Customer Reviews

In Search of Burningbush

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"In search of Burningbush by Michael Kunik is a revealing tale, more about life than golf. It is a memoir of Kunik going to Scotland to play golf with an extremely passionate golfer who loves the game more then anything. Don Naifeh is the name of the man and is a poker dealer in Las Vegas. There is one problem with him. He has Osteoporosis or "brittle bone disease". This makes him extremely fragile. One trip and he's in the hospital with a couple of broken wrists and a fractured rib. Don is also a member of the "Shivas Irons Society" which is a club that almost worships Michael Murphy's "Golf in the Kingdom". Murphy's books describes a man from India that goes a links somewhere in Scotland and meets a man named Shivas Irons who does all these amazing things, such as making hole-in-ones in the dark and many other impossible feats. The story takes place during the 1800s.
Michael Kunik is a travel magazine editor who gets to go anywhere in the world for extremely cheap. When he meets Don at the World Series of Poker in Vegas he immediately sets up a tee-time. Not soon after their first outing talk about Scotland begins and how Michael has been there many times and Don has never been. With in a month they are on their way to Scotland. Don is in heaven and Michael is just happy that Don is happy. Don is always on the look out for the course from "Golf in the Kingdom", called Burningbush. At the end of the book the two golf nuts find and in the process learn a lot about themselves and each other.
I believe that Kunik was trying to teach more life lessons than golf lessons. Every part of the book had some connection to everyday life. Kunik definitely accomplished what he was trying to do and taught me more than a few life lessons.
I did not find any weaknesses for "In Search of Burningbush". I found that this book was beautifully written and reads just like fiction. I liked this book because it was about so much more than just golf. The life lessons taught in the book are fundamental for, not just golfers, but everyone.

This book only pretends to be about golf in Scotland. It's really an elegant exploration of Life. If that sounds heavy, it's not. Konik is one of the most graceful writers I've ever read. He has a way of exploring Big Ideas in a gentle and conversational way. You're reading about looking for a mystical golf course or two mismatched buddies trying to win a match on St. Andrews, and then you realize, "Wait a minute: he's really talking about what life is like for all of us." I've read this book three times, and each time I get something new from it. You can enjoy this touching story on so many levels. It's a great travel book, it's a great sports book, and it's a great "relationship" book. It's in a category of its own. "In Search of Burningbush," in my opinion, is Konik's best book, and one of my all-time favorites.

This was a great read. The author easily transported you to Scotland and made you feel as if you were with he and his golf buddy throughout the book. It was fun and informative and a great way to spend some winter evenings. Highly recommend this book to anyone who is yearning to take a "buddy trip" to Great Britain.