This book came out a few years ago and won several literary prizes. I still managed to avoid it. And then, like a hawk, I pounced. Last week I met a gallery owner who specializes in ancient, Japanese armor. My … Read More
Read: Deep Creek
I had never heard of Pam Houston. Sam Houston, yes, I’d heard of him, but not Pam. My bad. Apparently, she is famous. I somehow missed this point. But, I’m catching up and I chose a good book to do … Read More
Read: American Meteor
Just get it and read it. I think this is a wonderful book. Came out of nowhere. Apparently, this is a stand-alone book of a three-book series. Norma Lock’s American Meteor. Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, Battle of the Little … Read More
Read: Isaac’s Storm
Man, I’m glad I don’t live in Galveston. Just kidding. I actually really like Galveston. Not only the city itself but the Gulf Coast in general. I love the food, the structure and look of the city, and I used … Read More
Read: Earthquake Storms
Talk about ironic timing. I reserved this book weeks ago, weeks before the most recent California quakes, so the timing is fortuitous, to say the least. Californians are odd creatures. They have trained themselves to look the other way when … Read More
Read: The Monk of Mokha
Is a cup of coffee worth $14? Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you that yes it is. And in some cases, it might be worth even more. Dave Eggers is quite the writer. He’s done numerous books, and … Read More
Read: Natural Born Heroes
A few years ago Christopher McDougall published a book titled “Born to Run.” Shortly thereafter I began to see people running barefoot around the streets and trails of Southern California. “What the heck,” I remember wondering. The popularity of the … Read More
Read: American War
Omar El Akkad gets it right. A slight trend toward the World War Z style story but American War builds upon this idea with its own personal flair. A fictional future, a what if? A second Civil War fueled by … Read More
Read: The Moor’s Account
This book was a Pulitzer Prize finalist which is what piqued my interest. This is a story about the New World told through the eyes of a Moorish slave. Discovery, exploration, death, violence and the terrible themes of the Spanish … Read More
Read: Atlantic
Once again, I’m late to the game. Pretty much everyone I know has read Simon Winchester, but me. Until now. This is a great book. A book about an ocean that reads like an adventure novel. A few things. Winchester … Read More
Read: War on Peace
I love this s%$#. I really, really love it. One of my regrets in life, of which I have many, is that I never worked for the State Department. Diplomacy. I can’t imagine anything more trying, testing, frustrating but potentially … Read More
Read: Without You, There Is No Us
This is quite a book. Suki Kim is a journalist who went undercover teaching the children of the North Korean elite. Ya, talk about not wanting to screw up. Several things I took away. First, the population is split between … Read More
Read: The Road to Little Dribbling
Everyone needs a Bryson book from time to time. Just seeing his name makes me laugh, and he has the skill to poke fun at us, them and himself while never truly offending anyone, at least anyone that matters. “The … Read More
Read: The Mind-Gut Connection
I gave up taking notes on this baby. There was too much solid information. If you are one of those people who say “Of course there is a connection between the mind and the gut you dumbass,” I would still … Read More
Read: The Origins of Creativity
Edward O. Wilson managed to win not one Pulitzer but two. That is no easy feat. And yet there he is. The Origins of Creativity seemed like a good book to investigate. After all, I’m supposed to be this creative … Read More
Read: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Haruki Murakami is a legend. 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, etc. I had no idea he was a runner. Turns out, he is. And his running and writing are intimately connected. “What I Talk About When I Talk … Read More
Read: Bhagavad Gita
Okay, much more on this in the near future. But for now, just know I’m not a religious person, at all, nor would I consider myself that spiritual. Nature has always been my temple, church, ashram if you will. However, … Read More
Read: The Great Work of Your Life
I found Stephen Cope a few years ago through his wonderful book The Wisdom of Yoga. The book I’m featuring here, The Great Work of Your Life, isn’t as great as The Wisdom of Yoga, but it is still a … Read More