The Big Life

A mesmerizing true story of the drama that upended the ever-expanding world of birding, as one man's quest to be the first to spot 10,000 birds was turned upside-down at the finish line Peter Kaestner is an American original: a family man and career diplomat whose pursuit of the "big life"—the quest to see as many birds as possible in a lifetime—has taken him to every continent, out to sea, deep into the beauty of nature, and sometimes into incredible danger. In 2024, as Kaestner was on the verge of becoming the first person ever to see 10,000 birds, and the birding world prepared to celebrate, a strange wrinkle in his plan emerged—the sudden appearance of Jason Mann, largely unknown in the birding world, who claimed to be hot on Kaestner's heels, himself just short of the 10,000-bird mark. Suddenly, what appeared to be a coronation became a fierce competition. But who was Jason Mann? And was he telling the truth about the birds he had seen? In this delightful and engrossing account, Joe Trezza, an intrepid journalist and lifelong birder, follows Kaestner's journey through the fascinating subculture that continues to draw in millions around the world. As he chronicles the adventures of birders young and old, Trezza explores what happens when a hobby tips into obsession, where no extreme is too far for those who seek to glimpse the world’s rarest birds; where the passion to explore intersects with a relentless desire to collect; and where the drive to assemble the biggest list leads some to dedicate their entire lives to the pursuit—and encourages others to potentially darker motives. The Big Life announces the arrival of a wonderful new voice in the world of nature writing, weaving together a stirring appreciation of avian diversity and an eyebrow-raising mystery set in the rarified air of the world’s top listers.