Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man

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Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 454 ratings · 154 reviews

Award-winning journalist Brian McGrory goes head to beak in a battle royale with another male for a top-spot in his home, vying for dominance with the family’s pet rooster.
Brian McGrory's life changed drastically after the death of his beloved dog, Harry: he fell in love with Pam, Harry's veterinarian. Though Brian’s only responsibility used to be his adored Harry, Pam cam...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published November 13th 2012 by Crown (first published November 6th 2012)

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Animal Memoirs

83rd out of 85 books — 77 voters

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

Down on the Farm

42nd out of 67 books — 118 voters

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Mar 25, 2013 Dianne Fallon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-memoir

I knew that I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw a brief excerpt in the Boston Globe. I went to high school with the author, Brian McGrory, who is now the editor of the Globe. Brian always had a wry understated sense of humor and was a terrific writer. I was curious to read about his adult life and his conflicts with the rooster as he adapts from man-about-town city bachelor to suburban dweller with the love-of-his life, a veterinarian, and her two animal-crazed daughters (to whom Buddy b...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Kath McStay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I do not, I absolutely do not read books about animals. Am I an animal hater? Far From it. I love animals. Pretty much all animals are on my favorites list. Currently there are four cats and a dog in my home. My fur kids are aways rescues. I adore them all. I have had other dogs, other cats, a few rabbits, and the poor chameleon and ill fated mouse. I have been known to dress down folks I see mistreating animals or allowing them to be in harms way. I...more
Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I do not, I absolutely do not read books about animals. Am I an animal hater? Far From it. I love animals. Pretty much all animals are on my favorites list. Currently there are four cats and a dog in my home. My fur kids are aways rescues. I adore them all. I have had other dogs, other cats, a few rabbits, and the poor chameleon and ill fated mouse. I have been known to dress down folks I see mistreating animals or allowing them to be in harms way. I have badgered neighbors until they finally learned that keeping their pets indoors was much better for the cats, and kept the safe, and healthier for longer.

My reading friends know to warn me off of books that might upset me, when there are animals involved. I accept their kind advice and pass by books about cats in libraries or dogs on journeys and so forth. Dangerous ground, that. Where there are animals, there are people who lose animals to their inevitable death. I can't endure their pain, it reminds me too much of my own. Anyone who has had animals has felt that pain. The loss of a friend who loves you unconditionally and with complete abandon is pretty hard to ignore. Impossible in fact.

So why did I choose to read this book? Buddy, the rambunctious and sometimes obnoxious rooster seemed safe. I thought it would be okay. Also, I didn't ay attention. I saw that it was about a man, his journey to becoming a a family man and of course the family that brought him to that point in his life. I somehow missed the perfectly and completely obvious comment in the book description that Harry, a wonderful, loving, cheerful and loyal dog dies in this book. This is not a spoiler.. go ahead and read the book description. There it is for all to see. All except me. So be warned.

Brian sounds like a good man, a kind man and one who just wants to do the right thing, and to do it while having a happy life. Of course, he doesn't know how to make his life happy any more than the rest of us, but Harry helps him to find his way. It isn't unusual for a dog to make us happy. It's fairly common really. But Harry doesn't work alone. There are various animals, various people and many little bumps along the road. But in the end Brian learns something from Buddy. And what he learns is just possibly one of the secrets of the universe. So, go ahead and read it, don't be afraid. This is a story that will make you cry. This is also a story that will make you smile, hold your breath and sigh with relief. It's well worth the cry(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Zara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs, review-list, own, pets

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory is a brilliant memoir about the reluctant transition a man must make from content autonomy of singlehood to the selflessness that’s required in a longterm relationship, the unexpected and ever-changing moods of children — and in this case, a house full of pets.

Brian McGrory’s experience as a writer and editor for the Boston Globe since the eighties has clearly given him an advantage in writing novels, which in Buddy, obviously showcases...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Calye rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was shopping for my own b'day presents in the time between Christmas and my b'day. What I really wanted were the Good Eats books from Costco, but, as it goes with Costco, they were in and gone before I got any. I ended up at Target instead and this was one of the few books they had left that I hadn't read so it became a b'day present.

I enjoy reading witty, life journals such as this, however Buddy never really seemed to find a voice (no pun intended). The author rambles around his tale a bit...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Naberius rated it 4 of 5 stars

I admit it --- I picked up this book just because it was on the new books display of my library, and the title and cover caught my eye. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, and figured I'd be in for a fast, humorous read and move on to my next book. Instead, I got a bit more --- I got a book that had parts that made me smile, and parts that made me get choked up, and an overall book that made me think. And not just think about roosters, either.

As you can see from the summary, the book is about...more I admit it --- I picked up this book just because it was on the new books display of my library, and the title and cover caught my eye. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, and figured I'd be in for a fast, humorous read and move on to my next book. Instead, I got a bit more --- I got a book that had parts that made me smile, and parts that made me get choked up, and an overall book that made me think. And not just think about roosters, either.

As you can see from the summary, the book is about the author's change of life from living as a bachelor in the city to moving to suburbia with his new wife, her daughters, and a number of animals, including a rooster, Buddy. However, Brian McGrory doesn't just focus on Buddy, but also gives us his experiences with his beloved dog, Harry. At first, I didn't quite get where the author was going with this. I mean, where's the rooster? Why is the author talking about this dog? But then, I started to understand what was happening, and why the author was writing about Harry. His experiences with Harry shaped who he was, and how he saw life, in general. It made complete sense to give some back-story so that the reader has more of an understanding of just how much an adjustment it was for the author to not only move to the suburbs with his new wife, and her daughters, but also how much of an adjustment it was to live with a rooster.

Living with Buddy is certainly full of .... adventure. As you might expect, since Buddy is a rooster, and the author is the only man in the household, Buddy never quite sees Brian in a friendly way. So, it's pretty entertaining to read about Buddy, and what it's like to live with him. The author has a great writing style, so not only did I get a clear picture in my mind of Buddy, but also clearly got the author's mood coming through. My husband had encounters with a rooster on one of our trips to Italy, which was enough to make me believe we'll never live with our own rooster.

But, as I said, this book isn't just an entertaining story of living with a belligerent rooster. When Brian is writing about Harry, from the first day he met the dog, and onwards, there's a thoughtfulness. Having Harry in his life gives the author not only new experiences, such as getting to know more people in his neighborhood, but also, insight into himself, and his relationships with other people. I liked how he reflected on his marriages, and especially, what it was like to make the adjustment to his new marriage (and his wife's daughters). In fact, there's a thoughtfulness and honesty running through this book that made me take my time with it. Not everything the author shares in this book is funny, or even happy, and I appreciated that that, in turn, made me reflect on my own experiences when I was reading it. It was a happy surprise to find this book and have it turn out the way that it did.(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Kasandra rated it 2 of 5 stars

The best part of this book is actually about the author's first dog, Harry. That part made me feel all warm and squishy inside, and then made me cry. The rest of it? Not badly written, but no amount of clever writing shores up his assertion that giving up an independent city life for the suburbs and married step-parenthood (and living with a crazy, loud rooster) was worth it. The excesses of spending on suburban kids and their parties is detailed here in all its disgusting glory. I ended this bo...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disappointing. I expected to be rooting for Brian and his new family based on the premise of the book - a city-dwelling bachelor becoming a suburban family man via his vet and her two daughters. But honestly while I enjoyed and related to Brian's relationship with his dog Harry at the beginning of the book, after that part I felt it was lacking in substance as well as any likable characters. Brian had continued angst about moving from Boston to the suburbs. Living in the city on his own clearly...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Deidre rated it 4 of 5 stars

By now we are well-accustomed to charming animal-centered memoirs featuring a troublesome pup or a winsome feline. The rooster, however, is an unlikely candidate for this sort of pet as life-lesson instructor story. But with the rise in urban farming perhaps more roosters will be making their way into family units. For those who might be thinking about welcoming a rooster into their brood, Buddy is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale.

Brian McGrory was a Boston-based dog owner when he fell...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction

Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced, having grown up on James Herriot, but Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man was a let down. I went into this book with high hopes for humor and heartwarming stories. What I got was a hodge-podge of information, not necessarily in chronological order, that was only slightly touching and humorous, but more often irritating.

Personally, I feel that the best part of this book what the part that had nothing to do with the rooster. The first fourth of the book is about a...more Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced, having grown up on James Herriot, but Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man was a let down. I went into this book with high hopes for humor and heartwarming stories. What I got was a hodge-podge of information, not necessarily in chronological order, that was only slightly touching and humorous, but more often irritating.

Personally, I feel that the best part of this book what the part that had nothing to do with the rooster. The first fourth of the book is about a Golden Retriever that McGrory owned for a decade. I would have much rather read about this seemingly perfect dog than the awkward scenes that come after. Perhaps it's another prejudice of mine, being a farm girl from rural Kentucky, but I found this whole family's treatment and reactions to the rooster Buddy annoying and unrealistic. I've owned plenty of roosters, and I've had a chicken or two that was tame enough to carry around, but the over-exaggerated bullying that McGrory describes seems odd to me. Have roosters been known to go after people, especially children? Yes. But usually the slightest display of dominence will make them back down. McGrory's running terror of this bird is ridiculous, and makes me feel a little ashamed for him. There were plenty of times while reading this book I just wanted to shake him and yell "Man up! It's a bird, for crying out loud, show some self-respect!"

Which leads me to another complaint I had: Pam and her kids. Now, granted, I am not a mother nor a product of divorce, so I can hardly criticize the familial aspect of the story. I have no basis to say if the behavior that McGrory talks about is normal or not -- even if I find it grating (such as his rush on New Year's Day to buy two identical American Girl dolls and four outfits for a few hundred dollars to curry his stepdaughters' favor... and I have a few American Girl dolls myself!) However I found the girls bratty and his wife manipulative. If he was hoping to endear his new family to audiences I'm afraid he fell violently short. I'm married, and I'm an animal lover, and I admit to sometimes wheedleing my husband into allowing me to bring home pets he might not be crazy about, but if I saw an animal of mine getting along so poorly with my husband - to the degree that McGrory describes - and if he felt truly unsafe and uncomfortable with it, I would find it a home as quickly as possible. Instead, Pam blatantly manipulates, lies, and tricks McGrory into allowing this rooster to stay. She spends an exorbitant amount of money to build him an absurd coop (what ever happened to chickens roosting in trees, or in barn rafters?) and a safety fence. Her utter lack of sympathy for her husband astounds me. Especially after the rooster, as McGrory accounts, attacked a "sitter" so badly that it knicked a vein in the man's leg forcing him to use a tourniquet to slow the bleeding.

All in all I would not recommend this book to another person. The beginning was almost totally out of sync with the rest of the book, the middle was irritating, and the end was shockingly weak. Read some James Herriot, or even Susan Chernak Mcelroy, if you're looking for a touching animal memoir.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Carolyn S rated it 5 of 5 stars

I fell in love with this book. Was given it to read from an 82 year old friend, who didn't know I have a rooster, he loved it! I think it was my favorite book of the year!! I ordered a copy after reading it for one hour! I want others to get to read it too.
This author, Brian McGrory writes for the Boston Globe, and I believe this to be what happen to him. He is a bit of a squirrel, since he write a bit like I think, an ADH writer. But he always get back to where he left off and I could follow hi...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

While Buddy the rooster does figure prominently in this book, Brian McGrory actually excels most when he offers a very intimate look at his relationship with Harry, a Golden Retriever. He also shared a rather scrumptious view of living simply in a big city that he loves, making me itch to leave suburbia. You cannot help liking Brian an awful lot. He is without a doubt a most patient and kind man, very sharp, and someone who appears to live an authentic and full life. This good man put up with mo...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Diane Kistner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Just like there are problems in the blended marriage between the journalist and the veterinarian with two young daughters and too many animals, there are problems with the writing in this book. It reads like a memoir in search of an organizing principle, and I guess Buddy ("Boo Boo") the rooster gave the publisher something to put on the cover to sell the book. It's not a bad read, and it covers some universal themes that all families have to deal with, but it was also a little unauthentic in th...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, nonfiction

I have to confess that I'm fond of chickens. Never owned one, love to eat them, but I also enjoy reading about them. Buddy is a cantankerous, overweight, paranoid rooster who resents everything about the author and wants only to drive him from the roost. Brian McGrory is a fairly ordinary, intelligent guy who likes animals...until he finds himself constantly beseiged by his fiance's rooster. Brian has moved from the big city (Boston) to suburbia in order to build a life with Pam and her two daug...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first saw the cover of Buddy, I couldn't help but wonder how interesting a book about a pet rooster would be. Sure, roosters aren't the most common of pets, but as a girl, I had very traditional animals in a suburban setting, so I didn't exactly know what it meant to have a chicken as a pet. After reading Buddy, however, I have a new sense of respect and understanding of all that Brian McGrory went through to make peace with Buddy.

This hilarious memoir details the unexpected changes and a...more When I first saw the cover of Buddy, I couldn't help but wonder how interesting a book about a pet rooster would be. Sure, roosters aren't the most common of pets, but as a girl, I had very traditional animals in a suburban setting, so I didn't exactly know what it meant to have a chicken as a pet. After reading Buddy, however, I have a new sense of respect and understanding of all that Brian McGrory went through to make peace with Buddy.

This hilarious memoir details the unexpected changes and adventures that come about when Brian, a Boston-based journalist begins to date Pam, a veterinarian and mother of two young girls. The two originally met through Harry, Brian's beloved dog who passed away (as a note, Brian does develop the story of Harry because it allows us to better understand his relationship with Pam, but I wasn' t really expecting a touching puppy tale in the midst of a book about a rooster). As their relationship evolves, Brian grows closer to Pam and the girls, and begins to understand that a hatching egg that started out as a science experiment is now going to be another pet in the suburban zoo that is Pam's home. While Brian doesn't really know what to expect, it is clear that his relationship with Buddy is very different from that of the girls (while Brian dodges peckings and sneak attacks, the girls coo over the chicken and carry him around lovingly). When Brian and Pam decide to buy a house together, Brian struggles to overcome the challenges of transitioning being a city dweller to a suburbanite, and must gain a new understanding of his role in this blended family.

While this book is unexpectedly funny, there are definitely some sad moments. It was hard watching Brian struggle with the transition, but it was even harder watching Pam's two girls ignore Brian's attempts at easing into this new life they will have. Often times the girls come across as snotty and spoiled, despite what Brian indicates. Additionally, while Pam is consistently portrayed as patient, and Brian seems to be the only one to have issues with Buddy's incessant crowing after the move to the new house, because we don't have a deep understanding of her as a character, it is hard to connect with her.

Overall, this book is a fun, easy read. It was refreshing and entertaining, and while it is certainly not a pet-tearjerker like Racing in the Rain or Marley and Me, it is a touching look at how much pets can teach us (even the most unexpected of pets). From shelfishness.blog.com(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Jenny Demonic rated it 3 of 5 stars

McGrory is amiable enough, and his writing style has wit and snap. Charming anecdotes tastefully decorate "Buddy," although I will say I am appalled at the idea that giving children everything they want in this world and letting them dictate how you will live your life down to if you will even take them on a vacation when they are out of school, is called "parenting" these days.

Despite the realization that this kind of rearing is what is inherently wrong with the world in people feeling entitle...more McGrory is amiable enough, and his writing style has wit and snap. Charming anecdotes tastefully decorate "Buddy," although I will say I am appalled at the idea that giving children everything they want in this world and letting them dictate how you will live your life down to if you will even take them on a vacation when they are out of school, is called "parenting" these days.

Despite the realization that this kind of rearing is what is inherently wrong with the world in people feeling entitled to walk all over anyone and everyone as long as it makes them happy, the stories of Harry make the book appealing. Buddy, in his own sense, is just as spoiled as the children. Compromise in a new relationship is an idea lost. Concessions on the part of the author is a common theme. There isn't a sense of martyrdom in any action, but the idiom about kicking good dogs when they're down constantly ran through my mind as each chapter came to a close.

Perhaps it is because I share a similar background to the author - single, living alone with my dog, set in my routine - that I was initially drawn to the book. Throughout the chapters I found myself laughing at the single guy. But I was also troubled at the single guy willing to completely lose everything that defined him so he could fit into someone else's existence without any concessions on their part. To me, McGrory played the role of that animal that gets adopted by the family because it brings them status, never mind if they have the time to really get to know the pet and fit it into their lives, not around it.

The writing style of the book is what kept me interested, long after I was done with loud exhalations over situations with the family that left my own dog with an ear toward the sky, looking as if she wanted to take my blood-pressure and make sure I was doing okay. I found the heart of the interactions with the humans he was trying so desperately to please to be lacking; indeed, I questioned where the intimacy he shares in the stories of Harry aligned with the intimacy of a fiance who always fell asleep with the kids while he went back to his condo so he didn't interrupt their lives. Marriage is supposed to be a new start with compromise and respect; that idea was missing from every page. (less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-rescue, memoir, dogs

Brian McGrory's memoir concerning his second marriage, to his late dog Harry's vet, is ostensibly about how the family rooster teaches him to be a better person.

Except that isn't really how I read it.

Brian is devastated by Harry's death. The beloved golden retriever had been his constant companion since puppyhood. Unbeknownst to Brian, veterinarian Pam has a crush on him ... and she eventually reveals this. They begin dating, which is complicated by the presence of her two children, a dog, some...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookumentary, nonfiction

This book was pretty great. Basically if you love animals this'll be a good read for you. Brian McGrory lives a pretty good life with his awesome dog in Boston and isn't looking for much until his vet Pam comes along and decides to rock his world with her awesome self and her two daughters. Losing his independence and his cool place is pretty hard for Brian, but he manages to adjust himself to the idea of a family life in the suburbs amidst some really honest struggles and frustrations that come...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I must confess, my favorite sections of the book dealt with Harry the late golden retriever - Buddy the rooster, not so much.

Brian obviously loved living in the city, but moved to accomodate his new family. He seemed like he was trying to convince himself that he'd done the right thing. (I'm thinking he should have kept his condo)

The whole "American Girl" incident just made me mad - the girls want to stay home with their mother, so he had to go to the mall days after Christmas, and purchase hun...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Trudy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 02, 2012 Matt rated it 1 of 5 stars

I received this book from Goodreads after winning one of their give aways. If not for that, I may not have finished it.

While the title of this book implies it is about a rooster, it really is more of mid-life autobiography of Brian McGrory. The first part of the book describes Brian’s life with his dog after his divorce while living in Boston. The book continues, describing how Brian begins to date his veterinarian, Pam, who lives in the suburbs, and happens to become the owner of a rooster. The...more I received this book from Goodreads after winning one of their give aways. If not for that, I may not have finished it.

While the title of this book implies it is about a rooster, it really is more of mid-life autobiography of Brian McGrory. The first part of the book describes Brian’s life with his dog after his divorce while living in Boston. The book continues, describing how Brian begins to date his veterinarian, Pam, who lives in the suburbs, and happens to become the owner of a rooster. The stories ends after Pam and Brian marry and purchase a suburban house which they share with various pets and part-time with Pam’s kids.

I think my main issue with this book is that it is an autobiography about a man that you really never like throughout the book. It’s hard to define what it is that is unlikeable about him, but I think he just comes off as a constant complainer who just can’t deal with any change. He constantly and I mean just about every few pages, points out how he can’t stand to be in the suburbs and how life in the city is just so much better. He goes to a restaurant and nobody knows who he is and he gets no special service! I also don’t think that it necessarily is just him you don’t like. Both he and his wife spoil his whiney step kids every step of the way. After Pam makes the kids a breakfast consisting of waffles, bacon, omletes, and multiple other things, the kids and Pam make Brian go out to spend $400 on dolls seven days after Christmas, and the kids can’t even be bothered to go with Brian.

The other part that I didn’t particularly like is that at first glance this appears to be a story about a man who loves animals and who the rooster changes in to this great family man. After the first third of the book or so, this doesn’t seem to be the case. After the beginning of the book lovingly describes his first dog, he barely even introduces us to the dog he gets afterwards. Also, I don’t see how the rooster makes Brian a family man. In the last few pages he grudgingly accepts that his new life will be in these horrible suburbs with a rooster who even in the last few pages he hopes will be taken by animal control. He only slightly shows characteristics consistent with a “family man” when after careful consideration of what the right steps would be after his step-daughter breaks his arm, he decides he should go to the hospital to be with her.
Lastly, this also appears to bill itself as a humorous story. It really wasn’t. Not even slightly. It really became a story about a self-centered man and family you really didn’t care about.
(less)

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Jun 13, 2013 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can we say hen-pecked? Or in this case, rooster-pecked? I enjoyed his writing style very much but then kept reminding myself, wait these people actually exist and are real and started to feel a growing resentment and annoyance to all of them, especially their over-privledged kids (and fiance!). I just kept thinking (after he moved to suburbia to his new "lifestyle,") did he leave his balls in Boston? Shouting in my head, "stand up for yourself man, grow a set and say NO!" But then again, maybe t...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Alisa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books, non-fiction

This does not seem like the book McGrory wanted to write (he wanted to write about his "perfect" dog Harry), nor is it the book I wanted to read. Very, very little of the book is actually about Buddy the rooster at all. I ended up feeling sorry for Buddy. The family loved him, sure, but they clearly had no idea of what a chicken requires to be happy. This one may have had a stellar coop, but a chicken absolutely NEEDS to be in constant contact with his flock. As a single, hand-raised chicken, he...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Brian McGrory, an award winning journalist and Boston Globe writer pens a thoroughly enjoyable memoir of his journey as a city dwelling, globetrotting,hobnobbing single guy to a life in suburbia. From independence to obligation, his life will never be the same once he falls in love with his veterinarian, Pam.

The first quarter of the book revolved around Brian’s relationship with Harry, his loyal dog and best friend, and the many ways his cherished pet enriched his life. After Harry dies, the re...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not great literature, but very entertaining. There were some hilarious scenes, and I kept finding myself laughing out loud. I agree with those who wrote that the most interesting and well-written part of this book was Brian's relationship with his beloved dog, Harry. I also liked the description of the growing relationships with his stepdaughters. But I was confused by the overall messages, and by the portrayal of his wife -- the message seemed to be that in order to "grow up," Brian needed to a...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals

This was a really cute, fun book that was a quick read. Brian McGrory had, in his opinion, the best dog ever with Henry. He always really liked his vet Pam, but knew she was married and had children. When it's time for Henry to be put down Pam comes to their house to do it in the most humane and comfortable way for Henry (this is the one REALLY sad part of the book). After that Pam stops by to check on Brian and they eventually start dating. Brian was also divorced, but didn't have any children...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Carolyn Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect from the title and really wasn't sure I'd like a book about a rooster and a family man. You can't imagine my delight as I read this book-it's brilliant. McGrory reals the reader in with an loving account of his relationship with his beloved Golden Retriever "Harry" and then his quest to find a better, well maybe not better but as good a humanrelationship as that which he had with his beloved Golden Retriever. He finds that special person but can he adapt his bachelor...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-and-early-reviews, animals

People who like and care about animals are nicer people, I say. Brian McGrory, author of BUDDY: HOW A ROOSTER MADE ME A FAMILY MAN, is one such person. He loved his dog.

But loving a dog is pretty easy because dogs are people pleasers, even dogs not as perfect as his Harry. The second half of the book asks: what about a rooster?

This is the test: the woman he loves, his dog's veterinarian Pam, and her two little girls have a rooster named Buddy. McGrory doesn't like the rooster; Pam and the kids l...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Moira rated it 3 of 5 stars

Now and again I enjoy a lighter read which is often a book about animals! This wasn't as light a read as I expected because a lot of it is about adjusting from cruisy bachelor inner city life to suburbia with responsibility. I found it curiously unbalanced. Harry, the dog and Buddy, the obnoxious rooster really come to life but Pam is very shadowy. Hey! This is an interesting lady - a Vet running a thriving practice and balancing career, kids and a menagerie. I never got a handle on her personal...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Heidi Hooten rated it 2 of 5 stars

The best parts of this book were when he was talking about his first dog, whom he loved dearly, and the character of Buddy, the rooster. Whom he did NOT love dearly. He says in the back his wife read the manuscript, but if I were her, I would have been pissed. She sounds like a sad sack. He tries to balance that, but it never rings true. And her kids sound like nice kids, but spoiled. They were the ones who really ran the show at home. And throughout -- although he tries to make it sound like he...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Valentina rated it 4 of 5 stars

What an amusing book this was. I really enjoyed reading about the author’s life with a rooster who just had to have his own way.
Brian’s life changes when he falls in love with Pamela. They move in together, with her two daughters, and the many pets Pamela has. This includes a pet rooster. As expected, hilarity ensues. The author’s struggles to get his life back under some kind of control are comically retold, with enough self-deprecation and absolute honesty that it makes this a must read for al...more

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About Brian McGrory

McGrory is the editor of The Boston Globe. A 23-year veteran of the Globe, he was previously a Metro columnist and associate editor. Born and raised in Boston and the region, he has also worked as the Globe’s Metro editor, White House reporter, national reporter, general assignment reporter, and suburban reporter.

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13532222-buddy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337713459l/13532222.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13532222-buddy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory[/url]

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