the breakup; i.e., was his growing obsession with birdwatching one of the reasons?

What I really enjoyed about this book is the history he provides about the various refuges and places he sees. I also appreciated his self-deprecatory humor and his eye for description. Overall, a great vicarious romp through the world of birds. ( )

A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All is a funny romp through the bizarre world of the bird-watching-obsessed. The twist here is that the author is British and lets loose his biting observations not only upon himself but also on his experiences in the U.S. There are plenty of jabs which thin-skinned or overly-sensitive people won't think are too funny, probably because the barbs hit uncomfortably close to the truth (especially on overweight, out of shape people, although I am one, and I didn't take it that seriously). I find it remarkable that the author could combine humor, birdwatching, and travel writing and actually create an entertaining book from this awkward mix!

I never thought of myself as a birder, but I grew up in a family where it was normal to drop everything and bolt toward the window at the sound of any unusual bird call, and to take binoculars along on day trips, so I found this to be entertaining, but not a must read. A great book to keep at your cabin by the lake if you are lucky enough to have one. ( )

This book was not quite what I thought it was going to be. It seemed as if the author was alternately trying to be funny and serious and never quite striking the right balance. There wasn't enough about birds to make it a "real" birding book and his traveling companions never really seemed like rounded characters. All in all, a good idea that just didn't quite work. ( )