Dale Adams at The Boerne Bookshop believes that reading leads to both an understanding of the material and the wisdom to apply it to life—essential skills for any man. So here are three recommendations for everyone who prefers their stories with a double shot of challenge and meaning.
theboernebookshop.com | 830-249-0000 | 153 S. Main St., #120
Open Season
C. J. Box
Joe Pickett is the new game warden in Twelve Sleep, Wyoming, a hunting town where poaching is practically a high school sport. Joe is that rare, annoying guy who actually follows the rules, making him the local pariah. When a corpse ends up on his woodpile, Joe uncovers an "extinct" species that stands in the way of a massive oil pipeline. Read it so you can tell everyone why the book is better than the series.
penguinrandomhouse.com
The Black Count
Tom Reiss
Most guys know The Three Musketeers, but few realize the hero was based on a real person. General Alex Dumas went from being the son of a slave to leading 50,000 men during the French Revolution. He was a master swordsman who eventually became a problem for Napoleon because he actually had principles. This Pulitzer-winning biography makes most modern action heroes look like they’re playing with plastic toys. Pick this up and upgrade your historical IQ.
penguinrandomhouse.com
Why We Drive
Matthew B. Crawford
Matthew Crawford—a philosopher with a Ph.D. and a motorcycle shop—thinks we’re giving up too much to automation. He views the driver’s seat as a rare sanctuary for human agency and "folk engineering." Through stories of vintage VW restorations and desert races, Crawford argues that mastery over a machine is essential to the human spirit. It’s a smart, gritty defense of manual skill and the simple, visceral thrill of operating something you actually understand.
harpercollins.com