Birdseye

The Adventures of a Curious Man

By: Mark Kurlansky

Narrated by: Jon Van Ness

Break out the TV dinners! From the author who gave us Cod, Salt, and other informative bestsellers, the first biography of Clarence Birdseye, the eccentric genius inventor whose fast-freezing process revolutionized the food industry and American agriculture.

Birdseye - one step too far for Kurlansky

I love Kurlansky's books.

I read Cod when it first came out and I loved that some guy had taken something like a fish and written a clever and informative book about such a seemingly prosaic commodity.

I then listened to Salt via Audible. I enjoyed it, and could see how Kurlansky's interest in salt would probably have been piqued by what he found out while writing Cod.

So I bought Birdseye. I can see how Krulansky's interest would have been piqued in Birdseye whilst writing either book, but, as interesting as Birdseye's story is, it is just one step too far removed from the main theme somehow.

I enjoyed it, it finished it (there are others that I have not, so this says something) but I wouldn't really recommend it unless one didn't really have anything else to read / listen to. In that case, it is a reasonably interesting way to fill some time.

And yes, as a previous reviewer has mentioned, the narrator is not all that one might hope for.

"Birdseye" worth a listen

I've listened to other Mark Kurlansky books and admire his single-mindedness. Really admire that he elevated a truly forgotten inventor and eccentric to a biography-worthy subject. The "inventor" of flash-frozen foods has changed out world dramatically and made us all part of an international food marketplace, yet he is forgotten.

Fascinating story, but I have to say Kurlansky really just went through the paces. I wonder if he got a bit bored by his subject at some point. Jon Van Ness's narration is also off - stilted and lacking in continuity.

All that said, what a great story of a great, long-lost American!

A Great Story That's True and Motivational

When I first started this book I didn't think I would like it. Kurlansky can be a little long winded. But it gets better and better as it goes along and I really loved it.

I not only found the history of the man and frozen foods to be very interesting, but also motivational. Birdseye really dug in and made his ideas a reality.

There's a great lesson for us all. Ideas are great but action makes things happen.

Great story, well read, fun and motivational.

Get it all right here!

Chris Reich, TeachU

This book changed my view of the world.

I am an entrepreneur in the food industry and I have no hesitating in promoting this book as one of the best I’ve ever read, and one I’ll be pondering for years to come. The life that Bob Birdseye led is simultaneously distant and spot on to the modern reality of industry creation in the 2020’s. If we could all lead lives with half the curiosity of Birdseye, many more of the world’s problems and mysteries would be solved. I’m ordering 10 copies to send to friends and family.

"Birdseye" worth a listen

I've listened to other Mark Kurlansky books and admire his single-mindedness. Really admire that he elevated a truly forgotten inventor and eccentric to a biography-worthy subject. The "inventor" of flash-frozen foods has changed out world dramatically and made us all part of an international food marketplace, yet he is forgotten.

Fascinating story, but I have to say Kurlansky really just went through the paces. I wonder if he got a bit bored by his subject at some point. Jon Van Ness's narration is also off - stilted and lacking in continuity.

All that said, what a great story of a great, long-lost American!