Category: Uncategorized

1. The Storm of War, by Andrew Roberts. Deriving the title from the military phrase “the fog of war,” this book is a history of the deadliest and most destructive war in human history, the Second World War. There’s probably more books written about World War II than almost any other historical topic but this has got to be one of the best if not the best. After years of studying this war both in school and on my own, it is still unimaginable to me the level of destruction and loss of life that occurred during those years of the Twentieth century. Roberts is also the author of the biography on Napoleon Bonaparte that I read a few years ago so now I’m thinking about reading his other major work Walking with Destiny, a biography on Winston Churchill.
2. The Essence of Buddha, by Ryuho Okawa. Having very little knowledge about the Buddhist religion and its history I read this relatively short book simply to get a better grasp of it. Even for someone like me of a different religion I found this book to have many practical insights and perspectives that can be valuable to anyone. Overall an interesting book for me that gave me a better understanding and context of the religion.
3. Always with Honor, by Pyotr Wrangel. I read this book as part of a “book club” on a Substack account I subscribe too. The book is the memoirs of a leader of the “White” army against the Red Army during the Russian Revolution after the First World War. Fighting in oftentimes disastrous circumstances, as much of Russia was after the First World War, Wrangel valiantly commands his forces to try to achieve victory over the communists but ultimately is on the loosing side, having in the end to evacuate the country with his army as the Reds took over. For those interested in Twentieth century Russian history, definitely a valuable book.
4. Holy Bible: Genesis through 1 Chronicles. I was trying to do a 6 month read-through-the-bible plan with a few other family members and friends but unfortunately after about two months I got behind and abandoned the plan. However, even though I didn’t even come close to finishing, revisiting some of those old testament books and stories after some years was a positive and I still want to read through the whole bible at some point, maybe just at a much slower pace.
5. A. Lincoln, by Ronald C White, Jr. I bought this thick biography book on a vacation last year to Washington D.C. at the Ford’s Theater gift store. A fantastic recounting of Lincoln’s life from his rural early years growing up in Kentucky through the Presidency and Civil War. One of my favorite things about these long biographies is not only the life story of the subject figure, but they also serve as a narrative history of the time period, in this case the mid-19th century United States and the Civil War.
6. Stillness is the Key, by Ryan Holiday. I have followed Ryan Holiday on social media for a long time and I enjoy his daily posts on philosophy, stoicism, and wisdom from the ancients. This book, which is one of his newest in his growing catalogue, teaches about the art of what he calls “stillness;” a concept not entirely easy to define but entails to some degree being calm, present, and mindful no matter what is going on in the world or in your life. As he does so well, Holiday draws heavily on sources from ancient thinkers and writers to support his ideas, giving the teachings and arguments in the book a timeless essence.
7. Discontented America, by David J. Goldberg. This was a social studies book from a college class I took a few years ago that I read again this year. Basically a cultural history of the 1920’s United States, Goldberg examines topics like responses to the rise of progressivism, effects of the First World War on the years that followed in America, immigration, and racial tensions.
8. Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert. Somehow I only really found out about this novel in the last year, despite it being considered one of the great literary works of all time. Madame Bovary struggles in her life to find happiness and contentment, and throughout the novel seeks to attain it through immoral and irresponsible ways. While not my favorite of the world’s great works of literature, I’m always happy to have read these works when I’m through.
9. The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey. I became a big fan of the Dave Ramsey Show this year and after reading this book I have tried my best to start following his plan for financial peace and prosperity. He has helped countless people get out of debt and become more frugal with their money to ultimately build wealth and live abundantly and generously, all using the time-tested method of his seven “baby steps.” I really like his saying “If you will live like no one else now, later you can live and give like no one else.”
10. The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday. After I read Stillness is the Key earlier in the year, I happened to be on vacation a few months later in Austin, Texas near where Ryan Holiday lives and operates a book store. At the store I picked up this signed copy of his most well-known and influential book, The Obstacle is the Way. The title and concept of the book stems from a quote by 2nd century Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius that reads “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Like Stillness, this book is full of timeless teachings and insights that everyone would benefit from reading.
11. Letters from a Stoic, by Seneca. This book is a compilation of the letters(essays) to Lucilius from Seneca, a figure who rose to very high prominence in the government of the Roman Empire. I purchased this book from Holiday’s book store as well, and it is one of the founding writings of the Stoic Philosophy. Basically every page of this book has quotable passages to remember and implement.
12. Enchiridion, by Epictetus. The final book of the year I read on Stoicism, Enchiridion is a collection of notes and teachings from the ancient Roman philosopher Epictetus. Unlike Seneca’s work, these teachings are a little bit more fragmented and not fully fleshed out letters; many of them are closer to short paragraphs or bullet point notes, but the message they carry is powerful nonetheless.
13. Can’t Hurt Me(audiobook), by David Goggins. This book is the memoirs of former Navy SEAL and current ultra-athlete David Goggins. He recounts his extremely hard childhood of a dysfunctional family and abuse he endured, and how once he grew up he decided to completely reinvent his life and pushed himself to the absolute limit of his potential. This included competing in 100+ mile ultra-marathons, and at one point breaking the world record for most pull-ups in 24 hours. A pretty fascinating individual.
14. Herbert Hoover: A Life, by Glen Jeansonne. I was listening to a podcast earlier this year and one of the co-hosts mentioned how Herbert Hoover was one of the truly great figures of the twentieth century despite how everyone just remembers him for being at the nation’s head as it went into the Great Depression. After purchasing and reading this biography, I totally agree and learned so many things about the man I had had no idea about, like his humanitarian relief work in Europe during and after World War I and II. Jeansonne writes in the book: “Hoover fed an estimated 83 million people and was doubtless responsible for saving more lives than any individual in history.” While not without faults, it is unfortunate that Hoover is not remembered in a better light.
15. A Confession(audiobook), by Leo Tolstoy. Russian author of the great War and Peace and Anna Karenina, this book is the personal recounting of the author’s departure from faith, his existential crisis, and his ultimate return to believing in God. Tolstoy’s writing is always a treat for me.
16. The Guns of August, by Barbarba Tuchman. A classic work of military history, Tuchman in this book describes, in excellent and copious detail, the lead-up to and start of World War I. This is one of those books where it would have helped to read it as part of a class or bookclub since it is so detailed and full of complex military maneuvers, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Favorite book of the year: The Storm of War

Runner-Up: Herbert Hoover: A Life

With this year looking to be one of big change for me with my college career finished for the foreseeable future and full time work coming around the corner I have found myself facing a lot of questions about what exactly the right next steps are, and if they are the right steps then how I will know that they are. In a sense, I know generally the kind of life I want to live, what my interests are, and perhaps most importantly what my interests generally aren’t, but moving from step to step can be a big unknown. I’ll often find that while I’m working on some task to get me closer towards one thing(getting my resume sent out to as many places as I can), I might also be thinking that perhaps I am completely ignoring something else I should be doing to get me close to something even more important(seeking a totally different career path?). It’s funny how at each stage of life you are eager to get to the next one(grade school to high school, high school to college, college to graduation)only to realize that once you’re there you kind of miss being in the previous stage in some sense; missing that feeling of guided direction, routine, or knowing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. If I’m being honest, however, the feeling of opportunity and an open future brings more hopeful anticipation than nostalgia, making the anxieties of the coming unknown a lot easier to deal with.

One quote that I have been keeping in the back of my mind during this transition period, and that has helped to give me this greater sense of excitement than fear, is by the ever quotable Marcus Aurelius(2nd century Roman Emperor) from his world-wide known work, Meditations, a book I have mentioned a few times before. In this relatively short book that is literally full of quotable lines, one that has especially stuck with me comes from the seventh “book,” roughly halfway through the work. It reads: “Consider yourself to be dead, and to have completed your life up to the present time; and live, according to nature, the remainder that is allowed you.” Closely related to the major theme in the book overall about doing your best at what you can control and not worrying about the rest, I have found this quote to speak to me in so many ways when my future is uncertain. Studying the work of Marcus Aurelius, a major historical figure, puts me in a historical mindset and leads me to think about how many regular people throughout history would have done anything to have the opportunities that I have right now; opportunities that evaded them for any number of reasons ranging from an early death of violence or disease, or simply because of the life that they were born into. Having the opportunity to make anything I want of my life is a gift that I should appreciate everyday.

While moving away from my life of routine and the predicability of a college schedule is in many ways daunting, thinking about the future as a gift, if nothing else, makes me want to embrace it to the best of my ability. If I found out that today was my last day and in a few minuets I would be gone, what would I wish I had embarked to do had I had years and years left on Earth? The best part is I do have years and years left on Earth to live the remainder that is allowed me the best I can.

Here is my personal book list(no class books) for 2022. Despite not having quite as much free time compared to 2020, I really tried to keep my daily(mostly, haha) reading as consistent as possible, and get a good variety of books read. Here it is!

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. A few years ago I bought three of Russia’s most well-known literary works – War and Peace, The Brothers Karamazov, and this one, and have read one of them per year. While I still think I liked War and Peace the most out of the three due to its historical nature of Russia during the Napoleonic Wars, Anna Karenina is just as impressive of a novel. Following many characters lives during late 19th century Russian Empire, this novel was, yes, very complex but also incredibly enjoyable to journey through.

Marco Polo, by John Man. This was a really interesting biography of the thirteenth century Italian explorer who traveled all the way to the the capital of the Mongol Empire, meeting Kublai Khan himself. Using Marco Polo’s Travels(his notes that he took on his journey) as the basis, Man describes this incredible historical journey, trying to parse the exaggerations and inconsistencies that are prevalent in Polo’s descriptions and write an accurate account, in part by traveling to China himself and walking in the footsteps of where Marco Polo would have been. Marco Polo, through this journey, introduced the Western world to this unknown but vast empire in the East.

Grateful American, by Gary Sinise. While most people probably know Gary Sinise from his many movies and television shows, he has increasingly dedicated much of his time in more recent years to giving back to U.S servicemembers. In the book, he describes how after the attacks of September 11, 2001 he developed a strong sense of duty to our country to support it in any way that he could. In the years since, he has traveled the country and the world to meet active duty troops as well as veterans, including playing shows for them with his band, and in 2011 he launched the Gary Sinise Foundation which supports the nation’s wounded veterans. Overall, an inspiring book, and I was honored to get my book signed by Sinise in September.

Has China Won?, by Kishore Mahbubani. China’s immense rise as a global power since the reforms of the 1980’s has for years been an interest of mine, especially with regards to what its relationship will look like with the U.S. if it ever surpasses it. While this book doesn’t directly answer the question the title poses, Mahbubani argues that contrary to the views of some, China generally wants to rejunivate its own country and population, not dominate the world. Essentially, what he hopes for is that both counties can grow, and prosper together, without any kind of conflict down the line. I’m still by no means an expert on this subject, but I find these kinds of world affairs books really interesting, and I absorb fascinating information nonetheless.

The Strange Career of William Ellis, by Karl Jacoby. This was actually a book that I read large portions of for one of my classes, but I found it so fascinating that a few months later I came back to it and read the whole thing. William Ellis was born into slavery in a small town in Texas just prior to the end of the American Civil War. Throughout his life, Ellis engages in the tactic of “passing” as a Mexican man to avoid segregation and discrimination, and through incredible determination, confidence, and skill rises to incredible heights in American society and beyond. I’m still amazed by this story months after finishing this book.

On the House, by John Boehner. This is the memoir of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives. Although he was speaker before I really followed politics very closely, I always found Boehner to have a likable personality. In addition, I figured his perspective on some of the major events of the Obama years would give me a good different point of view, so I figured why not read the book for those two reasons. It was packed full of interesting stories of his experiences, and I found myself giggling at many points from his sense of humor. While not necessarily a groundbreaking book, it is definitely an enjoyable read for those interested in some inside stories from the world of politics.

Descent, by Tim Johnston. I wanted to read a few thrillers this year, and one that I picked was Descent. For the most part, it was the standard formula for a thriller novel with all the usual aspects. However, something about this one just didn’t hold my interest for large portions of it. It definitely got more exciting towards the end, but during the middle I was admittedly somewhat bored. I don’t mean to knock the book or the author, just giving my honest opinion 🙂

SPQR, by Mary Beard. This was a really good history of the Roman Empire from the earliest beginnings to around the third century. While I love basically all periods of history, Greek and Roman history holds a special place for me, and it’s probably no wonder why “Gladiator” is by far my favorite movie. Overall, if you want a comprehensive history of Ancient Rome, Mary Beard’s biography is a great one. SPQR means “The Senate and People of Rome,” and she does a great job intertwining both of them into a concise but complete history.

Putin’s World, by Angela Stent. This book presents a look into Russia under Vladimir Putin and how it interacts with the rest of the world. The U.S. has had a very rough relationship with Russia, despite three attempted “resets,” and right now at the end of 2021 this could hardly be clearer. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Russia’s fall from a prominent place in world politics in the 90’s, Putin, when he took over after Boris Yeltsin, sought to turn this around. He views the former Soviet Union states as being within Russia’s historical sphere of influence, and wants to see Russia ascend to a being a great world power again. How the U.S. and Russia, the “rivals,” deal with each other going forward is incredibly important.

Notes from Underground, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I read this book after listening to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, The Martyrmade Podcast with Darryl Cooper. In this 5 hour episode called “The Underground Spirit,” Cooper compares and contrasts the lives of Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche, two existentialist authors of the nineteenth century, and mentions this novel as one of his favorite all time books. I picked it up for pretty cheap, and found it to be an intriguing work from the author of The Brothers Karamazov; at times rambling, but offering a fascinating look into the thought processes of the author.

Washington, by Ron Chernow. Ron Chernow is probably my favorite biographer, and I have read his biography of Alexander Hamilton and Ullysses S. Grant in recent years as well. This was either the longest or second longest book I read this year(after or before Anna Karenina) and I really enjoyed every page of it. Its amazing how after reading this biography, you realize how normal of a person George Washington really was… he wasn’t the best speaker, philosophizer, or politician, but a humble, soft-spoken man who was often times uncomfortable in his position of authority. A theme in the book was how very oftentimes when he would be away at war, or governing in New York or Philadelphia, he constantly longed to get back to his wife and quiet farm life at Mount Vernon, a place I have had the opportunity to visit twice now. I really hope Chernow writes another biography so I can add it to a future reading list.

The Archer’s Tale, by Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell is an author that I became familiar with in the last two years who writes historical fiction. This one is the first in a series known as the Grail Quest series that takes place during the Hundred Years War between England and France, and despite its gory and violent scenes, I imagine I’ll be reading a lot more of his books in the future.

Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy. Apparently loosely based on historical context and events in the mid-1800’s United States-Mexico borderlands, this novel follows a runaway teenager from Tennessee who heads out west, and after getting put in prison, gets released to join a scalp-hunting gang. This novel deals with some gruesome, uncomfortable material, but has become known as a great American novel since its release in 1985.

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis. I reread this book after including it on my reading list in 2018, and is one of a few books which I can see myself reading every few years or so. It was written in the early 1400’s, and has become one of the most read books in the world. Essentially, the message of the book is as the title suggests, living a life that reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ in the gospels.

Favorite book of the year: The Strange Career of William Ellis.

Runner up: Anna Karenina.

With the end of the year here, I have made my list of all the books I read during the year of 2020. Despite this year being negative for so many reasons, one of the positives I have found in it is the extra free time I have had to read books. Instead of commuting to school/the office everyday, and with many things like sports being cancelled, I have found myself with extra free time to fill. For the most part, I have tried to fill a large portion of this extra free time with reading, and I am happy to see that the number, and volume of books that I was able to read has increased from previous years. Here is my list, in the order I read them:

1. Alexander The Great, by Philip Freeman (330 pages). An excellent biography of the ancient Macedonian king and conqueror by one of my old Pepperdine professors, Freeman also has a great ability to incorporate his storytelling skill into it as well, making this seem like so much more than a bland chronology of events, and more like a novel that you just want to keep reading. It was fascinating to learn about the massive influence that Alexander the Great had on the world, and the incredible feats he accomplished, all before dying at the very young age of 32.
2. Never Give In, by Stephen Mansfield (225 pages). I wanted to read some sort of biography about Winston Churchill this year, but instead of reading a thousand page book, of which there are many, I found this little gem, which is sort of a mixture of a biography about the man and a commentary on his character traits. Among the many great character traits of Churchill was his mantra to “never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.”
3. 12 Rules For Life, by Jordan Peterson (368 pages). I had heard so many people talking about this book ever since it came out, and I finally decided to read it this year after listing to a podcast with the author. Overall, a very insightful book on how to bring more order into your life through a series of 12 rules, such as my personal favorite: “Set your house in perfect order before your criticize the world.”
4. The Freedom of a Christian/Letter to Pope Leo X, by Martin Luther (63 pages). One of Luther’s major reform treatises, in this work Luther describes his belief in the enormous freedom that Christians have simply because of their faith in God. They are, in other words, justified by their faith.
5. Fortitude, by Dan Crenshaw (244 pages). Dan Crenshaw is a current U.S Representative, and a former Navy Seal who was nearly blinded when an IED destroyed his right eye and nearly his left as well. In this book, Crenshaw discusses what he believes all Americans can do to collectively make our nation stronger and more resilient. An excellent read from someone who may differ from me in some ways politically, but whom I have a lot of respect for nonetheless.
6. Don Quixote, by Miguel De Cervantes (940 pages). A world classic that’s one of the most highly praised books ever written, Don Quixote is the story of a 16th century man who reads too many books on chivalry, goes crazy, and becomes a self-made knight-errant who is accompanied by his squire, Sancho Panza. Within this charming, hilarious work, there are countless lessons and morals to learn from Don Quixote, who strives to live up to the highest honor code of chivalry. I’ve never quite read a book like Don Quixote.
7. Richard The Third, by Paul Murray Kendall (464 pages). I wanted to read some kind of book about Medieval Europe, so I chose this biography about Richard III, a 15th century King of England. While it is definitely a well written book by a knowledgeable author, I found the style of it somewhat dry, and I had a hard time getting through this dense biography. However, Medieval Europe interests me a lot, so that was enough to keep me going with this book.
8. A Doubter’s Almanac, by Ethan Canin (551 pages). I bought this novel several years ago, and I finally read it this summer. I didn’t even know what it was going to be about when I started reading it, but it was honestly the best modern day novel I have read in a long time. I recommend!
9. Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius (99 pages). I reread this book again this year, and it is packed full of amazing philosophical understandings by the 2nd century Roman emperor. This writing greatly influenced the development of the stoic philosophy, which teaches, among other principles, to take care of what you can, don’t worry about what you cannot, and to not let the opinions of others negatively influence you.
10. Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder (301 pages). This book is the story of a real world hero named Paul Farmer, a selfless, yet driven doctor whose mission was to cure the world of disease. For Paul Farmer, no one’s problem is too small for his attention, and no country is too poor or helpless to try to rid it of infectious disease.
11. The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky (776 pages). After reading War and Peace last year, I wanted to read something from Russia’s other famous author, Dostoevsky. To my surprise, I found this work to be much less enjoyable to my personal taste than Tolstoy’s masterpiece, and similar to Richard The Third, I also had a hard time getting through this one. Though it is an admirable piece of literature, I guess this one just wasn’t for me. However, I’m thinking about reading it again in several years to see if the second time’s the charm.
12. Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell (437 pages). This was an excellent historical novel based on the famous battle during the Hundred Years War between England and France. Although it was pretty gruesome in a lot of chapters, it was full of charm and suspense that led to me reading this book pretty rapidly. I’ll probably be reading more of Cornwell’s books in the future.
13. The Woman in the Window, by A.J Finn (427 pages). The first thriller book I have read in a long time, I forgot how addicting these are. Full of the usual twists and cliff hangers, I read this book faster than I ever thought I would, simply because I couldn’t put it down.
14. Character is Destiny, by John McCain (455 pages). This book is one of several that the late Senator John McCain wrote throughout his life; this one focusing on men and women throughout history who have exemplified all types of good character traits that defined their lives, and that we should emulate. John McCain didn’t believe in destiny, but rather that a person’s character is what would make them happy or not in life.
15. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (337 pages). A feel good novel about an old man whose wife has died, but who comes to find meaning and happiness again through the people around him; people whom he probably never would have associated with.
16. The Soul of America, by Jon Meacham (272 pages). I really liked this book by Presidential historian Jon Meacham, which details times in our history when we have gone through struggles and crises, but how better times come afterwords. Our country today is facing its own set of struggles and crises, but as Meacham says, we cannot loose sight of our better angels.
17. The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols, by Jocko Willink, Dave Berke, and Sarah Armstrong( 84 pages). This is a really powerful book that lays out a blueprint for striving to become, as the authors describe, an eminently qualified human. At its core, this comes down to identifying your path, getting on the path, and staying on the path by means of “unmitigated daily discipline in all things.”
18. The History of Russia in 50 Events, by Stephan Weaver (85 pages). This was a really interesting, short book on the history of Russia, from the earliest civilization to the modern times, told through the details of 50 broad events/time periods.
19. Profiles in Courage, by John F. Kennedy (225 pages). Similar in format to John McCain’s book, here JFK chronicles times in U.S history when members of the Senate have displayed great acts of courage even when they knew their constituencies would not approve; they did the right thing regardless of the outcome. A very special book in American history.

Audiobooks:

1. Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I discovered Jocko’s podcast this year, and soon thereafter I listened to this book that he wrote with his fellow former Navy Seal, Leif Babin. Essentially, extreme ownership entails taking complete responsibility for everything single thing in your life, not deflecting blame every chance you get. Especially in positions of authority, the leader is responsible for everything that goes on with their subordinates. If something goes wrong, it is the leader’s responsibility to take ownership of it.
2. The World: A Brief Introduction, by Richard Haass. This was a really cool book about the modern workings of the world, and why the world’s systems are the way they are. As Haass said in the book, this book might not enable the listener to become fluent in international relations, but they will at least be conversational. Overall, a very informative book about material that interests me a lot.

Favorite book of the year: Don Quixote.

Runner up: Extreme Ownership.

While there are obviously many different motivations that drive people to achieve happiness and success in the world, and different people get inspiration from different things, one common source that I imagine is prevalent amongst most people is having role models and inspirational people to look up to to try to emulate. Maybe for a young child, this is hearing a famous singer on the radio and wanting to be a star singer someday as well. Or maybe for an aspiring entrepreneur, this is seeing someone like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and striving to emulate their same work ethic and “outside the box” thinking and innovation. In a book I read earlier this year, Fortitude, by Congressman Dan Crenshaw, who is someone I admire quite a bit, I thought he did a really good job at exploring this idea about finding your heroes to help you strive to be a better person in all walks of life.

Crenshaw refers to this in the book’s chapter, “Who is Your Hero?,” as the idea of hero archetypes. As he explains, people have been looking to heroes, real and fictional, for as long as civilization has existed, and used lessons from them to apply to their own lives to become better versions of themselves. “It’s a very human thing to tell stories of the people, often mythical characters, whom we should learn from.”(37). However, having heroes does not mean looking to one person and idealizing them as the one person who you want to emulate in all ways; everyone, no matter how praise worthy they are, has their own set of faults and unworthy characteristics if one looks past the surface. You might, for example, look at someone like Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander the Great and admire them for their great leadership abilities, and the influence that they had on the world. Both of them, however, had numerous faults, including a seemingly general disregard for human life in their quests for power. Emulating everything about either of these men would obviously be a bad thing. Hero archetypes, on the other hand, is a more abstract way of thinking about your heroes. As Crenshaw writes, these hero archetypes are “symbols or stories that project a set of ideas, values, and collective knowledge. In another sense, heroes are the visualization for a set of goals you are setting for yourself”(37). Whatever path I’m on in life, there is always someone who has done a better job than me, handled a situation more effectively, or gone farther with fewer resources. Finding these people, and trying to learn their methods and mindsets, can only lead to good things.

After reading Crenshaw’s book, I thought about who some of my hero archetypes would be, and without naming anyone that I know personally, a few of them include:

Bruce Dickinson: The lead singer of my favorite band, Iron Maiden, Bruce is a truly authentic person who tirelessly pursues the things that he is passionate about in life. He had a rather rough childhood, attended boarding school, joined Iron Maiden in his early 20’s, became a professional fencer, earned a commercial pilot’s license, and has continued to produce outstanding albums with the band far into their career. Perhaps what I admire most about Bruce, along with the entire Iron Maiden band, is that they make music exactly the way they want to, without worrying about what anyone else will think. Their songs are about historical figures, historical military battles, epic mythical tales, and even a song about the R101 airship; and despite very little radio play, they have an extremely large and loyal fanbase who love the music they make. Ryan Holiday, the bestselling author on philosophy and stoicism, has claimed that pretty much everything he has learned about writing is from Iron Maiden. People, me included, love the authenticity of Bruce and the band. My hero archetype of Bruce Dickinson that I want to emulate is someone who rigorously pursues their passions, and who shares their interests with the world in my own unique way.

Jocko Willink: A former Navy Seal who hosts a weekly podcast that I have become a big fan of this year, Jocko seems like the epitome of a person with habits and character traits to emulate; he served honorably as a U.S Navy Seal for 20 years, he wakes up at 4:30am every morning(seriously every morning, look at his Instagram account for proof), he runs a successful apparel company, a leadership consulting firm, owns a jiu jitsu gym, and has authored a number of successful books. A good way to sum up the hero archetype of Jocko Willink is to be someone who takes extreme ownership; everything in your world, whether it seems like it at first or not, is your responsibility, not someone else’s. I honestly think about this all the time when something isn’t going right, or I want to blame someone else for some problem or nuisance. Maybe I get frustrated if the sink is full of dishes(if I do the dishes, this won’t be a problem anymore). Or maybe, someday if someone works for me and they do an unsatisfactory job at a particular task, I get frustrated and want to punish them(what if instead I think, “I obviously did a poor job explaining the job to this person, I will be more thorough next time,” or “I need to be more careful when I go through the hiring process to find a better fit for the job”). It may seem weird at first, but if you take responsibility for everything in your own life rather than trying to blame someone else, even if it seems justified, everything will work out better.

Alexander Hamilton: Along with many others, Ron Chernow’s excellent biography, Hamilton, as well as the Broadway play that it inspired, introduced me to the incredible human that was Alexander Hamilton. A soldier in the Revolutionary War, a statesman, and an incredibly prolific writer and speaker, Hamilton was instrumental in the formation of our earlier nation. While many time in history, people with strong ambitions in politics and government end up leaving a lot of destruction in their wake(I mentioned Napoleon and Alexander the Great earlier), Hamilton’s ambitions evidently were much more virtuous; he was determined to make the American government as durable and long lasting as possible, and on countless occasions was not afraid to stand up for what he believed to be right. On one occasion, at the Constitutional Convention, in a hot room during the mid summer with poor ventilation, he argued his case in an over six hour long speech, with no break for lunch. As Chernow put it in his book, “It was predictable that when the wordy Hamilton broke silence, he would do so at epic length”(231). From Hamilton, I learn to speak my mind for what I believe is right, and never stop reading, studying, and writing.

As Crenshaw writes, having these hero archetypes means that you try to take the best qualities of all of these people, and implement them into your own life to make your world better. However, it is understandable that many people may not know what they should focus their life on, and who in turn should be their hero archetypes. Therefore, I thought it would be appropriate to end with what Crenshaw calls the “American Ethos;” something that all of us, no matter our life goals or political differences, can live by, and from there, determine our heroes as we see fit. It goes like this:

“I will not quit in the face of danger or pain or self-doubt; I will not justify the easier path before me. I decide that all my actions, not just some, matter. Every small task is a contribution toward a higher purpose. Every day is undertaken with a sense of duty to be better than I was yesterday, even in the smallest ways. I seek out hardship. I do not run from pain but embrace it, because I derive strength from my suffering. I confront the inevitable trials of life with a smile. I plan to keep my head, to be still, when chaos overwhelms me. I will tell the story of my failures and hardships as a victor, not a victim. I will be grateful. Millions who have gone before me have suffered too much, fought too hard, and been blessed with far too little, for me to squander this life. So I won’t. My purpose will be to uphold and protect the spirit of our great republic, knowing that the values we hold dear can only be preserved by a strong people. I will do my part. I will live with Fortitude.”

I believe that anyone who believes and tries to live by these principles is a good example of a hero archetype.

During this coronavirus pandemic, one of the things that I have made an intentional effort to do with some of the extra free time I have is to immerse myself into the vast catalogues of rock and heavy metal music, which contain albums and songs that I have loved for years, but which I have only barely began to scratch the surface in hearing. Over the last few months, I have discovered a ton of new albums, which while they now rank among my favorites, I probably would never have heard if I did not make this conscious effort to discover and listen to them. Having gone through the whole summer now of this endeavor, I decided to make a list containing my favorite albums of all time, some of which I have known and loved forever, but many of which I have only discovered recently. I got this idea from one of my favorite Youtube channels, Sea of Tranquility, hosted by music writer and fanatic Pete Pardo who is essentially my go-to for rock music knowledge and information, and who does all sorts of music rankings and lists on his channel. While I anticipate my list to change in the months and years ahead, and I am curious to see how different/similar it may be in the future, here is, for now, my top 20 favorite albums of all time.

20. Holy Diver, by Dio. The debut album from the great heavy metal singer, Ronnie James Dio(who will show up again in my list). Dio was a member of a number of successful bands, and this album from his solo career definitely holds up on its own to any of them. My favorite song on the album: “Caught in the Middle.”

19. Hemispheres, by Rush. I had never listened to very much Rush prior to this summer, mainly because I thought that I really just didn’t like the band all that much. It turns out, I really just hadn’t listened to very much of their music. Haha. Of the several Rush albums I’ve heard now, this one is at the top for me. My favorite song on the album: “Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres.”

18. In Rock, by Deep Purple. One of the pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal music alongside Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple are my favorite of the three if for no other reason than they feature Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, and this album is one of their best. My favorite song on the album: “Child in Time.”

17. Rage Against the Machine, by Rage Against the Machine. A longtime favorite of mine, this debut album from Los Angeles rock band Rage Against the Machine is full of outstanding tracks. Although quite a harsh(not sure exactly the word I’m looking for) album, I can’t think of a better list of tracks to get me pumped up and moving no matter how tired I am. My favorite song on the album: “Know Your Enemy.”

16. Stained Class, by Judas Priest. Judas Priest is a band that I have “liked’ for a long time, but only known a handful of tracks from. After listening to several of their albums now, Stained Class is my second favorite album by this British band, and features one of my all time favorite guitar solos by Glenn Tipton on “Beyond the Realms of Death, which is also my favorite song on the album.

15. A Night at the Opera, by Queen. I still haven’t listened to that much of Queen’s catalogue but this album is a favorite of mine regardless. Queen is one of the most unique bands I’ve ever heard, and it is a thrill listening to this album, top to bottom. My favorite song on the album: “Love of my Life.”

14. Vulgar Display of Power, by Pantera. Another longtime favorite of mine, I was hugely into Pantera during my high school and early college years. While I don’t listen to the band very much anymore, this album will always have a special place in my heart(that sounds cheesy for such a heavy album). My favorite song on the album: “This Love.”

13.Greatest Hits, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’ve actually never heard a complete Red Hot Chili Peppers album, but there was no way I could leave them off of this list because some of the songs that I do know are among my absolute favorites. Thus, I had to put this greatest hits album on, all the tracks of which I have heard. My favorite song on the album: “Scar Tissue.”

12. Van Halen, by Van Halen. The debut album by this California rock band, it contains some of my favorite guitar tones ever by Eddie Van Halen himself, and extremely catchy songs all the way through. My favorite song on the album: “Jamie’s Cryin’.”

11. Back in Black, by AC/DC. Second only to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in sales worldwide, this album is the band’s first to feature new lead singer Brian Johnson after the tragic death of Bon Scott. On pretty much all of their albums AC/DC figured out a simple formula that just simply worked perfectly. My favorite song on the album: “Back in Black.”

10. Hall of the Mountain King, by Savatage. One of the lesser known bands on my list, Savatage are a Floridian heavy metal band, and this album is absolutely great. Like a few of these picks as I get higher on my list, it is an album that, in my opinion, does not have a single weak track on it. My favorite song on the album: “Legions.”

9. Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll, by Rainbow. Notably featuring Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Rainbow achieved their greatest success on the album that preceded this one. However, I enjoy this one ever so slightly more, and of all the albums featuring Blackmore, I like his work on this album the best. My favorite song on the album: “Lady of the Lake.”

8. Force It, by UFO. One of the most underrated bands ever, UFO have in recent years become one of my favorite bands. Led by the prodigious guitarist Michael Schenker, this album contains some of the band’s most stand out hits. My favorite song on the album: “Let it Roll.”

7. Bad Reputation, by Thin Lizzy. Of all the bands that I have come to appreciate more and more in these last few months, no one even comes close to Thin Lizzy. While for most people(including me until recently) the only Thin Lizzy song they’ve heard is “The Boys are Back in Town,” this band has a number of absolutely stellar albums, and Bad Reputation is my second favorite. My favorite song on the album: “Dear Lord.”

6. Sad Wings of Destiny, by Judas Priest. My favorite album by Judas Priest, this album came out early in their career, and features the band in a somewhat more mellow tone, before they developed a heavier sound on their albums to follow. I mentioned Glenn Tipton in pick number 16, and I’ll say here again what an outstanding guitar player he is. My favorite song on the album: “Dreamer Deceiver.”

5. The Number of the Beast, by Iron Maiden. The only band that deserves to get three picks on my list, this is my third favorite album from Iron Maiden. It contains many of their most well-known songs, and with the exception of 2 that I don’t care for all that much, it is a landmark heavy metal album that I have loved for many years. My favorite song on the album: “22 Acacia Avenue.”

4. Powerslave, by Iron Maiden. My second favorite Iron Maiden album, I still remember listing to this album from start to finish for the first time and basically deciding right then that this was my favorite band. While I like one of their albums slightly more now, it would be hard to make this one any better. My favorite song on the album: “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

3. Lights Out, by UFO. Featuring some of my favorite guitar work of any album ever, Michael Schenker again makes my list in this album, which is UFO’s most well known one. Whether you’re a fan of rock, heavy metal, or anything else, it’s hard to imagine someone couldn’t find something on this album that they like. My favorite song on the album: “Try Me.”

2. Piece of Mind, by Iron Maiden. My favorite album from my all time and long time favorite band, I can’t get enough of these songs. This is the second album to feature vocalist Bruce Dickinson and the third for guitarist Adrian Smith, and it is evident that the band completely found their stride with this perfect album, start to finish. My favorite song on the album: “Revelations.”

1. Jailbreak, by Thin Lizzy. Right now it is about 4 months since I listened to this album for the first time, and I don’t think a day has passed where I haven’t played at least one song from it. Of all the albums on this list, in my opinion this is the closest one to being a truly perfect album; there is literally not one song that isn’t outstanding, and when I got the idea to make this list I knew from the start that this had to be number 1 for me. I highly recommend setting aside 40 minuets and listening to it. RIP Phil Lynott. My favorite song on the album: “Cowboy Song.”

After reading Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece last year, War and Peace, I was interested to see what other writings from him might interest me to possibly read this year. Researching what other works he has written, I came across his other famous writings such as Anna Karenina, and The Kingdom of God is Within You, as well as others which, though I may read some day, I did not want to commit to at the moment. However, one work that I found that stuck out to me from its intriguing title, and that isn’t even a book but more of a short story, is titled The Three Questions. I found a webpage that had the entire text of it, and after reading the whole thing through in a relatively short sitting, I was reminded of Tolstoy’s unique way of presenting his philosophy. War and Peace is filled with pages and pages of Tolstoy’s deep philosophical understandings, especially in the later parts of the book, but due to the book’s length and complexity can be overwhelming to decipher and apply practically. The Three Questions, however, is much more accessible to the average person, and has a powerful lesson in it to apply to life. While the whole short story is worth the read, and can be found for free online, I’ve summed it up right here with its key points and message:

The Three Questions is about a king, from an unnamed kingdom, who comes to the conclusion that if he can find the answers to three certain questions, then he will never fail again at anything he undertakes. The three questions are: 1. When is the right time for me to begin everything? 2. Who are the right people to listen to, and who are the people I should avoid? 3. What is the most important thing for me to do? To find the answers to these questions, the king proclaimed throughout the land that if anyone could deliver him the answers to these three questions, he would give them a great reward. People from all over the kingdom came to the king and told him that they knew the answers to his questions; telling him how he could know when the right time to begin everything was, who the most important people for the king to be around were, and what the most important occupation for him to attend to was. All the answers he got from these people, however, differed greatly, leaving the king still in question.

The king decided, therefore, to consult a hermit, who was well renowned for his wisdom, to answer these three questions for which he longed to know the answers. After leaving his body guard and his horse, and changing out of his royal attire because the hermit would only receive common folk, the king approached the hermit who was toiling outside of his hut and visibly exhausted. When the king asked the hermit his questions, the hermit immediately looked back down and continued digging with his shovel, neglecting to answer the king. Instead of asking again, the king took the hermit’s shovel and began helping him, telling him to take a break and rest for a while. After asking a few more times for an answer to his questions, and the hermit each time declining to answer, there all of a sudden appeared a man running towards them from out of the woods, holding his hands against his bleeding stomach, and falling at the feet of the king when he reached him. Immediately the king rushed to his help, washing his wounded stomach where he was bleeding, bandaging him up, and making him a bed for the night where he could lie down and heal. In the morning, the wounded man was overwhelmed with gratitude towards the king and asked him for his forgiveness. “I do not know you, and have nothing to forgive you for” the king said, puzzled by what the man could have meant. The man then told him that he had come the day before to kill him as an act of vengeance, because the king had executed his brother and taken his property away from him. When he came upon the king’s bodyguard that was stationed away from the hermits hut, however, the bodyguard had recognized the man and wounded him before the man could escape, running toward the king and the hermit with his wound bleeding. The man told the king that he would have surely bled to death had he not dressed his wounds, and again expressed his gratitude towards the king, who in return forgave the man and returned his property that he had seized from him.

After the wounded man left, the king went once more to the hermit to ask for an answer to his three questions before he left. The hermit, looking up at the king, said “You have already been answered!”, “Do you not see?” The hermit recounted the events that had just occurred over the last day regarding the wounded man, telling the king that had he not stayed yesterday to help him dig, the man would have attacked him as he was walking back to his horse and bodyguard. In essence, the hermit tells him: the most important time was when you were digging with the shovel, I was the most important person, and helping me was your most important occupation. Later on, after the wounded man came running at them, the most important time was when you were helping him, he was the most important person, and what you did for him was the most important occupation.

“Remember then,” the hermit tells the king,: “there is only one time that is important – and that is now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary man is he with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with any one else. And the most important thing to do is, to do good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life!”

In the book I am currently reading, Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, I came across a line that really didn’t have all that much to do with the plot of the book, but really made me think. The line reads “The best sauce in the world is hunger.” The first thought that came to my mind when I read this are the memories I have of backpacking up to Topa Topa mountain in Ojai, CA. It is about a 10 mile hike to the top, mostly consisting of steep trails and switchbacks, and I remember how when I finally reached the summit and had a meal with my hiking crew, no matter what the meal was, it tasted better than anything else in the world, or at least it seemed so at the time. I remember the coffee that my dad brewed at the top of the mountain after a 10 hour day of hiking with only water to drink, and how to this day I have not had a cup of coffee that tasted that good no matter how perfectly I make it.

So is there a way to make food taste this good on a regular basis, without having to hike 10 miles up a mountain? I believe that there is, and just like the mountain scenario, it doesn’t have to do with the food itself but more of the mental and physical state you are in. If you go into any grocery store and start walking down the aisles, you will see thousands of products saying things like “BURSTING WITH FLAVOR,” or “MAX FLAVOR,” or “FLAVOR EXPLOSION,” all essentially trying to tell the consumer that if they would just buy this product they will find the flavor experience that they are craving and looking to satisfy. However if you look at the back of these products, and the vast majority of products sold in a typical grocery store, you will find ingredients that are truly detrimental to your health that human beings were never meant to eat. They are loaded with highly refined sugar, processed vegetable oils, msg, and countless artificial ingredients that are hard to pronounce. There has to be a better way to experience the rich flavor that food has to offer and that we want, without sacrificing our health.

Having just read 12 Rules for Life, by Jordan Peterson, I want to give my 3 rules for nutrition for getting the most out of what you eat, both in terms of nourishment, and enjoyment. After all, we are created to enjoy the food we eat. The first rule: Think about each and every thing you put into your body. This first rule requires what I think of as the mind to tongue connection(people familiar with weight training may know of the mind to muscle connection). Before you eat anything, think about why you are eating it, and how it is going to help nourish your body. You’ll find that by doing this, you are very unlikely to pick up a bag of potato chips at 11am. I promise, you are not so hungry that you will not be able to make it to lunch without a snack, and nothing in that bag of chips is going to help you in any way live a healthy life. Instead, wait until you can eat a real, healthy meal that will actually give your body the nutrition that it needs, and it will taste so much better than any junk food you might think you want. Ever since I have started incorporating this mind to tongue connection, I have never once regretted not grabbing a slice of pizza at a pizza party, or having just one slice of bread to hold me over. Always think: I don’t need it, and when I do eat my actual nutritious food I’ll be proud of myself for not giving in to my craving.

The second rule: think about your nutrition as one of the most important things in your life. Next to your faith and family is there really anything more important than your health? Think about the extent you would go to to make sure your family is healthy and their future secure. Think about the time and effort you put into a career that brings you income and sustenance. Why is it then that so many people are fine with eating a diet full of processed foods and artificial ingredients that yes, might taste good, but that are only leading you towards pain and suffering in the future. When you think of nutrition as one of the most important things in your life, and for yourself personally perhaps the most important thing, then you will no longer be ok with this, and will start implementing rule 1 into your life: thinking about each and every ingredient you put into your body.

The third rule: eat foods that humans are supposed to eat. I have a whole other blog post about what I believe is the proper human diet(the ketogenic diet), but no matter how you choose to eat, try to eat single ingredient foods that you know will nourish your body. I promise, you don’t have to buy foods that have labels bragging about how they are bursting with flavor, and often even claim to be healthy in order to eat tasty, satisfying foods. I used to think that I could never make food as “tasty” as something I could get in a drive thru, or as “tasty” as my favorite cereal, but when I use the mind to tongue concept, my bacon and eggs that I make all the time tastes much better. I’m hungry and looking forward to it when I eat it, I know that everything in it is nourishing my body and providing it what it needs, and yes, it tastes delicious. After I eat a filling meal like that, I wouldn’t even want the junk foods that I crave sometimes when I’m hungry.

I try to follow these three “rules” as much as I can, and I have found that even if I am not climbing a strenuous mountain, I can still make the food I eat to fuel and replenish myself taste extremely good. I get to taste the wonderful flavors that whole, real foods provide while also knowing that I am feeding my body what it needs to live long and healthy. That’s the best sauce you can ask for.

The following is a list of all the books that I read in 2019. Like last year, I didn’t include any books that I was required to read for my classes, and only included books that I read in their entirety. Keeping this list has really been fun, and it keeps me motivated to stay up on my reading throughout the year knowing that I am going to post this at the end. Overall, I’m more happy with the diversity of books I read this year compared to last year, as last year I didn’t read a single novel. However, I still seem to have a thing for really long books haha.

1. Undaunted Courage, by Stephen E. Ambrose (484 pages). This book was recommended to me by a friend, and documents the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark. It’s told from the perspective of Meriwether Lewis, the expedition’s de facto leader and co-captain, and the name of the book is absolutely accurate.

2. What Does This Button Do?, by Bruce Dickinson (367 pages). An autobiography written by the lead singer of one of my all-time favorite bands, Iron Maiden, Dickinson is truly a remarkable human. Not only is he the lead singer of one of the world’s biggest bands, he is also an airline captain(he fly’s the bands tour plane around), a beer brewer, a screenwriter, and a professional fencer. He was also recently named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo for a show he played there during the siege of the city in 1994, an incredible part of the book.

3. The Hundred-Year Marathon, by Michael Pillsbury (244 pages). This book was an interesting read regarding what the author calls China’s secret plan to overtake America as the world’s dominant power by the year 2049, the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the nation. I decided to read this book after taking a class titled “East Asia Survey,” where the rise of China was a major theme that interested me. Mixed feelings about this book, but interesting nonetheless.

4. Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovannni della Mirandola (28 pages). A major work of the Renaissance, it took me about two hours to read this relatively brief writing. Although short, it was pretty dense, and took effort to keep my concentration haha.

5. The Shack, by William P. Young (246 pages). This book was recommended to me by several people, and was a really moving book. A really unique take on a man’s interaction with God and dealing with tragedy.

6. Napoleon, by Andrew Roberts (810 pages). The first and only historical biography I read this year(what a difference from last year!), this biography of Napoleon Bonaparte set me up perfectly for the legendary book I was to read later in the year. A man of seemingly unending ambition, he rose from a boy born on the island of Corsica, became a military general by the age of 24, and Emperor of the French from 1804-1814, and again in 1815 during the infamous Hundred Days. While he has a mixed legacy due to the Napoleonic Wars he waged that engulfed Europe, Napoleon brought about many reforms during his reign, most famously the Napoleonic Code. One of the most consequential people in history.

7. The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence (100 pages). My mom gave me a copy of this spiritual devotional a while back and I enjoyed reading it this year. Written by Nicholas Herman, of Lorraine(Brother Lawarence). A wonderful book about seeking God in all situations in life.

8. All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr (530 pages). I heard many good reviews about this book, which tells parallel stories of a girl in Paris who flees with her father after the Nazis invaded during World War II, and a German boy who is enlisted in the war effort and who eventually crosses paths with the girl. I would definitely recommend!

9. War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy (1215 pages). Officially the longest book I’ve ever read, this classic of world literature was a mammoth read, but it was my favorite book that I read this year. After getting about 100 pages in, I almost gave up as I was constantly lost trying to keep up with the plot and all of the characters, but after about the first quarter I was hooked. War and Peace is set in Russia in the early 1800’s, during the time of the French invasion led by Napoleon. Told through the perspective of several aristocratic families who are all affected differently by the conflict with France, it is a novel, a history book, and a philosophy book all in one. In my opinion, one of a handful of books to read before you die.

10. The Adventures of Simplicius Simplicissimus, by Hans Jakob Christoffel Von Grimmelshausen (462 pages). Regarded as the first great German novel, this novel follows the character Simplicius as he travels through the world ravaged by the Thirty Years War in Europe. Although fiction, the book is thought to broadly depict what the author experienced as he lived through the war.

Favorite book of the year: War and Peace.

My most recommend book the year: War and Peace.

Hardest book of the year to get through but would still recommend: The Adventures of Simplicius Simplicissimus.

The other day, I downloaded sheet music for the UFO song “Rock Bottom” to see if I could learn the entire piece of music on guitar, including the highly-praised guitar solo by Michael Schenker. From the very first time I heard this song about five years ago, which came out on UFO’s album Phenomenon in 1974, I was struck by Schenker’s guitar playing and could not believe that I had never heard of this band before. I had originally found this song in an online list of the greatest metal guitar solos of all time, and this song was near the top of the list, which surprised me at first as I had never heard of this band, let alone this song, before. However, after downloading the song(as I had to do before streaming was popular) and listening to it, I was convinced that the list had gotten it right by including this song in the greatest metal guitar solos.

Despite the fact that I loved this guitar solo so much, and could hum just about every note of it in my head, I had never even thought about trying to learn it on guitar. While the rhythm parts of the song are not too difficult and I learned them by ear, the guitar solo, which lasts well over two minuets and includes numerous fast and complex measures, seemed out of my reach to me. I’m not sure what made me decide to try and learn it a few days ago, but I have been practicing it about 30 minuets to an hour per day and, to my surprise, I am actually making it come together quite nicely. When looked at as a whole, this guitar solo is completely overwhelming to me and it would be easy to just say that it’s out of my reach for now and practice easier music. When I take it each measure at a time, however, and give my fingers and mind the time and patience to learn the notes, it all of a sudden begins to feel that it is not out of my reach after all. I can’t play it up to speed yet, but I feel that, with maybe another week or two of practicing, I can get it close to dialed if I really work at it. It makes me remember that my guitar hero’s, Michael Schenker being one of them, are not where they are because of super abilities and talents that only they possess, but because they practiced, and practiced, and practiced, eventually getting to the point where they would write a song like “Rock Bottom” for people like me to enjoy and be inspired by.

UFO continues to be one of my favorite bands today, with some of their other songs such as “Light Out” and “Only You Can Rock Me” being among my top played and, of course, featuring amazing work by Michael Schenker. For anyone that appreciates good rock/metal music, let’s make UFO more popular.