March 2023 – Ryan’s Book Blog

The Great Gatsby

March 31, 2023 by Ryan

Background

The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man known for throwing extravagant parties in 1920s New York. The narrator, Nick Carraway, becomes Gatsby’s neighbor and befriends him, learning of his mysterious past and his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby tries to win back Daisy’s heart, despite her marriage to the wealthy and unfaithful Tom Buchanan. The novel explores themes of love, wealth, power, and the corruption of the American Dream, culminating in a tragic and ultimately empty pursuit of a life that cannot be regained.

My Thoughts

That background was written by ChatGPT. I think it did a great job…

The book was quite the throwback and some of the thoughts were pretty jarring. (E.g. The treatment of Jewish characters and so on.) One can pull a number of lessons out of the text beyond the surface levels of money and power. The central notion of the fundamental character of people was so bleak that it was hard to read.

How much of our suffering is really for our own good? That’s a terrifying question when you stop to consider the implications.

Recommendations

It’s a classic so you should read it. However, I didn’t enjoy it.

The Fellowship of the Ring

March 30, 2023 by Ryan

Background

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first novel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The story begins in the peaceful Shire, where hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a powerful and dangerous ring from his uncle Bilbo. Realizing the true nature of the ring, Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, aided by a fellowship of eight others, including the wizard Gandalf, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the humans Aragorn, Boromir, Merry, Pippin, and Sam. As they journey through treacherous terrain, they encounter dark forces in the form of the Ringwraiths, who are seeking the ring for their master, the evil Sauron. The Fellowship must overcome numerous obstacles and challenges in their quest to save Middle-earth from Sauron’s tyranny. (By ChatGPT)

My Thoughts

I ran a race Saturday and wanted to have something familiar to listen to while I ran. As this was a race, there usually isn’t a lot of brainpower to learn another story and this seemed to be a good choice. Also, my oldest son just finished it again in the last month so it’s good to keep up to date. The last time I read it, I was in the dentist’s chair so this was a little more comfortable.

Recommendation

It’s a classic… A little wordy at times and I can do without all the songs but a familiar story. I keep coming back!

Running with the Kenyans

March 28, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2013, Running with the Kenyans is the autobiographical story of how an Englishman decided to find out why the Kenyans dominate in distance running.

My Thoughts

It was a pretty easy read and in line with most of my experiences overseas. I can appreciate that this guy cared enough to improve his running but moving his family to Kenya seemed a little extreme. He talks about several of the points where he doesn’t feel safe, how he is stopped by the police, how there isn’t anyone who can come to his aid for miles around, and how he had to hire a “security” person to wander around his family’s place while they sleep. I don’t see that as worth improving your time but that’s just me.

Recommendation

An interesting book but I don’t think it was worth the time.

Spirit Run

March 24, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in March of 2020, Spirit Run is a autobiographical look into an annual 6000 mile run down North America and into Central America. The author explores what it means to be a Native American as he learns about himself.

My Thoughts

This book is full of many things I know nearly nothing about. It rang true in my experiences with Natives or Indians as they have always called themselves when I’ve been around them. I think it is too easy for most people to lump them all together in one group but there are many peoples and so much history and culture has been blended together. No wonder the author seemed to consistently be trying to find himself and wonder if he was “enough”.

Recommendation

It was ok. I won’t be reading it again but I did enjoy it.

The New Rules of Running

March 23, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2014, The New Rules of Running is a book about the latest and greatest thoughts on running. This book contains strategies and how to guides to help anyone become a successful runner.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book as it had a little bit of something for everyone. In particular, I liked how it talked about stretching and made some comments about the newer recommendation against it. This book pointed out that the study that recommendation was based on was on younger people and that those people usually don’t have the same injuries as us older folks. That is the type of thing I want to hear in these books. Something that goes just a little deeper.

Recommendation

I like it. It is a good book to pick up if you are interested in running.

The Pursuit of Endurance

March 19, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2018, The Pursuit of Endurance is a book about the pursuit of the Fastest Known Time (FKT) of various long distance hikes such as the Appalachian Trail. She also tells the story of several other record holders.

My Thoughts

This was a hard book to get through. I was looking for something to keep my motivation up and this failed miserably. While Jennifer Pharr Davis (or JPD as she is known in trendy hiker circles) did some pretty impressive feats of endurance, her motivation, reason, impetus, or whatever was so muddled that it seemed like she just “Forest Gump’d” her way through. The book was laced with millennial-era BS judgements about religion, gender, lack of resiliency and so on. At the end of it all, I wasn’t impressed.

Recommendation

Nothing of value here. Skip it.

Independence Day

March 16, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in November of 2022, Independence Day: What I Learned about Retirement is a book about the decision to retire in America.

My Thoughts

This was an interesting read. It is from the vantage point of a 2nd wave Baby-Boomer thinking about when to retire and even what it means to retire. His job is a journalist so he has a chance to speak with a number of well known people and many not so well known people. The book never really tied a pretty bow on the conclusion and left it up to the individual. However, it brought up a number of interesting ideas about what it means to be retired and when might be the right time. I’ve thought a lot about it and I really don’t know what I will want when I am “of age” to retire. I just hope my body holds on so I can enjoy some of it.

Recommendation

Not a bad read.

Living with a SEAL

March 14, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in September of 2015, Living with a SEAL is a book from rap star “Jesse James” about how he brought a Navy SEAL into his home to be his personal trainer for a month.

My Thoughts

I went into this one pretty cold. My wife said our friends read it together as a couple and they found it to be pretty motivating. After reading it, I was pretty surprised by the recommendation. These friends are pretty straight laced and I’m excited to talk to the about the book.

I work around the military and the kind of stuff in this book is pretty familiar. Lot’s of hype and big-fish stories. I don’t know that I believe a word of it but I was interested enough that I read it all in one night. However, I don’t think I really got anything out of it and I feel like I just watched a reality TV program. I know it’s staged but I still get swept up in the drama.

Recommendation

I wouldn’t read it again.

Master The Marathon

March 13, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in September of 2021, Master The Marathon is a book on how to get ready for running a Marathon. The Subtitle is The Ultimate Training Guide for Women and it was written by Runner’s World editor and current contributor Ali Nolan.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I didn’t see that it was supposed to be for women till I was already in the book. However, I figured it still had a number of valuable insights and it did. (I also learned how to Kegel but it likely isn’t the same when I do it…) I have been thinking about running a marathon again. I’m not sure why really, the last one was enough and was 10 years ago. (Maybe it was because it was 10 years ago…)

Anyway, it was a pretty easy read and the author was enjoyable. I tried to incorporate a few of her ideas into my training today and I’m not certain of the result. Still, I think she had some great ideas.

Recommendation

It was a good book to help with marathon training. It is a pity it was for women.

The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea

March 11, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in November of 2021, The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea is retired Admiral James Stavridis’s descriptions and recommendations of 50 books about the sea.

My Thoughts

At over 200 pages in length, I thought this book would be a bit more than it is as a collection of books. However, I did enjoy it. Admiral Starvridis does a good job in infusing his unique view of in each of books he recommends and tells you why you should read them. I have to admit, I was interested throughout the entire book.

One of his top picks is Moby Dick though which I just didn’t enjoy that much…

Recommendation

A good read on what to read.