Written by Dan Koeppel, Reviewed by Erica
In this book, Dan Koeppel tells how his father’s life as a Big Lister, a competitive bird-watcher, influences nearly every aspect of both his own and his family’s existence. The obsession began when Richard Koeppel was 11 years old, with his first sighting of a Brown Thrasher. Over 25 years, he traveled to more than 60 countries and saw more than 7,000 species of a known 9,600, becoming one of about 10 people ever to accomplish such a feat. This book gives a glimpse into an amazing subculture that I never knew existed, but the author also explores the motivation for such obsession and it’s affects on especially the father-son relationship. A fascinating subject that is both a historical and technical account of the sport of bird watching and a psychological analysis of those who participate.