Category: Uncategorized
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Review: Hamilton’s A Cold Day In Paradise
A Cold Day In Paradise Steve Hamilton An above average crime thriller, the first in Steve Hamilton’s series featuring down on his luck, broken detective Alex McKnight. I picked this up because I read somewhere that Hamilton’s an underrated crime writer – I guess that’s true. Certainly better than the Baldacci’s of the world, but…
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Friday Inspiration: Nassbaum’s Morning Routine
I’ve long admired Martha Nussabum’s work in philoosphy, now I have to admire her work-out regime as well. Should I mention that she’s 69? She divides her day into a series of productive, life-affirming activities, beginning with a ninety-minute run or workout, during which, for years, she “played” operas in her head, usually works…
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Review: Itzler’s Living with a Seal
Living with a Seal: 30 Days of Training with the Toughest Man On The Planet Jesse Itzler Fun. Rich New Yorker hires famed navy seal and ultra-endurance athlete David Goggins to come live with him for a month and train him. Goggins agrees with the condition that Itzler agrees to follow his every instruction, no…
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A Magical Adventure for Some; a Tale of Return and Venegence for Others: Homer’s The Odyssey
The Odyssey Homer (trans. Robert Fagles) The story of the heroes return from the war. The story of a son in search of his father. The story of a woman using her guile to ward off her suitors and wait for the return of her love. The story of a man through intelligence and strength,…
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I have No Taste: Thoughts on My Less Than Authoritative Book Reviews
There’s something ridiculous about these books reviews. They’re short, for one, and rarely contain any original insights. Indeed, for many of them (especially those dealing with classic works), they tell you next to nothing. My goals in writing them are, first, to force myself to articulate at least some thoughts about the books, even if…
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A Foundational Text of our Fucked Up World — My Quick Thoughts on Homer’s the Iliad
The Iliad Homer (trans. Fagles) It’s hard to believe that the first time I read the Iliad, I didn’t enjoy. I was in my youth more of an Odyssey guy. That seems insane now. Sure, the first time was in undergrad reading under deadline. It was also the Lattimore edition, well loved by many, but…
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Review: Harris’s Ten Percent Happier
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story Dan Harris This one is on one hand a pretty no-nonsense introduction to “mindfulness” practice and on the other a slightly annoying memoir from a television anchor. I find it a…
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The BQ(Q) – Jessica
Name Jessica Sex: Female Age (at the time of first BQ): 32 Height: 5’4 Weight (at the time of first BQ): 118 At which marathon did you get your first BQ? Philadelphia Tell us a little about the race. Big negative split, started at 7:45 pace and ran the last 10k under 7:00 pace for…
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Book Review: Nasar’s A Beautiful Mind
The story of John Nash, the brilliant mathematician who solved a number of interesting problems in game theory, descended into madness haunting the corridors of Princeton for years, and then, incredibly, regained a level of sanity and was awarded the goddamn Nobel Prize. It’s a hell of a story. And it raises a number of…
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Book Review: Kurson’s Shadow Divers
Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II Robert Kurson The story of how a group of amateur divers discovered the wreck of a German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey in 1991. Yes, that’s right, 1991. It’s a pretty…
Milo and the Calf 