Started reading: Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot 📚
Finished reading: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 📚
Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
This book is short, but I can’t call it sweet considering the political climate in the U.S. It offers a sobering look at the similarities between Soviet & Nazi regimes, and the first Trump term. It’s shorter than some of your favorite tech podcasts and you should give it a read or listen.
Started reading: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 📚
Do not obey in advance.
Defend institutions.
Beware the one-party state.
Take responsibility for the face of the world.
Remember professional ethics.
Be wary of paramilitaries.
Be reflective if you must be armed.
Stand out.
Be kind to our language.
Believe in truth.
Investigate.
Make eye contact and small talk.
Practice corporeal politics.
Establish a private life.
Contribute to good causes.
Learn from peers in other countries.
Listen for dangerous words.
Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
Be a patriot.
Be as courageous as you can.
Finished reading: Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen 📚
Thus ends the Hatchet Adventure series. They sure do make you want to escape to the woods.
Finished reading: Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen 📚
Finished reading: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 📚
I’m enjoying going back through books I loved as a kid. This is one that shaped me.
Finished reading: Frightful’s Mountain by Jean Craighead George 📚
Another solid entry in the series. One more to go.
Finished reading: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George 📚
This book was formative for me back in my middle school years and is precisely why Peregrine Falcons are my favorite bird. A quick read, but certainly makes me want to run away to the woods. I’d forgotten the disappointing ending, though.
Finished reading: My Murder by Katie Williams 📚
Ooh this is a good one. An intriguing premise that morphs, twists and turns unexpectedly, and ultimately delivers.
Finished reading: Becoming Steve Jobs by Brent Schlender 📚
Goodness, what an extraordinary person. This recounting of his life is the best I’ve read, and certainly reveals more humanity than the rest.
Finished reading: Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold 📚
A decent little tale, but I don’t think I’ll continue the series.
Finished reading: The Push: A Climber’s Search for the Path by Tommy Caldwell 📚
Fantastic story, expertly written. Tommy Caldwell’s desire for excellence and perseverance to get there is an inspiration!
Currently reading: Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills by The Mountaineers 📚
It’s about time I got to “the bible” of climbing tombs.
📚 Finished reading: Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words by Steve Jobs 👍👍
What a uniquely remarkable person.
Finished reading: States of Adventure: STORIES ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF BY GETTING LOST by Fitz Cahall 📚
Currently reading: Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold 📚
I’ve read this before, but am enjoying it a second time (as an audiobook this time). Honnold’s soloing and character might not be for everyone, but I appreciate his zero-bullshit demeanor and respect the hell out of his passion for climbing. If you want to know why he solos, it’s hard to beat going straight to the source.
Finished reading: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 📚
After being in and out of loans for over a year, I finally marathoned my way through 80% of this book in the last few days. And sprinted through hours of reading today, both because the story was compelling and because my loan ended today.
I loved how imaginative this book was while still being (somewhat) rooted in reality — at least scientific constructs. I spotted many holes in the logic, but none were so glaring that they detracted from the overall story of survival, ruthless ingenuity, and friendship. And (spoiler) I appreciate a tale in which alien contact is curious and cooperative, rather than confrontational.
I recommend it!
Finished reading: Down by Andy Kirkpatrick 📚
Getting down from a mountain is often more complicated and riskier than climbing it in the first place. Andy wrote the essential book of techniques to do so safely. I learned more than a few new things, and will review it regularly to stay up to speed.
Finished reading: Rock Climbing: The AMGA Single Pitch Manual by Bob Gaines 📚
Pretty much all review concepts, but a great brush-up for my Single Pitch Instructor course this weekend. 🧗
I don’t usually have multiple books going at once, but in an effort to maximize March is Reading Month, I now have a bedside book, a downstairs book, and an iPad book. 📚
Currently reading: Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words by Steve Jobs 📚
Currently reading: Self-rescue by David J. Fasulo 📚