Category: Paper Chase

Posted in Paper Chase

David Goggins – Can’t Hurt Me

Posted on by Michael

A few years ago, self-improvement book recommendations were crowding my algorithm – especially during COVID.  One of the books that was always on those lists was David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me – Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. Goggins starts the reader off talking about his upbringing where his entire family was mentally and physically abused by his father.  Escaping with his mom to small town Indiana saw that abuse end but posed new challenges for a person of colour in a mostly white rural setting. As he became a young adult, Goggins was in a job he hated, overweight and going nowhere. A spur of the moment decision saw him start to train in order to join the Navy SEALS.

That is where the next part of the story really takes off. Goggins describes going through the grueling military hell week and all the fears that he had to overcome in order to do this (ex: afraid of the water). After completing hell week he then talks a lot about competing in ultra marathons and Iron Man competitions. A lot of these he decides to do spur of the moment without proper training.  Because of the lack of training/planning, suffering through severe physical pain and injuries to finish the competition is a main part of the story.

While his story is extreme, it certainly is an interesting and often inspiring one.  Most will not be rushing out tomorrow to run for 24 straight hours with no training on broken bones, nor should they. But he points out that people are able to push further than they originally thought possible.  He talks of the 40% rule where people stop at only 40% of their physical capabilities while the elite push through this. He also talks about taking stock of how one did on certain challenges by completing an After Action Report.

Like everyone that people look up to or aspire to be, Goggins does have his limitations (broken marriages, terrible working relationships, etc) – but there are still parts of his mentality that can be incorporated into daily life.  We’re all dealing with problems and our fair share of BS, but maybe we can keep pushing to get to another level of accomplishment. Goggins sure thinks we can. If you need an extra push, reading this book might be the push you need.

8/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Ian McEwan – Atonement

Posted on by Michael

Ian McEwan’s classic novel Atonement takes place in England in 1935.  The Tallis family welcomes in cousins + the caretaker’s son Robbie who is like family for a family dinner. The idyllic day takes a turn as sex and violence occur placing teenaged daughter Briony’s distorted view of events at the centre of a story that will tear the family apart.  As that part of the book closes, the second part and third parts jump ahead a few years to WWII. The book closes with a scene from 1999.

Atonement is extremely well written and hard to put down.  One chapter focusing in on Briony is extraordinary, a truly marvelous read.  The mood throughout is downcast as each character is dealing with their own personal version of melancholy, this lasts for decades.  The 2001 book was later made into a very well received movie starring Keira Knightly and James McAvoy.

9/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson – Abundance

Posted on by Michael

Abundance, is a timely book written by popular writer/podcasters Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. The book focuses on some of the well-intentioned ideals of left-wing liberals that have gone astray and helped create some of the problems that the US (and Canada) are facing today. Some of the problems covered are green energy, the housing crises, invention, governance and deployment. Rules and regulations have sprouted up over the years to slow down progress on many of these issues that has helped lead to crises that nations are now having face.


While I’m not well versed in political opinion books, it was fascinating to read this as the new Trump administration takes over in the US and Canada held its recent elections. Many of the topics discussed in Abundance have been front and centre across North America as governments try to grapple with these issues, especially housing. Abundance does not focus on opinions on how to solve these problems, instead it presents the history of how we got here. It is a fascinating read while individuals navigate through these turbulent times of both right and left wing agendas.
8/10

Posted in Paper Chase

Peter Ames Carlin – The Name Of This Band Is R.E.M.

Posted on by Michael

After writing about such musical artists as Paul McCartney and Paul Simon, experienced rock and roll author Peter Ames Carlin turned his attention to R.E.M. for the biography, The Name Of This Band IS R.E.M. released in late 2024.  Covering the band’s history from childhood to their first concert in an old converted church in Athens GA and later onto superstardom.  The band had a quick rise in the music world from bar band to capturing Rolling Stone magazine’s album of the year in 1983 for their first release, Murmur.  They stayed at indie label IRS Records through the mid-80s before switching to Warner Brothers Records. The band was soon on a collision course with rock supremacy as albums such as Out Of Time and Automatic For The People topped the charts around the world.

Throughout the book, Carlin emphasis what a great bunch of guys the band is even as they navigate the murky world of the music business and fame.  A few casualties appear along the way including their former manager Jefferson Holt who has been virtually erased from their story. Other stories include those around them that tried to get R.E.M. to go for a more commercial sound or at least produce a video that MTV would actually show as they steadily accumulated album sales. The band also grappled with fickle early fans who were not happy as Michael Stipe’s singing voice could actually be heard above the music and not lost in an ocean of mumbles as they moved away from some of their more underground music philosophies.  While the members of R.E.M. did not participate in the book, they did not block Carlin from interviewing various friends and associates.  It’s a fascinating account of one America’s truly great rock and roll bands.  

9/10

Posted in Paper Chase

George R. R. Martin – A Dance With Dragons

Posted on by Michael

The last to be published in the A Song Of Ice and Fire series, George R. R. Martin’s fifth book of the series, A Dance With Dragons was a best seller upon release in 2011. At over 1,000 pages, the book is a brick and picks up the stories of Jon Snow at the wall, Dany Targaryen and her dragons, Tyrion Lannister travelling to reach her, Ramsay Bolton continuing his diabolically evil ways, and Stannis Baratheon marching south to try and claim the kingdom.…. Among several other plotlines.  

It’s a dense book with much detail.  It’s another awe-inspiring display of fantasy writing that creates not just one new world but several.  With many plotlines going at ones, the book changes focus with every chapter.  Like the other books, readers can lose track of one storyline while visiting several others. This was particularly true when reading about Jon Snow and his seemingly endless cast of characters.

When the book is good, it’s amazing particularly the clever words of Tyrion and the far too short supply of Arya Stark moments, a favourite character. Fans still await the last two books in the series to close out the characters that have thrilled both book and TV audiences.

8/10