What I’ve Been Reading
Faithful Place, Tana French
Faithful Place is the third novel in Tana French’s “Dublin Murder Squad” series. I discovered this author when Brandon bought me her book, “The Witch Elm.” Although I will read anything in the crime/mystery genre, Tana French is a delight to read for her rich characterization and plot development. Although her stories center around some kind of murder, there is an impressive complexity to how the novel unfolds. Her stories are cerebral and nuanced, more like a piece of classic literature than a cheap paperback typical of the mystery genre.
Rethinking Fear
This is one of the best pieces on fear that I’ve read in a long time. It is a balanced and thoughtful article that provides a more helpful way to approach our relationship with fear.
How Doctors Broke Healthcare
Another interesting article on the problem of healthcare in America. It traces the history of the solutions that people developed to deal with the expense and uncertainty of health issues. But because the American Medical Association was worried about losing their control and influence, these creative and even elegant solutions were forced out of the market.
Interview with Neri Oxman
There is no easy way to describe what this interview is about, but I found it utterly fascinating. And her answer here at the very end of the interview really struck me. We get so focused on goals and wins, of getting to a particular place. But maybe there is a better way to approach our life’s work.
“What is your end goal with your work? What would a big win look like?”
“What was the end goal of the Ninth symphony? Or the Sagrada Familia? Or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? I don’t think I live by concrete end goals nor do I consider a ‘big win’ aspirational.”
What I’ve Been Listening To
What I’ve Been Thinking About
The challenge of transitioning from one phase of life to another. Sometimes there are obvious beginnings and ends, other times there is a more gradual evolution. Sometimes our life changes because of the things we lose, and other times because of the things we gain. Sometimes we cling to the past, afraid of what a new season will bring. There seems to be an art to gracefully letting go of your past and being open to new opportunities.
