EARCLOPS

Dedicated to the pursuit of sound minds and sound bodies

1. TW 10.5.09 / 8am

   Saw this in the bookstore too and I was surprised I had not heard about it. I am a bit conflicted, and I think we have talked about it.

   I have three heroes in my life and Pat Tillman is one of them. I find his individualism inspiring. Making it in the NFL despite the perception he lacked the required athleticism, walking away from money to serve, not seeking any publicity over it. His face looks chiseled out of stone.To me he is the modern embodiment of Nietzsche’s Ubermensch.

   So yes I want to read it. However, I have such a low opinion of Krakauer. It all started with his, in my opinion, unfair portrayal of the Mormon church. In particular his description of the founder of the religion in an interview is unforgivable in my eyes.

   After that, I re-evaluated some other aspects of his work, mainly his character assassinations of people in Into Thin Air. As in all his works, it becomes about him. Chris McCandless goes to Alaska and dies, but did I(Krakauer) ever tell you about the time I climbed this mountain?
2. BN 10.5.09 / 2pm

   Who are your other two heroes?
   I’m over halfway through the book and don’t think you will have a problem with the writing. The author has stayed out of it entirely thus far. Very good book.
3. JP 10.5.09 / 9pm

   Another good book to check out is Into the Crucible. It is written by my mom’s college housemate’s son a career Marine. It’s about the last bit of training that Marines must complete in book camp. Krakauer hits on topics that sell books to many many readers. Tillman is an amazing story. Amazing man. Into This Air was a griping story though. Never read the one about the Morman Church’s history, Into the Wild, great tale. Anybody read Cormac McCarthey?
4. BN 10.6.09 / 9am

   Is that a Krakauer book?
5. TW 10.7.09 / 7am

   Readinga Cormac McCarthy book right now, about US history pre-French-Indian War. It is pretty good, picked up at Costco of all places. Cool to have a JP post up in the mix.
6. GW 10.7.09 / 9am

   The minute I saw the post on Earclops I knew exactly where Ted would be going with the Krakauer thing. I knew about the book courtesy of NPR, I know you’ll love that Ted, I’d read it simply because what Pat Tillman did is what everyone wishes they had the stones to do but deep down inside knows they don’t. That military cover up was like every cover up, the cover up is worse then the incident. What a horrible thing for Pat’s family to have to suffer through.

   On the topic of Under the Banner of Heaven, I agree the author has some definite axes to grind with the church, but what I took away from it was when Fundamentalists get ahold of anything they can make it as warped and fucked up as they want.

   I could be wrong but I think Rome was the Keynote speaker at Pat’s memorial service, I think he said it was one of the proudest moments of his life.
7. BN 10.8.09 / 10am

   Jim Rome?
8. GW 10.9.09 / 7am

   Yeah Jim Rome
9. CM 12.11.09 / 5pm

   I finished this a few weeks ago but was conflicted about having to give JK money to read it. Great book. Have you guys noticed some of the names popping up in the news as our current military leaders in Afghanistan?

   If you read Into Thin Air, go read Climb, a counterpoint written by a Russian guide named in JK’s account.
10. BN 12.11.09 / 6pm

    Hey there CM. Been a few decades, eh? We go by initials since google-ing can be a problem. Thanks for the book recommendation. I will keep an eye out for it.

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