Scott Douglas’ Terse Bloviation

Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us by Joe Palka and Flora Lichtman

I’ve decided to start doing one-sentence reviews, starting with the above.

This book lives up to its title.

An Honorable Run by Matt McCue

Why We Run by Bernd Heinrich

So I read running books only when I have to for professional reasons. In this case, I’m starting to do background work for a profile of Heinrich. All that said, this book was fabulous, and highly recommended. I’m looking forward to reading a couple of his other books, which have nothing to do with running.

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies by Tyler Cowen

Oh, and I finished writing my book today.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

Now I really won’t be finishing any books until I finish writing the one that’s due at the end of the month.

#5: Mycophilia: Revelations From the Weird World of Mushrooms, by Eugenia Bone

Unfortunately, this will probably be it for awhile, as I have a book to write by May. Which reminds me of this story:

The first book I wrote was Bill Rodgers Lifetime Running Plan. I got behind and had to go into isolation for the last month to get it done. When I finished, I placed a personal ad in the Boston Phoenix to try to get my social life going again. On a first date I said, “Man, is it nice just to go out. I’ve been holed up the last month finishing a book.”

She said, “What were you reading?”

We wound up not getting married.

#4: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Does this count as a book? Probably not, but to bolster my case, I supplemented Shakespeare by reading the relevant chapters on the play in Harold Bloom’s Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human and Harold Goddard’s The Meaning of Shakespeare, Vol. 2.

Instant Love by Jami Attenberg