Astoria by Peter Stark
Astoria: Astor & Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire is what more history books should aspire to be. It is technically an…
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Best Contractors, Services & Professionals in Atlanta (Intown)
I moved to Atlanta with my family in 2013. Everything was new. And like anyone who has moved to a…
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Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks Book Review
I was excited to read this book the day I read the book description in The Economist. The novel made…
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This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
This Is Where You Belong explores the concept of what makes us fall in love with the towns and cities…
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Hiking Kinnard Creek Trail in Oconee National Forest
The Oconee National Forest has been part of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest almost since its establishment. But it’s much smaller,…
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Capital One 360 Savings / Money Market Account Review: My 4 Pros & Cons After 13 Years
Not enough people talk about their finances. For whatever reason, we’ll talk and write about our favorite products – but…
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On Visiting Death Valley National Park
I visited Death Valley National Park in January 2018 as a side trip on my business trip to Las Vegas….
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Books Read in 2018
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. But I did not stop there. I haven’t kept up the same pace…
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On Visiting Congaree National Park
Congaree National Park protects 30,000+ acres of bottomland forest in South Carolina. Even though it’s not in the “top tier”…
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Lionel Hampton Trail
The Lionel Hampton Trail is actually a couple different inter-connected trails in Southwest Atlanta. They are all BeltLine Connector Spurs…
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Pros & Cons of Moving To Atlanta
My family and I moved to Atlanta in February 2013 from Athens, GA. We have lived here ever since. Like…
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Hiking Ellicott Rock Wilderness
In August 2018, I did a day hike along the Chattooga River in the Ellicott Rock Wilderness in North Georgia….
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Hiking Hitchiti Trail
The Hitchiti Trail is a 3-ish mile trail near Jarrell Plantation that weaves along Falling Creek to the Ocmulgee River….
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Personal History of Oakridge, TN – The Secret City
One of my favorite YouTube channels, Half As Interesting, did an explainer about the founding of Oakridge, Tennessee. It was…
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Flying Over Metro Athens, GA
A few years ago, my brother-in-law received a birthday gift to fly over Athens, GA in a single-engine prop plane….
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Hiking Forney Creek at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In April, my brother-in-law, brother, my son, and myself all went on a 2 night backpacking trip to the Great…
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Hiking Wolfden Loop on the Pine Mountain Trail
The Pine Mountain Trail system is one of the most extensive trail systems in Middle Georgia. It’s one of those…
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Understanding Persuasion in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Francois Chollet recently wrote an essay on “What worries me about AI”. He argues that the big worry about AI…
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Interim Southside BeltLine
I wrote about the Future Southeast BeltLine in 2016. Well, the city now officially owns the land, and it’s a…
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Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg Book Review
In Smarter Faster Better, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg explores the science of productivity and how managing how we think…
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Place in American Art by High Museum Art Exhibit Review
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta had an amazing exhibit called “Place in American Art.” The exhibit was incredibly…
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The Las Vegas Strip: 10+ Observations
The past few years, I’ve been able to visit Las Vegas for a business conference. On each trip, I’ve left…
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Books Read in 2017
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. But I did not stop there. I haven’t kept up the same pace…
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Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Book Review
Hillbilly Elegy was deservedly named one of the best books of the year by The Economist, The New York Times,…
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Skyline Bench at Grant Park
Thanks to the Grant Park Conservancy, City of Atlanta and an anonymous donor, there is a new bench with skyline…
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Hiking Cheaha Wilderness
One of the major pros of living in Atlanta is that I’m within a two hour drive of several designated…
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On Visiting Hard Labor Creek State Park
After visiting Vogel State Park, my family and I took another mini-vacation to Hard Labor Creek State Park in July…
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Doll’s Head Trail
There is a small walking trail through the Constitution Lakes Nature Preserve called the Dolls Head Trail. It’s only about…
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Understanding Signaling, Social Media & Internet Content
I love the Internet. I remember the first time that I saw a webpage load. It has changed my life…
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How I Saved An Hour Per Day by Customizing My Phone
There’s an old adage that says “what gets measured gets managed” – ie, you can’t manage a problem until you…
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Visiting Nicaragua: 10+ Observations
In August 2017, I got to visit & travel around Nicaragua for a week. Like all of Central America, it’s…
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Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant Book Review
Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant is a travel book and memoir about his move from New York City to…
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Impossible To Ignore by Carmen Simon
Impossible To Ignore by Carmen Simon is a groundbreaking approach to creating memorable messages that are easy to process, hard…
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On Camping at Panola Mountain State Park
Panola Mountain State Park is a Georgia State Park about 30 minutes east of Atlanta, GA. Panola Mountain State Park…
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Fireworks at Centennial Park
This photo is from the fireworks at Centennial Park. The show was absolutely incredible and highly recommended. This was also…
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Bumblebee on a Wildflower
This photo is of a humble bumblebee on a wildflower in our neighbors’ yard. The bumblebee is obviously really cool,…
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Atlantic Center
These are photos of the Atlantic Center, one of the iconic skyscrapers in Atlanta. I love the architecture and location.
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How John Grisham Writes So Many Books
John Grisham has written an entire book every year for the past 10 to 15 years. I’ve always assumed that…
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On Visiting Vogel State Park
After an incredible long weekend at Fort Mountain State Park in October, my family decided to make staying at every…
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Your Addiction To Social Media Is No Accident
All this might seem a little underhanded, but it’s nothing compared to some of the design features currently showing up…
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Wildflowers in Oglethorpe County
This photo is of wildflowers in bloom in rural Georgia. The colors contrasting with the green pasture was so beautiful.
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10 Notes On Visiting Savannah, Georgia
I’ve been through Savannah several times, but never on an extended trip. In May, I got to visit for a…
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Earth Day at Constitution Lakes
For Earth Day, I took my kids to Constitution Lakes, a Nature Preserve in south Dekalb County (and home to…
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On Visiting Las Vegas, Nevada
In January 2017, I visited Las Vegas for the first time. I went there on business to attend a conference….
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Abandoned Oglethorpe County
I have lots of family in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. In fact, I lived there for almost 8 years – all…
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1493 by Charles Mann Book Review
1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created is a nonfiction book written by Charles C. Mann and published in 2011….
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Woodruff Park in Atlanta, GA
This photo is from Woodruff Park. It is one of Downtown Atlanta’s two significant parks – the other one being…
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The Last Train to Zona Verde by Paul Theroux Book Review
Paul Theroux is one of my 3 favorite travel writers. I read this book in 2014 almost as soon as…
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Books Read in 2016
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. But I did not stop there. I haven’t kept up the same pace…
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Beautiful day, Atlanta
This photo was taken from my office in Fall 2016. One of the things that me and my family love…
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Fall in Atlanta
Atlanta has so many deciduous trees that, if we can get the rain to hold off, we get to have…
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Overlooking Cohutta Wilderness from Fort Mountain State Park
A few weeks ago we went to the lovely Fort Mountain State Park in Chatsworth, Georgia for several nights. This…
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6 Pros and Cons of Commuting and Getting Around by Bike in Atlanta
When I originally published this post in February 2013 – I had just moved to Atlanta, GA (metro area of…
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What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula
What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula is a reliable introduction to Buddhism. The book provides a solid foundation into…
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At Home in The World by Tsh Oxenreider
At Home in The World is a book about a family’s adventure around the world, as they travel to different…
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Sapiens by Yoval Noah Harari
Sapiens is a multi-disciplinary book that covers 2.5 million years of human history, from the advent of agriculture to the…
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Zealot by Reza Aslan
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a historical account of the life of Jesus, written by…
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Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins
Confessions of an Economic Hitman is a semi-autobiographical book written by John Perkins, first published in 2004. The book provides…
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God Is Back by John Micklethwait
God Is Back is a book that argues against the secularization thesis and claims that there is a global revival…
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How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid Book Review
I read Mohsin Hamid’s novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist during my flurry of post-college book reading. It was a powerful novel that…
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You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt Book Review
I picked up You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice by Tom Vanderbilt solely because of his…
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Exploring the Great Temple Mound at Ocmulgee National Monument
In late July, my oldest son and I took a trip to Macon, GA to explore the Ocmulgee National Monument.
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White Flight by Kevin Kruse Book Review
White Flight is the term for the racially based migration in the 1950s and onwards of white Americans from the central…
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Running Through Sunflowers in Ormewood Park
One of my favorite things about running is that I discover so much about my city. You move fast enough…
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The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson Book Review
Bill Bryson has been one of my (and my wife’s) favorite authors for years. He’s one of the few authors…
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SuperBetter by Jane McGonigal Book Review
Jane McGonigal is a psychologist and researcher into the science of games. She has widely viewed TED Talks and is…
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On Visiting India’s Big Tourist Attractions
My trip to India was spent primarily at my sister’s wedding and on the train to Delhi – but since…
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On Riding Indian Railways
When I traveled to India, we flew into Bengaluru for my sister’s wedding. But we also wanted to make our…
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On Traveling To India
In June 2016, I traveled to India with my parents and younger sister to attend my other younger sister’s wedding….
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Goodbye Summer Solstice
I was out running exactly 2 hours after the Summer Solstice happened in Atlanta. I was just past Fort Walker…
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India: A Portrait by Patrick French Book Review
India has been around for a long time. Like more than 5,000 years – back to the earliest establishments of…
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Attending Slate’s Live Political Gabfest in Atlanta
A few week ago, I attended the Slate Political Gabfest – Live in Atlanta. The Gabfest is the one of…
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Farewell Turner Field, Hello SunTrust Park
I took this photo almost a year ago in May 2016. It turned out to be my last visit to…
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Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a 1957 novel that explores the themes of individualism, reason, and capitalism. The book…
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Linchpin by Seth Godin Book Review
Linchpin is the 3rd book by Seth Godin that I’ve read (previously Poke The Box and Purple Cow). The book…
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Tourist’s Guide To Running In Atlanta: The Best Routes To Run
Running is possibly the best way to see any city. It’s fast enough to cover a lot of ground, but…
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Future Southeast Atlanta BeltLine
The big project happening in Atlanta right now is the Atlanta BeltLine. It’s a plan to convert abandoned railroads around…
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13 Things I’ve Learned About Georgia’s Capitol
I live 3 miles from the Georgia State Capitol and work about 1/2 mile from it, so I see it…
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Hoover Dam
I briefly got to visit Hoover Dam on a business trip to Las Vegas. Like the Taj Mahal, it was…
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Books Read in 2015
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. But I did not stop there. I haven’t kept up the same pace…
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One Summer by Bill Bryson Book Review
In 1927, there was no major war. There was no major election. There was no major economic upheaval. And yet,…
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Headhunters on My Doorstep by J. Maarten Troost Book Review
There’s a long tradition of modern travel writers retracing the steps of famous travel routes – whether it’s retracing George…
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Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach Book Review
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach was published back in September 2011, but I really started hearing about it…
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Writing on the Wall by Tom Standage Book Review
I originally read Tom Standage in The Economist where he’s an editor & columnist and writes the best Holiday Issue…
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The Office
When I left Nebo, I got to outfit an office for the first time.
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The Rooster of Ormewood Park, Atlanta
One of the best things about running the streets & neighborhoods of Atlanta is the cool things I come across….
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A Long Walk To Freedom by Nelson Mandela Book Review
I read A Long Walk To Freedom as part of a college history class, but ended up keeping it and…
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Atlanta Commuters Slowing Down On Eastbound I-20
This photo is from Hill St. crossing over Interstate 20 looking eastbound. I took it while out running.
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New office views.
After leaving Nebo to run my own business (again), I went searching for a small office space for a few reasons…
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Jack-o-Lanterns.
Apparently carving vegetables has been a common practice throughout history. It’s pretty odd, but also lots of fun. Among all…
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Phantom by Jo Nesbo Book Review
I’ve never been the type to read or really enjoy Crime or Horror as a genre. However, occasionally there will…
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Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware
The Orthodox Church by Timothy Ware is an introductory book on the history, beliefs, and practices of the Orthodox Church….
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80/20 Sales & Marketing by Perry Marshall
80/20 Sales & Marketing is a book that provides unique tools to help readers maximize their marketing efforts and increase…
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How I Cut 1:57 Off My Average 5k Time By Tweaking My Playlist
[Note: This post originally ran December 2012 back when iTunes was still a thing. You can skip down to the…
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Oakland Cemetery. One of Atlanta’s hidden gems.
Oakland Cemetery is one of Atlanta’s first cemeteries. I live about a mile and a half from the Memorial entrance….
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New York City Avenue
I did a short 3 day trip to New York City for a business conference. Between sessions, meetings and flight…
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Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo Book Review
I’ve tried to read books from a diverse range of settings and countries, but aside from the outstanding Sea of…
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In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce Book Review
India has been around for a long time. Like more than 5,000 years – back to the earliest establishments of…
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The Peachtree Center Ave. Cycletrack in Downtown Atlanta
I’ve been cycling in Atlanta ever since we moved here in 2013. And while I wouldn’t call Atlanta the next…
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Beautiful Perkerson Park – one of my favorite hidden gems of Atlanta
Perkerson Park is nestled in the Capitol View neighborhood in Southwest Atlanta. Between the disc golf course, new playground, ballfields,…
