Rating: 
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.
Rating: 
Summary: Wild idea is enchanting
Review: O'Brien's story of getting caught on the horns of an idea that won't let him go--reintroducing buffalo to his ranch--is enchanting. So are his descriptions of some of the characters in his life, including the most important one, the high plains. You end up rooting for him and all those other folks enthralled by that hard land.
Rating:
Summary: Tenderloin...Better than beef...
Review: Ted Turner is #1 Bison rancher in herd size, but O'brien gives best overview on how to protect prairie ecology from cattle over-grazing..beginnings of a conservationist trend. You recognize how & why plains Indians treated bison with reverence. Not included: map of ranch, or any photos. See online resource- wildideabuffalo.com
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, Quick Read
Review: The myth of the cowboy and the open range is one of the most pervasive in America. Dan O'Brien addresses this poetically in "Buffalo for a Broken Heart." An owner-operator who played by the tired rules of the ranching bible for two decades, this extended essay details what happened when he tried to take it in a new direction by running buffalo (hardy and native) instead of cattle (imported and non-adaptive.) Cowboy myths die hard. Having punched a few cowboys during bar fights in my time, I can tell you that they are some of the most stubborn critters this side of Liza Minelli, particularly when they've been in the sour mash. It's best to just break a longneck behind their neck and put them to sleep. You need to make sure they are unattached if you do this because chances are they will go back to the doublewide and beat their women if you aren't around when they wake up. Also, while you're letting the air out of the tires on their rusty Dodge Ram, beware of the wet dog usually sleeping in the back on a pile of empty beer cans and spent shotgun shells. But I digress. O'Brien is not a Matthiessen caliber writer as the gushy cover blurb suggests. But he sticks to what he knows and resists the urge to paint broad strokes (although he gets in a nice crack on vegetarians) and indulge his superiority complex (mostly) while confining his focus to the ranch and those around it. The story meanders a bit towards the end until being brought into quick focus by a suicide that hits close to home. Nevertheless, this is a useful book that debunks several myths and fits nicely on a shelf with similar books by the likes of William Kittredge, Tom McGuane, and Rick Bass.
Rating:
Summary: This is my absolute favorite gift book!
Review: This little book has it all: A captivating, heartfelt true story...a cast of very memorable characters...a prose style that never for a moment loses one's attention...interesting historical factoids...and a wealth of fascinating insights into many aspects of restoration: ecological, personal, and economic. I quoted from this book in my own, and always think first of Buffalo for the Broken Heart when gift-giving time comes along. Everyone I've ever given it to has raved about it.
| 
