There are two kinds of people in this world: those who put out bird feeders, and those who eventually realize they are financing a sophisticated squirrel crime syndicate. Outwitting Squirrels is written for the latter—specifically, for anyone who has watched a squirrel launch itself through midair with Cirque du Soleil confidence and thought, This is no ordinary rodent.
First published in 2014 and still smugly relevant, this book treats backyard squirrel sabotage not as a minor inconvenience, but as an epic, ongoing intelligence war. The famously overlong subtitle isn’t decorative—it’s a warning label. You are about to enter a realm of obsessive planning, escalating countermeasures, and deeply unnecessary levels of ingenuity.
Concept & Premise
At its core, Outwitting Squirrels is a parody of the how-to manual taken to absurd extremes—and then made weirdly functional.
The book presents 101 “cunning stratagems” designed to reduce the “egregious misappropriation” of birdseed by squirrels. Along the way, Adler:
- Explains bird feeders, seed types, and placement with unsettling thoroughness
- Rates squirrel-resistance like a consumer watchdog who has seen too much
- Gradually escalates from sensible advice into gleeful tactical overkill
The joke is that this is all treated with deadly seriousness. The surprise is that a shocking amount of it works.
Tone & Humor Style
Adler commits fully to the bit, using:
- Deadpan overcommitment — Every suggestion is presented as if national security depends on it
- Escalation comedy — Reasonable advice slowly gives way to increasingly unhinged ingenuity
- Mock-official language — “Stratagems,” “misappropriation,” and bureaucratic gravity applied to rodents
- Lists as punchlines — The numbering itself becomes part of the joke
- Earnest absurdity — The book never winks, which is precisely why it’s funny
Themes & Satirical Targets
Beneath the feeder hooks and baffles, the book skewers:
- Humanity’s belief that this solution will finally solve the problem
- DIY culture’s love of gadgets, hacks, and marginal gains
- The quiet madness that comes from battling a smarter-than-expected animal
- Our tendency to frame petty inconveniences as heroic struggles
It’s also a loving roast of bird lovers themselves—people who will happily redesign their entire backyard ecosystem out of spite.
Giftability
Perfect For:
- Birdwatchers with a competitive streak
- Gardeners who mutter at trees
- Suburban homeowners locked in long-term squirrel feuds
- Anyone who enjoys mock-serious manuals (The Worst-Case Scenario crowd will feel at home)
Probably Not For:
- Readers looking for a purely humane or minimalist approach
- People dealing with squirrel problems outside the bird-feeder arena
- Anyone expecting a short, breezy joke book rather than committed satire
Physical & Visual Design
The book leans hard into faux-reference-guide aesthetics:
- Dense text blocks that heighten the seriousness
- Diagrams and illustrations that feel both helpful and faintly ridiculous
- A layout that mimics practical manuals—making the satire sneakier and funnier
It looks like something you’d keep next to actual gardening guides, which only deepens the joke.
Funniest / Most Memorable Moments
Without spoiling specific punchlines, highlights include:
- The meticulous ranking of feeders by squirrel resistance (with grudging respect for the enemy)
- Tactical discussions involving friction reduction, lubrication, and gravity
- Advice that sounds reasonable until you realize how much effort it requires
- The cumulative realization that squirrels are winning, and always will be
The humor lands not in individual jokes, but in the relentless, escalating commitment to the premise.
Overall Verdict
Outwitting Squirrels is a minor classic of practical absurdism—a book that turns backyard irritation into an operatic farce without ever losing its straight face. It works as satire, it works as a reference, and it works exceptionally well as a gift for anyone who has ever whispered, “Not again,” while refilling a feeder.
This is not a book about defeating squirrels. It’s about coping with the knowledge that you probably can’t—and trying anyway.
Outwitting Squirrels is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org, where it continues its quiet mission of validating bird lovers everywhere.