BURGER SCOOT

Category: Books

  • The Book I Keep Returning to More Than Any Other

    The Book I Keep Returning to More Than Any Other

    On average, every year or so, I read (actually listen to the audiobook version of) Miguel Ruiz’s 1997’s classic The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. I am sure that the fact that it is in audio format has something to do with my returning to the book…

  • The Best Books I Read in 2024

    The Best Books I Read in 2024

    It’s 2025 and it’s time to review the books I read last year. This post just like the 2019 post I finished and actually published five years ago was supposed to be the first in a tradition, but. the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 “Best Books I Read” never got…

  • Alas, if I Bowled, I Probably Would Bowl Alone

    Alas, if I Bowled, I Probably Would Bowl Alone

    “Citizenship is not a spectator sport.” – Steve Miska I was intrigued by an interview by the New York Times podcast The Daily of political sociologist Robert Putnam. I had never heard of the man before but I wanted to know more about his work when the interviewer and Putnam discussing…

  • Zen and the Mud Puddle

    I took my dog, Vivian, out for her morning walk yesterday. Halfway through, she lunged towards another canine across the street. I lost my balance and stepped into a deep mud puddle. I got angry at Vivian, but it’s on me; I trained her poorly. As the walk continued, I…

  • Christopher and the Ergonomic Chairs

    Christopher parked his Nissan Sentra in the company’s CFO spot—walked into the empty building, and took his place at the Information Desk of the vacant building. He checked and routed yesterday’s mail, checked and routed yesterday’s email and voicemails, and checked his email and schedule–nothing was for him. It was…

  • ShoeShining Optimism

    ShoeShining Optimism

    Looking through the Pennysaver, Jack found the shop where he used to have his shoes repaired before COVID-19 turned his city into a ghost town had reopened. Besides shoe repairs, Ben, the owner, was back to shining shoes! Wouldn’t it be nice to step up on the shoeshine stand and…

  • The Best Books I Read in 2020

    What a horrible year! While I’d like to be optimistic about 2021, I don’tsee things getting any better soon. Before the first week of the new year wasbehind us, we had our nation’s capitol attacked by terrorists egged on by the sittingpresident. The failing rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and…

  • The Best Books I Read in 2019

    I eagerly anticipate this time of the year when the year’s best reads are published. I don’t compare the books I read with the writers/editors choices since most of the books I read (or listen to) in a calendar year are published in other years, I use these lists as…

  • Little Free Library Founder Todd Bol Dies

    Has anyone who is reading this post ever seen a Little Free Library? I have! In Sacramento, there’s one on Second Avenue that I have passed on my way to my church and there’s one I just discover before publishing this post that is walking distance from my home. Though…