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Favorite Books and Magazines

I like all of the John D. MacDonald stuff, and especially the Travis McGee Series. Travis McGee is a freelance, tough guy detective, whose home base, a House Boat called the Busted Flush, is moored at Slip f18, at Bahia Mar, Ft. Lauderdale. These may seem a bit outdated now, but when I found them, way back when, I gobbled them up.

 

Tales from Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett, one of my favorite authors who is also a musician. I have a theory that musicians, song writers, make pretty good authors. Find the book at Amazon Com. Then check out the Margaritaville Web Site, particularly the Coconut Telegraph and the menu at the Cafe in New Orleans.

 

Puerto Vallarta Squeeze by Robert James Waller. Also liked other Waller stories: The Bridges of Madison County (Book, Movie, CD), and Border Music, and Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend. Waller is also a musician

And I like almost all of the outrageous stuff by Kinky Friedman. I started with Greenwich Village Killing Time and just kept on reading whatever I could get my hands on. Try reading out loud from Kinky - - - That's great fun, and I think that has something to do with his being a musician who writes his own lyrics. 

 

The Spenser Series by Robert Parker Ah yes, Spenser and Hawk. Loved reading those Spenser books. Set in Boston, the Spenser series by Robert Parker brings us Spenser, a modern day tough guy private-eye, and the other great characters, Hawk, and Susan, and Henry Cimoli who runs the gym and more. The more of these you read the better they get. Here is a great web site for Parker and Spenser and all that goes with them. It's called Bullets and Beer. However when Parker tired of writing Spencer stories and introduced new PI's he lost me. I wanted more old style Spenser.

 

The Big Sleep byRaymond Chandler There are many pages on the web on Raymond Chandler. Here is a good one with a biography and lists of the novels and screenplays.  I have a book of letters of Raymond Chandler that is really interesting.  Selected letters of Raymond Chandler, Edited by Frank MacShane.  There is a good description of the book at Columbia University Press, but their price is a bit high, $80.50.  Try bookfinder.com.

Chandler had a classic education in England. He was an insomniac and wrote letters in the middle of the night to anyone who would write back to him. Robert Parker, author or the Spenser series, finished Chandler's last novel, Poodle Springs.

 

Tricycle Magazine:The Buddhist Review  
This is a magazine I've subscribed to now and then over the years. It has supported my interest in meditation, taught me about concepts like "Beginner's Mind," and broadened my base for my basically "peacenick" thinking. The magazine is always interesting, slick, well illustrated, for some, a collector item. The abreviated, free, electronic version at the site above is enough for me currently.

 

Wired Magazine
Usually a very diverse table of contents. Here is a sampling from the list of the most popular topics posted on 7/19/07.

The World's Tiniest PCs

What's Inside: Red Bull

FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

The Poop on Eco-Friendly Diapers

GM Resurrects the Electric Car

 

My favorite was the Red Bull article. Turns out the major energizers are sugar and caffeine.

 

Mastery by George Leonard
This is a classic book about mastering what we are interested, in as opposed to just dabbling in this or that. Check out George. Years ago he was a writer/publisher for Look Magazine. He has written a number of education books and several on developing human potential.

 

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland
This compact little book was first published in 1938. Carl Sandburg called If You Want to Write "the best book ever written on how to write." In this book, she shares her philosophies on writing and life in general. She stresses the idea that "Everyone is talented, original, and has something to say."" She sums up her book with 12 points to keep in mind while writing. I highly recommend this one and am in fact right now resolving to read it again. More about Brenda Ueland on Wikipedia.

 

The Life We Are Given by George Leonard and Michael Murphy
Here is a book that gives direction for a daily kata, a program of stretching and toning with relaxation and meditation. Again we are looking at George Leonard's work, along with friend and Esalen founder Michael Murphy, to help us all develop human potential. What we learn as we get into this sort of thing, is that we have much more control over our lives, and our health, and our destiny than most ever realize.

 

Some years back I attended a seminar at Esalen, conducted by Leonard and Murphy. That was a great experience. I particularly enjoyed Murphy, who has a great sense of humor. Murphy has also written a huge book documenting information on the mind body connection, The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution Of Human Nature

Murphy, believes that all human beings possess the capacity for extraordinary development, and that at least part of this capacity can be intentionally developed through what he calls transformative practices. He uses much of the text to provide examples of metanormal functioning in literature, religion, science, and psychology from many cultures and historical eras.

 

New York Magazine.
A weekly that I got by accident. Free subscription I got with something else. Focuses on New York City but always has something interesting. Excellent writing.

 

Wooden Boat Magazine
Here is a magazine full of classic wooden boats and articles about building and maintaining them. I've been to the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, ME several times and always enjoy the experience. I smile when I find this one in the mail box.

Sychronicity by Joseph Jawoski

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