Work In Progress

Blog

  • Book Report 2025

    My reading this year was suggest my core interests were becoming more effective, understanding how the world might end, and deciding how to behave politely while it does.

    I spent the year learning how to build wealth, lead teams, persuade humans, raise a family, confront evil, survive apocalypse, and behave decently while the universe collapses. It was a productive year. Slightly bleak, but productive.

    The Algebra of Wealth – Scott Galloway

    Galloway lays out a practical framework for building long-term wealth, comparing it to an “algebra” of factors: focus (choosing the right career path), stoicism (living below your means), time (investing early and consistently), and diversification (spreading risk). The book mixes financial advice with life lessons, stressing that wealth is about freedom, not just money.

    The Coming Wave – Mustafa Suleyman

    A bit wishy-washy, co-founder of DeepMind, Suleyman warns about the coming “wave” of technologies like AI, biotech, and synthetic biology. These advances will transform industries but also pose huge risks, from surveillance to autonomous weapons. He argues for strong guardrails, governance, and global cooperation before innovation outruns our ability to manage it.

    Unreasonable Hospitality – Will Guidara

    Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, shares how making guests feel seen and valued transformed his restaurant into one of the world’s best. His philosophy is that going “above and beyond”, in ways that are personal, creative, and sometimes outrageous, is what creates unforgettable experiences in any business.

    A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety – Jimmy Carter

    The 39th U.S. president looks back on his remarkable journey, from a Georgia farm boy to president, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. He reflects on politics, faith, family, and global service, offering candid stories and lessons from nearly a century of public and private life.

    The Three-Body Problem – Cixin Liu

    After watching Season One, twice, I did it again; read the book. Then the other two. I’ll never learn. This sci-fi epic begins with scientists uncovering a secret first-contact scenario with an alien civilization, the Trisolarans, whose unstable planet drives them to seek a new home. Blending physics, history, and politics, Liu explores humanity’s response to an overwhelming extraterrestrial threat.

    The Dark Forest – Cixin Liu

    Best of the three. The sequel introduces the “dark forest” theory: the universe is a dangerous place where civilizations must remain hidden to survive. Humanity, aware of the approaching Trisolaran fleet, struggles with internal conflict and survival strategy. The novel examines trust, deterrence, and existential risk on a cosmic scale.

    Death’s End – Cixin Liu

    The trilogy’s finale expands to a breathtaking scope across space and time. Humanity and the Trisolarans face higher-level cosmic civilizations, leading to a universe governed by terrifying laws of survival. The book blends hard science, philosophy, and awe-inspiring imagination to close one of sci-fi’s most ambitious sagas.

    A Long Walk to Water – Linda Sue Park

    My son’s summer reading. Based on true events, this novel alternates between two stories in Sudan: Salva, a boy displaced by war in the 1980s, and Nya, a girl in 2008 who spends her days fetching water. Their journeys intersect in a moving tale about survival, resilience, and the life-changing power of clean water.

    The Energy Bus – Jon Gordon

    A fable-style business book about George, a man whose life and work are falling apart until he meets a bus driver and passengers who teach him 10 rules for infusing life with positivity, vision, and teamwork. The story emphasizes that energy, especially optimism, drives success in both business and personal life.

    The Art of Winning – Bill Belichick

    Most love or hate Bill. He’s made some questionable decisions, many of late, but this is still a worth while read. Belichick distills his coaching philosophy into lessons on preparation, discipline, and execution. The book emphasizes process over outcomes: mastering fundamentals, eliminating mistakes, and making situational decisions under pressure. While rooted in football, the insights translate to leadership, team building, and sustained excellence in any high-performance environment.

    The Secret of Secrets – Dan Brown

    I’m a huge fan. This one’s familiar. A fast-paced thriller following Robert Langdon as he uncovers a mystery tied to hidden knowledge, cutting-edge science, and ancient symbolism. As with Brown’s other novels, the story blends real historical references with speculative ideas, exploring themes of power, secrecy, and humanity’s future.

    To Sell Is Human – Daniel H. Pink

    Pink argues that selling is no longer limited to salespeople. So very true. Everyone sells ideas, influence, and themselves daily. He reframes selling as a human skill centered on empathy, clarity, and service rather than manipulation. The book offers research-backed techniques for persuasion, communication, and motivation in modern, non-traditional selling contexts. 

    Notes on Being a Man – Scott Galloway

    As the father of a young man, this hit. Galloway offers candid reflections on masculinity, responsibility, relationships, work, and self-discipline. Drawing from personal experience and social trends, he challenges cultural narratives around success and fulfillment, particularly for young men. The tone is direct and occasionally blunt, focusing on accountability, purpose, and building a stable life over chasing status.

    Graphic Novels

    Saga (Issues 1–70) – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

    An epic space-fantasy following two lovers from opposing sides of a brutal intergalactic war and their child, Hazel. The series blends science fiction, fantasy, and family drama, exploring love, identity, violence, and the cost of conflict. Known for its emotional depth, moral complexity, and fearless storytelling, Saga is as much about parenting and relationships as it is about war.

    Y: The Last Man (Issues 1–60) – Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra

    After a mysterious event kills every male mammal except one man, Yorick Brown, and his monkey, the world is forced to rebuild society without men. The series examines gender, power, grief, and survival through political, social, and personal lenses. It’s less about why the apocalypse happened and more about how humanity adapts afterward.

    Outcast (Issues 1–48) – Robert Kirkman & Paul Azaceta

    A dark horror series centered on Kyle Barnes, a man plagued by demonic possession in his family and hometown. As he investigates the nature of possession, the story shifts from personal trauma to broader questions of faith, evil, and free will. The tone is bleak, psychological, and slow-burning rather than action-driven.

    We Called Them Giants – Kieron Gillen & Stephanie Hans

    A standalone, visually striking sci-fi story about children living alone in a world where mysterious, towering “giants” appear after humanity’s collapse. The book explores loneliness, memory, and growing up in the aftermath of extinction. It’s atmospheric and emotional, relying more on mood and art than exposition.

    Worldtr33 (Issues 1–16) – James Tynion IV & Fernando Blanco

    A techno-horror series about a secret, corrupted version of the internet that connects to horrifying alternate realities. When this hidden network begins leaking into the real world, it threatens global collapse. The story blends conspiracy, body horror, and digital-age anxiety, examining what happens when technology opens doors humanity should never have unlocked.

    In conclusion

    I sought wisdom, discipline, and meaning, found some answers, many warnings, and confirmation that the universe is vast, indifferent, and best faced prepared, curious, and reasonably well-mannered.

    Owen

  • Book Report 2024

    Book Report 2024

    Here we have 10 Non-Fiction, 12 Fiction, and 4 Comic Book series this year. Comics have come a very long way recently. I was finally able to start and finish Tolkien. Too much singing for me but he wasn’t bothered by that. I also started a few more Non-Fiction books that I’ll almost certainly finish but those will go on the 2025 list.

    1. The Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkien; A bunch of misfits—including a short guy with hairy feet, team up to chuck a dangerous ring into a volcano. Chaos, epic battles, and snacks ensue.
    2. Siddhartha – Hermann Hesse; Siddhartha skips normal life to find enlightenment. He tries riches, love, and being a hermit before realizing life is the teacher.
    3. Black Elk – Joe Jackson; Black Elk was a Lakota holy man who juggled visions, buffalo, and history’s unfair punches while trying to keep his people’s spirit alive.
    4. The Bear – Andrew Krivak; A father and daughter rough it in a relatively peaceful apocalypse.
    5. Wool – Hugh Howey; First book in the Silo Series. Once I watched the Apple TV Season 1 I was in. It’s also fun to read about life in a silo. Either way, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when stepping outside means instant death. One person dares to ask if maybe it’s all a lie.
    6. Shift – Hugh Howey; Silo Book 2 tells us how humans ended up living in giant underground bunkers in the first place. This prequel explains all the politics, bad decisions, and shady planning.
    7. Dust – Hugh Howey; Silo Book 3. The underground survivors finally figure out the big picture and it’s messy. Do they keep hiding or face the world above.
    8. Sand – Hugh Howey; Technically a net new series, still being written. I’m not convinced it won’t converge at some point. At any rate, this book tells us just how tough life can be when you live in a desert buried under more desert. Treasure hunters dig for old tech, secrets, and a way out of this sandy mess.
    9. Dark Matter – Blake Crouch; Another Apple TV series. What if your life went off the rails, but in every possible way? A regular guy hops between wild alternate realities to get his family and his sanity back.
    10. Mindset – Carol Dweck; Turns out your brain is like a muscle. You can train it to get stronger, smarter, and way less whiny about failure.
    11. Children of Dune – Frank Herbert; Back to fiction. Paul Atreides’ kids are stuck dealing with their dad’s galactic mess, trying to save Arrakis, while sandworms, politics, and crazy visions keep things spicy.
    12. The Lost Year – Katherine Marsh; Historically based fiction. My son got to read this over the summer for 6th grade so I joined him. This is not a light story. A kid digs into a family secret tied to the Holodomor (look it up), proving that history class is way cooler when it’s personal and full of mystery.
    13. Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros; Dragons, death matches, and drama. Our heroin Violet is trying not to get roasted, literally or figuratively, while proving she’s tougher than she looks.
    14. Iron Flame – Rebecca Yarros; Violet’s back and things are somehow even more chaotic: wars, betrayal, dragons. Basically, everything’s on fire, including her love life. I’ll be ready when Book 3 comes out.
    15. Lincoln on Leadership – Donald T. Phillips; Is Don the world’s bigger Lincoln fanboy? Yes. Probably. Abe Lincoln: part president, part management guru. Learn leadership tips from the guy who handled a civil war and still had time for dad jokes.
    16. From Strength to Strength – Arthur C. Brooks; Getting older isn’t a crisis—it’s a rebrand! Brooks shows how to embrace life’s second half with purpose, wisdom, and way less stress.
    17. 11 Rings – Phil Jackson; Second time reading this one. Basketball’s former Zen master spills the tea on winning 11 championships, wrangling egos, and the triangle offense.
    18. Becoming – Michelle Obama; From South Side kid to FLOTUS, Michelle  shares her inspiring journey.
    19. Co-Intelligence – Ethan Mollick; A must read for those dragging their feet on Generative AI. This one can sometimes feel like fiction but is good at explaining how humans and LLM can team up to solve problems and get stuff done.
    20. The Creative Act – Rick Rubin; Creativity isn’t magic, it’s a vibe. Lean into the process, trust your gut, and make cool stuff.
    21. Never Finished – David Goggins; The author is back to offer more no-nonsense advice: stop whining, start grinding, and keep pushing past your limits because excuses are for quitters. (I skipped his first book. Too many F-bombs was a distraction I was unable to overcome. To be fair, if you said “pizza” every 10th word, I’d also be out). 
    22. Saga (Issues 1–66) – Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples; A wild, intergalactic soap opera about love, war, and raising a kid while dodging bounty hunters, winged warriors, and a TV-headed prince. Epic chaos guaranteed.
    23. The Magic Order (Issues 1–6) – Mark Millar; Wizards in trench coats secretly keep the world safe while battling dark magic, dysfunctional families, and assassins with killer hats. Think Harry Potter meets The Sopranos.
    24. Outcast (Issues 1–48) – Robert Kirkman; Demons, possessions, and one guy’s cursed knack for expelling them. A dark, broody tale about battling evil, fixing broken families, and avoiding casual exorcism chat.
    25. The Chosen One (Trilogy) – Mark Millar; A reluctant hero with a messiah complex takes on destiny, shady villains, and existential crises in a biblical-style showdown for humanity. Divine drama ensues.
    26. Living with a SEAL – Jesse Itzler; The author recounts his month with a Navy SEAL who flips his life upside down with grueling workouts, bizarre habits, and life lessons, all delivered with hilarity, grit, and the occasional absurdity. Not revealed at the time, turns out the SEAL is Goggins.

    Owen

  • Office in a Closet

    Office in a Closet

    Last year in 2023 we decided to move my work from home office from the loft and move it into the guest room. This gave the kids the loft and me a door. We moved my standup desk in, sold the bedroom furniture in the guest room, and bought a sleeper sofa. This year Linda asked if the closet was big enough to make it a tiny office. It is!

  • Book Report 2023

    This will be the second year I’ve put together the list of books I’ve completed during the previous year. This doesn’t include books I’ve started and didn’t finish for whatever reason. Also, no graphic novels, though I might write a separate post to list those. Graphic novels are growing into one of my favorite art forms. I’ve always enjoyed comics books, at least to some degree. I’ve many years’ worth of The Walking Dead and some of the other work coming out of Image (and other creators) is a lot of fun.

    1. 12 Rules for Life – Jordan B. Peterson (Non-Fiction)
    2. Shatterpoint – Matthew Stover (Star Wars Fiction)
    3. Ford County – John Grisham (Fiction)
    4. Dune – Frank Herbert (Fiction)
    5. Look Closer – David Ellis (Fiction – He wrote Gone Girl)
    6. Stardust – Neil Gaiman (Fiction – Based on a comic book)
    7. Dune Messiah – Frank Herbert (Fiction)
    8. Red Rising – Pierce Brown (Fiction)
    9. Rogues – George R.R. Martin (Fiction – Collection)
    10. Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey (Non-Fiction)
    11. CEO Excellence – Carolyn Dewer (Non-Fiction)
    12. It’s Your Ship – Captain D. Michael Abrashoff (Non-Fiction)
    13. The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead (Fiction)
    14. The Tools – Phil Stutz (Non-Fiction)
    15. Redshirts – John Scalzi (Star Trek based Fiction)
    16. The Godfather – Mario Puzo (Fiction)
    17. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni (Non-Fiction)
    18. Scrum – Jeff Sutherland (Non-Fiction)
    19. Death by Meeting – Patrick Lencioni (Non-Fiction)
    20. Battlefield Earth – L. Ron Hubbard (Fiction)
    21. Outlive – Peter Attia, MD (Non-Fiction)
    22. Looking for Alaska – John Green (YA Fiction)
    23. Leaving Time – Jodi Piocoult
    24. Wishtree – Katherine Applegate (Kids Fiction)
    25. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green (YA Fiction)
    26. Annihilation – Jeff VanderMeer (Fiction)
    27. Shiloh – Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Kids Fiction)
    28. The Road – Cormac McCarthy (Fiction)

    A lot more fiction than non-fiction this year. Enjoyed them all. Choosing my favorite fiction book is tough. Redshirts is the most unique, but The Godfather was a lot of fun. It’s a rare book whose movie does it justice. The Road is a McCarthy masterpiece. It’s dark but also hopeful. Battlefield Earth took me about 6 months to finish. I read about two hours a week. Then there is Rogues, a collection. I’ll leave it as a top four. I also read a few Young Adult and Children’s books. My son is in a book club, so I’ve started reading those books. Non-Fiction isn’t as tough but still. Greenlights was the most fun! Outlive and The Tools were both super heavy, not fun.

    Happy new year!

    Owen

  • Three Weeks in February 2014

    For some reason I’ve never finished the story I sketched out describing the three weeks in February 2014 when my dad had his stem cell transplant. I’m dusting this off and sharing it with you. It’s time.

    Harold Allen Brown’s diagnosis went back to November 2012. At least that’s when he shared it. Dad was extremely private about the cancer diagnosis. Multiple Myeloma. Bone marrow cancer. He explained people look at and listen to you differently when they know you have cancer. Dad was never one for pity. He quickly grew tired of those types of reactions. I found out after he died that he’d declined to share his diagnosis with at least one close relative, one who thought they’d been close enough to know. I don’t think many folks these days could pull that off if they wanted to. Not saying it’s good. Don’t think it is necessarily. Rare for certain.

    After the diagnosis I went out to visit him for a week, flew out as soon as I learned. He was extremely down but as the visit stretched on, he seemed to feel better, and our days and evenings were less consumed with screentime and more with talking.

    In the days leading up to the transplant the plan was for his sister to come stay with him. I didn’t think that was likely due to her age and health. I suggested I might be able to come and take care of him. It was something part of me figured wouldn’t happen. The procedure was postponed a few times. The doctors kept saying they wanted dad to wait two weeks. At some point his sister admitted she wasn’t capable. He asked me. Linda agreed. Henrik wasn’t even a year old.

    My flight to Nashville was on Sunday, February 16, 2014. If I recall correctly, this was also the first day of dad’s chemotherapy. My flight from Phoenix to Nashville left at 9:00 AM Arizona Time. Mine was seat B58, the middle seat. I ended up in the isle because a husband and wife wanted to sit together. She was one of the last people on the flight for some reason. Not sure why I took this note. I arrived without incident. Crystelle and Sol picked me up. We ate at Whole foods and did some grocery shopping and got dropped off at the hotel, the Residence Inn close to Vanderbilt. Dad seemed in a good mood all things considered. We visited, Crystell and Sol left. Took a while to get to sleep due to the jet lag. Not sure dad slept much at all.

    Day two of chemo was on Monday February 17. We had a hospital appointment at 11:00 AM. We left the hotel via shuttle at 10:00 AM and arrived at 10:30. Dad got the rest of his chemo, sitting in a chair. Lunch was sandwiches. Dinner was potatoes and quinoa.

    Tuesday was a “rest” day. At least for me. Not so much for dad. I was up and well rested at 6:00 AM. Larry Yarborough came over and took dad to the hospital. I went to the Kroger (grocery store) in Greenhills. Bought lots of groceries. Wasn’t sure how many days dad would have an appetite, but the plan was to eat while the eating was good.

    Oh yeah, while running errands, I saw Eddie George out jogging on Belmont. Nashville is a nice town. It leaves its celebrities live in peace, or at least it used to.

    Wednesday, February 19 was the big day. After chemo to obliterate his immune system back to the day of his birth, it was time to introduce new stem cells. Not so much new, but new to dad. They were his in fact his own stem cells. Donated to himself, scrubbed clean for lack of a more elegant scientific way of describing, and shot back into his body. On this day we walked Love Circle. Ran into some dogs that panicked dad. I didn’t understand his anger at first. Then in a flash I understood. This could be a matter of life and death for him. For the dogs, their owner, and me, it wasn’t immediately apparent. Probably never was to the dog owner.

    Got to see Richtop. John either has an outsized ego, a great sense of humor, or both.

    On Thursday, February 20, they pushed more stem cells. What a couple of days. Intense is an understatement.

    Friday, February 21, was immune system day 1! A unique thing to celebrate. It’s literally like dad’s immune system had its second first birthday. We went for another walk. Looked at many older houses in the Vanderbilt area. Crystelle brought over dinner. It was a very good soup. Yum.

    Weekends in this bubble were… different. Good, but sans work as a distraction. On Saturday, February 22 we went in for a hospital checkup. This was dad’s first day of Neuprogen, white blood cells. Tanya delivered a great big-old shot. Larry came back by and gave me the afternoon free. I got my things together and walked down to Centennial Park. Ran six miles in one-mile loops. It was a very nice day. Nicest weather-wise the entire visit, by far. It was sunny, full of families, dogs, people walking, cool breeze. I did some window shopping at Cumberland Transit. Looked in on a coffee shop but it was far too crowded. No good place to stop for a snack and no room on any patio, so I dropped by a running shop and bought some new shoes and a few assorted items.

    Walking back, I dropped by the Outback on West End for lunch. Fun fact, the chain location, oldest in Nashville I’d guess, isn’t there anymore. It would close up shop at some point during the next week. I didn’t know this at the time. The waitress seemed a little out of it. Maybe she knew. Think the real reason was, she shared, her stepdad had a four-wheeler accident deep in the country, more than a mile from an actual road. He’d had three of his grandkids on the back of the machine. He got stuck in the mud but had the presence of mind to stop and let them off. He tried to get the four-wheeler out of the mud, but the process rolled the bike and broke most of the bones in his face and crushed many others. Her mom had come to the restaurant the previous evening looking for her, obviously frantic. Life-flight took two hours to get him to the road and onto the helicopter. He was in the intensive care unit (ICU) overnight and was in stable condition. That’s work ethic. She was back to work the next day.

    It’s like the universe was telling me, hey, chin up, things can always be worse.

    That night the neighbors were really loud. Believe they were there for a Vanderbilt basketball game. Lucky, they left in the morning because housekeeping was cleaning the room.

    I slept-in on Sunday, February 23, all the way to 6:45 AM. I had a smoothie for breakfast. Dad had none. Nurse Anne suggested dad take anti-nausea meds every eight hours to head off nausea. Most folks are on their different meds at this point. When I got back from lunch dad had finished his IV of the drugs, and it was time to go back to the hotel. Dad had a lunch of butternut squash soup and half a grilled cheese, took a nap, while I watched some of the Olympics.

    On Monday, February 24 dad had a smoothie for breakfast. It was also the last day for our 10:30 AM appointments. We had to be in a small room in the corner of the floor we were on. We had a really loud nurse, not the best of the bunch we encountered. All dad was able to eat all day ended up being that smoothie for breakfast. He did lots of napping and threw-up once that early evening. I recall we watched Letterman because he interviewed the lead blond female character from the Big Bang Theory.

    Tuesday, February 25 marked our halfway point out of the darkness. It was a much better day. Dad ate a little apple sauce for breakfast and dinner. Ate a little yogurt for both as well. He had some chicken noodle soup for lunch at the clinic. He got platelets that seemed to make him feel better. He’d lost eight pounds over the past three or four days so got a large IV to hydrate. Found out he stopped taking the anti-nausea but talked him into taking that again and also got something for the in-between the 8 hours just in case. He didn’t nap as much today. We watched basketball on TV (Vandy v Floria).

    Wednesday, February 26 was an earlier morning. We were up at 6:00 AM. Both sleepy. Thursday was a repeat. I found a place to swim laps on Friday and found a place to ride a stationary bike on Saturday, March 1. Dad’s white blood cell count had been down as low as .2 (200) but was up to 1.6 (1600) on this day. Dad got a haircut from Howard as a result of hair finally starting to fall out, in clumps. Those three days were intense. Leaving some of the less flattering parts out, but if you’ve been through it, you understand.

    On Sunday, March 2 we watched the Abraham Lincon movie. We had another visit to the clinic. Larry came over again and gave me some free time. I tried to run in the park again, but it was raining. Not wanting to waste the free time, I went to the Greenhills Mall, back to Kroger, and grabbed a pizza at the Mellow Mushroom. I also dropped back by Cumberland Transit in West End to pick up a few gifts, and one for Linda. I got back to the hotel and Larry was asleep. The rain had started to freeze and the slow wasn’t far behind.

    On Monday, March 3 schools closed all over town, and the news reported 18 wrecks on the roads. TDOT said “stay at home!” However, our shuttle was running. That brought back some memories, snow days, sledding, hot chocolate, and cabin fever.

    On the shuttle that day, we met a heart patient who had been staying in a hotel in town for the last six months waiting for a procedure. A kidney transplant I believe. This was his first ride on the shuttle to the dialysis center. Seems his procedure was getting close. Silver linings are everywhere if you look. And you should look.

    My memory of these three weeks is strong. Some days are clearer than others. Snips like from a movie. The last week went by the fastest. I’d slacked off taking notes and focused on being in the moment. I was feeling equal parts grateful for being there with my dad and being extremely eager to get home to Linda and Henrik. To be with my dad those three weeks, just him and me in a room most of the time, was a gift of immeasurable value. We watched television, read books, and talked. It was the most time I’d spent with him in my entire adult life. In fact, statistics tell us 90% of the time you will have spent with your parents was done from the ages of 0–18.

    Saturday, March 8 was my last day. I can see the final moments in my mind’s eye like I’m there. My reliever was there. I said goodbye to my dad, walked down a few blocks, and did some window shopping in the Vanderbilt area. My Mom picked me up a little while later. We ate some lunch around Belmont, and she drove me to the airport. After days of rain and snow and cold, Saturday was somehow a warm sunny day. That’s how I remember it. I think maybe my memory is playing a trick on me. Check the weather report to be sure? Nashville that day, in a car on my way to the airport and home, it was a very warm sunny day indeed. Real or imagined.