Reading List

  We get asked quite often what we’re reading. Yep… reading. Some of what we read is informative, some are inspirational and some are just plain entertaining. We don’t have many hardback books in our bookshelves but that’s for several reasons; 1. We just don’t have the space; 2. Betsy uses a Kindle and Nook; and 3. Doug is dyslexic and prefers to absorb his information audibly. Books in any form are great!

Here’s a sampling of what we’ve read. Check back, as this list will grow.

The voyages and experiences of Lin & Larry Pardey.

Doug, “It’s his way or the highway.”

Betsy, “Fun read.”

Self Help at its finest, this was first published in 1937 and is timeless on learning how to get along in the big world.

When bad decisions, dry rot, and Hurricane Sandy meet!
Betsy,”Being so recent, you can actually see videos of the rescue on YouTube. A tragic, but entertaining read.”

“And the Blood ran red…” More than you’ll ever need to know about ships, ship battles and naval warfare in the days of Admiral Nelson.
Betsy,”I really like this. Helped me better understand the rigging and life of the sailors.”

Betsy; “Well written account of some very determined brothers.” Doug; “When someone tells you that’s never been done. Send them a copy of this.”

Consider this nothing less than shameless promotion. Betsy wrote this book (there’s also a Volume 2). Historical vignettes about the people and places in and around Vinita Oklahoma. Good reading if you want to know more about life in the Cherokee Nation and early days Oklahoma 1870-1930.

If you need to get up off the couch, or just find a new outlook on life, this is the book for you. Dyer has written many books and all are good, but this one is still Doug’s favorite.

One of Doug’s favorite books on casting.

Amusing at times, fascinating, and way more information than you’d ever like to know about social biology. If nothing else, you’ll learn why eggs don’t have feet.

In the beginning… The 1831 journey of Charles Darwin to catalogue the biological diversity around the world.

The true story of Dana’s voyage after signing on as a sailor following his graduation from Harvard. Doug, “If you ever think you have it hard, shut-up, sit-down, read-this”

1927 was a very busy year (ie:Lindbergh, Babe Ruth…)and Bryson ties it all up in his usual way. Betsy, “Everything Bryson writes is a great read and this one is loads of fun.”

John Chatterton and John Mattera—are willing to risk everything to find the Golden Fleece, the ship of the infamous pirate Joseph Bannister.

In the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm comes a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery–and make history themselves. Incidentally, this book inspired SV Seeker.

Whatever your fear, here is your chance to push through it once and for all. In this enduring guide to self-empowerment.  We liked this book so much, that we even designed a shirt around it.

• what we are afraid of, and why
• how to move from victim to creator
• the secret of making no lose decisions
• the vital 10-step process that helps you outtalk the negative chatterbox in your brain
• how to create more meaning in your life
And so much more!

One more book with great lessons for storm survival and one more book to convince me never to take part in a race or set a specific arrival date. –Doug

If you have never changed your mind completely about anything, I believe your ego is holding your eyes closed tightly. When I was a teenager I sat in my Biology class stewing, because my Church of Christ belief structure was under attack by evolution. There was no margin for doubt or questioning in the Church of Christ so I went home and started finding the cracks in the theories of evolution. Fortunately there are some sloppy scientist out there and others like me that had already done some bad interpretation of the data. With that I complied a sermon that I delivered to our congregation of like close minded good people.

Excellent book for learning lessons like check list to compensate for exhausted minds. And never leaving the boat until it leaves the surface, and having that conversation with crew. If they have a doubt, have them read this book. Rafts are an easy choice when exhausted. But staying and fighting for life with the resources on the boat is always the better choice. The raft will be there when the boat is gone.

A devoted crew can make being at sea a wonderful experience and even save a ship. But part of a crews job should be to question the skipper. Trying to make deadlines is the same as racing. It will put you places you should not be.

This book connected with me! With the reading speed of a 6th grader I spend countless hours in programs that were going to fix me and learning to hate school. We are such idiots to think that the one shoe fit all approach to education is ever going to give us anything more than homogenized mediocrity.

A fantastic look in genetics and how everything we were taught about genes is completely wrong. You are not the product of your genetics. Those are just blueprints, and you have the ability ignore and select from the blueprints you carry. It is a life changing read into how changing your thoughts really does change your world. I highly recommend it.

 

 A book that follows on the concepts of Richard Dawkins book “The Selfish Gene”. It’s a eye opening look into why we believe the things we believe. And a great read for those who are willing to make their own decisions about what they want to believe.

Doug; “I’m sure someone tried to get me to read this in school, but I have immensely more appreciate for it now. There are a lot of things about this voyage that I want to see as a part of Seeker.”

Doug; “If someone had told me that this book would help me understand and put to words all of the things I hated about my public school education. …I might have actually read it. But I am so happy to have Thoreau talk to me now. Don’t miss this one, no matter your age,”

Absolutely love this book. It teaches two very important lessons. Some sports are designed to let your ego kill you. And more importantly there is a wealth of science being done by unconventional people using unconventional methods that can not be done by the well know oceanographic organizations.

An excellent book with an excellent lesson. Don’t leave your boat, until the boat leaves you. It’s easy to say, but it’s one of those things no one will know until the face it. Bravo to Neil for sharing his story. He has no shortage of courage.

An amazing journey and view into the lives of of the men and women embraced hardship for the sake of learning what was over the horizon.

Former President Roosevelt completed a life long ambition to be an explorer by journeying down a previously uncharted jungle river with Candido Mariano da Silva Rondon who’s story I dare say is better that the Rough Rider himself.   If you want to feel inspired and small by way of your own life achievements, this is the book for you.