Tag Book reviews

Appalachian Conqueror Finds New Way

Reg Spittle 9 Comments

A changed man.
That was David Miller after walking 2,172 miles on the Appalachian Trail.

For the rest of his life, he vowed to do the hard things. “I will have fewer ‘shoulda have dones’ even if it means some ‘wish I hadn’ts’ “ he wrote in AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.

He was 41 when he quit his job as a software engineer, left a wife and three young daughters at home (with his wife’s support), and walked for 146 days from Georgia to Maine. Going by AWOL, his trail name, Miller pushes himself too hard at the beginning, leading to painful blisters and exhaustion. Later, he becomes stronger and more able to walk longer days.

On arguably America’s most difficult thru-hike, he learns to be less isolated as he forms friendships with other trekkers, trail angels, and people who host him. He experiences the freedom that comes with being vulnerable.

The narration flows smoothly. He does not gloss over his physical and mental struggles and paints vivid pictures of the trail and his fellow walkers. This is an excellent book for anyone considering tackling the AT. Miller is also known for writing a trusted guide book about the trail.

Truth or BS? Can You Tell the Difference?

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

If you are the first to tell a “truth,” people will likely believe you, then they will repeat your “truth” to others, who will also believe it. Humans are programmed to believe. Even if you are making up the “truth.”

People once there was a race of bat people who lived on the moon.

Hundreds of British settlers were scammed into investing in a New World country that didn’t exist. They moved there, with tragic outcomes.

Benjamin Franklin was a master of hoaxes and was often dishonest.

Leave it to an Englishman, Tom Phillips, to make the serious business of fake news and dishonesty into an often lighthearted book, Truth: A Brief History of Total Bull—t.

Phillips covers a lot of ground and time, including details related to the topics above. He also delves into the psychology of lying and believing. He explains the difference between a liar and a bulls—ter and shows that fake news is not a modern invention. He even teaches how to tell if someone is lying.

Truth may bring laughs, but the author is honest about how fabricated stories can have harmful consequences, like they did for thousands who were killed when accused of being witches.

If you are looking for more of Tom Phillips, check out Humans: A Brief History of How We F-cked It All Up. That reminds me to warn you that his narrative is sprinkled with colorful vocabulary.

One more thing: Tom Phillips is a professional hunter of lies as a fact checker for Full Fact. Its website cites its goal: “Bad information ruins lives. We’re a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find, expose and counter the harm it does.”