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 Hello cool people,  Book 33: The Frozen Water Trade: A True Story (6/10) Premise: Frederic Tudor starts a business that introduces ice as a year long consumable commodity to much of the world before the invention of refrigeration. A good chunk of this book talks about Tudor, his family, and business partners. It also specifies many tons of ice in certain years shipped to specific cities. While it is interesting that data is still around 200 years later, it felt dry rather quickly. I almost felt this would have been better presented in a 10 minute youtube video then a 300 page book.  Tudor had a hard time starting the ice trade nearly going bankrupt several times. It seems the first big break he truly had was buying coffee futures which allowed him to fund his ice business without worrying about investors. At the time what he was doing, shipping ice across the world (as far as from America to India) had never been done before.  Tudor invented much of the technology u...

 Hello Cowboys,  Book 32: Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West (9/10) Premise: Dodge City, Kansas was considered a lawless town where many well known cowboys, outlaws, and events lived, visited or took place.  This book focuses more on Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson than Dodge City, following them often when they leave to go on adventures. But there is a heavy emphasis on how they held different law officer positions and helped make the town a safer place.  It also mentions there interaction with many other people Doc Holiday, Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and more. They also talk about other famous wild west town they visited including Deadwood and Tombstone. And even major events like the shoot out at the OK corral. The author vividly draws the picture of what life was like for them and many events they went through.  The author also talks about how he was trying to take out all of the 'Lore' about these peoples lives,...

 Hello Family Members,  Book 31 - Dead In The Water (8/10) Premise: In 1978 two bodies were found in the water off the coast of Guatemala. A mysterious murder that took 38 years to solve. Two young lovers, working, touring, and visiting friends around the world, far from home in England mysteriously disappear before their bodies are found off shore in Guatemala weighed down on the ocean floor. The only leads they have are letters that were sent home to the family.  The letters talk of a man who owns a boat, and his two young boys who were taking them around to visit different islands. A devastated family back in England, hindered by four national borders, slow communication, leading to decades without an answer.  On a whim writer, Penny Farmer (author), decides to look up the two young boys who were on the boat to see if they were on facebook and then reach out to talk to them and see if they would have any insight on what would happen. This opens the flood gates for...

 Hello thrill seekers,   Book 30: Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History (7/10) Premise: A bank robbery gone wrong, a long and violent car chase, blood, shattered glass, and PTSD.  In the 1970's, four young men decided to rob a bank in downtown Los Angeles. Some were doomsday preppers, some were just following along. All of them had an important roll to play.  The beginning of this book focuses on the police officers and robbers leading up to the shoot out and following it through. The police cars destroyed, the bullets fired and taken, the helicopters chasing overhead, and the eventual surrender in a national park. It's edge of your seat action from any perspective the author has access too (mostly police officers).  The second half of the book takes you through the trials of the robbers who were still alive, several died in the pursuit or from wounds. Then follows the life of several officers after the main even...