Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside

By: Nick Offerman

Narrated by: Nick Offerman

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A humorous and rousing set of literal and figurative sojourns as well as a mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors, fueled by three journeys undertaken by actor, humorist, and New York Times best-selling author Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman has always felt a particular affection for the Land of the Free - not just for the people and their purported ideals but to the actual land itself: the bedrock, the topsoil, and everything in between that generates the health of your local watershed. In his new book, Nick takes a humorous, inspiring, and elucidating trip to America's trails, farms, and frontier to examine the people who inhabit the land, what that has meant to them and us, and to the land itself, both historically and currently.

In 2018, Wendell Berry posed a question to Nick, a query that planted the seed of this book, sending Nick on two memorable journeys with pals - a hiking trip to Glacier National Park with his friends Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders, as well as an extended visit to his friend James Rebanks, the author of The Shepherd's Life and English Pastoral. He followed that up with an excursion that could only have come about in 2020 - Nick and his wife, Megan Mullally, bought an Airstream trailer to drive across (several of) the United States. These three quests inspired some “deep-ish" thinking from Nick, about the history and philosophy of our relationship with nature in our national parks, in our farming, and in our backyards; what we mean when we talk about conservation; and the importance of outdoor recreation, all subjects very close to Nick's heart.

With witty, heartwarming stories and a keen insight into the human problems we all confront, this is both a ramble through and celebration of the land we all love.

©2021 Nick Offerman (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

An Amazon Best of the Month Pick

"I found the book both entertaining and inspiring...[it] has depths you may not expect from an actor/comedic performer/woodworker who goes to great lengths to entertain the audience, but also has me thinking about the choices I make as I live in the world." (John Warner, Chicago Tribune)

"Offerman's thoughtful and hilarious musings at the nexus of human life and nature, particularly through the lens of John Muir and Aldo Leopold ... serves another welcome reminder that nature is for all." (Smithsonian Magazine)

100% Spot on!

I fully recommend this book to those who who don’t have a very thin skin and don’t have a problem understanding nuance. Judging by the many negative reviews, understanding of nuance doesn’t seem to abound. This is Nick Offerman at his best, and it reveals a deep understanding of the America of today. Highly recommended.

Entertaining and easy listen

Great for dog walks, can listen in shorter chunks and not have to re-listen or worry about remembering what had already taken place. Dad jokes galore as one would expect.

He gets better and better

This is by far his best writing yet, what a fantastic book! I highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates nature and the idea that there are two sides to every coin.

Wholesome

A book full of what’s true in this world — Nature preservation, animal welfare, kindness, love, adventure, standing up for what’s right, effective communication (and how to realize when it’s not) laughter etc. all intertwined with a healthy dose of sarcasm + wit. Lovely read. ALSO, okay, an amazing rendition of Home on the Range by Megan Mullally (seriously, she’s so beautiful).

Love every bit of it!

I loved every bit of it! I’m now a bigger fan of Nick’s! I will have to read all of his books now

Nick is the G.O.A.T.

Loved the book, storytelling, narration... All excellent. Wish I could get a copy of the closing song!

Just good

I love the time me and this book spent together and was genuinely sad when it ended.

Fantastic

This was one of the best books I have listened to ever. Thank you, Nick and Megan.

Listen to this book for laughs, tears and deep thoughts

Mr. Offerman has it all in this book, his dry wit and sense of humor guide you along this journey in a way that it feels like you are on the hiking trail with him and Megan.

This book is full of laughs, a couple of tear jerking moments (Megan’s rendition of home on the range at the end!!!) and some really deep thought provoking moments about our society past and present.

This is my second book from Mr. Offerman and you can bet I’ll be using future credits on his entire series of books.

Well done, give this book a listen.

Proud to be from Illinois

Can’t say enough about Illinois. Fantastic listen. Standout is part III and the travels to the Midwest