I'm not surprised Conor Knighton's unnamed fiance left him. I want to leave him too.
Conor Knighton was planning a wedding when his future wife said "I'm not surprised Conor Knighton's unnamed fiance left him. I want to leave him too.
Conor Knighton was planning a wedding when his future wife said "JK lol I'm gonna date someone else this is over and I'm moving out." Bereft and adrift, Knighton, a freelance correspondent, decided to pitch an idea to the various networks that sporadically employ him. That idea was simple: 2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Parks system; why not have someone visit all of the parks in a single calendar year ?
The networks were, understandably, tepid in their response. Hitting all of those parks in a single year? Why? He begged, telling them he'd do it and they only need pay him for the segments they liked. He got a grudging deal, and embarked on a poorly planned, quite frankly offense trip across the country again and again.
Knighton preaches conservation, but flew on countless planes and drove countless miles to get to parks which he doesn't even bother to really explore. He's a hypocrite.
For a book that claims to be about the parks, I see very little of them between these pages. Knighton spends most of the book talking about the people he met and not the places he saw.
He didn't plan this at all so he doesn't get to see a lot and often arrives in poor weather. He also isn't a hiker and doesn't understand basics like packing appropriate food or turning off your headlamp at night. He's an idiot. He's an acapella boy, though, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
How do I know he's an acapella boy? Because Knighton won't shut up about himself. He moans about how his ex fiance probably threw out a stuffed animal he got her when they first started dating. He compares his broken heart to the petrified forest. He hits on girls just trying to hike, and tells us about his Tinder profile. He goes over his childhood and nauseum. Does Knighton think anyone except his mother cares about this ? I know I'm being harsh but this book billed itself to be about parks and I know almost nothing new about the parks but I know all about how he grew up in CT and lived in CA for 10 years. I shouldn't know anything about Knighton. A correspondent is supposed to observe and report, but I guess Knighton can't even do his primary job correctly.
I'm not sure what I wanted this book to be but this wasn't it. I read the first 100 pages then skimmed the rest. The beginning was a bunch of history I'm not sure what I wanted this book to be but this wasn't it. I read the first 100 pages then skimmed the rest. The beginning was a bunch of history of the Canadian Oil Industry and then we turned to one fire in 2016. I guess I had anticipated an overarching look at our climate and atmosphere and the history of fires vs our present moment vs how fucked the future is. The book had some of that, but I found it plodding and dull which doesn't seem fair because this book seems important. Ah well, maybe my husband will read it and sparknote the golden nuggets I failed to see in my boredom....more
I didn't expect this collection to feel so dated, but it did. 2018 was 6 whole years ago. In that time we had COVID aWhat a weird little time capsule.
I didn't expect this collection to feel so dated, but it did. 2018 was 6 whole years ago. In that time we had COVID and an insurrection and #metoo came and went. The #blacklivesmatter movement of 2020 wasn't even a twinkle in our collective eye.
All of that is reflected in these stories. There's mention of the Trump presidency and some of the people who worked in The White House with him (remember Paul Ryan? I didn't). There's a slam of Mario Batali which, at the time, was revolutionary. There's exaltation of David Chang who was summarily canceled this year after he tried to **checks notes** own chili oil?!
Some selections dragged a bit (the soybean article and catfish article would have both benefited from better editors), but others absolutely sang. "Who Owns Uncle Ben" was fire, and little did the writer know what would happen a few short years later. "The Mad Cheese Scientist..." really pissed me off because WHY AM I PAYING SO MUCH FOR BUTTER WHEN THERE'S SUCH A GLUT OF DAIRY IN THIS COUNTRY. "The Teenager Whalers Story" was heartbreaking, and who doesn't want to read about how much the NBA loves PB&J.
It was also cool to read a plea for free lunches for children when our newly minted VP candidate is an advocate of just that. ...more
Bob Spitz is very good at his job. It's clear he worked tirelessly to gather information, fact check, and spin all those details into a compelling narBob Spitz is very good at his job. It's clear he worked tirelessly to gather information, fact check, and spin all those details into a compelling narrative. Brava.
What's there to say? Led Zeppelin is what it purports to be: the definitive biography of one of the best rock bands in history. The story begins with Jimmy Page's childhood, his work as a session musician, his attachment to Jeff Beck (with a long interlude exploring Jeff Beck, huge influence that he was), and his ultimate creation of the band Led Zeppelin. We get much briefer backgrounds on Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, then its into the music and the mayhem.
Spitz is unflinching about the shortcomings of the band: their tendency to rip music from other artists without proper recognition/credit, their excesses, Jimmy Page's disgusting habit of going after underage girls, and the violence that rippled out from their entourage, and from John Bonham.
The only thing I could potentially say against this book is that it ends very abruptly. After Bonham's death, we gallop to the close. I suppose that makes sense; this is a book about Led Zeppelin, and the band essentially ended once Bonham was gone. That said, I would have really liked a coda to the Coda. That is, a bit more on what Page, Plant, and Jones have been up to for the past 44 years. That's a long time to go essentially unaccounted.
I remember the first time I heard Dazed and Confused and how it shook me to my absolute core. It remains one of the best songs I've ever heard. They say don't meet your heroes, but not much of what's in this book was a secret. The Led Zeppelin guys, save for John Paul Jones, were pure bacchanalian excess. I appreciate that Spitz leans fully into this. No one wanted a white washing of their sins.
Key takeaways: - poor John Paul Jones - drugs bad, mmk - what is it with rock 'n roll boys and young girls?! - they really were a force, weren't they - stop destroying hotel rooms!!! - I'm so glad we no longer tolerate bands going on stage too fucked up to play - hmm, I gotta go back and listen to their whole discography ...more
This book is a perfect example of how marketing makes the book. This book didn't have a strong marketing team. I'd never heard of it. My husband stumbThis book is a perfect example of how marketing makes the book. This book didn't have a strong marketing team. I'd never heard of it. My husband stumbled on an article mentioning the book. I asked after it when he brought it home from the library, and it sounded fascinating.
Wavewalker is what it appears to be: absolutely fascinating.
At 7yrs old, Suzanne Heywood's parents made an announcement: the 3 of them and Suzanne's 6yr old brother would hop into a giant sailboat and follow Captain James Cook's 3rd voyage, which would take ~3.5yrs. 10yrs after they set sail from England, Suzanne escaped her abusive and neglectful family to find a life on solid ground.
I really don't want to say much more. Heywood's life was lonely and cruel. She survived a life threatening injury and abandonment. She survived a childhood and adolescence of solitude and sadness. And all of this was navigating aboard a sailboat, full of her narcissistic, alcoholic parents, her ambivalent brother, and a constantly rotating menagerie of amateur adventurers, sailors, and youths looking for cheap transportation.
Heywood deserved the type of marketing that Tara Westover received when she wrote Educated. She was robbed. This book is better than Educated. Everyone should read this book. ...more
A unique lens on histories that have been told before, Rebecca Clarren marries the history of Jewish immigrants in America to the cruelty and exterminA unique lens on histories that have been told before, Rebecca Clarren marries the history of Jewish immigrants in America to the cruelty and extermination inflicted upon the native people of this country.
A journalist by trade, Clarren began to wonder after the stories surrounding her family's success in the United States. They were given land, essentially for free, when they immigrated to the American west. How, exactly, did they get this land? What were the conditions? Which portions of our oral history or true, and which have been exaggerated. And, most important of all, from whom was our land taken?
The respective stories of Jewish and Native persecution have been told before, and have been told better. That said, The Cost of Free Land is a special addition to the canon. It speaks to the salvation of one resulting in the oppression of another. It speaks to how folks rarely question the things they are given when they are need. It stares our lack of reflection dead in the eye, and warns us to not be complacent in our curiosity and our penitence. ...more
Because I am a researcher by trade, I can't help but do my research when gearing up for a new personal challenge. After years of half marathons and loBecause I am a researcher by trade, I can't help but do my research when gearing up for a new personal challenge. After years of half marathons and longer distance triathlons, I'm finally running my first 26.2. Reddit informed me this is THE book for training. Who am I to question the anonymous masses ?
This is Hal Higdon's third edition of his "how to run a marathon" handbook. Updates include "women run now too!" And "you should drink and eat while running, who knew!" It's pretty funny, and also a little sexist. I got a couple of good nuggets out of the text, such as in-depth breakdowns of speed workouts I could incorporate, as well as an alternative training schedule to the one I'd pulled off Runners World. But if you've been an endurance athlete for a while, there really isn't much groundbreaking in these pages, and some of it was quite dated....more
In anticipation for our trip to Japan next year, I decided to stick Abroad in Japan into my ears over the past week. This memoir tells the story of ChIn anticipation for our trip to Japan next year, I decided to stick Abroad in Japan into my ears over the past week. This memoir tells the story of Chris Broad, who, fresh out of college, joined the JET program to teach English in Japan in 2012. Despite having little knowledge of the country or its language, Broad is accepted into the program. He's lived in Japan ever since.
I loved 2/3 of this book. Broad's first 3 years in Japan were vivid and entertaining. Broad retells his attempts to navigate conventions, culture, food, and public transportation. This is why I came to this book. I wanted to hear what it's like to navigate a country so different from the one in which I live. I wanted to hear about the cities I plan to visit: Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto. I wanted detailed recountings of random bars and restaurants he'd slipped into, how he found the weather, everything. And the first two thirds of the book really did deliver that.
After year 3 in the JET program, Broad decided to move on from teaching and become a full-time YouTuber. Great! That means we'll see even more of the country through his eyes! Wrong! Now we get lengthy chapters about cats and about some random pop star I've never heard of and about the time Broad went viral after an air raid alarm went off at 6am. And, look, maybe it's unfair to swipe a star off of my review because the book went full memoir at a certain point. But the book became so myopically focused on Broad's career... it got real dull. At one point he mentions this incredible cycling journey he completed, but all we hear about it are the negative comments on the YouTube videos. Seriously? He tried to pull it back talking about earthquakes, but then he complained about Kyoto having tourists and I was sort of put off by the dude by the close of the book.
TL;DR - entertaining and well-written for two thirds of the book; falls off once he starts talking about cats. ...more
It's a testament to my therapist that there wasn't much revolutionary for me in Drama Free. I picked it up on recommendation, and because the holidaysIt's a testament to my therapist that there wasn't much revolutionary for me in Drama Free. I picked it up on recommendation, and because the holidays are coming, you know, the most land-mine-filled time of the year for folks with difficult family.
I got the most out of the "Healing" section of the book. We could all use a reminder to give ourselves the love and support we want/need but don't receive elsewhere. Tell yourself you're proud of yourself. Take the time to celebrate your accomplishments. Reflect on the loving relationships and the life you've built in spite of the environment in which you grew up. All of this was wonderful.
Because this book spans all family relationships, only certain sections will apply to any given reader. There's pieces for parents, siblings, children, extended family, and in-laws.
I give this book 4 stars, because it provides tools and validation for folks who do not have the luxury of effective therapy. This book is important. That said, for me it wasn't really a 4 star book. I am privileged enough that I already had a lot of these tools in my box. The anecdotes/"case studies" didn't add anything for me, personally. I skipped those. That said, I could see them being helpful for others to feel less alone.
The big problem I had with this book was when Nedra Glover Tawwab tackled the concept of a person who grew up in a dysfunctional household not wanting to have children. She says things like (and I am paraphrasing) "instead of thinking about what you went through, think about the world you could build for a child." She doesn't say "but it's totally cool and understandable if you don't want to have kids. For those of us who had to parent our parents and/or our siblings, it is enough to want to spend your adulthood parenting yourself." This was a damaging oversight, in my opinion. I wish she had had the lens to recognize that some of us have to defend not wanting to have children. If our upbringing influenced that, we don't have to push past that. We can finally just focus on taking care of ourselves....more
While this book gets 4 stars for me, that rating comes with a warning: it's doubtful you'll come out of this book liking either the hermit in questionWhile this book gets 4 stars for me, that rating comes with a warning: it's doubtful you'll come out of this book liking either the hermit in question, or the journalist who made it his mission to tell his story.
The Stranger in the Woods tells an almost unbelievable story: Maine native Christopher Knight walked into the Maine wilderness in 1986 and stayed there until he was caught in 2013. Journalist Michael Finkel read about it from his Montana home and decided he needed to meet Knight and write a piece on him.
The book weaves Knight's story with the philosophy and study of loneliness vs. aloneness, stoicism, humanity's social urges, the healing powers of nature, and mental illness.
The book is slight, owing in large part, I think, to the lack of information Finkel actually has on Knight. Knight's family declined to speak to Finkel (despite his aggressive attempts to persuade them), and Knight himself seemed torn between telling his story and turning Finkel away. He landed in an odd middle ground, sharing pieces of himself, but only enough for us to get a bare sketch of who he is and what brought him into the woods.
And that's the big issue here, and why I waffled on a 3 star vs a 4 star rating. We don't actually know why Knight first went into the woods, why he stayed, and why he arguably terrorized the community he repeatedly burglarized for 27 years. Finkel doesn't explicitly say it, but hints that Knight may have been so disenfranchised with the world, and was on the brink of killing himself when he plunged into the forest. But that's an educated guess on Finkel's part; Knight never says why he did it. He simply says he got in his car, drove down to Florida, then back up to Maine, then parked his (brand new, co-signed by his brother) car, left the keys, and pushed into the woods. He found a decent spot to hunker down, and so he did. Note that he did this with no plan and with basically no gear. So next up on the list was to go and steal everything he needed from those around him.
Who was around him? Mostly seasonal cabins. Oh, and a camp for adults with special needs which is run exclusively on donations. Knight stole from the camp and from the cabins consistently for 27 years. He also stole cash, though he never ventured to a store. He just broke into places and took their food and clothes and propane tanks and books alcohol and bedding over and over again. Victims told stories of children being terrified, of adults staying up all night with their gun in their lap, people being scared of going outside at night. And this is where the narrative really suffers. Finkel clearly likes Knight. Finkel is also a man. Can you imagine being a woman and knowing there's someone out in the woods who has been breaking into homes for decades. He never hurt anyone and he comes across as harmless, if a little odd, but how in the actual fuck could anyone have known that? People were leaving stuff out for him with notes begging Knight not to break into their homes. He did it anyway. He terrorized a community for almost 30 years for no reason.
So, spoiler alert: I think Knight is a bad person. If you want to escape into the woods for all time, fine. But to make that decision with no gear and no planning and just steal from people? And then posture like you've cracked the code of life by doing this? You're a parasite, dude. Get a grip. Is he severely mentally ill? Finkel suggests not. He states that the legal system tried to label him with various diagnoses: Aspergers, Autism, Schizoid Disorder, but that none of them fit. Finkel is skeptical that Knight suffers from any mental illness at all, and that he might just prefer the company of the self and of nature. If that's the case, then let me diagnose him as a selfish prick. His family thought he was DEAD. His mother AGONIZED over him disappearing for the better part of THIRTY YEARS. And Finkel's story demonstrates zero remorse on Knight's part, other than he's a bit ashamed of all the stealing now that he's been caught. Bish please.
Then we've got Finkel himself. Dude lives in Montana with a wife and kids, but keeps going to Maine to talk to this guy who doesn't want to talk to him. He's basically stalking a family that has begged him to leave them alone. His persistence could be chocked up to his profession, but I think that Finkel's just a dick. That might be why his book is so sympathetic toward Knight: he sees himself in the guy. I feel sorry for Finkel's wife. Also at one point he goes on a tangent about prison isolation and Knight's isolation in the woods. Apples to oranges, bro. Prison isolation usually means no light and no stimulation at all. You should have read another book before you grasped at that straw. That pissed me off.
So why, then, did this book get 4 stars? Because despite how trash Knight and Finkel are, this book is absolutely fascinating. That a person could tuck into the woods for 27 years before he was found. That he was able to survive solely on things he stole and his scrappiness (because he went into the woods when he was 20. Most 20yr olds would die immediately during their first Maine winter exposure). I also appreciated the long list of further reading in the back of the book, and the descriptions of the Maine woods, a place I have been exploring since I could toddle around on two legs.
The moral of this review: read it, but brace yourself. ...more
Megan Rapinoe tells us out of the gate: this was a money grab and who was I to not grab money ? Given this preface, I'm not surprised about my lukewarMegan Rapinoe tells us out of the gate: this was a money grab and who was I to not grab money ? Given this preface, I'm not surprised about my lukewarm feelings toward One Life. Sections of the book are just Rapinoe giving us blow-by-blow recaps of games : "so-and-so ran the ball down the field and passed it to blah-blah who moved toward the goal and we watched the ball sink to the back of the net." Yawn. I could just rewatch a highlight reel, thanks. Rapinoe doesn't get deep about herself, though I do commend her for the section about her brother and his struggle with addiction.
That's one thing I'll say : Rapinoe knew this was a money grab and went "oh, you want a book? I'll write a book," and then filled much of her pages with frank commentary on racism, sexism, and homophobia. Which, like, kudos. You were given another medium for your platform and made good use of it. That said, folks picking up this book likely already agree with her views, so who is this for, exactly ? I already agree with her views; her talking at me about them didn't change anything. Though I did take to heart when she said "when I say something 'rude,' I think about who I'm speaking for, not who I'm speaking to. " I like that.
Her ghost writer should have guided her more. The book is rife with the passive voice. It also makes a lot of bizarre generalizations about cultures ? All Australians are blah, the French are all yadda yadda. That was jarring. Why are you making sweeping statements about whole populations to which you have not been deeply exposed ? It felt ignorant, which was a bummer for someone railing against the ignorance when it comes to color of skin or sexual identity.
Never has a book been so solidly 3 stars : interesting and entertaining enough, with boring and bizarre passages that totally rip you out of the book.
Caveat : I listened to the audiobook exclusively on runs....more
Kara Goucher is an incredibly brave woman and an incredibly talented athlete. I've seen some criticism that she "perpetuated" female athlete abuse witKara Goucher is an incredibly brave woman and an incredibly talented athlete. I've seen some criticism that she "perpetuated" female athlete abuse with her early silence. I have to say that I find this criticism bullshit. Imagine you're young, you've landed a dream job, you're eager to please your boss and reach your goals. Are you really going to question your superiors or speak up for others or stand up for yourself? So few people are capable of that. Ever. It only took Goucher until her 30s, and what silence she broke was way scarier for her than it would be for someone to speak up, say, in an office environment. To roll your eyes and say a 23yr old woman should have known better is asinine. The people who lob this criticism have likely never spoken up in their pathetic, navel-gaze-y lives.
Ahem.
If you couldn't tell from that defense, The Longest Race is not just a book about Kara Goucher's relationship with running. It's about Nike, their Oregon Project, and the monster Alberto Salazar who was protected by Nike even after he was found guilty of doping violations and of sexually assaulting women under his tutelage. In short: it's a lot.
Goucher and her ghost writer Mary Pilon take all of this head on. They speak frankly about Salazar's abusive behavior. They're honest about the toxic body expectations that are placed on female athletes. They point out how women's bodies are constantly sexualized and commented on, from sports attire ads to Runners World articles to sideline banter.
Being a runner and a woman can be complicated labels to wear. Many women come to running as a way to make their bodies smaller, rather than as a way to love themselves. Goucher explores all of these relationships, and how her orientation to the sport changed and evolved through each chapter of her life. I'm not sure I've ever read a better memoir/piece of running nonfiction. Like Goucher, I love running still, but you better believe I'm relieved I never owned much Nike gear. I'll never buy it again.
One final note: having Mary Pilon's name on the cover and having her write the first pages of the book was a classy act. That honestly tells you everything you need to know about Goucher. I believe her. We should all believe women more. ...more
Not really fair to rate this since I left it incomplete, but the reason I left it incomplete is because I just didn't feel the desire to listen to it.Not really fair to rate this since I left it incomplete, but the reason I left it incomplete is because I just didn't feel the desire to listen to it. Every time I went for a run I moved toward podcasts or music rather than this book.
It was morbid curiosity that caused me to reserve the audibook at the library. When it arrived on my phone, I put it in at 1.5x speed, hoping that would help me get through it. The book arrived in my ears right around the time The New Yorker ran its piece by the ghostwriter J. R. Moehringer, which was perfect timing.
I'm sure Moehringer tried his best, but this book was a fluffy, surface piece on a man who grew up royal, and wasn't given the tools to grapple with what that meant. I'm not downplaying the bullshit Prince Harry had to endure secondary to the public privilege he was born into, but the book was so myopic in scope. There was no contextualization to his life and entitlements. Prince Harry, for all his grandstanding and fleeing to the United States, seems incapable of balancing his trauma and his inherent advantages as he reflects on his life. This was predominantly why I chose to listen to other things during the time I had this book at my disposal. When time came up on this book and I was only 50% finished, I shrugged it off and let the library have it back. I sincerely doubt I was going to learn much more anyway. ...more
Adharanand Finn was approached to write a piece on ultra running. "No way," he said. "Participate in an ultra run for an article? I'm a marathon runneAdharanand Finn was approached to write a piece on ultra running. "No way," he said. "Participate in an ultra run for an article? I'm a marathon runner, bish. That sounds dumb."
But then he couldn't stop thinking about it. He called the magazine back, strapped on some shoes, and fell in love with the ultra running world. So he hatched a book plan: immerse himself in ultra running, all while striving to gain entry into the coveted UTMB race. A race so prized, you have to compete in several other sanctioned races to accrue enough points to even qualify to enter. If this sounds weirdly gate-keepy and money-grabby, I mean, it is. And Finn talks about it. Finn spends 2 years training and racing and meeting all sorts of people in the ultra running world. He doesn't shy away from speaking on the dangers of the sport: injury, heart scarring (?!?!), exposure, etc., while also describing the special nature of running in the woods and over mountains and along cliffs, pushing your body and mind to its limits.
I do feel this book is billed incorrectly. More than anything, this book is a memoir. It's Finn's personal journey into the world of ultra running, with some special guests.
Also there was one thing I really, really didn't like about this book. Finn has a section where he's talking about the starting line of ultra runs: everyone is white. Meanwhile you look at road marathons and there are way more POC/African competitors. Why is that, he asks? Having already written a book about Kenyan runners, Finn went to Africa to try and recruit some folks to run a 50mi race. Thing is, a big driver for competing in road marathons is the prize money. Ultra running doesn't really have that. The sponsorship gigs aren't as robust, and the prize money is basically nonexistant. Finn convinces a runner to come out and run a 50mi race in England. If he wins, Finn says, he'll get entry into a race in CA. That race will have a $10K prize for the winner.
Sheesh.
So the runner agrees and shows up in England. The race is a 10mi loop done 5 times. The first loop, the runner is in the middle of the pack. The second loop, he's in third place. As he comes around at mile 30, he's in 1st. He stops at the tent, sits down, and says he's going to stop. Finn pushes. The runner replies: "my toe hurts. I'm stopping." Finn keeps pushing, but, and good for the runner, he stands firm. A few pages later Finn is like "Ultra running is pain so I didn't get it. But I guess he didn't want to risk injury because his body is his livelihood."
NO SHIT, FINN! This whole bit just felt gross. Finn wanted this story in his book: grab a marathon runner from Africa and plop him in an ultra race and see what he does. The marathon runner dropping out didn't fit into his narrative, and so he got bossy and obnoxious. But, like, dude. Fucking seriously? This guy and his entire family rely on his body and its ability to perform in road races. There is literally 0 reason for him to push himself to injury for this worthless trail run. Check your privilege. Get fucked. Also the irony considering Finn's own, initial reaction to participating in the sport. Like, what?!?! JFC!
Whew. Ok. Got riled up there.
So that vignette left a really bad taste in my mouth and left a stain on the entire book for me. Was it a fun, personal insight into ultra running? Yes. But the author can be completely tone deaf, and that was a huge bummer. ...more
Douglas Preston heard about the famed White City / Monkey God city that has captured the imaginatiWowee yippee kayay.
Thus endeth the review.
JK lol.
Douglas Preston heard about the famed White City / Monkey God city that has captured the imaginations of explorers for centuries. Then he found out someone was planning to go into the virgin jungle to try and find the damned thing. He emailed with a "hey can I come?" And got a "sure here's some malaria medication" response. What resulted was an incredible adventure, meticulously and thoughtfully recounted in this stellar story.
This book is a slam dunk for so many reasons. First is Preston's awe and respect for the natural world and the human history he's wrapped up in. He exalts a ruin the same way he exalts the flowers growing in his primitive Honduran camp. He's unflinching about his discomfort and fear as he encounters snakes and bugs and is constantly wet to the point of growing moldy. He fiercely defends the archaeologists and others who have embarked on this mission, and flexes his journalistic prowess to lambast the haters. Within his book, Preston takes the opportunity to shame journalists who care more about sensational headlines than about getting the truth. He shames all of us for how flippant we are about nature. He takes the time to send a video call to his wife to let her know he's safe, then takes the time to tell the reader this adorable fact.
Basically, Douglas Preston is a fantastic person.
Now, I have to warn you, the beginning drags a little. In an effort to frame the legends that have led to this expedition, Preston lays out all the mission attempts and con artists and localized myths that litter the historical record. This got a bit confusing for me, and I wish we'd had more of a visual like a timeline or a character sheet or something. My confusion was almost enough to knock off a star until I got to the end. In a post-COVID world (this book was published in 2017) the end of this book hits different. It's a harbinger. It's a thunderclap. It's incredible. Did Preston write a book about infectious diseases after this ? He should have.
I wish I could read this book for the first time again, but I'm excited for you if you've yet to pick it up. Oh, the places you'll go....more
Explorers in the age when there were actual lands to discover were unhinged. Pile onto a boat captained by a man obsessed with glory who doesn't have Explorers in the age when there were actual lands to discover were unhinged. Pile onto a boat captained by a man obsessed with glory who doesn't have the resume or the follow through to inspire trust that you'll be safe or, you know, come out alive? Sign me up! At least, that's what young men were saying over and over again as they climbed onto boats and sailed into oblivion.
The Belgica's journey to Antarctica sounded questionable before it had even crossed the equator. Nevertheless, Adrien de Gerlache found a gaggle of adventurers willing to risk their lives and sanity for the glimmer of a chance to be the first to reach the south pole.
I don't want to spoil much about what the crew endures. I will say that there is a vibrant cast of characters, some of whom seem larger-than-life but who were very much real, who will shock, anger, and surprise you. Also: poor penguins. Also also: never underestimate the power of the sun.
I also need to say: I love that author Julian Sancton has an author's note at the close of the book where he goes "So a New Yorker article briefly mentioned this ship. It sounded insane. No book was written on it, so I wrote it myself." Badass. Brava.
Like many nonfiction books, Madhouse... borders on tedious ever-so-slightly. But the madness and mayhem surrounding this journey carries the narrative forward even when we're simply cataloging supplies....more
Lauren Fleshman is a decorated professional runner. She began running as a teen, and her ability, grit, and dedication led her to Stanford, and then uLauren Fleshman is a decorated professional runner. She began running as a teen, and her ability, grit, and dedication led her to Stanford, and then under Nike's payroll. However, because she's a woman she was often undervalued, ignored, and expected to professionally present like a man (that is: not get pregnant, not have curves/soft bits to her body, not bring up menstruation despite the fact that a woman's period affects performance). This book is her examination of all that time, what it meant to be a female athlete then, and what it could mean in the future.
I ate this book up. Anyone who enjoys running, or struggles with body image, or struggles with disordered eating, or struggles with expectation, will see themselves in Fleshman's narrative.
We don't talk about the unique pressures that are put on female athletes. Our bodies hold more fat because of our biological ability to carry children. To demand we shed all fat is asinine. There is an expectation that women need to accept that they must be thin and that they will be sexualized and objectified regardless if they're walking along the beach or if they're a professional athlete. I never put too much thought into the fact that female running kits are glorified bathing suits themselves. Why? And why did Fleshman have to fight so hard to run in what felt best to her: loose shorts. Because leering men. Folks should be focused on female performance, not female bodies. We still have a long way to go.
My one gripe is the section toward the end of the book that just felt like a list of accomplishments / low key advertisements for her endeavors outside of racing: the nut bars she made and marketed, the blog she created that took off, her partnership with Oiselle. I think it was her way of being like "ah, I want to end this book but I have all this other stuff to say. Shit. Ah, well, here's a quick rundown!" But it felt rushed and had a different tone than the rest of the book. A tone that, if taken out of context, sounded a bit like "look at me I'm amazing I'm so smart and successful wheeee." I'd hate to say it was off-putting, but, like, it wasn't not, you know? I honestly don't think she meant it, but I wish her editor had tweaked that section.
My petty grumblings aside, I really loved this memoir. Fleshman bares her soul to us: how disordered eating alters how you view yourself and food, how we can get so focused on an outcome or goal that we lose our "why." These are incredibly difficult things to discuss with a therapist, nevermind in a book that's going out into the world for everyone to read. But she did. She should be so proud. Her father would be, too. ...more
The Dark Queens suffers from a lacking historical record. The people and events within its pages existed/occurred in the 500s (yes. The 500s), so muchThe Dark Queens suffers from a lacking historical record. The people and events within its pages existed/occurred in the 500s (yes. The 500s), so much of what we know is cobbled from poetry, lore, and letters, not just contemporaneously, but also from relics hundreds of years later, as chroniclers and fanboys furnished their own re-tellings.
Shelley Puhak researched as much as she could to flesh out the lives of Brunhild and Fredegund, two Queens who fought to retain their rule while the men around them were cut down with frightening speed and regularity. However, Puhak was reluctant to take much license in her writing, leaving us, her readers, with a text that is rather dry and plodding. A "this happened, then this happened, then this guy died, then this bishop was sneaky," sort of birds-eye view. Personally, I'd have preferred more liberal extrapolations for better narrative flow and a more compelling story, but I respect Puhak's dedication to accuracy. It just didn't make this a page turner.
Gripes about sterile recounting aside, credit where credit is due. Puhak saw a gaping hole in the historical record and strove to fill it with an accessible book. And Puhak can write. The prologue and epilogue are fantastic commentaries on the sexism of academics, on the lack of insight into what it must be to be a woman in power, protecting your babies and trying to hold onto your rule, and on the lack of care we as a culture have paid to women in history. It's clear Puhak could have really given oomph to the flesh and blood of Brunhild and Fredegund if she had wanted, but she resolved to stay true to the facts. And we're skint on facts....more
I took my time with this book. 578 pages isn't that long of a book, not when stacked against the likes of Dickens or Dumas, but this book is dense witI took my time with this book. 578 pages isn't that long of a book, not when stacked against the likes of Dickens or Dumas, but this book is dense with information. If you read too fast, you might miss some fantastic nuggets, such as the fact that this guy Duke Philip signed all his letters "farewell, turds."
The task Dan Jones set for himself was hefty: write a succinct overview of the entirety of the Middle Ages. He chose to tackle the assignment by breaking the book up into parts centered around themes.
Part I introduces populations at the beginning of the Middle Ages, which he defines as "Romans," "Barbarians," "Byzantines," and "Arabs." It's a very high level view of who was alive at that time, and what their societies looked like. Jones is setting the stage.
Part II introduced classes of people: Franks (which discusses king, emperors, popes, and vikings), Monks (focusing on religious professionals), Knights (aka those who fought for hire, and those who evolved into noblemen), and Crusaders (the fighters and the holy men who waged a global war in the purported name of their God).
Part III gives us another cohort of people: Mongols, Merchants, Scholars, and Builders... they're pretty self-explanatory, I think.
We wrap with Part IV, which is organized by major events: Survivors (plague, revolution, the Little Ice Age), Renewers (significant men in The Arts), Navigators (all those explorers of the time: Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Magellan), and Protestants (that little Christian revolution).
The war bits / throne successions got a little dull for me (this guy ruled then got sick and died so then it was this guy but he was swiftly dispatched so his baby became king...). Dull though I may have found those bits, they were pivotal to moving the story long. As society shifted and evolved, the people in power were the primary hands shaping that world.
This book is one of many on the Middle Ages, but it excels at giving its audience an engaging, broad strokes narrative of the year 400 AD - 1527. Jones' writing is at its strongest when he focuses on a singular person and takes poetic license to get into their head and their environment. He can really bring history to life, which is a feat for any history book. His bibliography serves as a "see more" section. If there were stories/events/people you wanted to delve into more deeply, Jones has you covered.
At the top of the book, Jones wrote: "I am going to ask - and I hope to answer - some big questions: What happened in the Middle Ages? Who ruled? What did power look like? What were the big forces that shaped people's lives? And how (if at all) did the Middle Ages shape the world we know today?
There will be times when that may feel a bit overwhelming.
Yet another book that was marketed as being for the layman, but was a dull, dry, academic text. I know there's a lot of questiWow ! What a yawn fest !
Yet another book that was marketed as being for the layman, but was a dull, dry, academic text. I know there's a lot of question marks when it comes to the Vikings. Much of their history has eroded with the sands of time. But Neil Price could have done more here. At points it's like he's listing off items on a grocery list: "the Vikings had blades shaped like rectangles and triangles. They had bows. They had sheaths. They had..." can't we have a bit of narration, buddy? Perhaps a character or two to hang our hat on? He'll edge into something interesting, say, this wild burial site of a female warrior, but then he'll just shrug and be like "well, that's a thing. MOVING ON." What???
Despite his inability to make assumptions for the sake of a compelling narrative, he still manages to jump to insane possible conclusions that bewilder and offend his readers. Price is all "we know so little of the Vikings, you never know, women could have been very powerful and equals in their society." Then goes on to say "we do know that women were enslaved and raped and forced to stay at home." Ok, bro, which is it? Why are you trying to make Vikings a woke culture? No one expects that!
I knuckled down and really read the first 300 pages, but I got so bored I had to skim the latter 200. If you're a Viking obsessive you might overlook the sterile, long-winded writing which lists items found in burial sites and settlements for pages on end. I could not. ...more
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