Readings and Ruminations

I love books and reading about the experiences of others. While I get many, many hours of audiobooks in while running the trails and during marathon training, my bookshelf over flows with well-read (and to-be-read) paperbacks.

I love non-fiction and western history, books to add historical context to the places I’ve lived, perspectives on food and agriculture, fitness and training from other runners, and books to improve my leadership and personal development.

While I may not always agree with some of the perspectives (*) I read on food and agriculture, I believe it important to better understand all sides of the issue to be more firm in my understanding and beliefs. That being said, I don’t endorse messages is every book listed below, but I still believe they’re important to be familiar with.

This list is always changing. Let me know what you think, if you agree or disagree, or if you have suggestions for my shelf. Email me with your book suggestions, or shoot me a Tweet.

The Fence Post

Books I have read and my thoughts about the material…

Food and Agriculture

• Deeply Rooted by Lisa M. Hamilton (Read my review)
• Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer*
• Forages, Introduction to Grassland Agriculture by Robert F. Barnes
• Gaining Ground by Forrest Pritchard (Read my review)*
• Humane Livestock Handling by Temple Grandin
• Meat Is for Pussies by John Joseph (Read my review)*
• No More Food Fights! by Michele Payn-Knoper (Read my review)
• Salad Bar Beef by Joel Salatin*
• The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz
• The Food Police by Jayson Lusk
• The Jungle by Upton Sinclair*
• The Meat Racket by Christopher Leonard (Read my review)*
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan*

General Fiction

• Most things Elmer Kelton
• Many things Elmore Leonard
• Everything John Grisham
• All things Louis L’amour

Leadership and Business

• A Survival Guide for Life by Bear Grylls
• Content Rules by Ann Handley
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
• Epic Content Marketing by Marketing Less by Joe Pulizzi
• It’s Not What You Say by Michael Parker
• Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall
• Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek
• Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Non-fiction

• American Sniper by Chris Kyle
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
• Growing Up Colt by Colt McCoy
• Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
• Mud, Sweat, and Tears: The Autobiography by Bear Grylls
• The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless
• The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan
• Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
• Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica

Running and Fitness

• Once a Runner by John L Parker Jr
• To Be a Runner by Martin Dugard
• Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
• Run! 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss by Dean Karnazes
• Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
• The Cool Impossible by Eric Orton
• Eat and Run by Scott Jurek
• Hiking Montana: A Guide to the State’s Greatest Hikes
• Hal Koerner’s Field Guide to Ultrarunning
• The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by The Oatmeal

Westerns and History

• 6,000 Miles of Fence by Cordia Sloan Duke
• A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman Maclean
• Badluck Way by Bryce Andrews
• Big Sky Boots by Lauren Chase
• Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry
• Cowboy Ethics by James P. Owen Photography by David R. Stoecklein
• Cowboy Romance (of horsesweat and hornflies) by Bob Kinford (Read my review)
• Dead Man’s Walk by Larry McMurtry
• Kings of Texas by Don Graham
• Lessons from a Desperado Poet by Baxter Black (Read my review)
• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• Poems Worth Saving by Baxter Black
• Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry
• The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie Jr.
• The Last Best Place by William Kittredge
• The XIT Ranch of Texas by J. Evetts Haley
• True Grit by Charles Portis
• Up to My Armpits by Dr. Charles Edwards
• We Pointed Them North by E.C. Teddy “Blue” Abbott

Disclaimer: Some (but not all) links to products or services via Amazon are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click the link and make a purchase (at no additional cost to you). The links are provided as a convenience if you would like to know more about items mentioned. These small commissions make it possible to maintain this blog and advocacy efforts.

*Books marked by an asterisk are included for context surrounding food conversations, not necessarily an endorsement of beliefs by the authors.