Day of Gratitude #27 – Books on tape are best enjoyed when coupled with road trips

Burke and I and just over one-hundred family members made the annual pilgrimage to the Rich family’s lodge in Northern Arizona to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s about six hours by car to travel over the river and through the woods and no trip is complete without a freshly downloaded book on tape. This year, I was so excited to listen to “David and Goliath,” the newest book written by mega nerd Malcolm Gladwell . This book breaks down the intriguing idea of how underdogs often return from battle or conflict as triumphant conquerors. FASCINATING! Gladwell consistently blends unrelated topics together to draw compelling conclusions. We have loved his other books and even as we are not finished with this text…I’m a hug fan! Mr. Gladwell is currently touring promoting the book and recently stopped in Salt Lake City. Sadly, Burke and I missed the actual lecture however he was the featured guest on a local NPR radio program Radio West. Listening to Gladwell talk about this topic was again FASCINATING! Perhaps the most interesting thing was how writing this book and examining this concept of how average people both perceived and address life’s hardships and difficulties has helped him re-establish a sense of spirituality in his life. I am grateful for really smart people who willingly share with the world the things they have learned. You know those big-brained (and in Malcolm Gladwell’s case big haired) thinkers who just seem to experience the same daily tasks that you and I experience but they just seem to see it differently. I’m grateful for technology that allows a wealth of information to literally bounce around in my purse…I am forever in awe of smart phones. I am grateful for time in a car cozily sitting next to people I love, chomping on ample road trip treats and enough down time to time to think and discuss and explore new thoughts.

Radio West

New York Times