Birding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery

Birding Under the Influence is the story of a man who hits pause on a high‑pressure academic life and completely rewrites his future — on a bike, with binoculars, and with a fierce commitment to sobriety. Dorian Anderson walks away from elite research labs and the grind of academia, only to rediscover the thing that’s always lit him up: birding.

What follows is a North American Big Year like no other. Most birders tackle this challenge with cars, planes and a lot of logistics. Dorian does it all on two wheels, pedalling thousands of miles through wild weather, endless highways, dodgy motels, punctures, dogs, tailpipes and every curveball long‑distance cycling can throw at you. Along the way, he racks up 618 species — and a whole new sense of who he is.

This is a candid, often funny, often moving memoir about addiction, recovery and the strange, beautiful ways nature can hold a person together. Anderson doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of his past, but he also shows how birds, landscapes and the rhythm of the road helped him rebuild a life that finally felt like his own.

Packed with adventure, vulnerability and a deep love of the natural world, Birding Under the Influence is perfect for readers who enjoy outdoor journeys, personal transformation stories, or simply a great tale told with honesty and heart.