Hello everyone,

I hope you are all hanging in there during these turbulent times. Thankfully, all is well in the Roberson household—feeling grateful for health, family, jobs, nearby open space, and the general stability that has allowed me to keep reading during the escalating craziness.

You'll notice that I'm now linking to Indiebound for almost all of the book recommendations. As convenient as Amazon can be, local bookstores need our support now more than ever. Please keep those hard-working, independent booksellers in mind as you purchase books in the coming months.

Here are a few of the titles that I read and enjoyed over the past two months:

Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt's American Wilderness by David Gessner - I've been eagerly anticipating this book's publication for nearly three years, and I'm thrilled to report that it surpassed my lofty expectations. One of my all-time heroes (TR) gets the full literary treatment from one of my all-time favorite authors (Gessner), and the result is a unique and useful examination of TR's influence on conservation, public lands, and the modern-day environmental movement. Gessner's goal is to examine TR's legacy clearly, warts and all. There's no TR sugar-coating in this book—Gessner thoroughly acknowledges and investigates TR's personal flaws and political failings, just as freely as he praises TR's positive, seemingly superhuman traits. I've plowed through way too many books about TR over the years, and this is hands-down the most balanced, clear-eyed examination of the man I've read to date. But it's not a biography or a straight-up history book, although there's plenty of both within the pages. It's a search to capture the best of TR's conservation ethos, to discard the worst, and to use the balance to build a new, holistic model for conservation and environmental justice—one that melds together a new confluence of ideals that acknowledges the wrongs of the past and sets an equitable, sustainable course for the future. [This book will be released on August 11, 2020. You can pre-order it now, or get warmed up with Edmund Morris's The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, the best straight-up biography of TR on the shelf.]

Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind by Annaka Harris - I picked up this relatively short book thinking I could breeze through it, write a summary, then move on to the next title on my list. But there was no breezing. In fact, I probably spent more time on this book's 110 pages than any of the other books mentioned in this email, and I consider that a good thing. As the title suggests, it's a high-level overview of consciousness—basic definitions, descriptions of sometimes-competing theories, and an honest explanation of just how little we truly understand about the concept. The book expands on some of the ideas mentioned in her husband Sam Harris's books Free Will and Waking Up, and I found Annaka's explanations more digestible for my not-so-smart brain. Even though this book is dense and presented some challenging concepts, it was a very enjoyable read and kept my often-scattered attention locked in. [For a slightly different exploration of consciousness, check out Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind.]

Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear - I generally try to steer clear of "self-help” books, and I purposefully avoided this one for nearly two years because I unfairly deemed the title to be gimmicky. But after listening to a super-engaging, long-form interview with the author, I ordered the book, read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. For me, the most valuable aspect of the book was Clear's framing of the importance of long-term good habits for living a fulfilling, enjoyable, successful life. He also offers some new-to-me insights on why good habits can be so difficult to create and why bad habits can so quickly spiral out of control. Yes, the book does suggest some specific tips and tactics for building good habits, but those "hacks" are much less interesting to me than this new way of thinking about the need for consistent, deliberate action, day after day. [If you're looking for a no-nonsense "self-help" book, check out former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink's Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual. Here's a taste: "People constantly ask me for the secret of getting up early. I tell them it is simple: Set your alarm clock and get out of bed when it goes off."]

One Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays From the World at Large by Chris La Tray - In 2015, following the death of his father, Chris La Tray quit his well-paying job as a manufacturing consultant to pursue a career as a full-time writer. A few years later, he published this book, which has gone on to win both the Montana Book Award and High Plains Book Award. Almost all of the essays and poems are deeply connected to La Tray's home state of Montana, specifically the area in and around Missoula. La Tray is an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa Indians and provides an incredibly important Indigenous perspective on life in the West. And I greatly appreciated La Tray's down-to-earth writing style—both his poetry and his essays were welcoming and engaging, allowing me to expand my literary horizons without feeling stupid or self-conscious. [Hate reading? Then listen to my recent podcast conversation with Chris.]

Braided Creek: A Conversation in Poetry by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser - In the preface of One Sentence Journal, La Tray mentions that reading this book of poetry was a foundational aspect of his journey as a poet. And many of my western writer friends cite Harrison as one of their greatest heroes and influences. The book is a catalog of a long-term, back-and-forth correspondence between Harrison and Kooser, in which they only communicate in poems. Neither man is specifically attributed to any one poem, so I naturally tried to figure out who was writing what (and, sometimes also tried to figure out what the hell they were talking about!). I approached reading this book as I do listening to music—no agenda, not anxiously trying to absorb all the details, not stressed out—just reading it, enjoying it, and letting it rattle around in my brain. Given the stress and anxiety of our current moment in history, this book was a welcome treat. [Another poetry book I love is Ragged Anthem by Chris Dombrowski.]

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport - I first read and recommended this book back in 2016, and it has held a spot in my brain as one of the most influential books I've read in the past ten years. Newport recently started a very simple yet valuable podcast, which prompted me to revisit this book. The basic premise is that the most valuable skill we can have in today's society is the ability to focus intensely for long periods of time. Unfortunately, phones, social media, email, etc. erode our ability to hone these important concentration skills. While re-reading, I was struck by 1) how well Newport's arguments hold up four years later, and 2) how much worse all the electronic distractions have become in a relatively short time period. It also led me to delete my personal Facebook account, which is a bonus. [If you like Deep Work, check out Newport's most recent book Digital Minimalism.]

Not officially books, but just as important: Adventure Journal, Modern Huntsman, and The Surfer's Journal. I obviously love books, but I'm also a huge fan of any long-form, thoughtful journalism that goes deep into the topics I love. These three are my all-time favorite publications—independent, scrappy, beautifully crafted, substantive magazines that offer unique perspectives into topics that are very close to my heart. The business of niche publications is not for the faint of heart, even in a booming economy. And during an economic downturn, things can get real dicey, real quick. I'm supporting these three with my dollars, and I'd encourage you to do the same for whatever publications are important to you. 

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Feel free to forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

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Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Hello, friends-

I hope you’ve had a good summer, all things considered. All good here in Colorado--my family and I continue to feel lucky for good health, nearby open space, and wide-open mountain ranges.

As for reading, I recently wrote a piece that tries to answer the often-asked question “Why do you read so many books?” You very well may be more confused after reading my rambling musings, but I gave it my best shot.

Here are some of the books I read during July & August 2020. Hope you find a few that pique your interest:

Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison - I've seen the movie multiple times, had numerous podcast guests rave about it, and the book has been sitting on my shelf for years-- it's about time I read Legends of the Fall. I know I'm inexcusably late to the party here, but now I finally understand what all of the Jim Harrison hoopla is about. It only took three pages to become completely engrossed, and I'd finished the entire book by the following afternoon. The book is three separate novellas, all unrelated in their storylines, but each showcasing different aspects of Harrison's literary wizardry. The final novella was the basis for the Brad Pitt movie that you've probably seen, but the first two novellas are just as engrossing, if not more. There's no point in my attempting to describe this masterpiece-- I just encourage you to read it as soon as you can. [Callan Wink is being hailed as the new Jim Harrison, and I loved his book Dog Run Moon.]

Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America's Urban Heartland by Walter Thompson-Hernández - Through my reading, podcast interviews, and real life, I'm always encountering people who've had their lives changed for the better by horses. Whether we're talking about injured combat veterans or multi-generational ranchers or city-dwelling artists, horses seem to have a magical ability to form deep connections with humans. This book examines another example of horse-human relationships, specifically in Southern California's urban landscape. Before reading this book, the only thing I knew about Compton was what I'd heard from Snoop-- so every page of this book exposed me to ideas, lifestyles, and culture that were entirely new for me and my experience as a southern white guy living in the Rockies. But as is the case so much of the time, when we scratch through the surface, we find that we share more in common than not. A wonderful book that is perfectly suited for the current moment in history. [For another human-animal connection book, check out The Wolf in the Parlor: How the Dog Came to Share Your Brain by Jon Franklin.]

Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids by Hunter Clarke-Fields - In just over five years of being a dad, I had only read two parenting books-- I couldn't find any good titles that seemed to align with my thoughts on raising kiddos. But my wife thankfully stumbled upon this book, and I found it to be enlightening, practical, and actionable. It applies lessons from mindfulness practices to the frequently chaotic process of raising kids, laying out a framework for communication with kids that does not involve threats, bribes, or drill-sergeant-like orders. And much to my surprise, the techniques work, at least with my five-year-old. To be clear, I'm an eastern NC native who firmly believes that Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt is the best athlete of all time. I'm not some hippy-dippy yuppy who would likely be associated with a book with this sort of title. [The other two parenting books I've read are Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman and The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp

Kettlebell: Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline - Pavel makes the rounds on the "podcasts for middle-aged-dudes" circuit, so I've heard him interviewed numerous times. Thanks to his tough-guy demeanor and thick Russian accent, I wrongly assumed that his workouts would be over-the-top brutal (e.g., Rocky IV training montage). Despite his incessant use of the word "manly," this book lays out one of the most reasonable and effective workout routines that I've encountered. It's simple: kettlebell swings and Turkish get-ups, broken up into small sets, with ample rest and explicit instructions to never red-line your cardio. You perform the workout every day, no exceptions, and it should recharge your body rather than deplete it. In just over two months of following the routine, I'm absolutely amazed by my strength gains (gainzz?) and flexibility improvements. And as a bonus, my running has improved, and my knees don't hurt. If you're feeling at a loss for home exercise options during these strange times, this is your book. [If sore knees are what you desire, read Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, then run nonstop for 30+ hours.]

Mop Rides the Waves of Life by Jaimal Yogis & Matt Allen - I've read hundreds of children's books to my daughters, many of them hundreds of times each. God bless Margaret Wise Brown, but the 287th time reading Goodnight Moon can break the strongest of men, possibly even Paval Tastsouline. Mop Rides the Waves of Life is the first kids’ book that seems to get better with each reading. Written by one of my favorite (adult) authors, it's a kids’ introduction to mindfulness, told through the story of a pint-sized surfer dude with great hair. Both of my girls love it and, no joke, my oldest snapped out of a mini-tantrum when I reminded her to "be like Mop." This is one of those rare kids’ books that is just as useful for parents as it is for kiddos. [Jaimal wrote one of my all-time faves: Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea.]

The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen - I didn't finish as many books as normal during July-August, so I'm throwing in a bonus recommendation. I read this book a few years before starting this email list, and I think about it often. It's the story of Samuel Zemurray, an immigrant who began his career in the United States peddling bananas out of a broken-down cart. Fast-forward a few decades, Zemurray has dominated the United Fruit Company for control of the global banana trade, incited a revolution in Central America, and established himself and one of the richest and most powerful men in the United States. He's the walking, talking example of "only in America," and Cohen does an excellent job highlighting both the impressive and despicable aspects of this one-of-a-kind businessman. A fun, memorable, and easy-to-read book. [Another memorable titan-of-industry profile is The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

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Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: https://mountainandprairie.com/good-news/
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Howdy, folks-

I hope all is well and that everyone in your orbit is healthy and safe. If you know anyone who's feeling overwhelmed with today's ubiquitous electronic "news", please consider sending this email their way. Hopefully they (and you) will find a few good old-fashioned books that will offer a brief reprieve from the latest breathless breaking story.

Here are a few books I read and enjoyed over the past two months:

Chasing the Light: Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador, and the Movie Game by Oliver Stone - Every time I've seen Oliver Stone interviewed, I've made a mental note along the lines of "That guy seems like quite a character. I wonder what his story is?" Well, after plowing through 300+ pages of his memoir, I can say with certainty that he is quite a character, and a super-intense one at that. This book covers his life up through the production of Platoon-- from his service and bravery in Vietnam to his dark days of rampant drug use in Hollywood, from hanging out with international organized crime bosses to scraping together funding for his films. Stone offers up the full blow-by-blow of his wild and intense life, and doesn't seem to hold anything back. Reading the book gave me a little taste of what it must be like to be inside the head of someone genuinely, perhaps unhealthily, obsessed with their art. Exhausting at the times, but memorable, instructive, and entertaining as hell. [Surprisingly, one of my all-time favorite memoirs is Flea's Acid for the Children.]

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown - The pandemic and its associated insanity forced me to take a hard look at how I spend my time, evaluating what is truly important for my family and me. This book popped into my life at just the right moment and confirmed some ideas that I'd been considering, but did not have the confidence to act on fully. Namely, that saying yes to all opportunities is a bad idea, and that it is impossible to do meaningful, effective work if stretched too thin. Seems like common sense, huh? Most conscientious people seem to understand the downsides of too many commitments, but (like me) have trouble figuring out what to keep and what to eliminate. Essentialism offers some specific techniques for saying no and reducing commitment clutter-- not cute little "life hacks" but concrete, useful, simple-but-not-easy frameworks for cutting out life’s nonsense. I'd recommend this book at any time, but it's especially important now, during these nutty, hectic days. [For more on focus and eliminating distraction, I once again recommend Cal Newport's Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.]

White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America by Joan C. Williams - If you're like me, you've probably spent much of the past few years trying to understand what the hell is going on with politics in the United States. As many of you know from this email list, I obsessively consume history. Still, I've been at a loss to find any historical framework to clarify this current political, economic, and social moment. One of the smartest, rational, most measured humans I know recommended this book, and I'm very glad I read it. It's short and easy to crank through, but it offers some very valuable context around the socio-economic shifts that have slowly transformed many long-standing norms in the U.S. I have to admit that I was previously "clueless" to many of the ideas presented in this book-- thankfully, it provided a much-needed broader perspective, helping me be more compassionate and open minded when encountering political beliefs different than my own. [For more on cultivating compassion, look no further than my guru Pema Chodron. Start With Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living is a good entry point.]

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey - I have a severe aversion to anything associated with celebrities, with two glaring exceptions: The Rock and McConaughey. So obviously, when I heard that McConaughey was releasing a memoir, I bought it the day it was published (and I'll do the same when/if The Rock publishes one). If the Stone memoir above is on one side of the intensity spectrum, Greenlights is its polar opposite. And spending time in McConaughey's head is a much more fun place to be than Stone's. But this book is not cotton candy silliness-- there are valuable life lessons throughout the book, useful ideas around focus, risk, hard work, preparation, intention, and optimism. For years, I have admired McConaughey's transformation from rom-com pretty boy to super-committed, risk-taking Oscar winner, and this book provides the backstory on that evolution. It's also important for me to see that someone can be an focused, self-reflective, fully committed creator, without the over-the-top self-loathing that plagues so many world-class artists. If you are at all intrigued by McConaughey and his one-of-a-kind style, you'll love this book. [Another all-time favorite memoir is Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight.]

Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World-Record Tarpon by Monte Burke - This book was awesome. I loved it. I'm by no means an obsessed fisherman-- if I'm taking a trip to the beach, it's to surf, not cast a fly rod. But if you love to learn about people who are maniacally obsessed with their craft, you'll be consumed by this story. As the subtitle states, it's the history of fly fishing for tarpon in Florida, from the earliest known instances of the sport to the big-money, high-tech, ultra-competitive pursuit of world records. Burke is obviously a master when it comes to writing about fly fishing, the coastal ecosystem, and epic man vs. tarpon battles. But what really drew me in were his vivid descriptions of the eccentric wildmen who've devoted their lives to chasing these prehistoric fish. From the 70s in Key West with legends like Tom McGuane and Jim Harrison, to modern-day obsessives like David Mangum, (who physically fights people encroaching on his secret spots), I could not get enough of Burke’s mini-biographies of crazed and committed anglers. [Monte also wrote one of my favorite biographies of another obsessed record-chaser: Saban: The Making of a Coach.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

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Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: https://mountainandprairie.com/good-news/
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you are enjoying some well-deserved downtime and that the holidays have been restorative, all things considered.

This email marks the end of my fifth full calendar year of sending out bimonthly book recommendations. A sincere thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in my weird reading habits—who could've ever guessed that one off-the-cuff email to 30 friends five years ago would turn into this?  

If you know anyone who might glean some value from these emails, please forward this one along. I'm excited to continue to grow the list over the next five years!

Here are a few books I recently read and highly recommend:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - This book has been recommended time and again, year after year, and my recent podcast conversation with Mike Foote convinced me to move it to the top of the bedside table stack. Wow, what an amazing work of art. While I was quickly drawn into the novel’s plot and enjoyed almost every page, the book’s real power comes from its examination and subtle critique of American society. The book caused me to think long and hard about many of the incentives that drive the US economy—both back in the days of the Dust Bowl and Depression, all the way up to our current pandemic-influenced economic and employment crises. Portions of the book absolutely infuriated me, not because of the make-believe tragedies happening to Steinbeck’s make-believe characters, but because versions of these tragedies are still happening to real people today, nearly a century later. As a person who reads far too little fiction, I can say that this book has led to more self-examination and analysis of critical societal issues than any non-fiction book I’ve read recently. [For a memorable/terrifying portrait of the brave souls who chose to stay in Oklahoma rather than strike out to California, check out Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.]

The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin - If Seth Godin writes it, I’m going to buy it and read it—so know that this recommendation is heavily biased. This book was written for anyone who does (or dreams of doing) creative work, yet struggles with the surprisingly tough challenge of consistently putting their creation out into the world. Even though it is broken up into more than 200 short, quick chapters, this may be Seth’s most dense book to date. I underlined passages on almost every page, and, at times, felt overwhelmed by the amount of actionable wisdom that Seth was cramming into my brain. I’ve been reading Seth closely for years, and this book presented many new ideas and reinforced many of his time-tested thoughts on the creative process. This is one of those books I will revisit regularly, and I’m thankful to have it as a resource for years to come. [You can’t go wrong with any of Seth’s books, but my favorites are Purple Cow, Tribes, What To Do When It’s Your Turn, Linchpin, and This is Marketing.]

Ninety-Two in the Shade by Thomas McGuane - After reading Monte Burke’s amazing Lords of the Fly, I became obsessed with trying to imagine Key West in the 1970s. Monte’s stories of Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Richard Brautigan, Russell Chatham, Jimmy Buffett, and Hunter S. Thompson’s exploits related to fishing and art captured my imagination to the point that I had a few dreams about it. Several trusted voracious readers recommended Ninety-Two in the Shade as the best representation of the wild times and nutty characters that created the community of 1970s Key West. Even though it’s a novel, the book delivered—although I’ve never been to Key West, I felt like I’d spent a few days there. The book is hilarious, insane, and beautifully written in a style that only McGuane can offer. I’d love to know the backstories of this book’s main characters, as I suspect they are based on real people and real events from 40+ years ago—events that very well could have been even wilder and stranger than fiction. [Check out my recent podcast with Monte Burke to hear a discussion of Key West in the 70s and its foundational influence on today’s art and literature here in the American West. And for another wonderful book about fishing, check out Chris Dombrowski’s Body of Water: A Sage, a Seeker, and the World’s Most Alluring Fish.]

Zero to One: Notes of Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel - I love books written by uber-successful people that confidently contradict conventual wisdom—particularly wisdom related to economic and business, my fields of study back in the day. In this book, Thiel—founder of PayPal and first investor in Facebook—turns many well-worn theories on their heads, including ideas related to monopolies, competition, and goal-driven societies. Many of the ideas were 100% new to me. Despite the heavy subject matter, the book is relatively short, easy to read, and entertaining-- much more fun to read than most books from my formal education. I’ll be interested to see how Thiel’s ideas age as they marinate in my brain over the coming months. But as of today, I’d say that this book shifted my thinking ever so slightly-- the mark of a great book. [One of the most memorable and useful books from graduate school was The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life. I reference it often, even after reading it more than a decade ago.]

Painted Horses by Malcolm Brooks - I think the personal and societal shifts brought about by the pandemic may have altered my brain chemistry because I’m reading (and loving) novels more than ever before. If you enjoyed McMurty’s Lonesome Dove, then I can just about guarantee you will love Painted Horses. It’s a large-scale epic of the American West that marries rich characters, stunning landscapes, real-life history, and beautiful lyrical prose into a one-of-a-kind novel you won’t be able to put down. The novel is set in 1950s Montana, a time period I haven’t read much about (or if I did, it must not have made much of an impression). Like Grapes of Wrath above, Painted Horses illuminated many real-world historical issues and timeless truths, but in an entertaining manner that is much richer than plain-old history. Amazingly, Painted Horses was Brooks’s first published novel, so I’m anxiously awaiting his next one, set to be published this spring.  [Malcolm was kind enough to join me on the podcast to discuss this book and his writing process, as well as to answer my question about how in the hell a human can write so epically. Also, if you haven’t already, read Lonesome Dove.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: https://mountainandprairie.com/good-news/
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Hello, friends!

Thanks to everyone who recently signed up for this email, as well as to all of you long-time subscribers who've been with me for more than five years. I'm happy that all these dang books I'm reading are adding some value to someone other than myself.  

Here's a list of my favorite books from 2020, along with a few rambling thoughts that may or may not make any sense.

And here are some excellent books I read during the first two months of 2021:

Thirteen Moons by Charles Fraiser - I don't read as much fiction as I should, but when I do, I'm drawn to epic, sweeping novels set in landscapes that I know and love. Thirteen Moons is one of those books-- it's set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and follows the life of a teenage orphan who is adopted by a Cherokee Chief. The book spans several notable historical periods, including the Trail of Tears and the Civil War, and it highlights the respective heartbreaks and horrors in that unique way that only novels can. But what I loved most about this book were his depictions of the lush, temperate landscape where I experienced my first serious-to-me outdoor adventures. Frazier (who also wrote Cold Mountain) is a master of describing the sights, smells, and sounds of the rhododendron-covered coves of the North Carolina mountains-- if someone can do it better, I need to read their work immediately. [Another epic novel that you need to read is Painted Horses by Malcolm Brooks.]
 

Team Of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Gen. Stanley McChrystal - I'm slightly obsessed with elite military leaders, so McChrystal's writings and media appearances always command my full attention. I mean, the guy only eats one meal a day and runs seven miles every day… how could I not be obsessed? This book explains the foundational shift in the U.S. military's leadership structure during the Iraq war of the 2000s. Technological advances rendered the U.S.'s tried-and-true top-down leadership model ineffective against an outgunned but tough and nimble insurgent force. As the war raged on, McChrystal had no choice but to upend traditional models and establish a more fluid, more open, more trusting system for distributing, analyzing, and responding to quickly changing information. The book is exceptionally well written, complex yet understandable, and offered me a new approach to leading and being led in today's fast-paced, information-overloaded world. [The best leadership book I've ever read is Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.]
 

I Hate Running And You Can Too: How To Get Started, Keep Going, And Make Sense Of An Irrational Passion by Brendan Leonard - The uber-prolific Brendan Leonard is at it again, this time with optimistic and hilarious encouragement for runners of all stripes-- from even-keeled 5K enthusiasts to out-of-their-gourds 100-miler masochists, and everyone in between. Combining his trademark hand-drawn charts with insightful lessons from his own running adventures, Brendan explains why a commitment to the sometimes-silly practice of running is a worthy pursuit. While I love (and need) the encouragement for running, I believe the book's lessons can be applied to any "irrational passion"-- just substitute "writing" or "acting" or "creating" wherever the word "running" appears. Voilá, you've got yourself a customized book chock-full of level-headed, positive-minded encouragement to pursue whatever crazy, challenging passion is consuming you. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy-- the book will be officially released on March 16th. [And speaking of encouragement for creative projects, Brendan's Make It Till You Make It is a book I revisit often.]
 

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson - While I always prefer books to marinate in my brain for a few months before making bold claims about them, I can confidently say that Caste redefined my framework for thinking about race and class here in the U.S. I grew up in the rural south, where there were very clear delineations between subsets of the population-- divisions often based on skin color. But after reading Wilkerson's analysis, I have a more substantive, holistic understanding of those divisions-- divisions created by what she defines as a caste system. Wilkerson combines a broad range of world and U.S. history with masterful analogies to make a strong case that racial divides here in the U.S. are a symptom of a larger, deeply rooted hierarchal social structure. I'm admittedly poorly read in subjects related to race and socioeconomic disparity, but I'm looking forward to continuing my exploration with books that will expand on Wilkerson's point of view-- and most importantly, challenge my own. [I'm currently being challenged by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. Full recommendation coming in my April email.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
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Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Howdy, folks,

I hope the first third of 2021 has treated you well, and that life is at least a little more stable for you today than it was this time last year.

Here are a few books I've read over the past two months. Hopefully, you'll find one or two that resonate.

Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land by Noé Álvarez - A good buddy sent me this book, insisting that I'd love it. I did. It's the true story of Noé Álvarez, a first-generation American of Mexican descent who walks away from a full scholarship at a well-regarded liberal arts college to run the length of North America. And the run was not some kind of high-dollar adventure travel "glamping" trip-- it was a hardcore, barebones grind alongside Native American runners who approached the endurance challenge with the reverence of a religious quest. While I enjoyed the adventure narrative that chronicled the run, what has stuck with me is Álvarez's descriptions of his parents' lives-- their harrowing journey to the U.S., the backbreaking work of processing fruit for minimum wage, and their perpetual struggle to avoid falling apart, both financially and physically. An eye-opening, perspective-shifting book for sure. [For a memorable adventure tale based in the Mexican wildlands, check out God's Middle Finger: Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre by Richard Grant]

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham - I was honored to be asked to interview Dr. Lanham for a virtual conference here in Colorado, so I quickly got to work absorbing all of his books and articles. He's a birder, naturalist, hunter-conservationist, professor, poet, writer, and Ph.D.-- a fascinating guy, to say the least. The Home Place is his personal story of growing up in rural South Carolina, a story that delves into his family's deep connections to the land and natural world. He also explores the sometimes opposing family forces that shaped him into "A mystical type-A... an oil and water amalgam whose soul is pulled to opposite poles." One of my favorite aspects of Dr. Lanham's story is how he walked away from a sure-fire career in engineering to pursue his passion for wildlife, despite the uncertainty and societal/racial pressures to follow the "normal path." An inspiring, enlightening, and memorable book. [If birds are your thing, I also recommend David Gessner's Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond.

Sparrow Envy: Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts by J. Drew Lanham - This is Dr. Lanham's most recent book, a collection of poems, short stories, and meditations that run the gamut from eastern meadowlarks to whitetail deer, racial injustice to practical advice for birders. I'm generally intimidated and/or confused by poetry, but I connected with Sparrow Envy in an unexpected way. The book refined some of my own incomplete and evolving ideas regarding race and inclusion, while also rekindling my commitment to teaching my daughters about our backyard birds. Just as a powerful novel can sometimes communicate truths in a deeper, more visceral way, Dr. Lanham's poems provided much-needed insights across a range of topics that are important to me. [Two other books of poetry I've loved are Ragged Anthem by Chris Dombrowski and One Sentence Journal by Chris La Tray]

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson - Despite never having read anything by him, I've disappeared down many a Thompson-inspired internet rabbit hole, gawking at his raucous lifestyle and prolific writing with an odd mix of admiration, aversion, and awe. I finally decided to turn off Youtube and open this book, and I was taken aback by his completely unique writing style. I've never experienced anything like his blend of pacing, sense of humor, journalistic bent, and personal boldness. In Hell's Angels, Thompson embeds himself into the notorious motorcycle gang and travels around California with the outlaws for many months during the 1960s. If you know anything about Hunter S. Thompson and the Hell's Angels, then you can probably guess what types of chaos ensue, and Thompson's ability to tell such a crazy story is second to none. The book offers fascinating history into post-WWII America, a fun entry point into Thompson's body of work, and a strange behind-the-scenes look into Thompson's insane lifestyle. [After reading Hell's Angels, you may need to cleanse the mental and spiritual pallette. I recommend Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach.]

The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - And here it is, the obligatory military book. Dichotomy is the follow-up to their first book, Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win, which is one of the most influential books I've read in the past decade. While Extreme Ownership focuses on the easy-to-misinterpret idea that leaders must take full responsibility for EVERYTHING, Dichotomy focuses on that confounding, very large gray area of leadership-- situations that require flexibility and finesse. They examine the fluid situations where a simple yes-or-no, black-or-white prescriptive solution will simply not work. As with Extreme Ownership, the authors offer real-life lessons from the battlefield countered with real-life case studies from the business world. These guys' experiences as highly decorated SEALs and renowned leadership consultants give them a unique perspective into leadership across the spectrum, and their theories are equally humble, effective, and wise. [Another influential military-focused book was Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert Coram.]

And finally, two of my buddies recently released beautifully crafted coffee table books that I'll be proud to display for decades to come. For those of you connected to the tidal marshes and salt air of the Carolina coast, I recommend Undertones: Gifts of a Southern Tide by Douglas Cutting and Nan Young Carey. For those who love to venture into the wide-open spaces for days or weeks on end-- or just want to read about it and look at stunning photos-- I check out The Camping Life: Inspiration and Ideas for Endless Adventures by Brendan Leonard and Forest Woodward.

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy July, everyone!

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. All good here in Colorado-- full speed ahead.

Here are a few books I read during the past two months, and each of them added value to my life in a different way. I hope you find a few that pique your interest.

Quiet Desperation, Savage Delight: Sheltering with Thoreau in the Age of Crisis by David Gessner - The uber-prolific David Gessner is at it again, this time diving deep into the life of one of his most significant literary and personal influences: Henry David Thoreau. But rather than write a book on some obscure, yet-to-be-analyzed aspect of Thoreau, Gessner extracts the most valuable ideas from Thoreau’s life and offers them to us, the readers, as tools for dealing with this nutty world we’re living in. The book begins in March 2020, just as society was realizing the threat of COVID, and follows Gessner through the rest of the year, as he attempts to find his way through the ensuing madness using Henry's wisdom as a guide. He obviously digs into important Thoreau-ish themes such as self-reliance and civil disobedience, but also meanders into many other prescient topics-- our overly connected electronic world, climate change, the creative process, his famed waterfront writing shack, and more. A timely, wise, important, hilarious, irreverent, and useful book that could not have entered my life at a better time. [For another take on global pandemics, check out Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars.]

A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload by Cal Newport - Through his books, blog, and podcast, Cal Newport has been the Obi-Wan to my Luke in providing me the tools to fight off the ever-increasing onslaught of information overload. A PhD-level computer scientist by trade, Newport understands the value of technology but fairly and clearly analyzes its downsides, especially when it comes to social media and email. The first half of this book is Newport’s thorough and convincing argument detailing why email is inefficient, as well as some history on how it became the ubiquitous tool that dominates so much of our days. The second half offers some reasonable alternatives to email, mostly through case studies of businesses that have managed to bypass the “hyperactive hive mind” work culture that email encourages. [Newport’s book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World is one of the most important books I’ve read.]

Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown - As you can probably tell from this title and the one above, I’m becoming obsessed with decreasing distraction. My goal is to focus much less on nonsense and significantly more on the important-to-me, truly enjoyable projects that fill my to-do list. In this quick and easy-to-read follow-up to his best-selling book Essentialism, McKeown offers specific techniques for accomplishing the most important tasks in your life, but without the whole "nose to the grindstone" tough-guy mentality. While I didn’t think that it offered any new-to-me, perspective-shifting ideas, it did offer many fresh, actionable tactics and thought exercises that have proven to be beneficial. I particularly connected with the ideas in the chapters “Invert: What If This Could Be Easy” and “Start: The First Obvious Action,” but I underlined sections in every chapter. [One of the best productivity books I’ve read in years was Atomic Habits by James Clear.]

Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports by John Branch: If you’re not a sports fan but have found yourself engrossed by a New York Times sports story, odds are, that story was written by John Branch. Branch says he likes to write about “ordinary people tangled in something extraordinary,” and sports just happens to be the common theme that binds all of his work together. Whether writing about the first ascent of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s El Capítan, the super-intense world of competitive dog grooming, or even the death of Kobe Bryant, Branch always gives the reader an unexpected perspective on a story that they may not have even known they wanted to read. Sidecountry is a collection of Branch’s twenty favorite stories from his career at the Times, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning story Snowfall. A perfect book to pick up for a quick chapter or to read all the way through. [You can listen to my conversation with John, or, for another excellent book of past stories, read Hampton Sides’ Americana: Dispatches from the New Frontier.]

Blood Is Not The Water by Mara Panich - As many of you longtime subscribers may have noticed, books of poetry are ever-so-slowly appearing more frequently on this list. I’m still in the learning phase and don’t have many of my own opinions about poetry. But, if someone I respect recommends a specific book of poetry, I read it. This book was recommended by friend, poet, and author Chris La Tray, who-- whether he knows it or not-- has exposed me to many new and challenging ideas. While I’m no expert, Blood Is Not The Water gave me the feeling of spending some time inside the mind of a strong, tough, creative, unapologetic, deep-thinking woman who has thought intensely about we humans can find our place in this weird world. I’ll look forward to revisiting these poems in the years to come. [Chris also recommended Braided Creek: A Conversation in Poetry by Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser, which has a permanent spot on my desk.]

Freedom by Sebastian Junger - I will read anything that Sebastian Junger writes. This short-n-sweet book is really more of a long essay, and it digs into the question of what the ridiculously overused word “freedom” actually means. In a style that is completely unique to Junger, he efficiently melds ideas from history, sociology, war journalism, sports, and more to offer up a well-crafted examination of what it means to be truly free. The book is built around the story of Junger’s 400-mile hike of an East Coast railroad line, which he completed with a few friends and his dog. Are they free to do whatever they want and go wherever they please? Or are they bound by reliance on each other for food and safety, and therefore not free at all? In the end, it doesn’t seem that Junger has a hard-and-fast definition of freedom-- just like all things related to humans, it’s complicated. But I did love this quote: “...the inside joke about freedom… is that you’re always trading obedience to one thing for obedience to another.” [Junger’s book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging is one of my all-time favorites.]

Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the US West by Ryanne Pilgeram - Full disclosure, I have not yet finished this book, but it is incredibly impactful-- it’s a book I’ve been hoping someone would write for many, many years. Ever since Europeans set foot in the American West, there has been a cartoonish level of feast and famine-- frantic extraction of resources followed by a bust that leaves the boomers running for the coasts and a huge mess in their wakes. Pilgeram is a college professor who brings her academic expertise to help us readers understand how these wild cycles impact rural communities, specifically examining how economically depressed towns respond when they become havens for tourism and second homes. Pilgeram has a talent for presenting dense, academic research in an engaging and fun-to-read style, and I think this book should be required reading for anyone who works in land conservation in the West. [For more on the idea of “Boomers" and "Stickers,” read Wendell Berry’s It All Turns on Affection: The Jefferson Lecture and Other Essays.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Howdy folks,

I hope everyone has had a fun summer and that you're excited for some cooler, crisper fall days. All good here in Colorado. I've spent an inordinate amount of time on the trails during July and August, which has been extremely fun. But devoting large chunks of my weekend to either running or being exhausted from running has cramped my normal reading routine. 

So you'll see below that, for the first time, audiobooks have crept onto this list. I've discovered that as long as the author reads the book, it can be engaging and fun, and I don't zone out as I do when they are read by dramatic-sounding voiceover pros. While I will always prefer holding a physical book in my hands, certain audiobooks have proven to be a functional alternative that allows me to "read" while shuffling along a trail for hours on end.

September will be pretty heavy on the trail time, so let me know if you have any especially good audiobooks that I may enjoy. Then it's bye-bye to the iPhone and earbuds, and back to the old-fashioned paper books.

But whether you're into audio, ebooks, or paper, I hope a few of these titles pique your interest:

Sugar in the Blood: A Family's Story of Slavery and Empire by Andrea Stuart - I've recently become obsessed with sugar, mostly because the sight of a distant pack of Sour Patch Kids instantly transforms my well-behaved young daughters into wild beasts. I had a hunch that the history of sugar would be somewhere between disturbing and horrifying, and this book confirms that, yes, it's horrifying. Stuart traces her family's lineage back to the 17th Century when her ancestor immigrated to Barbados to build a new life in the new world. From there, the business of sugar shaped her family tree for centuries to come. While I loved this book and all of its storylines, its descriptions of the horrors of slavery and the slave trade are permanently burned into my psyche. I was surprised to learn how the Caribbean sugar business perfected the model of plantation-based agriculture-- a model that would go on to be the basis for the slave-based economy of the American South. A powerful, memorable book that filled some big gaps in my understanding of history. [For another fascinating read about a rough business, check out The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen] 

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant (audiobook) - I'm not sure when Adam Grant started working on this book, but its publication could not have come at a better time. It's about the importance of changing our mind-- of being perpetually curious, always seeking out new ideas, and being willing, even excited, to adjust our mental models when new information is presented. One of my favorite parts of the book is his discussion of imposter syndrome and how doubting oneself can create a level of humility and curiosity that keeps individuals sharp and intellectually humble. Overall, I'm in complete agreement with Grant's ideas on this topic-- the whole reason I read all these dang books is to eliminate blind spots and change my mind on topics as needed. As Sam Harris says, "I don't want to be wrong for a moment longer than I have to be." I hope that many people will read (or listen to) this book. We’d all be better off if everyone were slightly more curious and flexible in their thinking. [Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind offers a drastically different approach to flexible thinking.]

Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink (audiobook) - I read the paper version of this book several years ago and enjoyed it-- hard-nosed advice from a former Navy SEAL about how to live a more disciplined life. But a few months ago, I revisited it in audio format, and I have become obsessed. No exaggeration, I have listened to the book's "Part One" at least ten times over the past few months. If you're not familiar with Jocko, you'd be justified if your first impression was something along the lines of "Wow, this guy is intense" or "This is a little over the top." I even had similar first thoughts. But as I've piped Jocko's voice into my head for many hours over many weeks, his wisdom regarding leadership, discipline, and living a meaningful life are proving to be straightforward and effective. He offers no "hacks" or shortcuts, just firm, time-and-battle-tested wisdom-- wisdom that is directly benefiting me today. [Another powerful audio recording that I've listened to many, many times is Don't Bite the Hook by Pema Chodron.]

Close Range: Wyoming Stories and Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2 by Annie Proulx - When time is tight or I'm just too damn tired to read for extended periods of time, I turn to short story compilations to keep my reading momentum moving forward. Someone gave me these books back in early July, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading a story or two either before bed or as I'm lying on the sofa nursing sore legs. The most popular story from these two volumes is Brokeback Mountain, which is obviously an exceptional piece of writing. But the story that I continue to think and wonder about is The Hellhole, the first story in Volume 2. I even dreamed about it. In all of these stories, Proulx merges her poetic writing style with her deep connection to the Wyoming landscape to create stories that are fun to read... but continue to rattle around in my brain for many weeks later. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her novels. [A few other short story compilations for your consideration: Sidecountry by John Branch, Americana by Hampton Sides, A Man's Life by Mark Jenkins, The Best of Outside by Outside Magazine, Pecked to Death by Ducks by Tim Cahill, and Kick Ass: Selected Columns of Carl Hiaasen.]
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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
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Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy Halloween, everybody:

Some of you long-time subscribers will be surprised to see that 2/7ths of these books are fiction. As you may remember, it used to take me two years to get through that number of novels. More evidence that the last twenty months have rewired my brain.

And amazingly, this email marks SIX YEARS of sending out these bimonthly recommendations. A huge thanks to my thirty friends who received my first email and were kind enough to share it with others. And now, a heartfelt thank you to the thousands (!!!) of you who read and generously share my weird opinions about books. I sincerely appreciate everyone’s time and interest. Here’s to the next six years!

Now, on to the books:

A Walking Life: Reclaiming Our Health and Our Freedom One Step at a Time by Antonia Malchik - It's no secret that here in America, we are deeply mired in an impressive mess of societal crises. While there is obviously no one-size-fits-all panacea, a recommitment to the simple act of walking could be an excellent place to start. In this informative and wide-ranging book, Malchik explores the importance of walking from physical, mental, and societal perspectives. She also investigates how we humans' transition from bipedal mobility to car-centric transportation has eroded our health and communities. Malchik's writing style reminds me a bit of Bill Bryson's-- she seamlessly transitions from one fascinating topic to another, bringing the reader along for an engaging journey across a wide range of topics that go far beyond the book's primary subject matter. [For more on community and mental health, check out Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari.]

The Guide by Peter Heller - If you've ever driven the off-the-beaten-path road from Colorado's Taylor Reservoir to Crested Butte, then you know the spectacular setting for this novel. Even in real life, it's a prime location for an action-packed thriller-- the landscape is remote, rugged, at times suffocating, and mostly owned by the 1%-of-the-1%. I love everything Peter Heller writes-- both fiction and nonfiction-- but The Guide may be my favorite to date. It combines Heller's uncanny ability to describe western terrain and the art of fly fishing with his gift of writing a suspenseful, page-turner of a tale. The story is also structured around several present-day, front-of-mind storylines, including a global pandemic and the weird obsessions of odd-ball billionaires. I cranked through this book in a single day, an accomplishment that speaks less to my reading speed than to the super-addictive quality of this book. [For insights into Heller's writing process, check out my 2019 conversation with him.]

The Exotic: Intrigue and Cultural Ruin in the Age of Imperialism by Hampton Sides - Just when I'd begrudgingly accepted the grim reality that I would have to wait at least two more years for Sides' next book, he goes and releases The Exotic. It's much shorter than his typical 400+ page tomes but much longer than a magazine article, giving the reader a chance to soak in Sides' one-of-a-kind historical storytelling in just a few hours of reading. The Exotic details the life and unbelievable adventures of Mai, who was the first Polynesian to set foot on British soil. In 1774, Mai hitched a ride to England with Captain James Cook, where he spent several years hobnobbing with the highest of high society, including King George. Despite being a commoner in his Polynesian culture, Mai was a genuine celebrity in Europe, which made his eventual return to the South Pacific quite jarring, at times comical, and eventually tragic. A wonderfully entertaining tale about a little-known historical figure whose story deserved to be told. The Exotic is available exclusively on Scribd. [Another of my favorite Sides books is Hellhound on His Trail: The Electrifying Account of the Largest Manhunt in American History.] 

Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin - A big thanks to my pal Brendan for recommending this fantastic book-- there is a 0% chance I would've read it without his enthusiastic endorsement. I've never encountered a book quite like it. Everything from its meandering, time-jumping storyline to the seemingly random number of words on each page created a completely unique-to-me reading experience. It's the hilarious and surprisingly touching story of the author's upbringing in New York City's frenetic Greenwich Village, a community defined by one-of-a-kind characters and some of the more bizarre tales I can remember reading. But buried within the craziness are some impactful lessons about community, family, creativity, and purpose-- lessons that are still rattling around in my head two months later. I'm not sure how Shopsin convinced a publisher to take a chance on such an unorthodox book, but she did and I'm glad and my life is better for having read it. [Another weird and hilarious book is David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames.] 

Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America by Ryan Busse - For many years, Ryan Busse was one of the country's top gun salesmen. Over the course of his career, he transformed a small, fledgling gun company into an internationally recognized brand and was repeatedly recognized by the NRA as a top-performing firearms executive. But Busse's love of public lands and conservation, combined with his dogged refusal to be bullied or told what to think, led to an awakening of sorts-- a realization that the firearms industry had transformed from a sportsman-centered business into a politically driven machine that uses decisiveness and fear to grow profits. To be clear: This is not an anti-gun book. Rather, it's a nuanced examination of how and why the gun industry moved toward such extreme rhetoric, written by a uniquely qualified insider. If you're sick of binary thinking and looking for a thoughtful explanation of guns and gun culture, I highly recommend you give Gunfight a read. [And if my simple mention of the word "gun" infuriates you from either a left or right-wing perspective, please don't email me. Instead, read All the Rage: Buddhist Wisdom on Anger and Acceptance.] 

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler - Okay, I'm now officially a Nickolas Butler superfan. Back in August, I read, loved, and recommended Godspeed, his most recent novel. I'm now plowing through all of his work, starting with Shotgun Lovesongs, his debut novel. It's the story of four friends who grew up together in small-town Wisconsin-- men who are now in their mid-thirties and are working their way through the familiar challenges that accompany the ebb and flow of life as a grown-up. I've never been to Wisconsin, nor am I a member of an inseparable cohort of brother-like childhood friends. Still, Butler's masterful storytelling made me feel a deep connection to all of the characters, as well as Wisconsin. I was fully consumed by the story from page five onward, and, as all great novels do, it explored specific themes (friendship, community, love, work) more thoroughly and intensely than any nonfiction work could ever do. I'm excited to dig into more Butler novels in the coming months. [A novel I think about daily is Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.] 

Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns and the Future of Chasing Snow by Heather Hansman - For many years, I've wished that someone would write a book about the social, economic, and environmental complexities of ski communities-- so I'm thankful that Heather Hansman apparently read my mind and did it. Hansman is the perfect person to write this book. She's an accomplished outdoor journalist who also logged many years as a bonafide ski bum in resort communities around the West. Drawing on her past personal experiences scraping by in ski towns coupled with present-day journalistic research in areas ranging from Jackson Hole to Silverton, Hansman investigates all aspects of American ski culture, from its post-WWII historical roots to today's issues of climate change and income inequality. Whether you're a hardcore skier (I am not) or a curious observer of the evolving culture of the outdoor recreation (I am), I wholeheartedly recommend this educational, entertaining, insightful, witty, and timely book. [For deep insights into another obsessive sport, read Monte Burke's Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon.)

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you are wrapping up 2021 on a high note and that good things are in store for 2022. To all of my friends in and around Boulder County, I hope you are safe and have escaped the worst of these insane wind-driven wildfires. Hang in there.

Over the past two months, I put almost no thought into the books I read– I just zoned in on whatever happened to catch my attention. Now, as I write this up, it appears that I have been in a bit of a self-reflective mood. Perhaps embarrassingly self-reflective. Lots of titles related to psychology, mindfulness, and the struggle to balance competing obligations and limited brain space. But I enjoyed every one of them and learned a lot, so I hope you find a few worth reading.

If none of these books resonate, you can head over to my website and check out my newest post: 18 Book Recs for My 18-Year-Old Self. It's also a bit inward-facing but hopefully offers some valuable insights into the importance of reading, as well as a few specific books that could change your life for the better, no matter your age.

Okay, enough of my blabbing. Here's the latest round of books:

The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler - This is the third Nickolas Butler novel I've read in the past five months, and once again, he knocks it out of the park. The Hearts of Men traces the lives of two young boys into adulthood– from their early, formative experiences at a Wisconsin summer camp, all the way through the Vietnam War and deep into middle age. In all of his work, Butler has a remarkable ability to dig deep into emotional, sometimes-hard-to-talk-about concerns that can consume the psyches of men– ideas around duty, work ethic, bravery, loyalty, community, and the depths of friendship. (At least these are some of the things that rattle around in my man-brain, but I could be projecting.) At times intense, at other times heartbreaking, Butler uses his characters and the Wisconsin landscape to explore relatable, important ideas about people, relationships, and our complex lives– ideas that are best understood through masterfully crafted fiction just like this. [I'll go ahead and re-recommend the other Butler novels I've read: Godspeed and Shotgun Lovesongs.]

The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity--And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race by Michael E Long and Daniel Z Lieberman - Could this be the world's longest subtitle? Seems excessive. But don't let the cover's wordiness scare you off. I found this book to be a quick read and highly educational, and it gave me some new insights into why we humans act as crazy as we do. On a very primitive, biological level, we're programmed to crave specific things and activities, and dopamine is the culprit inside our noggins that powers all of our incessant impulses. The book is organized around areas of life that often reveal humans' nuttiest behavior–love, drugs, politics, etc.–and then the authors break down dopamine's role in encouraging said nuttiness. I learned a lot from this book, but would've loved a deeper dive into dopamine's involvement with our addiction phones/internet/social media, although that topic would likely need to be a book unto itself. [For a detailed audio introduction to dopamine and its effects, check out this Stanford professor Andrew Huberman's podcast on the topic.]

A Decade of Howler Brothers - I've had the great fortune of getting to know some of the all-stars behind the Austin, TX-based brand Howler Brothers– a one-of-a-kind, outrageously creative outdoor apparel company that blends "surf culture mixed with vintage western wear mixed with streetwear mixed with tiki gods mixed with fly fishing all set to the soudtrack of a dub reggae mariachi country band." This five-pound behemoth of a coffee table book is a celebration of Howler's first ten years in business. It features 300 pages of photography, art, design, and words from renowned fly fishing guide JT Van Zandt and Howler's founders Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian. The team at Howler have served as great inspiration to me that it is indeed possible to meld together seemingly outlandish and unrelated passions into one single vision-- a vision that can resonate with a surprisingly large tribe of like-minded weirdos, if presented with humor, humility, and authenticity. I consider this less of a "book" and more of an instruction manual for creative thinking and sharing your own original ideas with the world. [If running and creativity are your things, check out I Hate Running and You Can Too by Brendan Leonard.]

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - For the last few years, I've become more and more skeptical of the omnipresent productivity gurus and their promises of "inbox zero" and other increasingly ridiculous "life hacks." In this book, Burkeman respectfully yet thoroughly destroys the foundational ideals of uber-productivity cults. He makes a strong case that the very act of endlessly seeking to squeeze more and more out of every minute is the main source of many people's anxiety and discontent. My two main takeaways are: 1) Tight constraints-- on time, attention, and options-- will lead to more contentment over the long haul than having the freedom to do whatever the hell you want whenever you choose, and 2) The pursuit of "getting it all done" is a game that you cannot win, so focus on prioritization, quit frantically rushing, and don't take yourself so seriously. It's more of a philosophical treatise than a "tools & tactics" manual, and I'm sure I will reread it in the coming months. Highly recommend!

Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron - I've said it many times, but I firmly believe that Pema is one of the wisest humans ever to walk the earth. She has an uncanny ability to present complex, sometimes woo-woo, ideas around mindfulness and spirituality in a relatable and easily understandable manner, even for a lunk like me. Taking the Leap follows the format of many of her other books– relatively short but powerful chapters that can be read individually or as a whole. Using Buddhist principles (without being preachy or indoctrinating), she offers up ideas that have helped me become more aware of just how wild and out of control my mind is. Most importantly, she offers actionable insights that have allowed me to (sometimes) not get caught up in the chaos of my consciousness. I owe Pema a lot... as does my wife, because my wife is the one who has to deal with me on a daily basis! [If you are new to Pema and looking for a good entry point, I recommend When Things Fall Apart: Heartfelt Advice for Difficult Times.]

7 Treasures of Awakening: The Benefits of Mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein - This book was sitting mostly unread on my Kindle, originally downloaded in 2014. It's a lengthy excerpt from Goldstein's well-known book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. I'm not sure what prompted me to start reading it again, but I'm glad I did. Goldstein is one of the United States' most admired mindfulness teachers, receiving top praise from everyone from the most committed Buddhists to the most vocal atheists. If you are new to mindfulness or Buddhist theory, I would suggest you steer clear of this book for the time being–I'm guessing that when I started it back in 2014, I promptly spaced out in the midst of all the Dharma jargon. But now, nearly eight years later and more deeply entrenched in mindfulness lingo, I found the book very meaningful and useful, even for a non-Buddhist like me. [You can listen to some lectures from Goldstein on Sam Harris's meditation app, which you can try out for free for seven days.]

Relentless Solution Focus: Train Your Mind to Conquer Stress, Pressure, and Underperformance and Organize Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life both by Jason Selk and various co-authors - As mentioned above, for the past few years, I've made a concerted effort to avoid self-help-type books–certain people (i.e., I) can get quickly sucked down a rabbit hole of seeking out the latest and greatest system that promises to solve all of their (i.e., my) problems. Selk is a well-regarded Major League Baseball sports psychologist, and both of these books are mostly focused on training yourself to be "relentlessly" committed to action and finding solutions, rather than getting hung up in the cycle of over-thinking and complaining. Like any ideas, Selk's are worthless without execution, but I've had surprising success implementing a few of his techniques into my professional and personal lives over the past eight weeks. His ideas are simple, nothing groundbreaking here, but something about his presentation struck a chord with me, and perhaps they will with you too. [And completely unrelated to this book or any on this list, but it popped in my head so I want to recommended it: The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert. One of my all-time favs.]

—

Apologies once again for the way-too-detailed tour of the internal workings of mind over the past two months. I'll be back to my usual fare of books in 2022. Happy New Year, and thank you for your continued support and interest in my weird opinions about books.

ONWARD! 

---

Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
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Instagram: @mtnprairie

Howdy folks,

I hope the first two months of 2022 have treated you well and that you’re managing to insulate your brain from the overwhelming, omnipresent deluge of incoming electronic information.

For me, one of my best antidotes for the tidal wave of “news” is to put down the phone, close the laptop, and focus intensely on an old-fashioned, physical, paper book. I’m not trying to bury my head in the sand or ignore the realities of our world, but when I need a break, a good book is one of my most tried-and-true methods of unplugging and resetting.

Below are a few of the titles that provided some rest and rejuvenation during January and February. I hope a few of them resonate with you. If they do, I’d greatly appreciate your sharing this email with some of your like-minded, book-loving friends.

And again, thank you for subscribing and for taking an interest in my sometimes-weird, perpetually all-over-the-place taste in books. I greatly appreciate it. Have a great March!
–

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl - While I've never considered myself a big-time Nirvana or Foo Fighters fan, I've always been intrigued by Dave Grohl– he struck me as a fascinating combo of hilarious yet sincere, wild & crazy yet down to earth. So I had high hopes for this memoir, and it surpassed all of my expectations. It's Dave's story of growing up a hyperactive kid in suburban Virginia, followed by his journey on the front lines of rock history–first as the drummer for Nirvana and then as the frontman for the Foo Fighters. It's refreshing just how humble Dave seems to be– he writes as if he's completely flabbergasted by his success and all of the rewards that accompany rock-stardom of the highest order. There's nothing I love more than super-successful yet aggressively humble people. And if Dave Grohl can be humble and light-hearted, then there are very few (no?) people on earth who can claim the right to be arrogant. This is one of my all-time favorite memoirs. [Two others are Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight and Acid for the Children by Flea.]

Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life by Kathleen Dalton (the first half) - This 700+ page, microscopic-printed beast of a biography is on track to be my favorite TR book of all time. I had to take a break midway through to read other things; otherwise, this email would consist of only this one title. Dalton offers the most clear-eyed, detailed examination of TR's personality and legacy that I've ever encountered– she does not get caught up in the hero-worship or mythology that often accompanies almost every other TR biography. She busts countless common TR myths and explores many of his often-ignored personality flaws. She also lays out the critical role that his wife Edith played in all aspects of his success, and how she often acted as the calming counterbalance to his sometimes self-sabotaging, shoot-from-the-hip demeanor. I don't have anything in common with superheroes, but I can relate to mere mortals– so understanding TR as a flesh-and-blood human being who struggled with everything from his health to his self-confidence has only increased my admiration for the man. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the second half of the book. [For another clear-eyed look at TR, but one that is much more fun, funny, and easy to read, check out another of my TR favs: David Gessner's Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt's American Wilderness.]

Wayward by Chris Burkard - I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this, Chris's newest book, and it did not disappoint. It's a collection of some of his best and never-before-seen photographs from the wildest places on earth. It also features extensive written stories detailing his fascinating career path and the challenges, mistakes, and adventures that made him into the artist he is today. The photographs are obviously stunning, but what I really appreciated was Chris's willingness to share the lessons he's learned along his professional journey– lessons that anyone can apply to their own creative endeavors, whether that's photography, writing, music, or any art. I'll be proud to display this book on my shelf for many years to come. [For another top-notch book that combines words and photographs, check out Pete McBride's The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim.]

The Voyage of the Cormorant by Christian Beamish: I first read this book back in 2015, but recently picked it up off my shelf and was immediately sucked back in for a second reading. It's the story of California-based surfboard shaper and all-around craftsman Christian Beamish, who builds an 18-foot, open-hulled sailboat by hand– a boat he christened "The Cormorant." Then, despite having no sailing experience, he takes The Cormorant on a surfing and sailing adventure down the coast of Baja, experiencing the power of the ocean and desert landscapes in a unique, at-times intense, life-changing voyage. The book melds together many genres I love: memoir, adventure narrative, natural history, and nature writing. So, if you're drawn to tales of solo adventures, surfing, sailing, and/or substantive introspection, this is your book. [For a different kind of sailing adventure, check out In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick.]

Buck, Buck, Moose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope and Other Antlered Things by Hank Shaw and The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game by Steven Rinella - In early January, I headed over the Continental Divide to Colorado's Western Slope for my first-ever elk hunt. As a 44-year old longtime meat-eater (who has experimented with vegetarianism and veganism), I decided it was long past time for me to participate in all of the actions required to procure meat for my family. Long story short, my successful hunt and the act of processing the elk into 150+ pounds of healthy, organic meat completely upended my thoughts around food. I went from caring a little as possible about cooking to becoming obsessed with where my meat comes from, how it is processed, and specific techniques for cooking it. Both of these books came highly recommended by many of my food-obsessed hunter friends, and my wife and I have been referencing them weekly. Hunting is obviously not for everyone, but if you're a meat-eater who wants to play a more involved role in procuring and preparing your food, look no further than these two titles. [For those who want the full story of the hunt, you can check out this podcast episode: Reflections On My First Elk Hunt, with Adam Gall.]

Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer's Quest to Find Zen on the Sea by Jaimal Yogis - I reread this book at least once every other year– not according to any predetermined schedule, but because I often think of it, pick it up and begin leafing through it, then find myself reading the entire thing. The book traces the author's journey from juvenile delinquent runway to a Buddhist monk in training to a fully committed soul surfer. Combining two of my life's most life-improving activities–meditation and surfing–Saltwater Buddha is a much of a coming-of-age travelogue as it is an examination of Buddhist philosophy and the life-changing benefits of exploring one's mind. [Love surfing adventures, but prefer less spirituality and more unsettling intensity and darkness? Then pick up a copy of In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road by Allan Weisbecker.]

And finally, for the past few months, I've been writing up monthly book recommendations for my friends at Ranchlands, all of which have been published on their excellent blog, The Ranchlands Review. Each month, I focus my recommendations on a different theme, offering five or six books that have been important to me over the years. If you're not already "booked out" by this point in the email, you can check out all of the themes and associated recommendations here: Transition, Scale, Symbiosis, Time, Expertise, and Place... with more to come!

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Store: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

---

Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Events: https://mountainandprairie.com/events/
Shop: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Howdy folks,

Other than reading to prepare for podcast guests, I do not put any significant thought or planning into the books I read. Whatever titles happen to capture my scattered attention are what I end up reading.

So when I start compiling the past two months of books for this list, it's interesting to notice the unexpected, unplanned themes that seem to connect the titles– ideas or topics that have been rattling around in my head without my even knowing it.

Looking at the books below, I'd say the past two months have been filled with thoughts of:

1. Pushing oneself physically and mentally through outdoor adventure;
2. Effects of human encroachment on the natural world; and
3. Humans' deeply ingrained need for purpose and community.

–

Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map by Rick Ridgeway - Back when I was in college, I read Rick Ridgeway's book Seven Summits, which opened my eyes to the then-crazy idea that an average person like me could slog up some of the world's highest peaks. So when I heard Rick was publishing a memoir about his life of adventure and exploration, I impatiently and excitedly awaited its publication. And it was well worth the wait– the book recounts Rick's mind-blowing exploits everywhere from the summit of K2 to the jungles of Borneo and many wild and dangerous places in between. But what I loved most about Rick's life story is how he gradually shifted away from pursuing adventure for adventure's sake and began using his skills as an athlete and explorer to advance more purpose-driven causes, including wildlife conservation and environmental advocacy. If you're fascinated by humans who are equal parts ambitious, humble, and driven by motivations greater than themselves, this is your book. [And thanks to the great folks at Patagonia Books, I was able to sit down for an hour-long conversation with Rick-- a dream come true.]
 

The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard - I love books that open my eyes to ideas or phenomena that have been "hiding in plain sight" for most of my life– books that allow me to see parts of the world from a completely new and different perspective. It only took a few chapters of The End of Night for me to realize just how much artificial light dominates our daily lives and what a new and crazy phenomenon it is. (How had I never considered this!?) In a fun and easy-going style, Bogard lays out the relatively recent history of artificial light and how its prevalence in the world has exploded over the past few decades. Darkness used to be a fact of life– something we humans had to work around. But now, thanks to the world’s expanding resources and technology, darkness is something to be eliminated, or at least suppressed. I especially enjoyed Bogard’s exploration of why we humans need darkness, myths connecting safety with light, and the myriad of health challenges resulting from being perpetually blasted by artificial light. A fun and informative book. [Another perspective-shifting book is What Doesn't Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength by Scott Carney]
 

Seeing Silence: The Beauty of the World's Most Quiet Places by Pete McBride - As I was reading The End of Night, I kept thinking, "I want to read a book about how human-caused noise dominates our lives." And then, a few days later, as if the good folks at Rizzoli had read my mind, Seeing Silence arrived on my doorstep. It's Pete McBride's latest coffee-table-style book, one that combines his decades of experience photographing some of the earth's wildest places with his top-notch writing on the ideas of silence and natural sound. From Himalayan glaciers to the African grasslands, Pete has experienced regions of the world completely void of man-made noise. And as expected, he does a wonderful job explaining why we humans are drawn to such wild and natural places. Pete wrote much of this book during the early stages of the pandemic, so the book also includes some eerie images of New York City during its most quiet moment. Seeing Silence is a book I'll proudly display on my shelf and revisit often. [Another of my favorite coffee table books is Galen Rowell: A Retrospective.]

Poison: Sermons on Suffering by Mark F. Twight - When I first read renowned alpinist Mark Twight's masterpiece Kiss of Kill, I didn't connect with it. I'd heard it praised time and again by some of the world's greatest climbers, but I did not understand what all the hype was about. Then, a few years later, after two trips deep into the Alaska Range where I learned the true meaning of "cold," I re-read it. It was as if I was reading a different book– I connected with Kiss or Kill in a big way and quickly understood its genius. Poison is Twight's newest book, a self-published collection of some of his most intense and incisive essays from the past decade+. The essays' bare-bones titles will give you a idea of the no-nonsense themes of the book: Revolt, You Haven't Earned It, Weakness, Mental Toughness, The Struggle, Go Down Fighting… you get the idea. While I'll never be as tough or single-mindedly committed at Twight, I do glean great value from trying to understand his operating system– his personal code of conduct built around the ideas of hard work, no shortcuts, and clear-eyed, ruthless self-examination. [Another book that I initially dismissed but then connected with years later is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris, the most important book I've ever read.]

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger - I re-read Tribe at least once per year, and I review my highlights and underlined passages every few months. The more I revisit this book and the crazier the world seems to become, the more I appreciate just how clearly Junger has identified the primary source of many of our societal woes: A glaring lack of community and purpose. Since I've re-recommended this book at least a dozen times, I won't rehash its details here. But if you are as perplexed as I am about the current state of our culture, this book will help you understand how things got off track and what you can do to stabilize your own little corner of the world. [And speaking of finding peace in your corner of the world, I'll once again recommend Pema Chodron's work, specifically Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion.]

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl - Yet another annual re-read that becomes more powerful and useful with each passing year. If Frankl can find happiness and contentment while awaiting execution in a Nazi-controlled concentration camp, it's hard for me to feel sorry for myself in the face of unpleasant news or typical 21st-century day-to-day challenges. A short and powerful book that I believe every human above the age of 16 should read. [For a daily attitude adjustment, I recommend The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday.]            

---

Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Events: https://mountainandprairie.com/events/
Shop: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Hello everybody,

---

Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Events: https://mountainandprairie.com/events/
Shop: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World's Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe - I heard these authors interviewed on Fresh Air, and I ordered the book immediately. The book is predictably described as “explosive” and “devastating,” but, really, I wasn’t all that surprised by its findings– just another case in a long list of big-time businesses that lost their way while chasing the big bucks. What I gleaned from this book is not that McKinsey is a company full of scumbags– I have many friends who have worked there who are most definitely not bags of scum. Instead, the book offered me new insights into how and why many (most?) of the incentives of 21st-century mega-business are not aligned with behavior that has traditionally been accepted as respectable or values-driven. If you’re looking to be outraged by a few horror stories of McKinsey “turbo-charging” opioid sales, then listen to the podcast. But if you want to think a little more deeply about the incentive structures of American and global commerce, read the book. [This book reminded me of business school, which reminded me of The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit and Barry J. Nalebuff.] 

The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Resilient Than Before by Erika H. James and Lynn Perry Wooten - I read this book as part of a book discussion group that I was invited to join– a group that I quickly realized was made up of people who were all exponentially smarter than me. But despite my intellectual inability to contribute to the discussion, I gleaned quite a few valuable lessons from the book. Most notably, the need to frame all crises as opportunities– opportunities to learn, adjust, re-calibrate, or change course completely. Also, I appreciated the authors’ focus on the importance of seeking out opinions that clash with our own, so as to expose blind spots in our thinking. The book discussion also helped me to remember that many of my proudest personal and professional achievements grew out of some event that, at the time, I considered a crisis. A potent, quick read that adds value whether you lead a huge team or are a lone wolf like me. [Another guidebook for productively weathering life’s storms is When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron.]

I was a bit distracted over the past few months, thanks in part to a lot of fun-but-time-consuming work travel. Whenever I’m on the go and struggling to finish normal books, I turn to short story compilations to keep the reading momentum going (and to keep me off of my silly phone). One that was highly recommended by many friends was The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie. The few stories I read made me chuckle uncontrollably while simultaneously feeling very sad for many of the characters and their circumstances. The stories also further hammered home the point of how ridiculously destructive alcohol abuse can be to communities. First and Wildest: The Gila Wilderness at 100, edited by Elizabeth Hightower Allen, is a collection of stories and reflections related to America’s first wilderness area, New Mexico’s half-a-million-acre Gila Wilderness. There are essays from Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich, and Pam Houston, and I look forward to reading every one of them. But for now, I especially enjoyed past podcast guest Gabe Vasquez’s essay, in which he highlights the importance of exposing under-served youths to the marvels of wild places. [When it comes to compilations, it’s hard to beat John Branch’s Sidecountry: Tales of Life and Death from the Back Roads of Sports.]

And speaking of shorter, bite-sized reads, I recently teamed up with the social reading app Threadable to lead a reading Circle on the topic of Conservation in the American West. What makes Threadable unique is that the readings are short– 20-to-25-page chapters from specific books– so you don’t have to read an entire book to participate in the discussion. The first reading I’m featuring is Chapter 1 of past podcast guest Dr. Sara Dant's book Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West. This chapter provides an overview of the very early human migration into North America all the way up to just before Europeans descended on the continent. Two weeks from now, we’ll be reading Chapter 8: Indian Country from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous People's History of the United States. The app and readings are FREE, the founders are cool, McKinsey does not advise them, and I’d love to have a few of you join me to virtually discuss books and conservation in the West. Open this link on your phone to join the Circle! [Sorry Android amigos, this is for iOS only.]

Endure: How to Work Hard, Outlast, and Keep Hammering by Cameron Hanes - For those not familiar, Hanes is a renowned bowhunter and legit ultrarunner, having completed many difficult mountain trail races, including the Moab 240. I was feeling bored with my normal podcast rotation, so I downloaded this audiobook on a whim, hoping for a jolt of motivation to help me ramp up my exercise routine. The book delivered the jolt (which was followed by debilitating soreness), but what I most enjoyed was learning about the non-physical aspects of Hanes’ life– particularly the long and grinding process that he endured in order to finally become a published author. Over and over throughout the book, Hanes repeats that he is not talented or smart or special in any way, with one exception: He is world-class at working hard. Whether or not I agree with his politics or connect with his demeanor, I do appreciate and respect his commitment to embracing the long-term grind. As a non-talented dude myself, I'm always happy to be reminded that hard-hardheaded hard work can also produce results. [Another audiobook that is over-the-top but surprisingly motivating is Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins.]

15-Second Recipes: A Cookbook for Busy People by Brendan Leonard - Are you busy? Do you need to eat? Like to laugh? Looking to optimize your life far beyond anything Tim Ferriss can offer? This is your book. Hurry! Order it! Hurry!

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

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Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
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Happy 2023, everybody! 

1. I will read no more than two self-help/personal development/productivity books.

2. At least ⅓ of the books I read must be by authors who do not share my skin color or gender.

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Events: https://mountainandprairie.com/events/
Shop: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy March, everyone!

I hope the first ⅙ of 2023 has been great for you and yours. Full speed ahead here in Colorado.

Here are some books I read and enjoyed over the past 59 days:

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

Website: www.mountainandprairie.com
Podcast: www.mountainandprairie.com/podcast
Good News!: www.mountainandprairie.com/good-news
Book Recommendations: www.mountainandprairie.com/reading
Support: www.mountainandprairie.com/support/
Events: https://mountainandprairie.com/events/
Shop: shop.mountainandprairie.com
Instagram: @mtnprairie

Happy May, folks!

Here are a few books from the past two months that I read, enjoyed, and highly recommend:

War by Sebastian Junger - If you’ve been following my recommendations for a while, then you’re probably sick and tired of my repeated touting of Junger’s Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, which is one of the most impactful books I’ve read. War is the story that informed many of the foundational ideas in Tribe, and it details Junger's time embedded with an Army platoon at a deadly outpost in the unforgiving mountains of Afghanistan. Yes, War is obviously about war, but to me, the book is more about the brotherhood that binds young men who find themselves united against a common enemy, surrounded by perpetual mind-scrambling danger, dependent on each other to stay alive. Junger does a masterful job helping someone like me (who never served) understand how war can be simultaneously miserable, addictive, and desirable, and why it has been such a right of passage for young men for as long as we humans have been fighting with each other. [To hear Junger discuss this topic for an hour, check out this podcast episode: Why Men Seek Danger.]

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg - When I read a memoir, I’m not looking for entertainment, I want to learn. And my favorite memoirs are those in which I share little in common with the author, yet their skill as a writer allows me to deeply connect with their story, understand their motivations and choices, and finish the book with a wider perspective or new way of looking at the world. I have very little interest in having my ideas confirmed or affirmed– I want to stretch and stress test my notions, to uncover any blatant holes in my thinking. So a huge thank you to the wonderful Molly Wizenberg for offering this raw, vulnerable, hopeful, and at times heartbreaking look into her life, one that made me think hard about the power of our self-imposed identities, personal evolution, and familial bonds. And while I would’ve enjoyed the book under any circumstances, it was an added bonus that Molly just so happens to be a fun, funny, and down-to-earth human. To hear for yourself, check out our podcast conversation.

The Martian by Andy Weir - I have no idea why this book popped into my consciousness or why it rose to the top of my way-too-long need-to-read list. But it did, and I’m glad, and I loved it. I read very few novels, I’m usually not a fan of science fiction, but this book had me locked in from the first few pages. The main character was legitimately hilarious, and, as far as I could tell, the details of the story seemed to be rooted in real-life science/physics/space/smart-people stuff. And as an added bonus, it’s written in a manner that flatters the ego of a not-so-smart liberal arts graduate like me by making me feel that I fully understand the physics of interplanetary rocket science. But I was especially intrigued by the backstory of the author and how he came to write such a runaway best-seller-turned-blockbuster movie. The book started out as a series of blog posts that he then turned into a $0.99 self-published ebook... and it took off from there. Fun book, fun backstory, highly recommended. [And speaking of action-packed novels, if you haven’t already, read The Painter by Peter Heller.]

Industrial Society and Its Future by FC aka Ted Kaczynski aka The Unabomber - In my seven and a half years of sending out these emails, this may seem like the strangest title I’ve recommended. But there’s no way around it– the “Unabomber Manifesto” is a thought-provoking read. While I admittedly have a tough time separating the book’s ideas from its author, there are several sections that are amazingly prescient to today’s headlines around polarized politics and exponentially advancing technology. But unfortunately for Kaczynski, his sometimes-impressive premonitions and theories aren't good for much other than serving as a kind of historical sideshow spectacle. Rather than using his exceptional intellectual horsepower to actually effect change, he chose to sit in a cabin alone for 20 years, fuming about how things ought to be, and occasionally lashing out violently. While Kaczynski seemed to believe the was some sort of revolutionary-- the hero of his own story-- I see his life as a cautionary tale of wasted potential, delusions of grandeur, and the murky gray area that can sometimes separate genius and insanity.

Crow Fair, Gallatin Canyon, and Cloudbursts by Thomas McGuane - As you can see, I’m going deep down the rabbit hole of McGuane short stories, and I’m loving it. With these three collections, I’ve been happily jumping from book to book, story to story, and have yet to finish them all. There’s nothing I can write here that would do justice to McGuane’s skill as a storyteller– let’s just say he’s a literary genius and leave it at that. But what really intrigues me about him is the intensity and single-mindedness that he seems to bring to all aspects of his life– from writing to fishing to roping and everything in between. And how he transformed from a singularly focused, straight-laced aspiring novelist into a Key West wild man known as “Captain Berserko” and then back again to a singularly focused wordsmith. Being blessed with an all-or-nothing personality myself, I’m always seeking guidance from those who have corralled that sometimes-challenging personality trait into something productive. While I haven’t discovered McGuane’s secret quite yet, I expect to have it all figured out once I’m through all these stories. Reasonable expectation, right? [Another collection I loved and revisit often is Chris la Tray's One-Sentence Journal.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

mountainandprairie.com
edroberson.co
@mtnprairie

Hello everyone!

I hope your summers (or winters) are off to a wonderful start. All good here in Colorado– full speed ahead. 

Much of my reading over the past two months was in preparation for a slew of podcast interviews with some of my favorite authors. My reading and note-taking definitely take on a new level of intensity when I know I’ll be talking to the person who actually wrote the book!

I hope you find a few titles that pique your interest. Have a great July.
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Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness by Doug Peacock - From the earliest days of my podcast, guests have consistently recommended this book as a must-read about the American West. Now I understand why. It’s Peacock’s story of finding healing and purpose in the aftermath of the violence of the Vietnam War– an odyssey that began when he wandered into the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park while in the throes of a malaria-induced fever dream. When he came to, he was in the world of grizzlies, and– unlike me, who would’ve screamed and cried and run for my life– he stayed, forming a deep bond with the beautiful-but-deadly animals. Doug credits the grizzlies with saving his life, and he has spent the majority of his life entirely focused on protecting them. A must-read for anyone who loves the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, grizzlies, or purpose-driven humans. [Doug was the inspiration for the character Hayduke in his pal Ed Abbey’s classic The Monkey Wrench Gang.]

Was it Worth It? A Wilderness Warrior’s Long Trail Home by Doug Peacock - This is Peacock’s most recent book, a collection of some of his incredible adventures protecting wild places. From the deserts of North America to the wilds of Russia to the coasts of Central America and British Columbia, Peacock takes the reader to beautiful and sometimes-unforgiving landscapes– landscapes that would surely be ruined without the protection of eco-warriors like Peacock. While I loved the adventure stories, I was most struck by Peacock’s long-lasting friendships with many high-powered personalities– Yvon Chouinard, Jim Harrison, Ed Abbey, Rick Ridgeway, Doug Tompkins, and more. I’m fascinated by how that crew of rebellious legends fed off each other’s energy, increasing their impact both individually and collectively. Also, Was it Worth It? was published by Patagonia Books, so it’s jam-packed with stunning photos, making it more of a work of art than a simple book. [If you haven’t already, read Life Lived Wild by Rick Ridgeway, another beautiful book by a living legend.] [And here are my conversations with both Doug and Rick.]

River Teeth: Stories and Writings and My Story as Told by Water: Confessions, Druidic Rants, Reflections, Bird-watchings, Fish-stalkings, Visions, Songs and Prayers Refracting Light, From Living Rivers, in the Age of the Industrial Dark by David James Duncan - Back in 2002, I was headed off on my first big adventure in really big mountains. On the flight to Mendoza, my buddy handed me his tattered copy of The River Why and said: “Read this.” Who would’ve ever guessed that more than two decades after that initial cinematic introduction to the great David James Duncan, I’d be sitting on a stage with him, trying to ask coherent questions about his legendary life’s work? In preparation for my interview, I focused on these two collections of essays– powerful, vulnerable, sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartbreaking tales from his life of writing, activism, fishing, and deep thinking. Even though he’s operating on a much higher intellectual and spiritual plane than me, Duncan has the rare ability to make his nuanced, poetic ideas about place, spirituality, death, loss, and fly fishing enlightening, even to an averaged-brained human like me. I especially connected with Who Owns the West: Seven Wrong Answers, The Non Sense of Place, Beauty/Violence/Grief/Frenzy/Love: On the Contemplative Versus the Activist Life, and The Mickey Mantle Koan, but every single essay is worth multiple reads. [Duncan’s newest masterpiece, Sun House, will be published on 8/8– so be on the lookout for my Sun House recommendation and our podcast episode later this summer.]

Make It: 50 Myths and Truths about Creating by Brendan Leonard - Brendan is one of the most prolific artists I know, consistently cranking out an extremely high quality/quantity of books, essays, cartoons, films, and newsletters year after year after year. If you’re wondering how he does it, you’re in luck– in this new book, he shares 50 ideas about the creative process. Combining his cartoons with hilariously insightful essays– with the occasional F word thrown in for emphasis– Brendan destroys the nonsensical excuses that people like me use to talk themselves out of doing creative work. According to Brendan, it’s a “polite but firm kick in the ass” to help people get going. And not that Brendan needs my endorsement, but I credit his example and approach with helping me to transform my little creative side projects into a full-time job. Great book. It’ll make you make. [Another excellent book on this subject is Seth Godin’s The Practice.]

A Traveler’s Guide to the End of the World: Tales for Fire, Wind, and Water by David Gessner - And speaking of prolific, David Gessner is back! This time, his focus is climate change. A dour topic for sure, but, as we’ve come to expect from Gessner, he injects humor and wit into all of his writing, which makes the medicine go down a little smoother. A Traveler’s Guide chronicles his journeys around the country, where he finds himself in a variety of climate disasters-- from historic forest fires in the American West to hurricanes on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Eschewing the ubiquitous facts, figures, and policy debates that often dominate climate-focused books, David does what he does best: he tells stories. Specifically, he tells impactful, insightful stories from the front lines of the climate crisis– stories that are still rattling around in my head weeks later and have even caught the attention of the Washington Post and Independent. [Another recent non-facts-and-figures climate change book I enjoyed was Saving Us by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe.] [And if you want to hear the authors discuss these climate-focused books, you can listen to my podcasts with David and Katharine.]

The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams by Seth Godin - I read everything Seth Godin writes. Of all his most recent books, this one is probably the least applicable to my life and work, as it is about working on teams within organizations-- but I still gleaned great value from it. Thankfully, I’ve managed to escape the nightmarish dystopian hellscape that is Zoom and Slack, but amazingly, Seth seems to have figured out how to use those tools to actually bring out the best in people. Written in the same structure as many of Seth’s most recent books, it’s 100+ quick-but-powerful chapters that will help leaders ensure their teams are empowered, confident, satisfied, and content with their jobs. And please note, I did not write “feel empowered”-- Seth wants them to actually be empowered. What an outlandish, non-MBA approach to leadership! [The best organizational leadership book I’ve ever read is Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.]

I’m currently in the depths of a personal writing project that has me skimming through some of my favorite funny memoirs and non-fiction writing. I’ve laughed hysterically at The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Marteen Troost, When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Jaguars Ripped My Flesh by Tim Cahill, and The Selected Columns of Carl Hiaasen. I also just started The World’s Largest Man by Harrison Scott Key, and it's hilarious. Please let me know if you know of other laugh-out-loud non-fiction writers that I may be missing.

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

mountainandprairie.com
edroberson.co
@mtnprairie

Howdy folks,

As many of you have come to expect, my reading list from the past two months is quite a peculiar mix of books. From Marines to Buddhists, writing to professional football, aggressive self-help to loving-kindness meditation, below are a few of the books that I recently read and really enjoyed. I hope you’ll connect with a few of them.

Enjoy your September!
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Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis and Bing West - An acquaintance of mine who I greatly admire named his first son Mattis, so that was all the encouragement I needed to read this book. It’s the General’s memoir, covering his life as a wild, trouble-making teen through his highly accomplished career as a Marine and public servant. When it came to serving his country, Mattis was all in– he never married, maniacally read and studied history, and was intimately involved in almost all of the major military events of the past 30+ years. He earned the respect of both his superiors and subordinates and is rightly considered one of the military’s most effective leaders in recent history. I loved Mattis’s focus on reading (“If you haven't read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate…”), and I was intrigued by the constant friction between the paper pushers in Washington and the soldiers on the ground in war zones. I was also fascinated by his ideas about managing crises vs. eliminating them, and his frustrations whenever politics thwarted his ability to achieve his military objectives. I loved this book. [One of my other favorite memoirs is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.]

Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko Willink - This was the sole remaining leadership book by Jocko that I had yet to read, and I cranked through it in a day. Jocko has the rare ability to write in a clear, not-fancy, easy-to-understand style, yet his paragraphs still manage to carry a ton of weight. The purpose of this book is to clearly and simply provide actionable wisdom on leadership– specific methods to overarching ideologies that can be applied anywhere from the battlefield to the family dining room table. Despite his warrior pedigree and tough-guy veneer, his approach to leadership is much more Dalai Lama than General MacArthur– he emphasizes listening, abolishing ego, building relationships, being of service to subordinates, and letting go of control. A worthwhile read for leaders of all stripes. [Jocko’s Extreme Ownership is one of the most perspective-shifting books I’ve ever read.]

Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa - This was the second book I ever read about Buddhist philosophy. I bought it immediately after my first mediation workshop at the Shambhala Center, the organization founded by Trungpa. Very little of it made sense to me when I read it back in 2012, but this time around, with dozens of Eastern philosophy books and hundreds of hours of meditation under my belt, it struck a much stronger chord. The basic idea (as I understand it) is that true contentment and peace cannot be found externally, only through nurturing our minds with curiosity and compassion. A decade ago, I would’ve laughed out loud at the preceding spiritual-mumbo-jumbo sentence, but thanks to books like this, I really do believe that mumbo-jumbo to be true. [The first Buddhism-focused book I ever read was The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama.]

Don’t Bite the Hook by Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions by Pema Chodron (audiobook) - I estimate that I’ve listened to this book at least 20 times, two of those being during the past month. The subtitle gives you all the information you need to know about its topic, but I’ll use this recommendation to once again proclaim: Pema Chodron is one of the wisest humans walking the earth today. I love everything she writes, and I love listening to her lecture even more. I’ve never met her, I’m not a Buddhist, nor do I have any plans to convert, but I still consider her one of my greatest teachers. [Another Pema audiobook that I’ve had on rotation for many years is Smile at Fear.]

The 5 Second Rule: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins (audiobook) - One of my reading goals for 2023 was to avoid self-help books like the plague. But the Algorithmic Overlords started feeding me clips of the unmistakably tough-talking, no-nonsense Mel Robbins, and before I knew what had happened, I was listening to this audiobook on one of my many long drives. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Mel is on to something here, at least when it comes to my problem with procrastination. Basically, she’s extolling the virtues of quickly and aggressively breaking the inertia of fear/laziness/stalling, then immediately forcing yourself to simply start working. None of this is new, and all of it is simple and unsurprising. But implementing these tactics can be surprisingly difficult, a fact that she seems to enjoy repeating. I’m not sure if it’s Mel’s ingratiating midwestern accent or her charismatic repackaging of age-old ideas, but I’ve been counting to five and getting to work and feeling better about myself, so I won't ask to many questions and will just go with it. [The Art of Taking Action by Gregg Krech is a different version of the same idea with a wildly different tone.]

Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t: And Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer by Steven Pressfield - Later this week, I’ll be pointing my truck westward and heading to Vernal, Utah, which is the launching point for my first-ever course as an instructor with the Freeflow Institute. We’ll be exploring how to use storytelling as a tool to effect change, and how to respectfully capture people’s attention in an increasingly loud and mostly annoying media landscape. My first assignment to the students was this straight-to-the-point book, a book selection that very well may have caused s few of them to question their teacher's judgment and their own decision to attend the workshop. Anyway, I live by Pressfield’s foul-mouthed credo, and I fully embrace the fact that no one is going to beat down the door to listen to my podcast, read my writing, or subscribe to my emails– it’s on me to make something that is worth consuming and sharing. [Pressfield’s Turning Pro also packs a punch.]

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Thanks again for subscribing to my bimonthly book recommendations. I've discovered most of my all-time favorite books through suggestions from friends like you, so please let me know of any must-read titles.

Please forward this email to any of your friends who may be interested… the more the merrier!

If you were forwarded this email and want to receive future editions, you can either sign up here or send me an email. One email every other month with a few books that I’ve recently read, enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Ed

---

mountainandprairie.com
edroberson.co
@mtnprairie