Confession up front: I haven’t finished reading The Idiot yet, but I’m close at the time of writing—so I think you’ll forgive me. And, while I’m only rereading sections of The Beginning of Infinity rather than the full thing, I’ve put enough of a dent in it to include it here with a clear conscience.

I’m reading The Idiot with my friend, Jake. This is the fourth Dostoevsky novel I’ve read, and I must say, Dostoevsky was on another level*. The fact that he wrote this nearly 200 years ago in another language, yet it remains so readable and relatable, continues to surprise me. The premise of the novel is this: what would happen if a Christ-like figure entered (then) modern-day Russian high society? How would people treat him? Would society corrupt him? The story makes you think… but honestly, I stick around for the entertaining character development.

I picked up Targeted: Beirut after finishing Jack Carr’s final James Reece thriller, Red Sky Mourning. I have some Lebanese roots and have read most of Carr’s work, so I figured I’d continue with his non-fiction. Ironically, I finished the book the day before war broke out with Iran. This book helped me understand the history of that region. The author argues that the so-called “war on terror” really starts here, in Beirut, with the 1983 bombing of the US Embassy. The author does his best to honor those who died that day; you learn about the individuals the attack killed, not just the broader geopolitical landscape. What stood out to me is that Reagan called the families of the fallen personally. We could use that personal touch in our public officials today. Less memes, more human connection.

The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch is a book I continue to revisit. I keep it in my living room and read it on the weekends when my son and I settle in for a nap. It gives me a dose of optimism for the future every time. Highly recommend.

I wrote about Supercommunicators here; it’s a great follow-up to How to Win Friends and Influence People. (Side note: my wife hit me with a great burn while I was reading this. As I often do, I sat silent, lost in thought, until she asked me a question and then replied, “Okay, supercommunicator…” Well played. I’m still a work in progress.) I also wrote about Unreasonable Hospitality here. Both are excellent for professional development.

Enter The Kettlebell by Pavel is one of his older books. I’m currently following the “Rite of Passage” program the book outlines. It consists of an overhead press 3x/week with pull-ups between sets. Before starting, pressing my 70lb bell for a set of three was a PR. Now I’m doing five sets of three each week. My goal is to do clean sets of five with the 70lb bell—and eventually press my 97lb bell.

That’s the list. Leave a comment or send me a message with any recommendations for next quarter!

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*When I say Dostoevsky was on another level, I’m blown away by what he gets across with the written word… and what must have been going on in his mind. I get a similar feeling when reading Cormac McCarthy.