Scott Douglas’ Terse Bloviation

Tuesday, April 17 was a landmark day for books written by William and Mary religion majors of the 1980s—it was publication day for James Comey and me. As my mother-in-law said, read my book to feel better after reading his.

Here’s the book’s Amazon page.

Write me if you’d like to have me as a podcast guest or otherwise talk about the book’s key topic of using running to manage mental health.

I’m excited to announce that Meb Keflezighi and I will be working together on another book.

The new one will be called 26 Marathons, 26 Lessons. It will tell the story of each of Meb’s 26 career marathons (#26 will be New York City in November) and offer a use-at-home lesson from each. The book will come out in the fall of 2018 and, like Meb for Mortals, will be published by Rodale.

Unrelated book note: Four of the books I’ve read this year merit my all-caps “yes” review, meaning that while reading them I’m simultaneously immensely enjoying them, prematurely ruing having finished them, and eagerly imagining who first to recommend them to. The four are:

• The Other Serious, by Christy Wampole
• The Loney, by Andrew Michael Hurley
• Blind Sight, by Meg Howrey
• Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson

1. This book is now out. Of the eight books with my name on the cover, it’s the first that’s not about running. So that counts for something.

2. This month I’ll start working on a book about running and depression. (Write what you know, etc.) It’s slated for publication by The Experiment next year. This makes me happy, but hopefully not so much I lose touch with half of the book’s subject matter.

3. As for books by others, of the 46 I finished in 2016, there are four that I have been or will be urging on people with similar tastes:

The Invoice, by Jonas Karlsson.
Lazarus is Dead, by Richard Beard.
The Apostle Killer, by Richard Beard. (Called Acts of the Assassins when released.)
The Trespasser, by Tana French.

Here’s the deal: You recommend a band I wind up liking more than anyone else’s recommendation, and I’ll send you a copy of my minimalism book.

Below are the 25 band or musician names at the top of the most-played list in my iTunes library. On the basis of those, recommend someone else for me to listen to.

If I’m already familiar with the band or musician, I’ll let you know, and you can make another recommendation.

I’ll take recommendations through Sunday, June 16, and then decide whose recommendation I like the best, and send that person the book.

Send your recommendations here or leave them in comments below. Here are the musicians to use as the basis for your recommendation:

Vincent Herring
The Feelies
The Liminanas
Whirr
Yuck
Pia Fraus
Wild Nothing
Bears
Eric Reed
Stereolab
The High Violets
Matt Pond PA
Swell
Sparrow
American Analog Set
Black Tambourine
Lush
Metropolitan
God
James Moody
Nord Express
Band of Susans
Luna
Jim Rotondi
Real Estate

A short piece I did for The Atlantic‘s Health channel.

Chapter on the future of minimalism.

Because the excerpt doesn’t contain a link to easy purchase of the book, here’s one.

We’ll ignore the fact that the author is in an aircast, okay?

Buy it here or really wherever you see it.

Summary: It’s risky!

My Atlantic interview with Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork.

Online only, but still. I hope it’s not my last. It’s on how performing music leads to endorphin release a la working out.