Rick Ridgeway’s Life Lived Wild is a fantastic book about the high-altitude mountaineer who was one of the first Americans to summit K2 (seen on the cover). Far from one-dimensional, Rick shares 25 stories of his life as it transformed into family man and conservationist. Bring the tissues for the last chapter. This was an unexpected hit for me!
Three Fingers by Malcolm S. Bates was a fun read. This is the non-fiction retelling of the establishment of the lookout seen in the photo, situated in an absolutely insane location just south of Darrington, Washington. These fellas were HARD men and women, for sure. They packed 80 pound rucksacks with no padding up to this beast. As Bates presents the stories as told by the folks who built and staffed the cabin, some of the stories are re-told in several chapters, but it is all interesting and the sparse photos are unbelievable. Katt and I have flown by this lookout and it is as crazy as it looks. Great read!
Grizzly Confidential by Kevin Grange is a great book that largely summarizes the state of bear management strategies in the United States. Kevin is a paramedic that has spent quite a few years observing bears, and was able to visit the McNeil station in Alaska known for the massive Kodiak Brown Bears. I met Kevin and he signed this book for me after giving a lecture at REI in Seattle at the same show we watched Anastasia perform with the Musical Mountaineers.
IN. by Will McPhail was assigned as part of my Introduction to Humanities class and is a graphic novel by this famous New York illustrator. I would have never read this without the prompt, but it was a great story about someone trying to just be themselves. Great images and humor. Something out of my comfort zone, which I highly appreciate.
There’s no doubt why Peter Stark’s Astoria won awards – it is a fantastic retelling of the overland journey untook by Astor and financed by Thomas Jefferson, in a quest to control the west coast – at the time the longest uninhabited (by white men) coast in the world. This story tells some incredible survival tales such as John Day who almost perished in Hell’s Canyon from starvation, from scalping, you name it. A page-turner to the end, I couldn’t put this one down once I started. Also, TRUE! These folks were incredibly resilient.
Jay Spenser’s The Airplane: How ideas gave us wings was a great read. Spenser tells the story of the development of aircraft from conception to the jet age, however there’s one twist – he tells the story by component, not the entire craft. A chapter on engines, another on the wing, landing gear, flight controls, the cabin, and so forth. It’s an interesting way to tell the story as it allows the reader to fully appreciate the development of each part of this amazing machine.
Fly Girls is the story of ALL the ladies who were active during Amelia Earhart’s time and their resilience in a “man’s world.” So many stories and interconnected identities. Highly recommended if you want to learn about lady pilots!! 😉