Category: Books
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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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Joseph’s Evolution of a Cro-Magnon
Evolution of a Cro-Magnon John Joseph The completely insane, at times totally unbelievable, utterly compelling, tragic, hilarious, memoir of the street kid turned hardcore legend, John Joseph aka Bloodclot. Born into an abusive home, Joseph would soon end up separated from his mother and placed with his brothers in a horrific foster home. From there,…
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Nguyen’s The Sympathizer
The Sympathizer Viet Thanh Nguyen There are novels that when you’re reading them you can tell that the autor agonized over every word, thought deeply about every plot point, knew intimately every character. You can tell that the book is more than a work of fiction, its an attempt to tell something true and real…
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Skolnick’s One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits
One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits Adam Skolnick A book about a lost young man who finds himself through the extreme sport of free diving. A tale of ambition, physical brilliance, and ultimately death. A book about how far you can really push the human body, and a book about…
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Bonne’s New Rules for Wine
New Rules for Wine: A Genuinely Helpful Guide to Everything You Need to Know John Bonne Widely thought of as one of the best books on wine in the last decade, this one does not disappoint. A clear, concise, and approachable guide to drinking wine today. Filled with insights and tips that will be helpful…
Milo and the Calf 