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 Hello Entomologists,  Book 6: Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World's Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler (7/10) I've decided just to list the book. Since I've completed 6 in the first 4 weeks.  Premise: Ed Newcomer,  Fish and Wildlife Agent goes undercover to catch one of the world's foremost butterfly smugglers, and other secondary missions.  I'm going to start out by saying that the Author Jessica Speart is a fiction author and this is her first (and only as far as I can tell) attempt into non-fiction. This story reads like a mystery adventure novel. The thoughts and conversations are often thrown into this book. While she did watch hours and hours of video tape, read endless documents, and interview Ed Newcomer, there is still obviously some creative license taken with the story. I did learn quite a bit about butterflies while reading this, most of which I already forgot, but was very intriguing and thrown in nicely.  Ed Newcomer just started at the...

 Hello Believers and Non-Believers,  Week 5: Mere Christianity (7/10) Premise: C.S. Lewis gives his take on what it means to be a Christian and his logic behind it. He works to keep his work specifically to cover all Christians removing any beliefs that are not held by all denominations.  I will warn you up front this will be a short review. If you are a Christian, curious about Christianity, or curious about why Christians believe what they do, this is a good dive into the basic apologetics of their faith. However, if none of those apply to you then I don't think this book will sway you. If your mind about religion is made up, you don't want to be persuaded one way or the other, and are not curious about any aspect of religion this book is probably one that should gather dust on your shelf. That being said I did enjoy it. The books starts off with the written version of 3 of C.S. Lewis's radio talks on Christian faith, followed by a few points in response to questions an...

 Hello Arguers,  Week 4: Thank You for Arguing (7/10) Premise: Author Jay Heinrichs teaches readers the lost art of Rhetoric (arguing). What to say, how to analyze, and when to quit.  Rhetoric is getting your point across. It's not fighting, which the author specifies. However it can be used in boardrooms, for speeches, within your family/friends, for aggressive salesmen and much more. He teaches (and uses) Logos, Pathos, and Ethos (Logic, Emotion, Ethics), and so many tips and tricks to convince and persuade people.  My main gripe about this book, and what you should probably know before heading in, is this often reads like a text book (And sometimes is one for high school students). There were several chapters which felt like a slog to get through. If I had to go back and start over I would have read a chapter or two a week. Practiced what was taught and then added to it the next week.  The thing I'll use most I think out of this entire book is the use of tens...

 Hello Free Thinkers,  (I'm a bit early for week 3, but the next book I'm reading while interesting is pretty heavy so I'm taking my time and enjoying it).  Week 3: 1984 (10/10) Week 3: Animal Farm (10/10) Premise: 1984 - Orwell hates totalitarianism Premise: Animal Farm - Orwell makes fun of the Soviet Union   I'm up to my eyes in George Orwell this week, feeling superior to others because I understand the allegories and metaphors obviously only I understand.... Okay I'm sure I missed a lot of subtle stuff and not so subtle stuff. But still, they are amazing books, there is a reason they are so popular 70 years after being published. Plus they have some of my favorite quotes ever.  1984 - I could write multiple papers on why I love this novel so much. But I won't bore you.  Winston Smith, worked for the government of Oceania. Think Nazi's in The Man in High Castle or the entire government in The Handmaids Tale. Everyone had TV's in their houses that w...

 Hello Law Abiding Citizens,  Week 2: Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing (8/10) Premise: After being refused to allow to tail corrections officers through training, Ted Conover applies, gets accepted, and takes on the job of corrections officer himself in one of New York's most difficult prisons.  It's a stark change to get the viewpoint of the Corrections Officers (not guards) instead of the prisoners. Which is exactly what Conover wanted to write this book. I will admit, Ted Conover is one of my favorite authors to read, his dedication to experiencing what he writes about is bar none.  The book starts with training. Ted Conover leaves his family for several weeks to live with others training to become Corrections Officers (CO's).  He learns many different tactics to control prisoners, what pepper spray feels like, what rules to follow, and which ones you can break. It's difficult for him, but he gets through. That's the story he wanted, but Conover is no quitter. He ...

 Hello Adventures,  Week 1: The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands (7/10).  Premise: Much more often than we think, people go missing in North America's National Parks. Sometimes they are found, sometimes they are lost forever. Author Jon Billman spends time with the people who search for these missing people in an effort to learn about what they do and why they do it.  It seems no one keep records of missing people in national parks. But we do know that amount of missing people is.... a lot. Hypothermia, swift rivers, hidden crevices, steep cliffs, bigfoot, serial killers, or simply not telling anyone and moving to South America. There are so many different ways to disappear in the woods. And this books covers them, and the aftermath. So be ready to be taken deep into the woods, or just out of sight of the welcome center. Find missing people, or accept that they'll be missing forever. Half this book, give or take a few chapters, is about t...

 Hello Readers,  In 2021 I have challenged myself to read a book a week. Some people will scoff at this, a book a week is easy. Others will balk, wondering who would read that much. My point of writing this is mainly to keep myself accountable. Whether anyone reads it or enjoys it is something I hope for, but not something I will endeavor after actively. Feel free to share this, or keep it as a secret pleasure.  Every week I will write about the book I have most recently read. The plot, what I enjoyed, what I disliked, and what I plan on reading the next week.  I read mostly non-fiction. Often narratives, sometimes self improvement, though I will admit I have a weakness for the like of Dean Koontz and Steven King. So their tomes may sneak there way in from time to time. While I have and do enjoy fantasy, sci-fi, and many other fiction genres (many of which clutter my shelves), I find the world a fascinating places in and of itself. There are so many incredible advent...