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Summary: For one bison runner to another
Review: As a bison rancher myself, I think Dan O'brien does an excellent job of seeing the buffalo through the eyes of both a cattle rancher and a wildlife expert while tying it all together with the social life of the small ranch owner on the edge of a bigger town in Northern Plains. He observantly notes some things about bison that make them stand out from cattle - like their herding instinct, the willingness of young bulls to take on older bulls no matter the odds, how a bison never gives up, and how protective the herd is during calving season. This is an excellent book for the layman and the experienced rancher. Dan himself is a fascinating person as well as shown by his bringing in his Falconry skills and some of the politics of endangered species recovery.
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Summary: Great gift for Father's Day
Review: I just call my friend who insisted that I read this book and thanked her. Great story. Very educational. History, biology, nature, a challenged life. I'm ordering 3 for gifts, graduation, father's day and teen's birthday. Now on to his other books...........
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Summary: Great gift for Father's Day
Review: I just call my friend who insisted that I read this book and thanked her. Great story. Very educational. History, biology, nature, a challenged life. I'm ordering 3 for gifts, graduation, father's day and teen's birthday. Now on to his other books...........
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Summary: Really Good
Review: I loved this book. A few years ago I drove across the U.S. and was awestruck by South Dakota; something I really didn't expect. I was captivated by the beautiful, often stark, surroundings and always wondered how the people ranching there lived their lives. This story of one man's journey into ranching was really interesting, personal and just a very nice, casual read. He tells honestly of his hardships, loneliness and all about the bison he cared for, which was quite fascinating. I actually sent him a note telling him how much I enjoyed the book; the first time I was ever compelled to do this, which he kindly responded to. I don't think you'll be disappointed in this book if you're at all interested in animals, wilderness or "finding yourself."
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Summary: Talented writer shares his life with readers
Review: In his latest book, "Buffalo for the Broken Heart," Dan O'Brien lets the reader accompany him as he switches from raising cattle to raising buffalo. In spite of worrying about how to pay for the stock, getting along with neighbors, the weather and other trials, O'Brien radiates confidence. His descriptions of the buffalo are authentic. I, too, have been captivated by these huge creatures having seen them closeup at the Custer State Park Roundup. O'Brien's prose is a joy to read. And educational too, whether he is describing how he built a fence on his property, survived a severe winter, or provides insight about his Great Plains neighbors and their emotional attachment to land and livestock. A biologist and English teacher, he writes from the heart.
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Summary: Talented writer shares his life with readers
Review: In his latest book, "Buffalo for the Broken Heart," Dan O'Brien lets the reader accompany him as he switches from raising cattle to raising buffalo. In spite of worrying about how to pay for the stock, getting along with neighbors, the weather and other trials, O'Brien radiates confidence. His descriptions of the buffalo are authentic. I, too, have been captivated by these huge creatures having seen them closeup at the Custer State Park Roundup. O'Brien's prose is a joy to read. And educational too, whether he is describing how he built a fence on his property, survived a severe winter, or provides insight about his Great Plains neighbors and their emotional attachment to land and livestock. A biologist and English teacher, he writes from the heart.
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Summary: I read this book in two days and found it to be inspiring!
Review: Never having heard of Dan O'Brien before, I picked this book up because of the author recommendations of the back cover. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and could hardly put it down. It is sad what we've done to America with all the overgrazing of cattle, especially in the Great Plains. This book gave me a glimmer of hope to see how one man tries to make a difference. I believe anyone who reads this book will feel inspired by Dan O'Brien's gifted writing and his honesty. I don't consider myself an environmentalist, but even I began to realize how badly we've mistreated our natural resources and especially the Great Plains. It's a great story! Dan O'Brien is a gifted writer and I'm so glad that I "found" him! I already know of three people who will be thrilled to receive this book on Christmas! :-) I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Reinventing Ranching - and One's Life - on the Great Plains
Review: O'Brien writes a well-crafted, non-glamorized story about trying to make a living off the formerly open, now fenced in, South Dakota range. O'Brien's step-by-step resurrection of his 3,000 acre ranch from a money-losing, environmentally unsound cow factory to a range-restoring, natural buffalo breeding, harvesting and meat marketing operation. Interspersed with the buffalo raising saga are wildlife vignettes, descriptions of hunting with falcons, interactions with neighbors and town folks and snatches of the history of O'Brien's ranch from the Sioux through several families of failed farmers/ranchers over the past hundred years. One unusual aspect for this kind of book, arguably an "environmental" tract, is the description and associated stresses of the business and economic details of making a living in ranching in the 1990s. It's also an encouraging story of how a middle age man, living alone since his wife left and relying on a hired hand, redeems and reinvents his life under extremely difficult circumstances. Recommended for anyone interested in ecological/sustainable agriculture issues, rural American life, entrepreneurial business tales or midlife turnarounds.
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Summary: Reinventing Ranching - and One's Life - on the Great Plains
Review: O'Brien writes a well-crafted, non-glamorized story about trying to make a living off the formerly open, now fenced in, South Dakota range. O'Brien's step-by-step resurrection of his 3,000 acre ranch from a money-losing, environmentally unsound cow factory to a range-restoring, natural buffalo breeding, harvesting and meat marketing operation. Interspersed with the buffalo raising saga are wildlife vignettes, descriptions of hunting with falcons, interactions with neighbors and town folks and snatches of the history of O'Brien's ranch from the Sioux through several families of failed farmers/ranchers over the past hundred years. One unusual aspect for this kind of book, arguably an "environmental" tract, is the description and associated stresses of the business and economic details of making a living in ranching in the 1990s. It's also an encouraging story of how a middle age man, living alone since his wife left and relying on a hired hand, redeems and reinvents his life under extremely difficult circumstances. Recommended for anyone interested in ecological/sustainable agriculture issues, rural American life, entrepreneurial business tales or midlife turnarounds.
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Summary: The "Noble Life" O'Brien-Style
Review: O'Brien's quest for meaning in life, as defined by his relationship with the land and the animals that call it home, continues here. In his previous novel, Equinox, he explored the dichotomy in his life between the pull of the wild, and the demands of a stable relationship that required more than he was able to give. In Buffalo for the Broken Heart, we find him feeling lost and ruddlerless, both in his personal and financial life, as he struggles to get past a failed marriage and looming financial disaster. As O'Brien gradually comes to the conclusion that buffalo are the logical answer to his dilemma, it becomes clear that they are stand for a balance and wholeness he has been trying to restore to his land and his inner landscape as well. The story, as it unfolds, is full of the personal details of Great Plains life, and the honest self-exploration that make O'Brien's books a pleasure to read. As so often happens, his inner doubts and fears are reflected in the events and lives around him. The weather is unpredictable, farm costs rise, friends go bankrupt, he is beset by worries over the buffalos he has purchased, the list goes on and on until by the end of the novel, O'Brien comes to tenuous terms with his land and his new means of making a living. The buffalo are not the final answer, but it is clear that they have helped him find another piece of the puzzle he is working so hard to solve.
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