The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Book Review
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg is a book in…
Empire of Wealth by John Steele Gordon Book Review
Let’s see where to start…you’ll only be interested in this book if your are interested in History, Economics, and American…
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau Book Review
First off – it’s absurdly hard to find a business book that’s not too fluffy on anecdotes of one-off successes…
Tubes by Andrew Blum Book Review
When I publish this post, the content will zip out of the back of my computer over my head to…
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami Book Review
As a spectator, watching a running race mainly involves standing around for a while, then watching for a few seconds…
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson Book Review
Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages…
Shakespeare by Bill Bryson Book Review
With the move to Atlanta, new job, and new routines, it took me an embarrassingly long time to read Bill…
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Book Review
I grew up about 10 years too late and on the wrong side of the world to fully appreciate Ready…
What Happens When An American Posts About Tiananmen Square On Weibo (China’s Twitter)
June 4th, 2014 was the 25th anniversary of the Tienanmen Square protests/massacre in China, immortalized by the Tank Man photo. It…
Reader Question: How To Choose What To Write About For Your Personal Blog
I received a reader question that basically relates to how to choose what to write about for your blog/book/etc. Here’s…
Moonwalking With Einstein by Joshua Foer Book Review
I’ve never thought of memory as skill until I read Moonwalking With Einstein. The book is Joshua Foer’s exploration into…
Unicoi Gap to Dick’s Creek Gap On The Appalachian Trail
Mid-March is thru-hiker’s season on the Appalachian Trail. The most common schedule for anyone planning on hiking all 2,000+ miles…
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Book Review
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a classic novel that tells the story of Okonkwo, a leader in an…
On Visiting Boston, Massachusetts
During the last week of December 2014, my wife Shannon and I went to Boston, Massachusetts on a brief 5-day…
On Visiting Portland, Maine
During our visit to Boston, we were able to take a day trip to Portland, ME via Amtrak. It was…
Books Read in 2013
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. But I did not stop there. I haven’t kept up the same pace…
Photos of Atlanta’s Downtown Railroads
Atlanta is a city founded upon and built by railroads. But unlike a lot of railroad towns around America –…
North Georgia Mountains
I took this photo somewhere in the Chattahoochee National Forest along the Appalachian Trail. There’s a lot of outcrops and…
Observations & Training Tips from My First Trail Half Marathon
Last week, I ran in my first Trail Half Marathon – specifically the Mystery Mountain Half Marathon by GUTS at…
Springer Mountain to Cooper Gap on the Appalachian Trail
So far on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, we’ve had both an idyllic experience, and a very miserable experience hiking overnight…
Evening at Turner Field
This photo is from a warm summer evening at Turner Field. There are few things nicer than summer baseball.
Stereotypes of Top 50 US Cities
I always find it really fascinating to find out how people from different places can perceive the same things so…
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is a story of a family’s journey to the Congo in 1959. The Price…
Don Quixote by Cervantes
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is a classic Spanish novel that has been widely regarded as one of the…
Collection of City Time Lapse Films
I’m a huge fan of time lapse films in general, and of cities in particular. I’ve never been able to…
The Best Unlikely Sandwich
A few months ago when the New York Times wrote about PB&P sandwiches (yes, as in Peanut Butter and Pickle) – it…
5 Lessons From Simplifying Online Life
A few weeks ago, I started drastically paring back all the tools, feeds, news sites, and networks that I use….
State Botanical Gardens | Best Places To Run in Athens, GA
Tour guides at the University of Georgia love to talk about how the State of Georgia Botanical Gardens and the…
Tesnatee Gap To Unicoi Gap On The Appalachian Trail
The last time my brother, brother-in-law, and I hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail – it was an absolute…
I Drank Kopi Luwak Today
In Southeast Asia, there’s a jungle cat called the Civet that loves to eat coffee cherries. The civet’s digestive system uses…
North Oconee River Greenway Trail | Best Places To Run in Athens, GA
If you live in or around Athens, GA – you simply must explore the North Oconee Greenway – especially if…
Our Dumb World by The Onion
Our Dumb World is a satirical desk atlas that was published by Little, Brown and Company on October 30, 2007….
God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The God Delusion is a book by Richard Dawkins, a British evolutionary biologist and professorial fellow at New College, Oxford….
Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a novel that tells the story of two couples, a young woman in love…
Non-Violence by Mark Kurlansky
Non-Violence by Mark Kurlansky is a sweeping yet concise history that moves from ancient Hindu times to present-day conflicts raging…
One Year of Running In Vibram Fivefingers Bikilas
I started running distance when I was 10 years old, and continued throughout high school. I was never particularly fast,…
2 Really Cool Old Maps
I’ve wasted enjoyed thousands of hours staring at maps – especially old maps. Here are two of the best maps I’ve…
Books Read in 2012
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. Here’s my lessons learned and short review of each. This post covers…
Books Read in 2011
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. Here’s my lessons learned and short review of each. This post covers…
Books Read in 2010
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. Here’s my lessons learned and short review of each. This post covers…
Books Read in 2009
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. Here’s my lessons learned and short review of each.
Books Read In 2008
From 2007 to 2012, I read 263+ books. Here’s my lessons learned and short review of each.
Books Read in 2007
Last week I read a post by Julien Smith called “Lessons I Learned Reading Over 200 Books.” It was really fascinating…
A Bear Walks Into Camp
Or, Our Experience On The Appalachian Trail Overnight, And What We Learned Ever since I read Bill Bryson’s book A Walk…
How I Set Up A Standing Desk + Home Office For $50
Even though I think the health benefits of standing are a bit overstated – anything done in moderation is probably going to…
Apparently You Have To Be Really Skilled Now
Here’s a career and business idea that seems to be bubbling up in America right now… Your credentials don’t matter….
Hidden Urban Trails | Riverbend Rd. Athens, GA Edition
I love the idea that even in the most urban areas – there are still really random trails to explore…
Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson Book Review
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson is a memoir that takes readers on a journey…
Photos From The Rural Georgia Countryside
I’m not a photographer, but I love to experiment. And I’m thrilled to live in an age of nearly fool-proof…
Why Free Software Should Be Very Suspicious
Shopping for invoicing software. Now that I have your full and rabid attention, here’s why you should not trust free…
Cook’s Greenway Trail | Best Places To Run in Athens, GA
Around Athens, I generally stick to the UGA Intramural Fields. However, if you drive about 10 to 15 minutes north…
First Marathon Observations
Back on March 18th I ran the Georgia Marathon. It was my first marathon – and only my second long-distance…
Downtown Athens Georgia
Various photos that I’ve taken around downtown Athens, Georgia before moving to Atlanta.
Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson Book Review
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson is an exploration of the history, evolution, and current state of the English language….
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a philosophical novel written by Friedrich Nietzsche and published in four volumes between 1883 and 1885….
5 Reasons To Start Biking For Transportation
I’ve been commuting around Athens, GA via bike for 3 years now. It all started with biking the .75 miles…
Blowback by Chalmers Johnson Book Review
Blowback by Chalmers Johnson is an incisive and controversial book that examines the dangers of American empire. Johnson argues that…
Copywriter’s Handbook by Bob Bly Book Review
The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells by Robert W. Bly is a comprehensive guide to…
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson Book Review
In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson is a travelogue that chronicles the author’s journey through Australia. The book follows…
Lost Christianities by Bart Ehrman
Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew by Bart D. Ehrman is a book that…
5 Reasons Why People Who Love Social Media Should Deactivate Facebook
Yes, because of network effects, Facebook keeps getting more valuable every time it adds another person to its 800 million…
Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
The Varieties of Religious Experience is a book based on a series of lectures given by William James in 1901…
The Family Virtues Guide by Linda Popov
The Family Virtues Guide is a valuable resource for parents and teachers who want to instill basic virtues in their…
In Search of Enemies by John Stockwell
In Search of Enemies is a memoir by John Stockwell, a former CIA Case Officer who was asked to lead…
Woody Gap to Neels Gap on the Appalachian Trail
I lived in Georgia knowing about the Appalachian Trail for more than 12 years before I ever set foot on…
Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl
Man’s Search for Meaning is a memoir by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration…
What’s It All About: Meaning of Life by Julian Baggini
What’s It All About: Philosophy and the Meaning of Life by Julian Baggini is a secular and non-hubristic inquiry into…