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Originally posted by AdagioM:
And today I read the entirety of The Boys: A Novel by Katie Hafner, while on a nonstop from Portland to JFK. It was perfect. Now I have to go back and figure out where that twist started…


“Journalist Hafner’s marvelous fiction debut centers on a socially awkward man’s neuroses about fatherhood. While working as the chief technology officer at a startup in Philadelphia, Ethan meets Barb, a University of Pennsylvania grad student, and the two start dating. They soon marry, though Ethan suspects he’s scored out of his league. Having lost his parents at an early age, he also fears becoming a father, but Barb changes his mind, only for them to discover after a year of trying to conceive that Ethan is sterile. They decide to foster two young boys, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hits and Ethan develops an overbearing attachment to them, his relationship with Barb disintegrates. She leaves him and he takes the boys on a bike trip to Italy, where a jaw-dropping twist ensues. Starting out as a lighthearted romance before taking an unsettling turn, this upsets expectations in the best way. The heartbreaking late reveal will take a second reading to fully sink in and pushes the troubled marriage genre to dizzying extremes. It’s a remarkable outing, and readers will look forward to seeing what Hafner does next. “
Publisher’s Weekly

Piano related content: the protagonist has perfect pitch! Second piano related content: Katie Hafner was my roommate at Sonata Piano Camp, way back in the early 2000’s.

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“Wonder Drug marshals the scientific evidence demonstrating the power of compassion to improve the lives of our patients but equally as important our own lives. A powerful and poignant tour de force.” ― James R. Doty, M.D. Founder & Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine and the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart

"Humans are happiest when in motion, surrounded by others. This book illuminates the many reasons to look beyond yourself and find meaning and connection through serving others. A must-read." ― Scott Galloway, New York Times bestselling author and serial entrepreneur

“Wonder Drug contains a vital message for you and me, and copies should be handed out at graduation from every professional school. Trzeciak and Mazzarelli’s new offering is my clear book of the year for 2022.” ― Tom Peters, bestselling author of In Search of Excellence

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Many of us assume that the more successful we are, the less susceptible we become to the sense of professional and social irrelevance that often accompanies aging. But the truth is, the greater our achievements and our attachment to them, the more we notice our decline, and the more painful it is when it occurs.

What can we do, starting now, to make our older years a time of happiness, purpose, and yes, success?

At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life.

Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach. By refocusing on certain priorities and habits that anyone can learn, such as deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, connection and service to others, and spiritual progress, we can set ourselves up for increased happiness.

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Originally posted by Daniel:
The Final Outcome

Evidence and Analysis in the Meredith Kercher Murder Case

James Raper

I bought it on Amazon. It happens to be the best book on the case.

I can finally say I'm reading a book other than Emily Dickinson's poems for the fourth time.

It's slow going because the phone screen makes my eyes hurt (print would just as much), and because concentrating is difficult. We used to read fifty pages per week per class in college.

That was a lifetime ago.