At once both comprehensive and efficient, even lean, The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier by Bruce Barcott marks my first booAt once both comprehensive and efficient, even lean, The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier by Bruce Barcott marks my first book read on the iconic Cascade volcano. I assume there will be more, as I contemplate attempting the climb myself. I hope to read and watch a great deal of mountaineering literature this fall and winter, in preparation for an intended hiking trip to Colorado next summer. Barcott’s book proved a great introductory choice to one of the most popular and imposing summits in the United States.
The Measure of a Mountain provides geological and historical chapters, passages devoted to hiking the surrounding countryside, and even political wrangling over the official name of the mountain. People looking for a non-fiction thriller may need to look elsewhere. That said, the book includes riveting chapters on some who met a tragic end, and a climactic chapter on the author attempting the summit alongside his father.
There is much heartfelt introspection and philosophizing, for which avid Everest readers like me have a taste. The prose is lyrical with a literary flare, even a bit indulgent and ornate in places. Yet, Barcott gets down to business and provides a useful primer on the mountain’s culture and features. It brings me closer to a possible day, perhaps in 2 or 3 years, when I may attempt Mount Rainier....more
This book had me tearing up. Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space is a longer, in-depth helping of non-fiction than IThis book had me tearing up. Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space is a longer, in-depth helping of non-fiction than I’ve done in a while. Oddly, the passages I found most triggering were those related to contractor bidding, supply chains, and accountability. Before wisely giving up on making money and taking a hospital housekeeper job, I worked in the sales and distribution area of the industrial sector that includes aerospace contractors. I do not miss it. This is not a side-note. Contractor culture, relations, and accountability, have everything to do with the Challenger disaster. It’s one of the areas where human fault creeps into the research and development driving agencies like NASA. It's one of the reasons people die.
Challenger does a particularly good job portraying the tension between management and engineering teams, which is to say between the people who physically make and test the nuts and bolts, and the people in suits who buy and sell the nuts and bolts while making payroll and answering to stockholders. Again, this has everything to do with why the Challenger disintegrated shortly after launch, killing seven astronauts. And oh yeah, if you are looking for the macabre details of what physically happened to the astronauts, you’ll get the gory details. Author Adam Higgenbotham somehow manages to give us the nitty gritty of how they died and how their remains were recovered without dwelling on it or dishonoring the fallen heroes.
This latest account of the Challenger disaster strives to sift through the techno-speak and engineering jargon to provide an accessible, human narrative. This book succeeds. I’d say it also cuts through the scientific jargon but… newsflash. Not much science jargon in this book. Human spaceflight is barely about science. From a technical standpoint, it’s almost entirely about engineering. That nations do it at all demonstrates that human spaceflight is about political prestige. Human spaceflight is largely about national swaggering. Not to say it's never noble. Human spaceflight routinely brings out the best in individuals, communities, and nations. It is often the peaceful, cooperation-based act of industrial generosity that it ought to be. And this book shows that.
As I mentioned at the outset, I teared up reading this. You will get to know each member of the Challenger crew. You will meet their spouses and families. You will also meet and learn to empathize with people who never fly in space, who never get fame for giving everything to the space program, the hardworking people behind the scenes, tucked away in conference rooms and manufacturing facilities that lack the sex appeal of Cape Canaveral. I question if perhaps the book neglects to fully humanize the NASA administrators who pushed for launch at freezing temperatures. But... hard to sympathize with people who've clearly embraced the political gain-seeking machine that is the U.S. government
“Joseph Smith announced that the end of the world was near, that Christ’s second coming was imminent, and that he had been called by God to establi
“Joseph Smith announced that the end of the world was near, that Christ’s second coming was imminent, and that he had been called by God to establish a New Jerusalem near the western border of the United States, where believers would gather to escape the wars and plagues about to sweep the wicked from the earth and live God’s law in perfect harmony and peace.”
With a stirring thumbnail sketch like that, one might expect Dan Vogel’s new biography of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith to be a riveting narrative. At times it is. However, much more of the time Charisma under Pressure: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1831-1839 is a dry and exhaustive detailing of the business, real estate, and political life of an emerging institutional religious leader. This is much less a tale of a quirky visionary farm boy and much more of a corporate leadership profile. Makes perfect sense given the years being covered.
All the big Restoration events of Kirtland and Missouri are related: the building and dedication of the first temple, the colossal failure of the Zion’s Camp march, the Banking Scandal, the Battle of Crooked River, and the brutal stay in Liberty Jail. There are fascinating analyses of the evolving depictions of the First Vision and Godhead, as well as the published mixups regarding who the original angel was for revealing The Book of Mormon: Nephi or Moroni?
Charisma under Pressure is an exemplification of the thorough, even sprawling, biographies that are possible now with the Joseph Smith Papers publicly available. Still, as a comparatively casual student of Joseph Smith’s life, ministry, and reign, I find past biographies more approachable and useful in achieving a sense of connection to the man. That said, the scale and depth of Dan Vogel’s research is awe-inspiring. I especially found his treatment of the late Missouri period appropriately horrifying and heartbreaking. In our current climate, the Missouri period could be a cautionary tale for all Americans. Highly recommended for serious, established students of Mormon history....more
Wineskin: Freakin' Jesus in the ‘60s and ‘70s is a memoir tailormade for Mormons like me. I was born in the '70s. It is a time period which feels a stWineskin: Freakin' Jesus in the ‘60s and ‘70s is a memoir tailormade for Mormons like me. I was born in the '70s. It is a time period which feels a step beyond my experience and yet a defining part of who I am. In particular, when studying my Mormon heritage, I am drawn to '70s-era apostle Bruce R. McConkie. On the secular front, I especially enjoy reruns from shows like Barney Miller, which debuted in the '70s.
Enter Michael Hicks, who came of age in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Early childhood saw him straddling the cultures of Protestant Christianity, with its emphases on the Bible, grace, and sobriety, along with the Hippie movement, with its emphases on rock music, drugs, and free love. From a troubled upbringing vacillating between worldliness and piety, Hicks ultimately converted to Mormonism and became a professor at BYU. In Hicks’s thoughtful hands, these disparate worlds mingle, interplay, and harmonize.
Wineskin is more an insightful statement on religiosity in general than a declaration or condemnation of any one faith system. It is perhaps best geared to readers within Mormonism. However, it can be a good read for Protestants too, who might see it as the tale of a sheep lost to a cult. Devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may find some of its passages troubling, as it relates abuses perpetrated not only by wayward Protestants, but also by wayward Mormons. Far from mired in darkness, the book contains much in the way of celebration and artistic discovery.
In any case, Wineskin is a likable and ultimately life and faith-affirming work, mingling broader history with intense personal experience. I highly recommend it for readers of Mormon literature in specific and Christian culture in general....more
I still remember going to see Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. The movie came out toward the end of my extended journey as a college undergraduate, I still remember going to see Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. The movie came out toward the end of my extended journey as a college undergraduate, and I was totally in the mood for it. It’s a goofy quest/buddy/road-trip movie. Over the years, I’ve seen Kal Penn in other shows and enjoyed his acting and comedy. I was glad to see the release of his memoir You Can’t Be Serious.
As I hoped, this book captures Kal’s witty and thoughtful conversational style—demonstrating the qualities which helped him avoid both outright failure and being a one-hit wonder. From his childhood in New Jersey to his struggle to break into film & TV in Los Angeles, the book contains an engaging mix of stories—from heartfelt to irreverent. The recurring themes are Kal exploring his creative passions, taking chances, and overcoming racism. Sadly, Kal has had to contend with blatant and egregious racism throughout life, especially in show business, even after succeeding in two hit comedies.
Though the prose trends toward conversational and easygoing, Kal doesn’t let readers get lazy. Multiple times through the book he plays with readers, spins a yarn, and then comes clean after a few sentences or pages. It was almost like we were hanging out at a bar and he was joking with me.
Kal also employs extensive chapter endnotes. Most of these aren’t academic sources cited; they are comedy riffs and extra details about whatever eye-opening life event he’s just related in the main text. Honestly, at first, I found the end notes a bit annoying and unnecessary. Once I got in the groove of how Kal uses them to add meaning and humor, I found them quite fun. Not the first time Kal has won me over with a performance.
One of the big surprises for me was realizing just how extensively Kal worked on the Obama campaign in 2008. I remember hearing he’d taken a position in the Obama administration but failed to appreciate the extent of his efforts as a White House staffer. This was no side hustle. Kal rolled up his sleeves, deeply embedding himself in the campaign, earning a serious and consequential position in the administration. Along the way, he collected a bunch more insider stories which make You Can’t Be Serious a great read. To his credit, Kal willingly discusses mistakes he’s made along the way. He comes off very relatable.
I highly recommend You Can’t Be Serious to fans of Kal Penn’s film and TV career. The book also has a lot of important things to say about racism in Hollywood and the world in general. ...more
Gregory Prince disclaims in the Acknowledgements section that his professional training is in science, not history or theology. Perhaps that’s why hisGregory Prince disclaims in the Acknowledgements section that his professional training is in science, not history or theology. Perhaps that’s why his book—Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood—feels different to me than most Mormon history books I’ve read. It is less a narrative and more an analysis, almost like a textbook. I became aware of the book while listening to Sunstone Mormon History Podcast.
Prince explores the minutia, the nuts and bolts you might say, of how Mormon priesthood developed. Readers hoping for edge-of-the-seat narrative expose may be disappointed. I for one had to recalibrate my expectations, though I enjoyed and value the material.
This is more of a reference work than a cohesive story. That may be the book’s most profound message—the story of developing Mormon priesthood simply was never cohesive. Prince emphasizes it was a process rather than an event. Readers hoping for a tidy, contradiction-free story will be frustrated. Nevertheless, Prince offers an astute, detail-oriented look at how Mormon priesthood came to be, or as the believer will say, how it was restored.
I appreciated how Prince avoids the urge to make assumptions. For instance, he works hard to explain distinctions between authority and office, as well as to show how offices came to derive their authority. He digs into the multiple ways in which early saints used the words ordain and seal. I especially appreciated his observations on how usage of terms evolved. What they mean today isn’t necessarily what they meant to Joseph and his early followers.
Some interesting points I found: the establishment of the First Quorum of Seventies, as well as the introduction of patriarchal blessings, tie into the ill-fated Zion’s Camp. As Prince also notes: “…the office of seventy remained problematic for more than a century thereafter.” Questions over the relationship of the seventy to the apostles was just one point of contention. Also significant to the development of Mormon priesthood was the influence of Campbellism through Sidney Rigdon. From him, the offices of bishop and deacon may have found their way into church organization. As Prince points out: “The office of bishop had no precedent in the Book of Mormon…”
Lastly, Prince discusses the role of women in the priesthood, and how they most assuredly had a role, if not an equal one. Here and elsewhere, Prince maintains a generally sympathetic tone for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His ability to maintain that tone while routinely demystifying priesthood development makes for an interesting mix. Ultimately, Power from on High should be a good reference resource for people across the Mormon spectrum, even if it lacks the readability of a riveting biography or other narrative history book....more
Several years back I went on an Everest binge, reading multiple works about climbing the highest peak on Earth. I read as a spectator, not as a climbeSeveral years back I went on an Everest binge, reading multiple works about climbing the highest peak on Earth. I read as a spectator, not as a climber. Everest books comprise a rich and riveting subgenre. They are also unavoidably repetitive, which is probably why I drifted away from them after a while. Recently I read Synnott’s The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan, and the Climbing Life. Generally enjoying that book, I decided to dip back into Everest lit via his more recent work, The Third Pole.
The Third Pole sets out to be a mystery, by way of investigative journalism. Synnott seeks to discover what became of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine’s ill-fated climb in the 1920s. Did they summit Mount Everest decades before when history tells us the first summit occurred? Even more tantalizing, what if Irvine’s camera is still out there with photographic proof of their summit?
As engrossing as the Irvine mystery proves, Synnott’s book soon morphs from a mystery into a conventional summit quest. While the adventure and suspense continue, I emphasize the word conventional. For me, The Third Pole was a return to the familiar—remarkable and heartfelt, but familiar and conventional. It’s a tale often told: well-funded Western climber grapples with the ethics of participating in a commercial Everest expedition but ultimately goes all in. As the summit push begins, Irvine’s mystery is largely set aside.
Some of the most interesting facets of this book involve the cultural and political hurtles of climbing from the Chinese/Tibetan side of the mountain, instead of from Nepal. For me, some of The Third Pole's most engrossing passages occur far from the mountain. Nevertheless, when Synnott’s team turn their sights to the summit, they find themselves confronted by all the visceral triumphs and horrors Everest places before all climbers—most famously recounted in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster. Where Krakauer takes a glass is half empty approach to commercial Everest, Synnott takes a glass is half full approach. In no small part, he reaches this tempered viewpoint through the humanity of his fellow climbers.
Some of the best reading in this book occurs before and after the expedition. What would it really mean, legally and politically—let alone historically—to find Irvine’s camera? Is it possible his body was found and lost again, or perhaps even removed from the mountain by the Chinese government? Synnott finds himself forced to walk a knife-edge ridge between serious journalism and conspiracy theory. He does so effectively, emphasizing fact and evaluating source material for its merits and limitations.
I do recommend The Third Pole, though it perhaps falls short of must-read or masterpiece. Speaking as a spectator, this is solid, well-formulated Everest literature. For another personal take on Everest climbing culture, I recommend Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest, by Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who summited first with Sir Edmund Hillary. Like Krakauer, Jamling participated in the 1996 climbing season, providing a highly personal account. ...more
In the weeks since finally seeing the film Free Solo, I’ve been doing a deeper dive (higher climb?) into the subject material: Alex Honnold’s first asIn the weeks since finally seeing the film Free Solo, I’ve been doing a deeper dive (higher climb?) into the subject material: Alex Honnold’s first ascent of El Capitan without rope or other safety gear. Most of my exploration has been on YouTube or other streaming platforms where relevant climbing footage is plentiful. I myself am no climber, just a spectator. After reading Honnold’s book Alone on the Wall, I decided to follow up with Mark Synnott’s expansive account: The Impossible Climb.
Mark shows up late in the film Free Solo. My first impression was that Mark was brought into the process late in the game, a visiting journalist showing up to watch the climb and score an interview. I was wrong.
As The Impossible Climb details, Synnott’s relationship with Alex Honnold goes back many years, Synnott remains closely involved over the entirety of the filming process. With The Impossible Climb, Mark fleshes out both Alex’s story and his own. Though, Alex’s free solo of El Capitan remains the key endeavor. Fans of the film will likely relish Synnott providing many details and vignettes the movie simply couldn’t fit in a final cut.
In this book Alex’s story exists like fruit on a tree—the outcome of a long process on a scale of generations. At times, Synnott’s narrative feels like a tangle of branches. We sometimes veer far away from Alex and El Capitan. The book also incorporates the stories of other prominent climbers like Alex Lowe, John Bachar, Peter Croft, and Dean Potter.
One of Synnott’s great accomplishments with this book is allowing the climbers to genuinely seem both mythical and human. Young climbers seek heroes, and if they triumph in their own quests, become heroes in turn. Along the way, they struggle to balance safety with ego. We meet the young Alex, the grownup Alex, and the transcendent Alex who arrives atop cliffs as if transfigured by the free solo experience. Each iteration is valid. Each has limits and contradictions. In these pages, we get a truly unvarnished but ultimately endearing portrayal of Alex.
The Impossible Climb also depicts the challenges created by seeking pure adventure while satisfying corporate demands for new content to post online. Synnott’s own foray into professional climbing occurred around the time of the dotcom bubble and the rise of social networking. The tension between old school “dirtbag” climbing and corporate sponsorship is a key theme.
Still, the story is ultimately a human one full of emotion, depicting fearful struggles which lead to triumph and tragedy. Synnott’s roles as father and husband inform not only his climbing choices but his writing approach. Yet the book never gets out of hand, never becomes a lovefest. Objectivity remains. Synnott examines his own flirtations with risk and free soloing, as well as his limitations and biases when making choices as a climber. Though for me, it began as a way to supplement my enjoyment of the film Free Solo, The Impossible Climb exhibits a lot of heart and stands on its own merits....more
I will spend the rest of my life kicking myself for failing to see the film Free Solo on the big screen in 2018. Nonetheless, the Oscar-winning documeI will spend the rest of my life kicking myself for failing to see the film Free Solo on the big screen in 2018. Nonetheless, the Oscar-winning documentary about Alex Honnold’s 3,000-foot ascent of El Capitan without rope or other safety gear, played with plenty of intensity on my tablet last month. Next, I began binging relevant YouTube climbing videos. Inevitably, I wound up reading Alex’s book Alone on the Wall, co-written with David Roberts. I used the B&N Nook eBook, specifically the expanded edition which features two new chapters Alex wrote about free soloing El Capitan.
Alone on the Wall marks my first foray into big-wall rock climbing literature. Disclaimer: I am not a climber and never expect to become one. Still, I enjoyed Alone on the Wall a great deal. Much of my enjoyment came from having already seen Alex’s major climbs via those jaw-dropping videos mentioned above. The book, utilizing longform writing, discusses the climbs’ background and aftermath in greater detail than fast-paced YouTube clips can.
The book utilizes efficient to-the-point chapters, each of which spotlight a major climb. Along the way, the narrative reveals significant details of Alex’s personal life, including family, romance, and climbing community. There is also compelling discussion of ethical issues related to filming climbs, especially dangerous free solos. I valued how the book alternated between first-person passages by Honnold and third-person passages by Roberts. This format invites healthy debate by juxtaposing Alex’s viewpoint and memories with contrasting observations by his co-author and other climbers.
Some of the technical details and terminology were lost on me, but I never felt completely lost. The overall narrative held my interest. Again, it helped greatly that I’d seen many of these climbs ahead of reading. Had I not done that, the narrative would have been much harder to visualize. My eBook edition did include some still images.
I would assume Alone on the Wall is now must-read for climbers. I also recommend it for non-climbers like me who have seen Free Solo and want to keep exploring the topic. Still, you really need to see the climbs. Here is a list of short documentaries I consider must-see. Free excerpts are easy to find on YouTube. Better yet, the complete documentaries are available for streaming—some free, and others for on-demand rental/purchase:
Alone on the Wall Honnold 3.0 A Line Across the Sky El Sendero Luminoso ft. Alex Honnold
All of the above films showcase climbs discussed in the book. The first three are from Sender Films. The fourth video can be viewed free on The North Face’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!...more
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