BOOKS THREAD

I just started "The Impossible Climb" by Mark Synnott. It's about Alex Honnold free soloing El Cap (as seen in the movie "Free Solo"). Synnott is an accomplished climber and covers the history of rock climbing in the US while giving a pretty good bio of Honnold - at least in the first couple of chapters.

 

"Days of Rage" by "Barbarian at the Gates" co-writer Bryan Burrough. A harrowing look at 1970s underground radical groups like the Weathermen and the Patty Hearst group. Strong stuff.

 

And there's a sequel! "Us Against You" is waiting on my bedside pile.

 

Beartown was probably my favorite book last year.


What!! There’s a sequel?? I’m in.

 

I finished "Us Against You" today and absolutely loved it. There aren't many books that can move me to tears but this one did. This is a sequel that more than lives up to its predecessor. Indelible characters and a real understanding of human nature. Highly recommended.

 

I've just barely gotten into this, but it's fascinating thus far. It's a graphic novel of what a film collaboration between Salvador Dali and Harpo Marx might look like. I heard the author speak last night, and he said he spent six years working on the book, and much of that time was spent doing research. He's got good stories to tell about dealing with the Dali Foundation, the guy who handles the Marx Brothers properties and Harpo's son.

His talk was followed by a showing of A Night at the Opera, so it was a really good evening.

Joe Bob says check it out.

 

Tyler Kepner's K is excellent. I'm only 50 pages in, but I'll be continuing for sure. He tells the history of pitching by concentrating on one different pitch for each of 10 chapters. So far in a chapter and a half he's talked to Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Steve Carlton, JR Richard, John Smoltz, Bob Gibson ... the list goes on and on. It's amazingly researched and tells some solid stories about the times these guys used whichever pitch is being discussed. This is going to be on many year-end best-of lists.

 

I'm not a baseball fan at all, but that sounds pretty fascinating.

 

yeah, I'll definitely be checking that out

 

The author spent his year as a Fulbright rehearsing with and researching the history of the circus, mainly in France, but touches on circuses from around the world. Really interesting stuff. It could have used a little editing, but enjoyed it.

Joe Bob says check it out.

 

Has anyone else read "Bad Blood" the story of the Theranos con job (and the subject of a new HBO doc and an upcoming movie)? A lot of these books come with the tag line "reads like a thriller" and in the case it is totally accurate, especially over the last third when the author gets involved in the story after getting tipped off. A lot of the science regarding blood testing etc. went right over my head but on nearly every page something happened that made you think, "these bright, wealthy people who made up their board and/or were investors are buying this bullshit?" Riveting stuff.