Blighted by Margaret Stagmeier
Blighted by Margaret Stagmeier is a book about the housing crisis that plagues American cities, with a specific focus on…
Magic Pill by Johann Hari
I loved the nuance & storytelling of this book. Very complex topic.
Beyond The Bake Sale by Anne Henderson
Beyond The Bake Sale by Anne Henderson is a book on world of educational partnerships, specifically focusing on how schools…
Shanghai Free Taxi by Frank Langfitt
Shanghai Free Taxi by Frank Langfitt offers an insightful glimpse into the rapidly changing landscape of contemporary China. Langfitt, a…
3 Reasons Why Credit Unions Are Underrated
A few years ago, I switched to a local credit union after my local bank merged with a giant out…
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport challenges the frenzied pace of the modern workplace, suggesting that our relentless rush to be…
Loserville by Clayton Tutor
“Loserville” by Clayton Tutor examines Atlanta’s turbulent relationship with its professional sports teams. Beginning in the 1960s, the city’s leaders used sports to redefine Atlanta’s image, but struggled with poor team performances and weak support. Despite this, sports have significantly contributed to Atlanta’s identity and development.
American The Beautiful? by Blythe Roberson
“American The Beautiful? by Blythe Roberson is a travel book across America’s National Parks but falls short in style and pacing, resembling TikToks instead of traditional travel writing. Despite extensive park visits and commentary on America’s contradictions, the lack of context and background detracts from the experience, unlike works by Bill Bryson.”
Status Game by Will Storr
“Status Game” by Will Storr offers a nuanced exploration of how humans organize in social hierarchies, striving for status through various games. It discusses the impact of prestige, dominance, and humiliation games on society, relationships, and leadership. Storr emphasizes understanding these dynamics to foster cooperation and mitigate conflicts.
Dad Camp by Evan Porter
Dad Camp by Evan Porter is an inverse coming of age novel about how parents experience their children growing up….
News of The World by Paulette Jiles
News of The World by Paulette Jiles is a novel set in Reconstruction-Era Texas, specifically beginning in 1870 in Texas….
How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg
How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read in the past…
North Woods by Daniel Mason
North Woods by Daniel Mason is a novel set against the backdrop of a single house in the woods of…
The Naturalist’s Companion: A Field Guide to Observing and Understanding Wildlife by Dave Hall
The Naturalist’s Companion: A Field Guide to Observing and Understanding Wildlife by Dave Hall is a short guidebook all about…
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin is a fascinating book by someone who has not only had a very creative…
Exploring Southern Appalachian Forests: An Ecological Guide to 30 Great Hikes by Stephanie Jeffries
Exploring Southern Appalachian Forests: An Ecological Guide to 30 Great Hikes by Stephanie Jeffries is a book that is both…
Drifting Into Darien by Janisse Ray
Drifting Into Darien by Janisse Ray is a memoir that chronicles Janisse Ray’s 10-day journey down the Altamaha River, one…
10 Initial Notes On Using Mastodon
In December 2023, I signed up for Mastodon. It had been a full year since the crazy, impulse Twitter migration….
What’s Our Problem by Tim Urban
What’s Our Problem? by Tim Urban is a thought-provoking book that introduces a new framework for understanding our chaotic political…
The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash
The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash is a powerful and moving novel that tells the story of Ella May Wiggins,…
Existentialist Cafe by Sarah Bakewell
Existentialist Cafe by Sarah Bakewell is a 2016 book by Sarah Bakewell that delves into the philosophy and history of…
The Pioneers by David McCullough
The Pioneers by David McCullough is a captivating historical account of the first voyage by New Englanders to the Northwest…
Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley
Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley is a meticulously researched and deftly written chronicle of the rise of environmental activism…
Historic Rural Churches of Georgia by Sonny Seals
Historic Rural Churches of Georgia by Sonny Seals is a profound exploration of Georgia’s cultural and architectural heritage through its…
Hiking Trails of the Cohutta & Big Frog Wilderness by Tim Homan
Hiking Trails of the Cohutta & Big Frog Wilderness by Tim Homan is an engaging and informative guide that takes…
Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a classic Sherlock Holmes novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1901. The…
Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamson
Growth of the Soil is a novel by Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun, first published in Norway in 1917. The story…
Quiet American by Graham Greene
Quiet American by Graham Greene is a thought-provoking novel set against the backdrop of 1950s Vietnam, a time of French…
These Gentle Hills by John Kollock
These Gentle Hills is a captivating work by John Kollock that takes readers on a picturesque journey through the North…
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a story that delves into the life of Stevens, an English butler…
The Gulf by Jack Davis
The Gulf by Jack Davis is a comprehensive exploration of the Gulf of Mexico’s historical, cultural, and environmental significance. The…
Why I’m Not Buying Dawn Platinum Powerwash
TL;DR There is conflicting information from Canada & the EU about the risks of the main new active ingredient in…
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Buried Giant is a fantasy novel set in a post-Arthurian England, where a mysterious mist has caused collective amnesia…
The Revenant by Michael Punke
The Revenant by Michael Punke is a thrilling tale of betrayal and revenge set against the backdrop of the nineteenth-century…
Books Read in 2023
This year, I tried to read a bit more fiction. Here’s what I read.
Eight Bears by Gloria Dickie
Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie is a compelling exploration into the lives of the eight…
4 Notes on Visiting F.D. Roosevelt State Park’s Liberty Bell Swimming Pool
I got to check out the Historic Liberty Bell Swimming Pool at F.D. Roosevelt State Park last summer. Here are…
5 Notes on The Macon Bacon
Macon lost their Minor League baseball team to Rome, Georgia in 2001. They are a fun, solid mid-sized city that…
Last Days of California by Mary Miller
Last Days of California by Mary Miller is a short, fun coming-of-age novel about the Metcalf family, embarking on a…
6 Notes about Doux South Pickled Vegetables
Pickling vegetables has been an age-old tradition in the American South. But it’s slowly dying in home cooking due to…
99% Invisible City by Roman Mars
99% Invisible City by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt is a New York Times best-selling exploration into the unnoticed yet…
Lives of the Trees by Diana Wells
Lives of the Trees by Diana Wells is a captivating exploration into the world of trees and their profound connection…
A World Lost by Wendell Berry
A World Lost by Wendell Berry is a poignant and introspective novel that delves into the themes of memory, loss,…
Indistractable by Nir Eyal
Indistractable is a book that reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction and shares a 4-step model to become…
Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson is a science fiction novel set in the near future. It…
Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle is a captivating collection of 13 detective stories penned by the renowned…
Long-Ago Stories of the Eastern Cherokee by Lloyd Arneach
Long-Ago Stories of the Eastern Cherokee by Lloyd Arneach is a captivating collection of traditional Cherokee tales, meticulously curated and…
The Glass Kingdom by Lawrence Osborne
The Glass Kingdom by Lawrence Osborne is a darkly atmospheric thriller set in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The novel…
The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne
The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne is a captivating novel penned by the British author, Lawrence Osborne….
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
The Fifth Risk is a non-fiction book that examines the transition and political appointments of the Donald Trump presidency, especially…
Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
The Botany of Desire is a nonfiction book that explores the relationship between humans and plants. Contrary to popular belief,…
Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a non-fiction book that explores the three principal food chains that sustain us today: the industrial,…
God In A Cup by Michaele Weissman
God In A Cup is a book that explores the world of specialty coffee, focusing on the people and companies…
Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku
Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku is a popular science book that explores the concept of parallel universes and the possibility…
Discontent And Its Civilizations by Mohsin Hamid
Discontent And Its Civilizations is a collection of essays by Mohsin Hamid that explores the fractures generated by seismic changes…
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Exit West is a novel that tells the story of Saeed and Nadia, who fall in love as their country…
Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a novel by Mohsin Hamid that tells the story of Changez, a young Pakistani man who…
Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid
Moth Smoke is the debut novel by British Pakistani novelist Mohsin Hamid, published in 2000. The story revolves around Darashikoh…
Fooled By Randomness by Nassim Taleb
Fooled By Randomness is a book that explores the role of randomness in our lives and how it affects decision-making,…
Guide to National Parks by National Geographic
Guide to National Parks by National Geographic is an informative and comprehensive guidebook that provides expert travel advice, candid tips…
Guide to State Parks by National Geographic
The National Geographic Guide to State Parks of the United States is a comprehensive guidebook that showcases over 200 state…
Secrets of the National Parks by National Geographic
Secrets of the National Parks by National Geographic is an authoritative guidebook that provides expert advice from rangers, park managers,…
Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson
The Ascent of Money is a book that explains how different historical events led to the development of the current…
World 3.0 by Pankaj Ghemawat
World 3.0 challenges the popular notion that the world is flat and fully globalized, arguing that differences and distances are…
Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
The Sisters Brothers is a Western novel set in the American West in 1851. The story follows the notorious assassin…
Booty Capitalism by Paul Hutchcroft
Booty Capitalism is a book that examines the relationship between the state and oligarchical families in the banking sector of…
Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
Dark Star Safari is a travel book that takes readers on an epic journey through Africa, from Cairo to Cape…
Deep South by Paul Theroux
Deep South is a travel memoir by Paul Theroux, where he recounts his road trips taken in Mississippi, South Carolina,…
Ghost Train To The Eastern Star by Paul Theroux
Ghost Train to the Eastern Star is a travelogue by Paul Theroux, in which he retraces his epic journey of…
Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
The Great Railway Bazaar is a travelogue by American novelist Paul Theroux, first published in 1975. It recounts Theroux’s four-month…
On The Plain of Snakes by Paul Theroux
On The Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey is a travel memoir by renowned travel writer Paul Theroux. In this…
Salmon Fishing in Yemen by Paul Torday
Salmon Fishing in Yemen is a debut comedy novel written by Paul Torday and published in 2007. The story revolves…
Parrot and Olivier by Peter Carey
Parrot and Olivier in America is a historical novel by Peter Carey that explores the lives of two very different…
Eastern Forests by Petersen Guides
Eastern Forests by Peterson Guides is an informative and comprehensive field guide that focuses on the diverse flora and fauna…
We Wish To Inform You by Philip Gourevitch
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families is a non-fiction book by Philip…
Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman Book Review
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials fantasy series. The story follows…
Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Golden Compass is a science fiction/fantasy novel that tells the story of 11-year-old Lyra, who embarks on a quest to…
Lyra’s Oxford by Philip Pullman
Lyra’s Oxford is a novella set in the world of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. The story follows Lyra…
Once Upon A Time In The North by Philip Pullman
Once Upon A Time In The North is a prequel to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. The story is…
Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
The Subtle Knife is the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, a young-adult fantasy novel published in 1997….
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman
The Secret Commonwealth is a fantasy novel and the second volume of Philip Pullman’s planned trilogy, The Book of Dust….
The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage is the first book in a new trilogy by Philip Pullman and…
American Rust by Philipp Meyer
American Rust is a novel that explores the decline of the American middle class and well-paying manufacturing jobs, and the…
Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel
The Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel takes on the myths and misunderstandings behind procrastination and motivation. The book shows us…
Northland by Porter Fox
Northland is a travelogue by Porter Fox, who spent three years exploring the 4,000-mile border between Maine and Washington. He…
Hipster Business Models by Priceonomics
Hipster Business Models is a book about the pursuit of ideas and the passionate people behind them. The book tells…
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
A Year of Biblical Womanhood is a book about exploring what it means to be a woman according to the…
Hiking North Carolina by Randy Johnson
Hiking North Carolina is a comprehensive guidebook that describes more than 500 trails across the state. The book covers every…
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel set in an unspecified American city in the year 2049. The story follows Guy…
Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
The Greatest Show on Earth is a non-fiction book that provides evidence for biological evolution and defends it against creationist…
Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
The Magic of Reality is a science book written by Richard Dawkins, aimed primarily at children and young adults. The…
The Narrow Road To The Deep North by Richard Flanagan
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an ambitious historical fiction book that centers on Dorrigo Evans, an Australian…
Ghost Riders by Richard Grant
Ghost Riders is a travelogue by Richard Grant that explores the nomadic impulse and the myths and realities of the…
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
I Am Legend is a post-apocalyptic horror novel that follows the story of Robert Neville, the last human being left…
The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Overstory is a novel that explores the relationship between humans and trees. The book follows the stories of nine…
Nudge by Richard Thaler
Nudge is a book that explores the concept of using behavioral sciences in public policy and managerial practices. The authors…
Nixonland by Rick Perlstein
Nixonland is a historical account of how Richard Nixon rose to power and held the presidency of the United States….
Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck
The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck is an epic account of traveling the length of the Oregon Trail in a…
Buying In by Rob Walker
Buying In is a book about the role consumers play in modern advertising, or as Walker calls it, the “commercial…
Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini
Influence: Science and Practice is a psychology book that examines the key ways people can be influenced by “Compliance Professionals”….