Category: Books
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The Pink Beach Cruiser
Michael was about halfway through his Sunday run on the Sacramento River bike trail when he saw a woman in distress on a pink beach cruiser ahead of him. A flock of wild turkeys was blocking the trail, and one—most likely a male—was attacking her or her bike. She tried…
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Wendell Berry 1934-2026: This one hurts
“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be…
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The Substitute Yoga Teacher
This is mostly a work of fiction. Some of it actually happened. I’ll leave it up to the reader to decide what parts are factual and what parts are a product of my sexually frustrated old mind. I do love women’s feet, though! — I walked into the lobby of…
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A Book I Would Love to Read Again, but I Can’t
John Irving’s novel “A Prayer for Owen Meany” is my sentimental favorite. While I may have read other books that I loved more than this one, none come to mind since I first read it in the 1990s. I would love to read it again, but my eyesight isn’t what…
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The Best Books I Read in 2025
It’s January, time to review the books I read last year. Most years, I never get around to this, but this time around, I thought it might prime the writing pump, so to speak. I haven’t so far, but hopefully I’ll get inspired soon. This time around on the “Best…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
