Biography – Page 5 – Ryan's Book Blog

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 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 was excited to get into 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. It’s surface level garbage and I know it’s staged but I still got swept up in the drama.

Recommendation

I wouldn’t read it again.

The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family

March 2, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in October of 2021, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family is the autobiography of both Ron and Clint Howard.

My Thoughts

A very interesting read as they switch back and forth from Ron to Clint and back again. They really had a life that was very different than most of us yet they tried to keep it as normal as it could be.

Recommendation

I enjoyed it!

Putin’s World

February 23, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written in Feb of 2023, Putin’s World is a history of both Russia and Vladimir Putin. The book attempts to illustrate how Russia sees itself in the world and why Vladimir Putin has been so successful maintaining leadership in the post Soviet era.

My Thoughts

This book was very interesting on a number of fronts. Having lived in Eastern Europe for a while, I had been exposed to the pride and even arrogance found in some of those cultures. I believe President Trump played to this perfectly even if he didn’t fully understand what he was doing. It does make me wonder where we would be in the Ukraine if he had another term in office.

There were a number of newer concepts that, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t think much about. I hadn’t really thought much of Russia as seeing itself as an Asian power rather than European. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense given the location and how it sees itself. It was simply a reflection of my ethnocentrism… I’m glad I had a chance to learn more and I look forward to more opportunities.

Recommendation

Great book on understanding Russia and it’s current president.

No Time Like the Future

February 11, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in November of 2020, No Time Like the Future is a autobiographic story of how Michael J. Fox found out about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and how it has changed his life.

My Thoughts

I didn’t really know what to expect from the book but I found it hard to get through. It is his experience and there isn’t much I can relate with to his life. It was interesting to see how he reconciles decisions and events and what he thinks about life in general. On the whole, I wish him the best of luck and am thankful I am not in the public eye as much as he has been.

Recommendation

I found this book to be an easy read but a depressing subject.

Hello Molly

January 31, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2022, Hello Molly is the autobiography of Molly Shannon of SNL and movie fame.

My Thoughts

After reading this, so much made sense about Molly Shannon. Her energy, her almost reckless self endangerment… It makes a lot of sense now…

It did serve to deepen the divide in how I think verses others.

Recommendation

It wasn’t bad.

Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter

January 6, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in September of 2022, Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter is the biography of our 39th President and his wife.

My Thoughts

At over 900 pages, I had been working on this book for some time. Most of it happened well before I was born but it was a pleasure to learn some of the backstory and gaps in my knowledge.

This bio seemed to be pretty balanced and was exhaustive.

Recommendation

If you can stick with it, do it!