Bird by Bird
by Anne Lamott
★ Top 25 book of 1994 · #20 on Best Books of 1994
Anne Lamott shares her outlook on the craft and labor of writing. The title comes from her father's advice to her overwhelmed brother: face a big task one small piece at a time.
Best for: Aspiring writers who feel overwhelmed and want encouragement to take things step by step
Bird by Bird is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 1994, out of 42 1994 books that cleared our data bar.
What Bird by Bird is about
Anne Lamott offers a candid, funny and encouraging look at what it takes to write, and to keep going when the work feels like too much. The title comes from a story about her brother, who left a school report on birds until the last moment and sat frozen by the size of it. Their father calmed him with a simple instruction: take it bird by bird.
That idea of small steps runs through her advice on craft, self-doubt and perseverance. Beginners who feel stuck will find it reassuring, and experienced writers may enjoy her honest, good-humored company. Anyone facing a big, daunting task, writing or otherwise, can borrow her approach.
Bird by Bird on the Best Books of 1994
Bird by Bird came out in 1994. Of the 42 books first published in 1994 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #20 on our Best Books of 1994 list.
Why it made the list: 292 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (16 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1994 list
- Snow Falling on Cedars David Guterson, #18
- It's Perfectly Normal Robie H. Harris, #19
- Born in Fire Nora Roberts, #21
See all Best Books of 1994 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1993 Best Books of 1995.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 255 want to read it, 12 are reading it now and 25 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.8 out of 5 from 16 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 60 | 55% |
| Reader love | 21 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 43 | 20% |
Questions about Bird by Bird
When was Bird by Bird published?
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott was first published in 1994.
Was Bird by Bird one of the best books of 1994?
Bird by Bird is #20 on BookWard's Best Books of 1994, out of 42 1994 books that cleared our data bar. 292 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (16 ratings).
Why is Bird by Bird on the Best Books of 1994 list?
292 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (16 ratings).
More of the best books of 1994
- Guess How Much I Love You Sam McBratney, #1
- Artificial Intelligence Stuart J. Russell, #2
- The Six Pillars of Self-esteem Nathaniel Branden, #3
- Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela, #4
- Mercury and Me Jim Hutton, #5
- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus John Gray, #6
See the full Best Books of 1994, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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