Author: seanv2
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Heaney’s The Cure At Troy
The Cure At Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ PhiloctetesSeamus Heany I learned about this initially from Bill Clinton’s contribution to “By the Book” in the New York Times, a place where I’ve found scores of books to read, though none perhaps as powerful as this one. Here, Heaney retells the story of Philoctetes, who on…
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Solider’s Whereas
Whereas: Poems Layli Long Soldier Another book of contemporary poetry, this one short listed for the National Book Award. More formally experimental than Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead, this one left me feeling a bit cold. While stylistically interesting, I found it a bit cold, and I prefer my poetry rawer, I think. Still, and…
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Heraclitus Fragments
FragmentsHeraclitus A strange and beautiful little book collecting the surviving fragments of poetic writings of Heraclitus, a pre-socratic philosopher and poet. None of the fragments collected here are complete, so it difficult to under how exactly they fit into the longer works to which they once belonged, but here, in a relatively new translation, and…
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Woodward’s Fear
Fear: Trump in the WhitehouseBob Woodward You know this one. Woodward’s latest tell all, this time about the campaign and first year of the Trump presidency. I read all the Woodward books, largely out of habit at this point, and I weighed whether or not to read this one – I have enough trump in…
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Smith’s Don’t Call Us Dead
Don’t Call Us Dead Danez Smith A stunning work of poetry. A book that left me breathless, and thrusting it into my wife’s hands, saying “you need to read this”. A work both political and deeply, deeply, personal full of poems that address race, love, manhood and more, tackling the deeply toxic race relations in…
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Kurtz’s Stronger Than Iron
Stronger Than Iron: Not Finishing Was Not An Option Wayne Kurtz and Stefan Zetterstrom There are endurance events, like a marathon, or even a half marathon. And then there are ultra endurance events, like 50 milers and hundred milers, and, I’d argue, ironmans. But then there is shit that is just so crazy that’s its…
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Donin’s To Pray As A Jew
To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book And The Synagogue Service Hayim Halevy Donin A detailed discussion of the technical aspects of the rituals and traditions of Orthodox Jewish prayer. Literally a handbook that takes you, moment by moment, through Shabbat and daily services, and prayer at home. As I’ve written…
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Walker’s Why We Sleep
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Matthew Walker, Phd. A truly terrifying book about the long term health consequences of cutting your sleep short. Especially if, like me, you’re the parent of young children, who drinks coffee and alcohol. Its all around a grim scene, increased risk of all cause morbidity,…
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Brandes’ The Orchard
The Orchard Yochi Brandes A fictionalize portrayal of the life of Rabbi Akiva, told from the perspective of his loving, but long suffering wife. Akiva is a luminary of early rabbinic Judaism and one of the central figures in the Talmud. He was, allegedly, a simple Shepard, who won the heart of the daughter of…
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David Goggins Resources
David Goggins has been a low level celebrity within the ultra endurance community for well over a decade, but lately, with his appearance in Living with a Seal, on the Joe Rogan podcast, and in his new book, he’s blowing up. I created this page to give people a central place to find lots of…
Milo and the Calf 