Chasing the Thrill

Obsession, Death, and Glory in America's Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt

By: Daniel Barbarisi

Narrated by: Daniel Barbarisi

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

"Daniel Barbarisi plunges into an adventure from another era when he goes in search of buried treasure, guided only by a cryptic poem, a mischievous art collector, and the footsteps another pursuer who died on the quest.... Every page draws you deeper into this no-man’s-land where fortune - or tragedy - awaits." (Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run)

When Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold plan: He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune. 

Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017, when a friend became consumed with decoding the poem and convinced Barbarisi, a reporter, to document his search. What began as an attempt to capture the inner workings of Fenn's hunt quickly turned into a personal quest that led Barbarisi down a reckless and potentially dangerous path, one that found him embroiled in searcher conspiracies and matching wits with Fenn himself. Over the course of four chaotic years, several searchers would die, endless controversies would erupt, and one hunter would ultimately find the chest. 

But the mystery didn't end there.

Full of intrigue, danger, and break-neck action, Chasing the Thrill is a riveting tale of desire, obsession, and unbridled adventure.

©2021 Daniel Barbarisi (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Rousing...Barbarisi writes with gusto and portrays the eccentrics he encounters with a candor.... He can also make a landscape come alive. I’ve read many descriptions of Yellowstone geysers, but none more striking than his evocation of how runoff from the Artemisia Geyser affects the immediate surroundings...Barbarisi tells the story so well that you should resist any form of peeking ahead and leave the matter in his capable hands.” (Dennis Drabelle, The Washington Post)

“The idea of a years-long quest throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of treasure represents competition of a different, fascinating sort. Barbarisi’s exploration of the who and how and why of those who hunted for the hidden treasure left by Forrest Fenn confronts fascinating questions about the sometimes indistinct realms of adventure and obsession.” (The Boston Globe, “Summer Reading 2021”)

“Chasing the Thrill leads the reader on an engaging armchair treasure hunt, a welcome escape in these waning days of COVID. Daniel Barbarisi’s bold gamble - inserting himself at the story’s center - pays off. The writer emerges as a sympathetic protagonist, and his participation buys him entrée into a secretive and mistrustful club. By the final chapters of Chasing the Thrill, we share his wonder in watching the Fenn saga draw to an exhilarating close.” (Daniel de Visé, Washington Independent Review of Books)

Wonderful Adventure!

While searching for Forrest Fenn's treasure, I had some of the best adventures of my life. This included meeting and talking with Forrest Fenn and many other of the incredible searchers. I had wanted to write a book to describe all the amazing things I learned, and did, and saw, but this book does all that I needed to do; and says all the things I needed to say; and so I recommend it to you.

Great Performance, Great Story !

Hearing the author read the story to us is better than reading the book, in this case. His inflection helps to convey his feelings. Great book !

Must listen!

The author takes you along on an amazing adventure with vivid characters, hidden treasure, and exciting twists and turns.

He writes with such intimacy that you feel like you are adventuring with an old friend.

Not to be missed!

Feels like a good podcast series

This audiobook reminded me of a good podcast series. The author reading it gave it a casual-feel and felt more conversational in tone. I don't usually read a lot of non-fiction but this title stuck out at a local bookstore and I am glad I gave it a read! The story is super fascinating and I am glad there was a solid conclusion.

Cool Stor

A well done story of the Fenn treasurer box search focusing on the “culture” that grew-up around the hardcore searchers as well as looking to understand Fenn. A modern day treasure adventure. Highly recommend!

Crazy story really well told

Wow! What a story! Very enjoyable to listen to and the narration made it really come alive, I couldn’t stop listening!

Fascinating!

This story definitely pulled me in—a great road trip book on audio. Barbarisi’s storytelling is beautifully done and brings to life a whole world I knew nothing about.

Okay

Enjoyed learning about the characters and Finn. But can’t say I was crazy about the book as a whole. Felt more like it was for fellow treasure enthusiasts and could have had a better structure for the masses. Enjoyed the background on the other treasure hunts referenced too.

Slow beginning but it gets better as you go

For the first 30% of the book, I was a bit disappointed as the approach to the story was not at all what I had expected. However, as I continued on I found I was more interested in the final outcome each successive chapter. I feel like the payoff was worth it in the end and I was sad the book was over--so clearly I came around to the story and the author's approach. So this book went from what was initially seemed like 2-3 stars up to 5 stars. I'd recommend it to any reader who finds the story summary interesting.

Good, not great

Overall, I thought this was a fairly enjoyable book. However, I was disappointed with two things. One, I am very suspect of Fenn and his motivations. The suggestion that he created (or at least used) the Hunt to target women was not explored sufficiently. I felt Mr Barbarisi addressed this to some extent but in the end let him off the hook. Secondly, the treatment of the Finder was also pretty soft. Like others, I would have preferred more insight in to how he found the treasure, ie. what Solve he used (or at least part of the Solve). Also, what about more insight in to who the finder was/is. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but did the family simply help someone "find" it?