You know how I feel about Murakami. Well, he did it to me again. Murakami, and his style, hook me in each and every time. Things always start off so innocently. A woman in a taxi on an expressway. A … Read More
Read: World Without Mind
I know, I know, “World Without Mind,” kinda being played out in real-time here in the United States. Probably no need to write a book about it, but thankfully Franklin Foer took the time to do so. I love reading … Read More
Read: American Warlord
I blame my parents. “Why are you reading a book about West Africa,” someone asked with a snotty little look on their face. “Just curious,” I answered. Where did this curiosity come from? Parental units at a very, very early … Read More
Read: The Education of an Idealist
I love books like this. Honest, at times ugly, political history style memoirs that reveal details that were not public information during the time they went down. It doesn’t matter your political slant. Our political system is flawed, fundamentally flawed, … Read More
Read: Team Human
Just know going into a Rushkoff book you are going to need a lot of paper for the subsequent note-taking you will find yourself driven to do. “Team Human,” was the right book at the right time, at least for … Read More
Read: Life Undercover
When I was in high school, a friend of my father’s tried to recruit me into the FBI. He was a former agent, also named Dan, and said “You are perfect for this.” For some reason, my pitch back to … Read More
Read: Nine Stories
Salinger. He’s a bit bent. And that’s why I like him. Those last two paragraphs. That last line taking a story on a violent ride in a new direction while it ends right in your face or fragile mind. You … Read More
Read: Killing Commendatore
Sometimes we are caught off guard, even when we think we might know someone or something. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from author Haruki Murakami but none of these prior books really prepared me for Killing Commendatore. This book starts … Read More
Read: Deep South
Paul Theroux is famous. He has literally fame. And he writes his ass off. you might know The Mosquito Coast, or Dark Star Safari or The Great Railway Bazaar. There are many, many more. Deep South should be added to … Read More
Read: My Salinger Year
Loved this book. Truly. Buy the paper version. Such a fun read. Funny and depicts an industry I find endlessly fascinating. Literary publishing. And in this case, an “agency” steeped in traditions that have NOT faded. No computers, no email, … Read More
Read: Gold Fever
Turns out, there is gold in them hills, probably a lot of it. The hard part? Well, like all kinds of luck, finding it tends to be a real bear. I loved this book which was a good blend of … Read More
Read: The Nature Fix
This is a wonderful book. Yes, preaching to the choir in my case, but I consider that one of the most fortunate aspects of my entire life. I had a father who knew what untouched wilderness was all about and … Read More
Read: Black Edge
It’s rigged. It really is. And the bad guys don’t go to jail, mostly. And, at this point, the government isn’t really interested in stopping illegal financial activity. It’s as simple as that. Oh, and sometimes the government lawyers quit … Read More
Read: The People in the Trees
Fiction. Ahhhh, fiction. Hello, my old friend. Fiction is so relaxing. Just looking for a good story, and I found one. Hanya Yanagihara’s “The People in the Trees,” is an odd story but one that runs parallel to many of … Read More
Read: Hero, The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia
This was a BEAST of a book. I mean a real beast and in the best possible use of that word. Over forty pages of notes, more than any book I’ve read. And I could have created many more. If … Read More
Read: Into The Land of Bones
Want to know a really easy way to get your ass kicked? Invade Afghanistan. Yep, guaranteed ass whipping. The British tried it, twice. The Soviets. Same for us. But it wasn’t just modern folk who tried to tame Bactria. This … Read More
Read: The Next Species
I checked out this book BEFORE the world began to fully experience a global pandemic, but I could not have chosen a more fitting book. “The Next Species,” by Michael Tennesen is a wonderful book about history, Earth, humans, our … Read More
Read: Top Ten Reads
I’m talking all-time you crazy people. All-time. Top ten. These are the books I reread on a yearly basis. Most of them anyway. Some are behemoths, the literary equivalent of the tar pit. Some of these might be on your … Read More