Leslie Johansen Nack. Fourteen. The author and her two sisters sailed with their dad at impreshionable ages. Pushed to their limits, at the mercy of their dad and the ocean, this story resonates so personally with me and my own story. Nack takes you on an adventure of spirit, sail and young adulthood that confronts every emotion. I thank her for her honesty, insight, and beautiful prose.
Paulo Coehlo. Anything he has ever written-An ongoing passion for this writer inspires and awes with every reading. Coelho investigates everything from sexuality and passion, adultery, spiritual drive, despair, to magic and love. He is able to dive into each of his characters with a unique and shamanistic embodiment to portray their broad inner spectrum, at least a part of which the reader can relate to. He is such a gift to us in his bold exploration of humanity and nature, I am forever indebted.
Pam Houston. Cowboys Are My Weakness-This book inspired me to write. Houston brings the secret inner life of love, passion and individuality out in the open in such a magical way.
Cheryl Strayed. Wild-Not only is her story real, intriguing and inspiring, Strayed is an enormous support for the writing community. Her workshops are full of life and creative spark.
History: Nial Ferguson, Empire. Clear and entertaining perspective on a foundation with capacious ramifications our world and humanity grapples with in many ways. T.H. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Insight into a past and history of culture, religion, people and land that we may not otherwise have access to.
Travel Writing. Between the two great world wars. Through Persia, Palestine, Irak, Syria, Afganistan. How can we ever untagle the web that has been woven. This is an invaluable insight into a past that does not allow the dirt of attempts of burial to cover it. We see a culture, values, land rich in oil and access. We see power struggles, and domination and defeat. Byron keeps so much alive-I am surprised this book is not banned.
Such a fascinating perspective and real look at the importance of the varied cultures on this earth and what they bring to our existence. A revealing introspective on how we have destroyed so much out of fear and misunderstanding, out of greed and power, and how this has homogenized and tempered the wild beauty and creation around us. It, however, can not be tempered, as we are now experiencing.
An anthropomorphic, ethnobiological exploration of cultures and resources in our world that have not been regarded with the respect that they demand. So important to know.
exploring more that is available to each of us..amazing
Tools that are so important for daily life
Tobias Wolff. Old School--one of the greatest books I have ever read. Within I found stories wtihin stories, templates for narratives, examinations of the authors Frost, Rand, and Hemmingway. Tobias presents views of class, classisism, passion, secrets in a raw and kaleidescopic manner, leading the reader to examine such views of their own. My favorite word by Tobias: Spanielling.
An historical account describing how ignorance can change people's lives for ever. This book transports the reader to Molokai, to survive as a girl with leprosy.
Beautifully written recount of tragedy that should never be forgotten.
Inspiration to learn the classics, and a beautiful story.
Planet China: Brialliant and hillarious account of what China is like from open, western eyes. The Sex of Cannibals: Not many will choose to live on a remote island in the pacific and have such witty, expansive, observations. Interesting to note that there is a book entitled The Sexual Lives of Savages in north-western Melanesia, by anthropologist Malinowski from 1929, which I have not read.
Who Else but Stephen King can tell you to break the rules, as long as you do it right. I was impressed by this writer's guide--an honest, personal account of a writers life, with some humor to boot.
Because I am a white american and should know what it says. It is beautiful, really.
What a woman. And this particular story is inspiring (!). Also made into a Sundance Film: The Mothers. One of my favorite films.
A journey of a trader in need, a glimpse of a world that will never be again. Monfreid describes the Red Sea and it's outlying cultures with a unique prose and an eye attuned to beauty, even in the grotesque.
She writes volumes about what is left unsaid.
