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
Read: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Intimacy. Observation. If I had to sum it up, there it is. This book has often been compared to the classics of nature writing, and I can see those connections clearly, but this book is one enormous lesson that we … Read More
Read: The Dinosaur Artist
Quite a story but one that left me with as many questions as answers. On a recent podcast, I made a joke about the fact I finally realized that Indiana Jones was basically a thief. Sure, much of what he … Read More
Read: No Surrender
First, imagine going to war. Now imagine being given an assignment that will most certainly end in death. Now go fight for your country and do what you were trained to do. This is what Hiroo Onoda did. And what … Read More
Read: Blues for Cannibals
I have to thank my friend Scott for turning me on to Charles Bowden all those years ago. If you are interesting in Latin parts then “Down by the River,” and “Murder City” are a must. Bowden was the guy … Read More
Read: The Stranger in the Woods
I loved this book. Just from this book alone I now about a dozen OTHER books I need to read, all of which were sourced from this story and subsequent back-matter. And this story actually went down. Let me explain. … Read More
Read: To Shake The Sleeping Self
Guy rides his bike solo from Oregon to Patagonia. What’s not to like? Okay, he didn’t ride solo but he thought about it. “To Shake The Sleeping Self,” from Jedidiah Jenkins, which is a cool name, by the way, is … Read More
Read: The Feather Thief
I’ve probably stolen a thing or two in my life. Not proud of it, but I would have to go back to my childhood days when I noticed barrels of hard candy in tubs that just so happened to be … Read More
Read: The Kingdom of Speech
I love this stuff. Language, speech, still an enigma to some degree even after our wandering this rock for as long as we have. Tom Wolfe takes a crack of the beauty of this aspect with this “The Kingdom of … Read More
Read: The Fifth Risk
This is an odd book but I love Michael Lewis and read everything he publishes. The Big Short, Moneyball, The Blindside and one of my personal favorites Flash Boys are among the must-reads. You might as well add The Fifth … Read More
Read: Into the Planet
Go ahead and add cave diving to the long list of adventures I will never undertake. Just reading this made my palms sweat in the most uncomfortable of ways. When you realize we know more about outer space than the … Read More
Read: Mosquito
There was so much buzz about this book. Get it? Okay, I’ll stop. I did not read all of this book but not because I didn’t want to. I had to return it before I left on a trip. This … Read More
Read: Classic Krakauer
I read this book in less than two hours. And I’m glad I did. For those of you who don’t know Jon Krakauer just remember “Into the Wild” and “Into Thin Air,” which are two of his most popular reads. … Read More
Read: Sand and Blood
If you have never been to the border then this book could be a must-read. I made my first trip to “La Frontera,” in 1990. I was clueless but wisened up fast as I found the border to be incredibly … Read More
Read: Crisis in the Red Zone
Hey, nothing cheers me up more than a read about the Ebola outbreak of 2013-2014. Yikes. And oh by the way, there is another, ongoing outbreak as we speak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With my luck and … Read More
Read: The Way Home
Great book. So very readable. Some authors are just effortless to read and Mr. Boyle is one of these people. “The Way Home,” is about Boyle’s year plus of living without any of the conveniences of the modern world. No … Read More