VIRTUAL EVENT – In Conversation with Kate Kavanaugh

VIRTUAL EVENT – In Conversation with Kate Kavanaugh

I hope you’ll join me on Tuesday, October 27th at 7PM mountain for a wide-ranging, live video chat with my good friend Kate Kavanaugh. Kate is a farmer, entrepreneur, and regenerative agriculture advocate who co-owns and operates Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe in Denver. Since our podcast episode, she and her partner Josh purchased a farm in the northeast, where they have been living and working since early this year. Kate’s episode was one of the most popular in recent memory, so if you haven’t listened already, I’d encourage you to do so here.

Kate and I have a lot to discuss—the new farm, adjusting to life in the east, challenges around starting a farm, and how these past crazy eight months have affected everything from Kate’s outlook to the business of Western Daughters. Kate is always ready to offer up excellent book recommendations, as well as interesting ideas around nutrition and mental health. We will be devoting lots of time to Q&A, so bring your questions.

Every single time I have the pleasure of chatting with Kate, I leave the conversation inspired and educated, so I know you will too!

This event is exclusively for Mountain & Prairie Patreon supporters at the “Intense TR” ($5) level and above. To learn more about Patreon, become a patron, and access the Google Meet link for the event, click the button below:

A sincere thanks to everyone who has so generously supported the podcast through Patreon over the years– its means the world and has allowed me to expand the podcast in ways that I never thought possible!

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

Photos courtesy of Kate Kavanaugh

Why Do You Read So Many Books?

Why Do You Read So Many Books?

I’m surprised by how often people ask me this question, and even more surprised by my inability to give them a concise, sensible answer. Reading has long been one of my top priorities, so it’s time that I figure out why the hell I do it.

A while back, I tried to answer the question of how I read so many books, but Why? is a much more interesting question. So here are a few thoughts on why I choose to spend an inordinate amount of time with my nose in a book. [And each thought is followed by an excellent book that I associate with each point, for one reason or another.]

• The Boring Antidote – I’m lucky to know many interesting people, and, without exception, all of them are intensely curious. The vast majority of them satiate that curiosity through reading, and most of them read a lot. The same goes for historical figures whom I admire. If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then these folks should feel uber-flattered—I’m trying to be a minor-league version of them. [Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin]
• Focus Barometer – Reading takes focus. And if I’m not reading as much as I’d like, it’s usually because I’ve lost focus in other aspects of my life. Whether it’s skipping my meditation, procrastinating, or letting down my guard with social media, a long stretch of no reading is a warning signal that something else is off. Once I identify and remedy the sloppiness, my focus improves and, whaddya know, the reading resumes. [Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport]
• Art of Conversation – Back when I was selling ranches, my clients would run the gamut from fancy-pants CEOs to salt-of-the-earth ranchers. And because I’d read everything from the biography of Warren Buffett to treatises on livestock grazing, I was never at a loss for substantive topics to discuss, no matter who the client was. It worked in sales; it works at parties; it works on the podcast; hell, it works whenever you want to be an engaged human being! [Raising the Bar: The Story of Clif Bar & Co. by Gary Erickson]
• Bye-Bye Shyness – Years ago, I considered myself shy, and I’m still a strong introvert. Building on the point above, I’ve found no better solution to shyness than knowing that I have an extensive source of topics to discuss with pretty much anyone. Or better yet, I can ask a cogent question to jumpstart a conversation. People love to talk about themselves, so I tee up a substantive question, and voilá! We’ve got ourselves a non-awkward, usually enjoyable conversation. [The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder]
• Priority Check – I’m always tempted to fall back on the trusty ol’ excuse of “I’m too busy.” Nonsense! Reading is a high priority for me—miles above social media, TV, internet news, and other electronic tomfoolery. There is ALWAYS time to read ten pages a day. If I cannot find the time, it is another blaring warning that my priorities have veered into the gutter, and I’m not using my time wisely. [Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen]
• Feel Better Today – Just as reading can be the canary in the coal mine for my focus levels, it can also be a trusted tool to maintain or enhance focus. If I catch myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram or feeling the siren call of prank videos on Youtube, 15 minutes of focused reading is usually all I need to snap out of the Zuckerberg-induced delirium. [The Craving Mind: Why We Get Hooked & How We Can Break Bad Habits by Judson Brewer]
• Feel Better Tomorrow – Almost everything I do that’s good for me is not fun in the moment. Eating well, running, meditation—for some odd reason, I dread it all. But the next day, without exception, I’m always glad that I forced myself to do whatever needed to be done. So, the idea of “tomorrow I’ll be glad I did this” drives all of my essential activities, including reading. [The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology by Gregg Krech]
• Brain Aerobics – I spend many hours per week running, lifting heavy things, and watching what I eat, all for the sole purpose of keeping my body functional and not too gross looking. But my brain is obviously much more important than my biceps, so it deserves some attention too. A few minutes of focused reading is the least I can do to keep that three-pound grey blob in decent shape. [The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff]
• Zoom Out – We’re living in kooky times, that’s for sure. But if there’s one takeaway from my reading of history, it’s that human kookiness is a constant. Having some perspective on just how bad things have been gives me comfort that we humans can find answers to our current problems, no matter how overwhelming they may seem in the moment. [Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy]
• RESIST Nonsense – In the age of tweets, hastily written news, sensational clickbait, and inflammatory “hot takes,” reading is a refuge from all of that surface-level foolishness. Reading is my commitment to depth, my serious attempt at mindful comprehension, and my stand against the tsunami of internet bullshit. [Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier]
• Evolve – If I were to compare my 42-year-old self to my 22-year-old-self, the differences are stark. Political leanings, value systems, spiritual practices, athletic goals, philosophical frameworks, and other points of reference—by many standards, I’m a different person. This significant personal evolution is a direct result of reading curiously and voraciously. And I hope that the evolution and growth continue for many decades to come—I know that at a minimum, the reading will. [The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X]
• Intellectual Humility – The deeper and more broadly I read, the more I realize how little I actually know. In fact, with each passing year, the ratio of “what I know” to “what I know I don’t know” skews more and more toward the “don’t know” category. It’ll be difficult for me to morph into a stuck-in-my-ways, know-it-all curmudgeon when I’m continually facing the fact that I don’t actually know a damn thing. [Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman]
• No Reading, No (Good) Writing – Stephen King said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Nowadays, we are all writers, whether we’re composing another work email or the next New York Times bestseller. I spend a large chunk of my professional time writing, and I credit any minor success I’ve had to my deep commitment to reading. [On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King]
• Learn Some Stuff – While I have no dreams of becoming Jeopardy’s next Ken Jennings, it’s satisfying to feel marginally informed across a broad spectrum of topics. The fact-collection aspect of reading is by far my least important reason for doing it, but I’d be lying if I claimed not to enjoy dominating a few Jeopardy categories from time to time. [A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson]

So there you have it. Not concise, and possibly not sensible. But at a minimum, I hope these ramblings encourage you to read a few more pages than you would have otherwise.

“I am part of everything I have read.” – Theodore Roosevelt

New Designs, New Shop

Just a quick heads up that I recently launched a new online shop featuring a fresh batch of Mountain & Prairie swag– shirts, coffee mugs, and stickers.

I’m very excited about these designs, and I hope you are too. Head over the store to check out the full collection of broc busters, sugar skulls, charging bison, and, of course, TR!

Mountain & Prairie Shop

15 Books That Will Give You Strength During Challenging Times

15 Books That Will Give You Strength During Challenging Times

I’m not an epidemiologist, nor do I play one on the internet. So I don’t have anything useful to add to the ubiquitous, high-voltage analysis of our new viral nemesis.

But I do compulsively read books, so I wanted to offer up a few titles that may be useful during these trying times. If I’ve learned anything from my love of history and reading, it’s that tough times can bring out the best in people, and almost everyone who has made a difference in the world has endured suffering in one form or another.

Easier said than done, for sure. One of my biggest worries around our current situation is wondering if I’ll be able to muster the toughness and steadiness of mind to co-lead my family through what will likely be a rough time for the entire world. I guess we’ll see. But I have found solace and wisdom in the books below, so I hope you will too.

[I’ve linked to Amazon for all of these books so you can click through to learn more and read reviews. But if you choose to buy one, please do so through your local bookseller. Owning a local bookstore is a tough business even in the best of times, so they would appreciate your patronage now more than ever.]

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger – A short, powerful book that discusses how the most brutal of circumstances can reveal the best in the human race. Junger also explores how tragedy and challenge can refine our focus and strengthen our community bonds. One of the most influential and paradigm-shifting books I’ve ever read.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl – Frankl was an Austrian psychologist who was imprisoned for years in a German concentration camp during World War II. Even amid such horrific evil, suffering, and death, he was able to find purpose and contentment—and then pass along this valuable wisdom to us, the reader.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times; The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times; Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chodron – As far as I’m concerned, Pema is one of the wisest humans on earth. Her writings and speeches have improved my life in innumerable ways, and I whole-heartedly recommend all of her work. These three books are collections of short, easy-to-read essays that pack a serious punch.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Journey by Alfred Lansing – Shackleton and his crew were stranded on an inhospitable Antarctic ice shelf for nearly two years, yet Shackleton managed to keep his men optimistic, energized, and alive for the full duration. It’s a case study in the importance of routine, exercise, camaraderie, and positivity, even during the direst circumstances.

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan – Don’t let the relative cushiness of the past 60 years fool you—there’s a long history of suffering in North America. The Dust Bowl is one of many examples of how Americans were able to survive epic ecological and economic turmoil and emerge from the crisis much tougher and stronger than before.

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris – This book offers a straightforward, practical guide to mindfulness and meditation, without any of the spiritual lingo that can be off-putting to many. It’s a guide to training your mind, recognizing thought patterns, and not getting jerked around by your emotions—essential skills to have in your tool belt in the coming months.

The Obstacle is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage by Ryan Holiday – Holiday draws on Stoic philosophy and historical figures to drive home the point that challenges and tragedies are inevitable—it’s how we deal with them that makes all the difference. Rather than dwell on the unfairness of it all, why not use these challenges to make ourselves better?

The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz – A mind-blowing tale of just how much suffering humans can tolerate when times get tough. It follows the journey of Soviet soldiers who escape from a prison camp, only to have to cross a desert and the damn Himalayas to secure their freedom.

D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II by Stephen Ambrose – This book reminds me that when the chips are down, humans are capable of unbelievably complex cooperation and staggering heroism. It also reminds me that sitting around my house “social distancing” is a small price to pay for my community, country, and the world—much lower price than running directly into Nazi gunfire.

On the Shortness of Life: Life Is Long if You Know How to Use It by Seneca – Given current events, the title may seem somewhat morose, but the book’s overall lesson is clear—don’t fritter away your life. Make the most of it, because you might have 50 more years or you might have five more days. For some reason, I feel better about many of my internal struggles knowing that folks like Seneca struggled with the same issues 2,000 years ago.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday – Daily meditations that feature one short quote by a Stoic philosopher such as Seneca above, followed by a few paragraphs applying the principle to modern-day life. This book has been recommended by many of my podcast guests, and I read it (almost) everyday.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris – Just because I include this book on every list. And because TR knew how to make the most out of any circumstance. In the next few weeks, when deciding between watching Youtube videos or going for a run, wallowing in self-pity or doing art with your child, scrolling through Twitter or reading a book; just ask yourself, “What would TR do?”

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – Not interested in endless self-analysis or examining the fragility of life? Fair enough. Unplug and enjoy my favorite fiction book of all time. It will make you happy.