Author Archives: schoultz

Why this book:  The author Paul Shemella is a good friend of mine and we both served together in the Navy SEALs.  I had read and enjoyed one of his previous novels, Jungle Rules, which, like The Dictator’s Revenge, takes … Continue reading →

Why this book: I was in a zoom meeting with my friend Luke on Veterans (Armistice) Day, and he mentioned that his daughter was assigned All Quiet on the Western Front in school and he planned to read it with … Continue reading →

Why this book:  Every active or retired SEAL I know who’s read ALPHA told me that they believed every SEAL should read this book. That’s  a good enough recommendation for me.   I’ll be leading a discussion of this book among … Continue reading →

Why this book: Selected by one of the book clubs I’m in, a different karass of mine (see below for “karass.”)  I’d read it nearly 50 years ago, it made an impression on me then and I was happy to … Continue reading →

Why this book: Selected by my literature reading group for our bi-monthly selection – something different. I’d read Hesse’s  Siddhartha, Steppenwolf, and The Glass Bead Game before, but not this one. Considered by some to be his masterpiece. Summary in 4 … Continue reading →

Why this book;  I had read it some 45 years ago, and then, listening to Yuval Harari’s 21 lessons for the 21st Century recently, he noted that Brave New World is more relevant today than when it was written and … Continue reading →

Why this book: I just finished reading The Sparrow for the second time and was inspired (again.)  I wanted to follow up with reading Children of God again, and be inspired again, and that was a good call.  Summary in … Continue reading →

Why this book:  I had read this book about 12 years ago in my literature reading group.  It resulted in one of the richest discussions we’d had after reading a book.   All of us who were in the group at … Continue reading →

Why this book:  After reading My Journey to Lhasa in which she describes how she became the first Western woman to visit Lhasa (and which I review here), I felt inclined to learn the rest of the story of the … Continue reading →

Why this book: I was preparing to do a bike ride in Provence starting and finishing in Avignon, and riding for 8 days in the environs.  This book came strongly recommended to provide a historical perspective on the world we … Continue reading →