FROM THE SPINE - JULY 2021 BOOK REVIEWS

 July 2021

So, America had another birthday. This year seemed to bring even more fireworks than last year. We beat the heat, went to the zoo, watched lots of soccer, and now we are loving the Olympics. What is your favorite summer Olympic sport to watch? 

Here are the books I finished in July 2021 and my short reviews of them:

Fiction Books

Savage Son by Jack Carr (Terminal List 3)

James Reece picks up book 3 just after brain surgery.  The surgery removed the brain tumor caused by the experimental drugs discussed in book one. For his recovery, he heads to Montana where his best friend Rafe has restored a cabin for him to use. At the cabin, he starts to get back to normal. Rafe’s family adopts Reese and generously cares for his needs. But the peace can’t last. The Russians, led by a US traitor, plan an ambush near the Montana ranch to kill Reece and Rafe. Luck and a tip-off from the CIA help to pull Reece from the teeth of the trap. Rafe’s family mobilizes and kills all of the Russian mobsters involved in the attack, except the one they interrogate first. Meanwhile, Rafe’s sister has been grabbed by the Russians. Rafe heads off alone to rescue her. Reece assembles a mean crew of former soldiers to mount a rescue. They learn that the Russian who has Rafe and his sister has commercialized the hunting of humans on a small Russian Island. The crew defeats an ambush on the island and rescues Rafe, but it is too late for the sister, who the Russian had already hunted and killed. In the end, Reece ghosts his way across Siberia to eliminate his target- the US traitor who had killed his father. 

 

This book is for hunters, adventurers, and soldiers. 

(Rated R, Score 8/10, ebook and audiobook read by Ray Porter, 12:56)

The Lions of Lucerne (Scot Harvath 1) by Brad Thor

Scot Harvath is the lead Secret Service agent for the US President’s ski vacation in Utah. Agent Harvath and the President’s daughter are the only survivors of an assault/avalanche that the Lions of Lucerne trigger on the ski mountain to kidnap the US President. Rescuing the President is the only way for Scot to save his career and redeem himself. By following his gut and chasing the smallest of clues, Scot ends up in Europe with a hunch and a bunch of injuries. With some luck and some help from a local investigator, Scot finds the President and saves him before the bad guys can do any more damage. This feels like a Mitch Rapp or Gray Man book without the assassin angle. Thanks, Chris, for the recommendation. 

This book is for hunters, adventurers, and soldiers. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Armand Schultz, 15:23)

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

I don’t know what I was expecting this book to be coming from Paolini’s dragon rider series, but this story was certainly different- a futuristic sci-fi epic. It is a long, complex story with twists, turns, highs, lows, lots of action, and drama. Kira Navárez is a biologist working on an early evaluation of a planet to determine if humans should build a settlement there. On a last-second mission, Kira stumbles on an ancient shrine. An alien nanotech skin suit attacks her, and bonds with her. She awakes weeks later to find that the suit is permanently intertwined with her body. Kira spends the rest of the story learning to work with and control the suit’s powers. They blast around space, starting and eventually ending an alien war, making friends and enemies, and generally making people and aliens uncomfortable (a lot like Venom in Spiderman). Kira is adopted into the rebel crew of a spaceship called the Wallfish, which becomes her space family. The characters are deep and memorable. The space travel construct is interesting and so complicated it gets its own addendum. 

This book is for dreamers, sci-fi fans, and adventurers. 

(Rated R, Score 8/10, ebook, audiobook read by Jennifer Hale, 32:29)

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain Book 3)

Book 3 of The Chronicles of Prydain starts with the assistant pig keeper, Gurgi, and Princess Eilonwy departing their home under the care of Dallben the enchanter. The princess is going to Dinas Rhydnant to be trained/grown into a proper princess. Taran, Caw the crow, and Gurgi provide company on the voyage. They meet the blundering Prince Rhun, who is as accident-prone as he is cheerful. Once in Dinas Rhydnant, the crew is joined by the bard, Fflewddur Fflam, and they are warned of danger for the princess by a disguised Prince Gwydion. Before the heroes can unravel the evil plot, the princess is kidnapped. The search and rescue effort is launched, but Prince Rhun manages to get lost, causing Taran and the bard to separate from the search for the princess to rescue the prince. They stumble into a cavern occupied by a giant named Glew. When the crew finally escapes, they rejoin Gwydion and give him two powerful magical artifacts meant for Princess Eilonwy. They find the princess in her ancient home, the Castle of Llyr, but she is enchanted by Achren, the evil sorceress who arranged for the kidnapping. In the end, they are saved by the Princess, who destroys the ancient magic, the castle, and Achren’s magic. 

This book is for assistant pig keepers, workers, protectors, and kids.

(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by James Langton, 4:42) 

Non-Fiction Books

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed

This is an amazing book about several of the famous top-secret programs run at the Skunk Works by Ben Rich. It is autobiographical but focuses on the programs you have probably heard about over the years. Starting with the stealth fighter, Ben tells about stumbling across the stealth theory and implementing it in tests with amazing radar invisibility results. The shape and covering that make the plane so invisible on radar also make it a miracle that they found a way to make it fly. Rich discusses many of the technical and administrative challenges the team had to solve during the development and testing of the prototype. Next, Rich discusses the development and lifecycle of the U2 Spy Plane and the role he played in its adventures. From the U2, Rich jumps into the Blackbird program and the incredible development that went into the technical marvel that plane was (and still is). The technical and engineering feats the team put together to fly these planes at Mach 3 (3 times the speed of sound) are still, today, unbelievable. Finally, Rich touches on a few other projects that were less successful/prominent and discusses some of the relationships he had at the Skunk Works, specifically his mentor and predecessor, Kelly Johnson. Thanks, Aunt Sandra, for the fantastic recommendation. 

This book is for the engineers, the pilots, the spies, and the techies. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Pete Larkin, 12:08)

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

Ever since I was in grade school I can remember hearing or reading about the Appalachian Trail (AT) with interest and curiosity. This book answered a lot of the mystery about the trail for me. I think the adventurer in me would love to go hike on the AT. I think the old man in me could not handle the trail, the cold, the heat, the bugs, the light packing, and fast walking. I think the soft, spoiled American part of me would throw a fit like Katz does in his despair on day one on the trail. Bryson tells his story of tackling the AT, sometimes with a walking partner (Kats, who is a character), and sometimes solo. Bryson sprinkles AT lore and history throughout his narrative. There are also some digressions into the ecological pressures we have put onto the land around the AT. Some of the book is serious and heavy; most of the book is funny and self-deprecating. In  the end, Bryson and Katz master the spirit of the AT. They own the trail and the woods and that is enough. Thanks, Peggy, for lending me the book. 

This book is for the naturalists, historians, and wanderers. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Rob McQuay, 9:44)

Should the Tent Be Burning Like That?: A Professional Amateur’s Guide to the Outdoors by Bill Heavey

This book is a collection of 60 pieces written by Bill Heavey for Field and Stream magazine. Most of them are humorous. Most of the humor is at his own expense. Most of them include references to his inability to stop buying and hoarding gear. Heavey’s humor is slow, subtle, and sometimes sneaky. Also, he tends to throw really heavy, emotional themes in when you least expect it. Heavey is the outdoor writer that people feel sorry for, from time to time, because of his bad luck and self-inflicted mediocrity. He tells great stories about world-class guides putting him on target of the best game, only to blow the shot. He tells about his crazy fishing buddies and their adventures. He tells about trying to parent a teenage daughter and all of their struggles. Thanks, Dad, for the recommendation. 

This book is for dads, fishermen, hunters, and anyone needing a boost. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Jeff Harding, 9:13)

The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen

This is the tale of the Banana Man and how he went from being a penniless immigrant to being the president of the biggest fruit company in the world. Samuel Zemurray didn’t do anything in a conventional way. He started by buying ripe bananas that the other sellers didn’t want and rushing them to market. He took the trash and turned it into cash. He learned every aspect of the business. He talked to the workers, he hauled bananas, he learned about boats and shipping. 

When things got tough, he found creative solutions. When the US government threatened his business by meddling with the government in the South American country where he grew his bananas, Zemurray simply changed the government. He managed to install a government that would grant him concessions and land and favors. Eventually, he was faced to combine his company with the United Fruit Company. When he realized that the leadership of the massive company was not capable of leading the company out of hardship, Zemurray quietly approached all the stockholders he could, got their proxy votes, and fired the Board. He took over the massive company and turned it around, becoming the fish that ate the whale. 

This book is for the entrepreneurs, the little guys, and those who aspire to lead. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Robertson Dean, )

Preview/Currently Reading-

Here are the books I am currently working through:

No Greater Love by Edward Sri

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kippling

I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

It’s amazing how fast this year has gone. The days and weeks seem to blur together for me. I set a goal of reading 100 books this year, and I just hit 50. So, that’s good and bad right? Halfway to the stretch goal, but less than half of the year left to finish. So, if you have some short books worth reading, please send those ideas my way so I can pad my stats. I also passed 100 total reviews in this month’s collection. I hope you all have gotten value out of these reviews. 

Last month I asked for your favorite books. This month, send me any of your least favorite books, or books I should avoid. 

Thanks for adventuring with me. 

Comment with book ideas, brand ideas, or questions. I love the feedback.

FROM THE SPINE - JUNE 2021 BOOK REVIEWS

 June 2021

May was rainy and mild. June has been hot. We got some road trips in, some swimming, some bike riding, and lots of popsicles. The fireworks are already keeping me up late. It’s going to be a long week at this rate. What are some of your 4th of July traditions?

Here are the books I finished in June 2021 and my short reviews of them:

Fiction Books

No County for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
A young man, Llewelyn Moss, finds himself in the middle of a huge drug deal gone wrong out in the desert. He takes the cash from the deal. $2.4 million. He finds himself running from both sides of the deal: the Mexican drug dealers, and a sociopath named Anton Chigurh. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell also tells part of the story as he cleans up the mess from the drug deal and tries to help Moss survive the chase. This is the story of the decline of the culture in the south, the influence of drugs on the people and the communities, and the recovery of the country from the Vietnam War. 

This book is for the old men who need to be reminded that they matter, and young men who need encouragement to stand up to evil. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Tom Stechschulte, 7:29)

Beartown by Fredrik Bachman

Beartown is a hard, heavy book. Beartown is a hockey town. The people and the town derive their identities from hockey. The financial future of the town depends on the success of the youth hockey club. Going into the team’s biggest game, the town and the team are torn apart when the young hockey star rapes a 15-year-old girl. Bachman paints the characters and the situations, the emotions, the complexities, the pain, the tension, the grey, the nuances, all the feelings into this story. Bachman is so good at writing tension and situations and emotions that the reader can connect to. He leaves you feeling the pain, aching with the characters, understanding the emotions. He takes you through hell in the story but brings you back with some hope. Here’s my favorite line from the book: “People don’t do what we tell them to, they do what we let them get away with.” Evil thrives when good is silent. 

This book is for parents, and friends, and people with secrets. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, ebook and audiobook read by Marin Ireland, 13:11)

On Target by Mark Greaney (Gray Man 2)

Court Gentry is all patched up after book one, with a narcotics addiction to show for it. Court starts the book by eliminating an Irish hitman. His new handler is a Russian who is both crafty and brutal. While getting his next mission assignment and details sorted, Court is kidnapped and recruited by the CIA and his former team lead Zach Hightower. So the Gray Man is planning and executing two missions for the rest of the book- one for the Russians to assassinate President Abboud of Sudan, and the other for the CIA to kidnap the same man and turn him over to the courts for war crimes. Court’s mission is riddled with side-tracks, injuries, chases, fights, explosions, rescues, and eventually, more enemies than one man should have. 

This book is for action/adventure junkies, Bourne and Rapp fans, and those interested in geopolitical games. 

(Rated R, Score 8/10, ebook and audiobook read by Jay Snyder, 12:35)

Non-Fiction Books

Kill the Spider by Carlos Whittaker

Have you ever found yourself cleaning out cobwebs in your life only to find that the spider who makes them is still alive, well, and making more messes? Carlos defines cobwebs as things in your life that we use as medications like alcohol, obsession with work, pornography, and bingeing on food or Netflix. These are symptoms of a deeper problem. The goal of the book is to help you identify and kill your spider- the lie you bought into that is causing pain in your life. Carlos’s lie was this - God has abandoned me. Searching for your spider takes courage, intentionality, and help. Some of us have avoided facing our spiders for so long and fed them so well that they are epic monsters. The only way to truly heal is to hunt and kill them. Each chapter of the book includes reflection questions to help on the journey. Thanks to Aubrey for recommending this book.

This book is for people who hate spiders, and those seeking deep healing.

(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by the author, 4:37)

Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath

When you are trying to change someone or some group of people, there are three areas to consider: the rider, the elephant, and the path. Each of these areas is addressed in a section of the book. The rider is the brain, the engineer, the high-functioning part of the person or organization. To convince the rider to change, you need data and a logical argument. The elephant is the emotions, the heart, the guts, the instinctive part of the person or organization. To get the elephant moving in the right direction you need all the feels. You need to appeal to the soul and stop thinking so hard. The path is the environment, the buildings, the physical location, the tools, the tech, or the procedures. To get the rider and elephant directed down the road of change, you can shape the path. If a process is broken, you can revise it. If two groups need to work more closely together, move their desks closer. There are stories to illustrate each idea. Here are some ideas that caught my ear: “Clarity dissolves resistance.” And,  “Hope is elephant fuel.” 

This book is for the brave leaders of change.

(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Charles Kahlenberg, 7:43)

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

This is a short book that has a bunch of ideas to make your life better. The main theme of the book is aimed at teaching the value of making small, deliberate, consistent investments in your life as they mature and compound over time. This applies to money, nutrition, exercise, education, mentorships, and other areas. There are plenty of practical tips you can apply right away, from time management to habit development. Hardy encourages readers to be 100% accountable for their own choices and destiny. By being accountable, you have the power of choice and action. You will no longer be a victim. One idea that was new to me was to keep track of the ratio between the time you spend on entertainment vs the time you spend on education. The time you spend educating yourself is an investment for the future. This book is included for free with an Audible membership.

This book is for anyone looking for tools to be more successful. 

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by the author, 4:44) 

The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Armand M. Nicholi Jr.

Even though they lived and wrote at different times, their ideas are interestingly arranged in a way that feels like a natural debate. The author begins by describing the lives of both great scholars, then he stacks their ideas against one another, topic by topic. Part one debates belief systems and world views: Lewis the converted Christian, and Freud the materialist. Part two debates choices in life and the reasons each man chose his path. As I listened to the arguments of both sides I was struck by the interesting idea that even though both men held their beliefs strongly, one was hopeful and joyful, even in death, and the other was cold, bitter, and afraid until his self-inflicted end. Thanks for buying this book for me mom.

This book is for truth-seekers, debaters, and cynics. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 10/10, audiobook read by Robert Whitfield, 7:58, Hardback 295p.)

Preview/Currently Reading-

Here are the books I am currently working through:

Skunk Works

Savage Son by Jack Carr (Terminal List 3)

No Greater Love by Edward Sri

I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

So, here’s a little surprise for those of you who made it this far - I’m doing a book giveaway! It’s been a year since I started From The Spine, so I’m celebrating a year of books by giving back. To enter, reply to this email, or text me your name and your favorite book. If you don’t know your favorite book, which book made the biggest impact on you? Or, which book do you give away? I’ll draw a winner and send them the book of their choice.

The Challenge will close at 9:00 PM Central Time, Sunday, July 18th, 2021. 

Thanks for adventuring with me. 

Joshua

PS. Past emails can be found on my blog here. 

PPS. Please feel free to forward this to your reading friends. If they want to be on my email list, let me know. 

PPPS. Send me book ideas, brand ideas, or questions. I love the feedback.

FROM THE SPINE - MAY 2021 BOOK REVIEWS

 May 2021

After a slow and isolated year, my world seems to be picking back up to new levels of crazy. We wrapped up the spring soccer season, celebrated some birthdays and graduations, and wrapped up kindergarten. I've been working on house projects and starting the yearly mowing groove. What are you doing now that the world is slowly opening back up?

Here are the books I finished in May 2021 and my short reviews of them:

Fiction Books

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

This is an amazing adventure story with loads of sciencey bits. Most of the fun of reading this book is not knowing how the plot will develop. I will not spoil the plot here, but if you aren't into surprises I have written a separate plot summary with spoilers HERE. The story starts with the main character waking up with no idea what's going on, or where he is. He doesn't even immediately remember his name. Gradually, Dr. Ryland Grace recovers his memories and "sciences" his way through his adventure. This book is a lot like the author's previous book, The Martian, (which I highly recommend) however in this story the bad language is dialed way back. My math, science, engineer, computer, space, and physics people will love this book. Weir touches on other themes in the book like redemption, resilience, language, bio responsibility, survival, bureaucracy, and more. This one will leave you with lots to ponder.

This book is for survivors, students, and environmentalists.

(Rated PG/PG-13, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Ray Porter, 16:10)

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire Book 1) by Tui T. Sutherland

I love dragons. I did my senior thesis on dragons in high school. So when a dragon book comes up, I dig in. Thanks, Lucas and Max for the recommendation. The book introduces the five dragonets (young dragons) who are supposed to fulfill the title prophecy and end the war of the seven dragon tribes. The dragonets- Clay, the MudWing, Tsunami, the SeaWing, Glory, the RainWing, Starflight, the NightWing, and Sunny, the SandWing are being raised in secret in a series of caves under a mountain. During their upbringing, they become a little family. They attempt an escape. During their escape, they are captured by Scarlet, the queen of the Sky Kingdom. During their imprisonment, the dragonets discover some of their hidden powers. Eventually, they are forced to fight and flee for their lives, possibly killing queen Scarlet in the process. After escaping they work to find their families, starting with Clay. 

It took a little while for me to get the characters sorted (like Game of Thrones for littles), and the story moves pretty quickly. Lessons: take care of your crew, use your superpowers for good, and violence is not always the answer. 

This book is for fantasy readers young and old, and anyone who likes a good fellowship tale. 

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Shannon McManus, 8:33)

The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire Book 2) by Tui T. Sutherland

Book 2 starts up about where Book 1 ended, and since I just read it, everything sorted together well. The Dragonets of Destiny are searching for the Sea Dragons and Tsunami's home and family. Tension is high after they escape from the Sky Kingdom, and the dragonets learn that everyone has plans for their destiny, and most of those plans involve controlling the dragonets. Queen Coral is thrilled to have Tsunami back home, but she's not about to give up any of her power or control. Her ally, Blister, is one of the three queens-to-be from the prophecy. Blister is nasty, conniving, and scheming. Blister would have Queen Coral keep the dragonettes under lock and key and control them and the destiny to take control of the dragon world. The main thread of this story is the mystery surrounding the death of all Queen Coral's heirs. The assassin could be several shady dragons and the dragonettes rule out several until they discover that the Queen's daughter Orca, has enchanted a statue to attack any future heirs. In the end, the dragonettes escape the Sea Kingdom, and head to find Glory's home and family with the RainWings. 

This book is for young adventurers and young mystery readers. 

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Shannon McManus, 7:23)

Non-Fiction Books

Raising Cole: Developing Life's Greatest Relationship, Embracing Life's Greatest Tragedy: A Father's Story by Marc Pittman, Mark Wangrin

Marc Pittman raised his two boys aggressively. Cole and Chase got tons of attention in the form of hugs, kisses, tough love, and dead man's talks. 

Marc just tried to be the dad he wanted growing up. Growing up Marc was fearless. He courted death with crazy stunts like wrestling a bear. Running with a rough construction crowd, Marc didn't fear anything. Finally, he realized that he needed to heavily invest in his relationships with his sons. As Cole and Chase grew up, he used work as a reason to spend time together. As the boys grew up, they would have dead man's talks. The rules of dead man's talks were simple- when you tell a dead man a secret, he keeps it. A dead man doesn't panic or over-react when handed a secret. A dead man doesn't lecture or judge or get angry when they hear about secret mistakes or crimes. Marc built trust with his boys by holding their secrets, big and small, and never breaking their trust by breaking the rules of dead man's talks. Another way Marc built his relationship with his boys was through physical affection: hugs, kisses, and holding hands. He and the boys had love wars where there are no losers. In love wars, the goal is to prove you love the other person more. 

Having such a close relationship with his sons made it almost unbearable for Marc when Cole was tragically killed in a car accident in college. Only in death was Marc able to see the amazing number of people Cole had influenced during his life. As the family and Texas football struggled to recover from losing Cole, their memories, feelings, and lessons eventually lead to the writing of this book. So, love your people hard. Hold secrets like a dead man. Don't be afraid to show love because you never know how long we have together. Thanks, Travis for this recommendation.

This book is for fathers and men in father roles. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by the author, 3:38)

Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday has two tattoos; one on each forearm. One says- The Obstacle is the Way. The other- Ego is the Enemy. He uses those two ideas to guide his days, and he wrote books with those titles to help us use them too. I created From The Spine after reading The Obstacle is the Way, so I figured I should look into Holiday's other books. Holiday uses Ego is the Enemy as a way to help people avoid many of the struggles he experienced in his journey. To keep it from being too autobiographical, Holiday uses stories from other, well-known figures like Steve Jobs, William T. Sherman, Robert Boyd (interesting how these characters pop up in books so close together), Howard Hughes, and many others. The book is broken into three parts: Aspiration, Success, and Failure. In each part, Holiday explains how ego is the enemy in the respective context. First, though, he defines ego for the book as the toddler throwing the tantrum or arrogance that will do anything to get one's way. 

When you aspire to greatness, ego is your enemy by stealing your focus, deafening you to feedback, and tricking you into being passionate at the wrong times. When you aspire, you need to be humble and learn from those who have gone before. You must be clear in your purpose. Ego blows these up. 

In success, ego stops you from learning, growing, and aspiring. Ego thinks success is for coasting, consuming, gloating, and being comfortable. Ego is wrong. Success is when we should be looking to leverage our position to learn more, invest more, sacrifice more, and dig deeper. 

In failure, ego is a liar. Ego says you were never good enough, you can't hack it, you blew it, you can never be successful again. Holiday says we need to be less tied to outcomes- do your work, do it well, and let it go. Fail forward. Learn from failures. Learn in the process. The only real failure is abandoning your principles. We all fail. Let's figure out how to fail early, fail cheaply, and fail in ways that drive us toward our goals. 

One last challenge I got from this book was to do a better job of applying lessons from each of the books I read. I don't want to just read them and forget them. I want to implement lessons to be a better and more successful person. 

This book is for all of us from the humble to the egomaniacs. 

(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by the author, 6:56)

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Have you ever made a snap judgment about something that later you couldn't explain? Maybe it was reading someone's mood or something at work that just didn't feel right. We make these decisions in the blink of an eye. Gladwell unpacks some of these in this book. He starts with a famous sculpture that art critics instinctively know is fake. How do they know? They rely on their years of experience and their subconscious. They go with their gut. Malcolm further discusses how we develop this ability and how it works for us in some situations (areas of expertise) and how it can work against us in others (prejudice and biases we don't even know we have). Malcolm describes a technique called thin-slicing where videos are broken down and analyzed in very small chunks. Our subconscious does this every day in the background. Sometimes it helps us understand and make good decisions. Sometimes it prevents us from making logical choices by jumping to conclusions that are dangerous or wrong. This book challenged me to be more aware of my prejudices, biases, and gut instincts. I want to trust my gut more to make me curious. I want to slow down when under stress to make better decisions. And I want to learn to read people's minds and faces better. I got this book recommendation years ago from my cousin Naomi. I miss her. 

This book is for anyone wanting to understand subconscious decisions and for the curious. 

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by the author, 7:44)

India Charm Offensive: An Expat Pilot Flies the South Asia Jungle by Michael Sobotta

This was an interesting read about the private helicopter pilot's life abroad. Sobotta starts his story on a tuna fishing boat. He explains how he would hunt the fish with the helicopter, then the boat would follow and snatch up the tuna. Flying primarily over water, the reliability of the helicopter is paramount. When the Hughes 369 had a rotor bushing issue that management refused to repair properly, Sobotta decides to find a new job rather than test fate. He uses his connections and finds a job working for a company in India. The onboarding and preparation process takes months, but Sobotta uses the time to see some of the sites, acclimate to the new climate, and try to train his digestion to handle the new food. Sobotta meets many folks during his operations. Some of the folks he meets are helpful, others are dangerous, and he is constantly being stared at because he's a foreigner. Sobotta works missions to support Indian Police by moving troops and gear to camps in the jungle. He also flies executives around for meetings and events. His maintenance crew in India seems to do a much better job of keeping the pilot feeling safe and secure. The weather threatens his flight safety during the monsoon season. One theme that comes out in many of the stories in India is the crazy processes required by the DGCA (India's version of the FAA) to get clearance to fly. Faxes, phone calls, visits to the airport flight control tower, fees, in-person weather briefs- it's never easy to get up in the air and underway for the poor pilot. Sobotta also goes several rounds with stomach issues, though they all seem to be caused by questionable food. Thanks, Nolan for the recommendation.

This book is for world travelers and pilots.

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Doug Greene, 12:12) 

Preview/Currently Reading-

Here are the books I am currently working through:

Winning the War in Your Mind

Kill the Spider

No County for Old Men

I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

We are getting ready for a 1200 mile road trip to NM so I'll have time to read. Send me your favorite road trip audiobook suggestions. 

So, What did I learn and how am I implementing the ideas in my life? Here are some thoughts- life is a science experiment; solve enough problems and you get to live. Family (biological and close friends) is critical; make sure you take good care of yours. Love hard. Keep secrets and trust. Don't let your ego get in the way of your ambitions, your successes, or your failures. Trust your gut. We can't grow inside our comfort zones, so try new things, travel, and meet new people. You won't like them all, but at least then you'll have good reasons why. If you need a deadman's talk, call me. 

Thanks for adventuring with me. 

Joshua

Project Hail Mary Plot Review with Spoilers

Dr. Ryland Grace wakes up in space. He works through the waking-up process and the ship computer is smart enough to not let him have access to more of the ship than he deserves. As Grace remembers who he is and what he's doing, he also remembers who he was on earth. He was a high school physics teacher with a past as an inflammatory scientist. He remembers that the earth is in danger because of a new life form called Astrophage (star eater) which has found our Sun and is slowly stealing the energy from it that earth needs for stability and survival. Grace remembers that he is on a suicide mission to the nearest star (Tau Ceti) that has not been diminished by Astrophage. His mission is to learn how to save the Sun before humans go extinct. Astrophage also provided the keys to execute Project Hail Mary-mass to energy conversion along with massive energy storage. The spaceship is fueled by, powered by, and propelled by Astrophage. Grace had been in a medically induced coma for over 4 years while the Hail Mary traveled to the Tau Ceti star system he needs to investigate. Grace wakes up to find his two crewmates dead, so he is all alone until an alien spaceship (Blip-A) appears on his scopes. Grace meets Rocky, an alien who is also on a mission to save his world from Astrophage. Grace, the scientist, and Rocky, the engineer, work together to solve the Astrophage problem. Rocky is a 5 armed alien, used to an atmosphere 29 times the pressure of earth's atmosphere and made primarily of ammonia. Rocky works some engineering alien magic on the Hail Mary and moves in with Grace and they go hunting for an Astrophage predator. They find the predator, Toumoeba, which keeps the Astrophage population in check so it does not overwhelm Tau Ceti. Toumoebas eat Astrophage. Astrophage power both spaceships and protect Grace and Rocky from radiation. When the Hail Mary generators shut down, Grace finds Toumoeba in the generator system and fuel bays. Grace and Rocky do some desperate space operations to limp the Hail Mary back to the Blip-A, which has backup stores of Astrophage. During the trip, Grace and Rocky do some crazy genetic modifications to the Toumoeba to breed a strain that can survive in the atmospheres needed to save the Sun and Eridani (Rocky's sun). Rocky fixes up the Hail Mary and Blip-A, and Grace prepares Toumoeba farms for the trips back to each home planet. Early in the trip back to Earth, Grace learns that he has inadvertently engineered Toumoeba that can escape farms made with metal from Rocky's planet. Grace sends four probes to earth with data and steel Toumoeba farms back to earth, then turns around to save the Blip-A because Rocky doesn't know the Toumoeba can escape until it's too late. Grace saves Rocky and they return to save Eridani. Grace becomes a hero and lives in a dome on Rocky's planet. 

FROM THE SPINE - APRIL 2021 BOOK REVIEWS

 April 2021

Spring is here with projects, sports, and other activities. We finally had a beautiful weather day for soccer this morning. I hope you all are well, active, and living your best lives. We have been watching a lot of Battle Bots lately. What are you reading or watching?

Here are the books I finished in April 2021 and my short reviews of them:

Fiction Books

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

This story was made into a big movie in 2007 with Will Smith as the lead. I could have sworn the monsters in the movie were zombies, so that confused me as I dug into this book which was published way back in 1954. In the book, the monsters are vampires and when I dug back in the memory banks a little harder, that lines up with the movie, though the vampires are not your classic Dracula, Lestat, or Blade variety. The main character is Robert Neville, who is a lonely survivor of a great plague that destroyed mankind by killing most people and turning the rest into vampires. Neville has mastered the survival skills needed in the new world. He bunkers in at night and works during the day. He suffers from depression and alcoholism. The only relief he finds is by having a mission-studying the monsters. He discovers that vampirism is a bacterial disease, which was spread by post-nuclear war dust and mosquitoes. Neville developed immunity to the bacteria after being bitten by a vampire bat long before the plague hit. This is where the book confused me. The monsters seem to have 2 forms- living infected, and dead reanimated. After three years of battling and studying alone, Neville finds a young woman, alive in the daylight. She turns out to be a vampire spy. She warns him that the vampires are reforming society and that he is now the monster. He is a legend. 

This book is for monster hunters and survivalists.

(Rated R, Score 6/10, audiobook read by Robertson Dean, 5:20)

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club. I’m a rule breaker, so I’m going to talk about fight club. As movie vs book comparisons go, this one is really close. A lot of the movie dialogue is straight out of the book. On the surface, the book seems crude and senseless- middle-aged men, fighting each other at night in basements, then forming gangs to sabotage modern society. When you dig deeper though, you can see a lot of angry questions that the author asks through the book, that don’t get answered. What makes us feel alive? Why do we work jobs we hate to buy [things] we don’t need to impress people we don’t even like? The media tells us we can all be famous or movie stars or sports celebrities, but we aren’t. Why do we keep listening to them? If our fathers were our model for God, and our fathers failed, what does that tell us about God? Is love enough to save us from self-destruction? What are we capable of if we are not afraid to die? 

This book is for the rebels, the questioners, and the discontent. 

(Rated R, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Jim Colby, 5:34)

The Coldest Case by James Patterson

I grew up listening to audio dramas on the radio. I think they helped me develop the ability to listen and imagine the characters. Those stories are the reason I love audiobooks so much. This audio drama is an audible original performed by a full cast. The story feels like Blue Bloods with the main characters being family and all cops. The chapters are nine episodes, which take Detective Billy Harney chasing a Black Book from a drug cartel, through a murder scene, NFL locker room, his partner’s trunk, and everyone in it want’s its contents kept secret. Who would be willing to kill for their secrets?

This book is for listeners, thrill-seekers, and crime solvers. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audible audio drama 3:52)

True Believer by Jack Carr (Terminal List Book 2)

James Reese is fighting for survival right where Book 1 (Terminal List) left him, on a boat, alone, sailing away from a country reeling from the revenge he dealt his enemies. Fully expecting his brain tumor to kill him any time, he sails to Mozambique. There he is taken in and put to work by a friend who owns a hunting reserve. Reese recovers on the game reserve by putting his skills to use fighting poachers. The CIA finally hunts him down using some guesswork and a bit of luck. The CIA sends an old friend to recruit Reese to hunt a terrorist. Reese is reluctant to go to work for the government that conspired to kill his Seal team and family but eventually negotiates for pardons for himself and all his helpers for the damage in Terminal List. Reese also learns that his brain tumor is not cancer and not terminal. The CIA is hunting a rogue Iraqi officer, who leads them to a terror plot to assassinate the Russian President, the POTUS, and unleash toxic nerve gas in a devastating chemical attack. Reese and the CIA work to stop the attacks and are only partially successful. Once again Reese finds himself handing out revenge to corrupt and evil men. 

This book is for the hunters, the Mitch Rapp fans, and the game wardens.

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Ray Porter, 15:44)   

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Ed Kennedy gets put through a wringer of cards. After accidentally becoming a hero by stopping a bank robbery in progress, he gets a mission to give messages to 12 people. The first three are names and addresses sent to him on the ace of diamonds. They need to be protected- an old widow, a young runner, and an abused wife. The second set of three on the ace of clubs need help- a priest, a single mother, and a younger brother. The third set of three takes some digging- spades. A poor family gets new Christmas lights, Ed’s mother finally speaks her mind, and an old movie theater owner gets a new friend. Finally, the ace of hearts- Ed’s three closest friends Ritchie, then Marv, then Audrey get a message that changes their paths. Ed Kennedy makes many friends, along the way and grows out of his fears into a man who shapes futures with kindness and power. I didn’t fully understand the ending, which was supposed to tell how the whole game was played, so if you get it, reach out and help me. 

This book is for readers who are stuck or scared to reach out or chase their dreams.

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Marc Aden Gray, 8:40)

Non-Fiction Books

Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War

This is an amazing biographical piece on John Boyd. Boyd’s story is broken into three major parts: The Fighter Pilot, The Engineer, and The Scholar. As the fighter pilot, Boyd was known as “40 second Boyd” because he could defeat any challenger in a dog fight in 40 seconds or less. He literally wrote the book on fighter jet combat because there wasn’t one. He turned the art of jet fighting into science that could be studied, thought, and repeated. As the engineer, Boyd developed a theory tying thermodynamic principles to fighter jets called Energy-Maneuverability (E-M). He commandeered millions of dollars worth of computer time to prove the theory. With his theory, he went to battle against the broken system of procurement in the Air Force and helped develop the F-16 and other fighter jets. Using his E-M theory he tried to design for simplicity, effectiveness, and lethality against the known quantities of the fighters flown by our nation’s enemies. The procurement process fought him for bigger-higher-faster-farther which ultimately destroys the combat effectiveness of a jet, but pulls big money out of Congress. As the scholar, Boyd dove deep into war theory, strategy and philosophy. He developed a brief called Patterns of Conflict, which ultimately changed the way the US Marine Corps operates. His ideas (the OODA Loop and others) were the spine of strategy for the invasion of Iraq in the Gulf War. Like all pioneers, Boyd faced harsh resistance to his ideas. His fighter pilot bravado and brash way with people made him many powerful enemies along the way. He believed you could be someone (seek promotion) or do something (change the world), but not both. He said you should put people first, then ideas (mission), then develop hardware to support the people and the ideas. Special thanks to Uncle John for the great recommendation. 

This book is for the doers, the revolutionaries, the fighter pilots, and the military strategists. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Patrick Lawlor, 19:41)

Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet

This is a book on changing an organization from a Leader-Follower model to a Leader-Leader model. The lessons are easy to understand because they are told with great examples from the author’s command of a US Submarine - The USS Santa Fe. Marquet’s orders were changed at the last minute so all of his preparation for a different class of submarine is for nothing. Marquet is asked to take the USS Santa Fe from failing to an effective battle-ready machine. To do this, Marquet pushes his new crew to change from a mindset of avoiding errors to a learning mindset to pursue excellence. He delegates control to the lowest possible levels in the ship and supports that control through training for competence and clarity of mission. This change does not happen right away and requires the whole command to embrace higher levels of accountability and execution. Instead of issuing commands, Marquet teaches his officers to think at the next level and take initiative. His officers initiate action by saying “Captain, I intend to…”. If the Captain agrees, he says “Very well.” And the action is approved. Marquet encourages the sailors to think out loud as they approach decisions so that everyone around understands their actions and intents and can correct themselves and each other in real-time. The Captain stops having briefs before procedures. Instead, he has certification meetings where everyone involved in the next procedure is required to account for their part of the process, answer questions, and claim readiness. The Captain wins the hearts and minds of his crew by giving them real authority in areas that mattered to them. He also beefed up training to help his men excel in advancement tests so that they could be promoted more efficiently in the Navy’s bureaucratic promotion process. Captain Marquet took a crew of sailors who was down, out, and defensive and transformed it into a crew of leaders. They learned together. They didn’t worry about making mistakes, because mistakes were ways to learn. My friend, Adrian, recommended this book and we are going to start using these ideas at work to be more awesome. 

This book is for all leaders. 

(Rated G, Score 10/10, ebook and audiobook read by the author, 6:26)

Preview/Currently Reading-

Here are the books I am currently working through:

Raising Cole

Winning the War in Your Mind

I track all the books I read in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

I learned so much from Boyd and Turn the Ship Around this month. I am trying to implement these lessons at work and at home to be a better friend, a more effective leader, and get more done with my people. I am thankful for friends who are willing to listen to my ideas and engage with me in getting better, failing forward, and building trust. 

I learned that I don’t want to be someone, I want to challenge the status quo and do something that matters. I learned to tell my boss what I intend to do instead of waiting for orders. I learned that if I want more control, I need to demonstrate more competence and more clarity of vision. I intend to help write down what our guiding principles are for our group. I intend to think out loud and take deliberate actions so that others can coach me and we can all get better together. 

Thanks for adventuring with me. 

Joshua

PS. Send me book ideas, brand ideas, or questions. I love the feedback.