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zephyr
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zephyr
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PostMon Aug 16, 2021 1:52 pm 
Here's one that I finished recently. I had to wait a month or two on the Hold list from the Seattle Public Library. Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding, David Lieberman, Pantheon Books, New York, 2021. The author is a professor of biological sciences and human evolutionary biology at Harvard University. This is well written with a few photos and graphs. The science is accessible. Here's a few short reviews from the Harvard website. Also from the About the book section--quote: ...Exercised is a myth-busting natural history of how we never evolved to exercise –– that is do voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. Using the author’s original research and experiences all over the world, Exercised recounts without jargon how and why humans evolved to walk, run, dig, and do other physical activities when they were necessary and rewarding but otherwise avoid needless exertion. Exercised’s engaging stories and explanations will revolutionize the way you think about exercise not to mention sitting, sleeping, sprinting, weightlifting, playing, fighting, walking, jogging, and even dancing. I enjoyed the book--great design, typography, and paper in the hardbound edition. ~z

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lookout bob
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PostWed Aug 18, 2021 3:59 pm 
"A Most Remarkable Creature" by Jonathon Weiburg. A wonderful book about the caracara....a falcon family member with peculiar habits. Well written and fun....I've been thinking about it for days after finishing it. cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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zephyr
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zephyr
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PostSun Aug 22, 2021 4:33 pm 
Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen, HarperCollins, New York, 2016. I got the hardbound edition from the Seattle Public Library. It's beautifully designed with many illustrations, photos, and color plates. This is the story of two men who trekked to the jungles of Central America in 1839 to explore and document lost cities of the Maya. These men, John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood later published their findings in books that became best sellers in their day. They made a return trip to the Yucatan in 1841. The author Carlsen delves into their lives before and following their adventures. It's a fascinating read of the era, the politics, natural history, and the beginnings of American archaeology. They got caught up in civil wars in Guatemala and later Chiapas and Yucatan, Mexico. More info on the author's website and the Kirkus Review page. Highly recommended. ~z

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zephyr
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zephyr
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PostSat Sep 25, 2021 12:02 pm 
The Premonition by Michael Lewis, W.H. Norton & Co., New York, 2021. Finally finished this one--because I was reading it twice--which I sometimes do if the material is complex or very interesting and I want to remember more. This is an excellent book that when I first finished it I was not ready for it to end. Michael Lewis tells a great story of behind the scenes of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the United States deals with it. I got this from the Seattle Public Library who has multiple copies and a waiting list to boot. Here's a rather interesting review in The Guardian and a short article on NPR which includes a short interview with the author. All I can say is that we are very fortunate to have had certain stalwart individuals (and institutions/enterprises) in the wings who stepped up when our government let us down. This is not so much about politics but about institutions like the CDC who floundered helplessly. Nonetheless, the book is inspiring and hopeful. ~z

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Mike Collins
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PostMon Sep 27, 2021 7:45 pm 
This book has a copyright of 1950 and brings the reader into the mindset during that era. It has entertainment value now. You can just “dust yourself off” if it happens to you.

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lookout bob
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PostTue Sep 28, 2021 8:08 am 
wow Mike...colorful eye catching cover. I'm reading The Arbornaut by Meg Lowman....a good read about tree top environments and how they are being explored and studied. cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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Kim Brown
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PostWed Sep 29, 2021 5:57 pm 
And now for something completely different. Just finished Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones, by Paul Trynka. Between the book, diving into Wikipedia about the various characters that appear in the book (good Lord, there were a lot of women in his life - he fathered two kids while still a teen in school), YouTubing the various stuff mentioned by the early days of the Stones and the black American artists that inspired Jones - I spent over 2 weeks on the book. What a whirlwind. That poor guy never had a chance at life; his parents didn't seem very excited to have Brian in their lives, so his problems started early. YouTube their earliest charted recordings: “Come On,” (barely made the chart) and later, much farther up the chart, “Little Red Rooster,” (popular for bands to cover; though Sam Cooke’s version is better (teenager Billy Preston on the keyboard). In the Little Red Rooster video of a performance for the Brit show, "Ready Steady Go," it's clear that Jagger had already learned to perform that “come hither” look at the camera that drove the girls wild. Now I'm reading about the mod scene in Britain - I picked up a book from the library that I saw listed in a footnote in the Jones book about the Small Faces being mod leaders (Small Faces are among my favorite of those days - Jesus, that voice; and poor Ronnie Lane [RIP]). "Face" was a word used for people of influence - early mods; the cool kids. And the members of the Small Faces being short (I think the tallest was under 5'8"), they called themselves the Small Faces.

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Chief Joseph
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PostFri Nov 05, 2021 8:23 pm 
Read Joe Simpson’s book, into the void a while back and now reading his book, the beckoning silence. Very good books, I really like his writing style, flows nicely and keeps your attention and with a bit of humor mixed in as well.
north face of the eiger
north face of the eiger
Also picked up at the library, 2015 accidents in North American mountaineering and while scanning through it, found an entry by Josh Lewis detailing his accident in Canada on Mt Cory.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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lookout bob
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PostFri Nov 12, 2021 4:44 pm 
Just finished "Made In America" by Bill Bryson. I've not yet found a book of his that I don't like. This one was extraordinary for its depth and coverage of words, trends, culture and is humorous in just the right places. It starts a bit slow but then I couldn't put it down. Please read. cool.gif

"Altitude is its own reward" John Jerome ( from "On Mountains")
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Malachai Constant
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PostSun Nov 14, 2021 3:06 pm 
Cadillac Desert, story of how LA built the LA aqueduct to the Owens Valley creating a new desert and draining Owens Lake. The true story behind the film “Chinatown”. “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown”.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn

JonnyQuest
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Chief Joseph
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PostWed Nov 17, 2021 6:16 pm 
Reading the climbing classic "The White Spider" by Harrer, one of the first party to climb the north face of the Eiger. Seems the Eiger is known for really bad rock fall, yet it looks like none of the first climbers into the mid 50's were wearing helmets. When did climbing helmets become widely used?

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostMon Nov 22, 2021 8:28 pm 
Been on a long streak of struggling to get into a book. Finally got one I'm into. Lee Child's later works are getting really lackluster. I decided to check out an earlier Jack Reacher book. "The Enemy" was written in 2004 but set in in the early 90s, when he's still in the military. Enjoyable so far. He hadn't become nearly a Superman yet it seems.

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grannyhiker
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PostWed Nov 24, 2021 10:06 am 
Definitely not backpacking related. but the latest Outlander novel, Go Tell the Bees that I Am Gone, was released yesterday and my copy landed on my front doorstep. It's extremely thick so I will probably be reading all weekend!

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Nov 24, 2021 10:41 am 
Peril by Bob Woodward and Bob Costa

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostSat Jan 15, 2022 8:08 pm 
Been in a bit of a rut again. The last Jack Reacher novel I read kinda went off the rails at the end. I've bogged down on a Nelson DeMille/John Corey novel, which I usually enjoy. So...the other day I got my hands on the latest Martha Wells/Murderbot novella. 170 pages, blasted thru it on the same day I picked it up from the library. Today I got what is supposed to be the 9th and final book in the James S.A. Corey/The Expanse series.

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