Daily Short #165, April 16th, 2018: PLAYER AUDIT: Elijah Rodriguez
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Player Audit
Player Name: Elijah Rodriguez
From Texas Athletics (2018)
A fifth-year offensive lineman who has played in 20 games with four career starts … four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (fall 2014; spring 2015; spring 2016; spring 2017) … ranked among the top offensive tackles in the nation coming out of high school.
As a recruit (taken from my 2014 NSD breakdown)
Elijah Rodriguez, OL - Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek)
(HT: 6'6"; WT: 280)
Notable Offers: Texas, Colorado, Arizona State, Florida State, Fresno State, Kansas, UCF
Breakdown: Charlie Strong came to Texas extremely late in the game for 2014 recruiting purposes and found that Mack Brown had only put enough stores in the offensive line tank to get him through one more ticker-tape parade of a lost season before riding into the sunset. Strong quickly invited Rodriguez to town who was committed previously to Colorado in efforts to gain what should be an absolute minimum number of offensive linemen required per class at 2-3. As I said in my column prior to his visit mid-January;
Rodriguez appears to have already added 15-20 "good pounds" through his senior campaign when watching early 2013 tape versus his most recent offerings. While his actual tested strength appears to be a concern, (Rodriguez' HC told Orangebloods this week that Rodriguez had some development in this area, and his reported numbers in the Rivals database are a very underwhelming 255-pound bench and 355-pound squat), Rodriguez clearly has a level of "big-man power" that is already very functional within important concepts. Any offensive line coach worth his salt would be incredibly fired up to see this "two-bagger" in the zone design.
Arrival in Austin
Notes from Rodriguez' first fall camp were limited, but in a few practice reports from the portions of camp immediately following the departure of (eventual dirtball) Rami Hammad, I posted the following:
(8-18-14)
- Following the departure of Rami Hammad (who was running third team) as first reported on Orangebloods, we're told there was a different group running second-team Monday. It was reportedly LT Marcus Hutchins LG Taylor Doyle C Jake Raulerson RG Curtis Riser and RT Darius James who has returned to action. True FR Elijah Rodriguez and Alex Anderson were working with the third group, Orangebloods is told.
(8-19-14)
- Small shakeup on second unit: RT Darius James, RG Elijah Rodriguez (Was Curtis Riser on Monday and Alex Anderson previously), C Jake Raulerson, LG Taylor Doyle, LT Marcus Hutchins.
As a Longhorn:
2014 season (RS): Redshirted
2015 season (RS FR): Started with a disastrous performance in the spring game. In looking at the log below, just take a look at #72 and count up the red and pink plays. On the whole, Rodriguez allowed 3 QB hits, two run-stuffs, a pressure and a sack on 55 total snaps.
During the 2015 season, Rodriguez logged 115 snaps on offense at guard as a second-team backup. The only game he started was versus TCU where he actually scored a respectable 75.9 on the Deep Dig scale, indicating a strong future as a serviceable option. Over those 115 total snaps, his snaps per disruption allowed and/or penalty caused number was once per every 23 snaps which, at the time, was good for 4th-place among all OL with at least 100 snaps on the season. In all, he allowed 3 pressures, 1 run-stuff and 1 TFL in 2015 during actual games. He saw action in games versus Rice (6 snaps - garbage time), TCU (55 snaps), Kansas (17 snaps - garbage time), West Virginia (23 snaps in place of Patrick Vahe who exited in the third quarter with a knee) and 6 versus Texas Tech.
2016 season (SO): Played 222 total snaps on offense. Over those 222 total snaps, his snaps per disruption allowed and/or penalty caused number was once per every 20.2 snaps which, at the time, was good for 6th-best among all OL with at least 100 snaps on the season ("6th-best" can also be described as "3rd-worst among qualifiers - only FR Zach Shackelford - 20.1 - and JR Tristan Nickelson - 12.7 allowed disruption and/or caused a penalty more frequently). It is notable that this is the year we began to see positional versatility in Rodriguez. After taking practice snaps during fall camp at both center and guard, he started the second game of the season versus UTEP at LT in place of Connor Williams, who Charlie Strong's previous staff had elected to rest versus such a cupcake. In that game, Rodriguez either allowed or was an integral part in allowing all three sacks. He also allowed a TFL and a run-stuff. It was his worst game of the season and an unacceptable performance, especially given the level of competition.
In the other two games where Rodriguez played a high enough number of snaps to qualify for grading, he was serviceable. Versus West Virginia, he played during a game where he was inexplicably rotated in with Patrick Vahe in a series-by-series evaluation project/punishment phase for Vahe, then started at center for the Kansas loss that air-sealed the coffin around Charlie Strong's career in Austin.
2017 season (JR): Played with the first group at RG for the 2017 spring game and aided in screwing up Tom Herman's first play at Texas. The first play that Texas fans officially saw out of a Tom Herman offense in the 'spring-game-preview of things to come' was set to be a razzle-dazzle option pitch from Shane Buechele to Devin Duvernay and an ensuing downfield bomb from Duvernay to Jerrod Heard on a vertical route. The play was never allowed to develop. Other than a run-stuff allowed in that same first series, Rodriguez was free of disruption allowed and/or penalties caused for the rest of the game.
Given a reportedly strong spring and spring game, coupled with what Herman's new staff at Texas relayed publicly regarding Rodriguez, things were shaping up for him as a significant contributor as a much-improved 2017 starter. By the time fall camp rolled around, the future was seeming bright. Herman infamously made comparisons of his 2017 OL among the best he'd ever coached -- including star-studded casts at Ohio State -- and at least some of which was centered around optimism regarding Rodriguez. Unfortunately, he suffered a regular-season-ending high-ankle sprain which would eventually require surgery during inside-run drills two weeks into August.
Rodriguez was able to return in time for the late-December Texas Bowl appearance versus Missouri to play LT in the place of Connor Williams, who had elected to bow out of third-tier bowl activities in order to get a head start on pursuing a professional career. In the bowl-game-win, Rodriguez played a completely unacceptable game, allowing 4 QB pressures, 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 TFL on 63 snaps.
AUDIT FINDINGS
Accomplishments:
- Has started and played in a good number of games during his career at Texas and has done so at every position except left guard. He's the only player on the current Texas offensive line that has proven such versatility and can legitimately claim the ability to play at all five positions along the offensive line at the college level. While Derek Kerstetter is also looking like a guy with similar versatility, Kerstetter has only really played RT.
- Has played at an average-to-above-average level (via Deep Dig grades) in all of the real games in which he has not been forced to play tackle (excluding, of course, the 2015 spring game abomination).
- Managed to look good enough during the first 6 months of Tom Herman's career at Texas to cause Herman to talk about him, once he was lost for the season, similarly to how you might describe Walter Jones or Larry Allen. When making excuses for his team's failings during a bad 2017 season, Herman not only mentioned the loss of Connor Williams, but also generally mentioned Rodriguez in the same breath.
Concerns and areas where improvement is needed:
- He's been a disaster at tackle and cannot, under any circumstances, be asked to operate in this capacity ever again. The bowl game was a nightmare and that occurred mere months ago. His feet and his set on the edge of the line of scrimmage will not magically improve at this point in his development.
- He's never played a season as anything more than a backup and in this seasons -- sometimes against bad teams in blowouts -- he's never had a season where he allowed disruption and/or caused a penalty less often than one per every 23 snaps.
- Of 37 eligible "seasons" of Texas OL play during the Deep Dig era at Orangebloods, Rodriguez' two seasons with qualifying samples rank as No. 22 in this metric (as a redshirt freshman) and No. 30 (as a sophomore), which indicate not only bad seasons (worse than the likes of Tristan Nickelson, Jake Raulerson, et al) but also that he did not improve from one year to the next -- a concern in and of itself.
- Going back to the original high-school evaluation, the strength question has never truly been answered functionally. While he is better inside than he is at tackle, he hasn't ever shown flashes of strength that we have seen in flashes from players interior line players like Patrick Vahe, Kent Perkins, Trey Hopkins or even Brandon Hodges.
- In all, Rodriguez, coming into his senior season, is certainly a player that the staff should be happy to have on board, but would optimally be a depth-player who is capable of plugging holes at any of the interior line spots should injury occur. If three players on the Texas roster are not capable of supplanting Rodriguez by earning starting spots at the LG, C and RG positions, it should be viewed as somewhat of an indictment on the depth of that position group.
This player audit filed Monday April 16th, the year of our lord 2018 in the county of Travis, state of Texas.
CATCHING UP ON BOOK REVIEWS
I can't believe I've read or listened to five new books since the last Book Review section here at The Short that dropped immediately post-Combine. When I think about it, it's not too surprising, though. I've travelled a bunch for NFL draft stuff and always read on planes and listen to audiobooks while driving. Furthermore, I'm in the process of moving into my new home and I always listen to audiobooks when I am doing busy work like cleaning out the garage, making runs to goodwill or yard work like tending to gardens, etc. There will be a lot more of that in my immediate near future, so I look forward to taking in a few new good books, as always, suggestions are appreciated and welcome. It was from Orangebloods, in fact, that I got turned on to arguably the best book I have read since I started this column and reading list:
I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller by Terry Hayes
(5 stars)
Just an amazing book. I'm sad it ended. I want multiple sequels and would recommend it to anyone. Just read it.
Publisher's Description: A breakneck race against time...and an implacable enemy. An anonymous young woman murdered in a run-down hotel, all identifying characteristics dissolved by acid. A father publicly beheaded in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square. A notorious Syrian biotech expert found eyeless in a Damascus junkyard. Smoldering human remains on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan. A flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity. One path links them all, and only one man can make the journey. Pilgrim.'
Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd Varty
(3.25 stars)
I love books about nature and despite the description, it really doesn't have much to do with Mandela or South African history as it does with the author's unique connection to nature. At times it feels a bit like it's coming from someone who thinks more highly of his accomplishments, wisdom and insight than is probably necessary, but it's an entertaining read about wildlife and conservation in the African wilderness told from a unique viewpoint at the very least.
Publisher's Description: When Nelson Mandela was released after twenty-seven years of imprisonment, he needed a place to recover and adjust to his new life. He went to Londolozi Game Reserve. Founded over eighty years ago by Boyd Varty's great-grandfather, Londolozi started as a hunting safari. But in 1973, Boyd's visionary father, Dave, transformed it into a nature reserve, creating a blueprint for modern-day conservation. This transformation is the backdrop of Boyd's family history and his own personal odyssey.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
(3.75 stars)
I only started listening to this book because I saw it was a New York Times best seller and it was about the Alaskan wilderness which I've always been very interested in. What the book really is is something I would have never set out to read: a poignant, coming-of-age tale of a young woman in the most haunting of circumstances. It tugs at your heart strings and keeps you engaged through the whole book, with plenty of action and adventure stuff along the way and supremely memorable characters. The only reason it didn't get four stars or maybe more is that the ending felt a small bit rushed and somewhat .... well I don't want to give anything away .... so I won't. It's a great book.
Publisher's Description: Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed. For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival. Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
A Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting: How the Science of Strategic Thinking Can Help You Deal with the Toughest Negotiators You Know--Your Kids by Paul Raeburn and Kevin Zollman
2 stars
I bought this book as I consider myself somewhat of a game theorist (part of my job, after all, is predictive analysis for a host of fantasy and gambling/gaming-related enterprises) and also because I am a parent of a young girl who's basically a terrorist that can out-negotiate me at every turn. This seemed like the perfect book for me, but it wasn't. It's boring and the concepts are remedial, plus the author thinks he's much funnier than he is. I couldn't finish it, meaning it gets two stars max. I could probably give it 1.5 stars but it is better than the book by the Dos Equis guy.
Publisher's Description: Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics—such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Ultimatum Game—can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines.
Hunting El Chapo by Cole Merrell and Douglas Century
(3.75 stars)
The title pretty much says it all, it's the book written by the one man in this world who knows the most about El Chapo - the DEA agent who spent his professional career immersing himself in the life, culture and methods of El Chapo and the Sinaloan drug cartel. It's not as thrilling as I Am Pilgrim (partly because you know how this one is going to end), but it's close enough and when you bake in the fact that it's a true story, it's most certainly worth the time to read -- or at least catch the movie as it's soon to be a major motion picture.
Publisher's Description: A blend of Manhunt, Killing Pablo, and Zero Dark Thirty, Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century’s sensational investigative high-tech thriller—soon to be a major motion picture from Sony—chronicles a riveting chapter in the twentieth-century drug wars: the exclusive inside story of the American lawman and his dangerous eight-year hunt that captured El Chapo—the world’s most wanted drug kingpin who evaded the law for more than a decade.
Alex's Daily Short Reading List
Books I've read or listened to on Audiobook since the Daily Short has been in existence (this list is not encompassing of all of my favorite books although it certainly includes a few of them - books I recommend reading start at 3.5 stars as the Mason-Dixon line).
The Undoing Project (5 stars)
The Accidental Superpower (5 stars)
I Am Pilgrim (5 stars)
The 4-Hour Work Week (4.75 stars)
Dueling With Kings (4.5 stars)
The Great Alone (3.75 stars)
Hunting El Chapo (3.75 stars)
The Lost City of the Monkey God (3.5 stars)
The Summer That Melted Everything (3.5 stars)
---
Woolly (3.25 stars)
Cathedral of the Wild (3.25 stars)
The North Water (3.25 stars)
A Beautiful, Terrible Thing (3 stars)
Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting (2 stars)
American Gods (2 stars)
The Graveyard Book (2 stars)
Stay Interesting (1 star)
presented by the Dental Offices of Wendy Swantkowski, DDS
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
Support the Short by supporting our sponsor - Give Wendy a call today!
Player Audit
Player Name: Elijah Rodriguez
From Texas Athletics (2018)
A fifth-year offensive lineman who has played in 20 games with four career starts … four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll (fall 2014; spring 2015; spring 2016; spring 2017) … ranked among the top offensive tackles in the nation coming out of high school.
As a recruit (taken from my 2014 NSD breakdown)
Elijah Rodriguez, OL - Houston, Texas (Cypress Creek)
(HT: 6'6"; WT: 280)
Notable Offers: Texas, Colorado, Arizona State, Florida State, Fresno State, Kansas, UCF
Breakdown: Charlie Strong came to Texas extremely late in the game for 2014 recruiting purposes and found that Mack Brown had only put enough stores in the offensive line tank to get him through one more ticker-tape parade of a lost season before riding into the sunset. Strong quickly invited Rodriguez to town who was committed previously to Colorado in efforts to gain what should be an absolute minimum number of offensive linemen required per class at 2-3. As I said in my column prior to his visit mid-January;
Rodriguez appears to have already added 15-20 "good pounds" through his senior campaign when watching early 2013 tape versus his most recent offerings. While his actual tested strength appears to be a concern, (Rodriguez' HC told Orangebloods this week that Rodriguez had some development in this area, and his reported numbers in the Rivals database are a very underwhelming 255-pound bench and 355-pound squat), Rodriguez clearly has a level of "big-man power" that is already very functional within important concepts. Any offensive line coach worth his salt would be incredibly fired up to see this "two-bagger" in the zone design.
Arrival in Austin
Notes from Rodriguez' first fall camp were limited, but in a few practice reports from the portions of camp immediately following the departure of (eventual dirtball) Rami Hammad, I posted the following:
(8-18-14)
- Following the departure of Rami Hammad (who was running third team) as first reported on Orangebloods, we're told there was a different group running second-team Monday. It was reportedly LT Marcus Hutchins LG Taylor Doyle C Jake Raulerson RG Curtis Riser and RT Darius James who has returned to action. True FR Elijah Rodriguez and Alex Anderson were working with the third group, Orangebloods is told.
(8-19-14)
- Small shakeup on second unit: RT Darius James, RG Elijah Rodriguez (Was Curtis Riser on Monday and Alex Anderson previously), C Jake Raulerson, LG Taylor Doyle, LT Marcus Hutchins.
As a Longhorn:
2014 season (RS): Redshirted
2015 season (RS FR): Started with a disastrous performance in the spring game. In looking at the log below, just take a look at #72 and count up the red and pink plays. On the whole, Rodriguez allowed 3 QB hits, two run-stuffs, a pressure and a sack on 55 total snaps.
During the 2015 season, Rodriguez logged 115 snaps on offense at guard as a second-team backup. The only game he started was versus TCU where he actually scored a respectable 75.9 on the Deep Dig scale, indicating a strong future as a serviceable option. Over those 115 total snaps, his snaps per disruption allowed and/or penalty caused number was once per every 23 snaps which, at the time, was good for 4th-place among all OL with at least 100 snaps on the season. In all, he allowed 3 pressures, 1 run-stuff and 1 TFL in 2015 during actual games. He saw action in games versus Rice (6 snaps - garbage time), TCU (55 snaps), Kansas (17 snaps - garbage time), West Virginia (23 snaps in place of Patrick Vahe who exited in the third quarter with a knee) and 6 versus Texas Tech.
2016 season (SO): Played 222 total snaps on offense. Over those 222 total snaps, his snaps per disruption allowed and/or penalty caused number was once per every 20.2 snaps which, at the time, was good for 6th-best among all OL with at least 100 snaps on the season ("6th-best" can also be described as "3rd-worst among qualifiers - only FR Zach Shackelford - 20.1 - and JR Tristan Nickelson - 12.7 allowed disruption and/or caused a penalty more frequently). It is notable that this is the year we began to see positional versatility in Rodriguez. After taking practice snaps during fall camp at both center and guard, he started the second game of the season versus UTEP at LT in place of Connor Williams, who Charlie Strong's previous staff had elected to rest versus such a cupcake. In that game, Rodriguez either allowed or was an integral part in allowing all three sacks. He also allowed a TFL and a run-stuff. It was his worst game of the season and an unacceptable performance, especially given the level of competition.
In the other two games where Rodriguez played a high enough number of snaps to qualify for grading, he was serviceable. Versus West Virginia, he played during a game where he was inexplicably rotated in with Patrick Vahe in a series-by-series evaluation project/punishment phase for Vahe, then started at center for the Kansas loss that air-sealed the coffin around Charlie Strong's career in Austin.
2017 season (JR): Played with the first group at RG for the 2017 spring game and aided in screwing up Tom Herman's first play at Texas. The first play that Texas fans officially saw out of a Tom Herman offense in the 'spring-game-preview of things to come' was set to be a razzle-dazzle option pitch from Shane Buechele to Devin Duvernay and an ensuing downfield bomb from Duvernay to Jerrod Heard on a vertical route. The play was never allowed to develop. Other than a run-stuff allowed in that same first series, Rodriguez was free of disruption allowed and/or penalties caused for the rest of the game.
Given a reportedly strong spring and spring game, coupled with what Herman's new staff at Texas relayed publicly regarding Rodriguez, things were shaping up for him as a significant contributor as a much-improved 2017 starter. By the time fall camp rolled around, the future was seeming bright. Herman infamously made comparisons of his 2017 OL among the best he'd ever coached -- including star-studded casts at Ohio State -- and at least some of which was centered around optimism regarding Rodriguez. Unfortunately, he suffered a regular-season-ending high-ankle sprain which would eventually require surgery during inside-run drills two weeks into August.
Rodriguez was able to return in time for the late-December Texas Bowl appearance versus Missouri to play LT in the place of Connor Williams, who had elected to bow out of third-tier bowl activities in order to get a head start on pursuing a professional career. In the bowl-game-win, Rodriguez played a completely unacceptable game, allowing 4 QB pressures, 1 sack, 1 QB hit and 1 TFL on 63 snaps.
AUDIT FINDINGS
Accomplishments:
- Has started and played in a good number of games during his career at Texas and has done so at every position except left guard. He's the only player on the current Texas offensive line that has proven such versatility and can legitimately claim the ability to play at all five positions along the offensive line at the college level. While Derek Kerstetter is also looking like a guy with similar versatility, Kerstetter has only really played RT.
- Has played at an average-to-above-average level (via Deep Dig grades) in all of the real games in which he has not been forced to play tackle (excluding, of course, the 2015 spring game abomination).
- Managed to look good enough during the first 6 months of Tom Herman's career at Texas to cause Herman to talk about him, once he was lost for the season, similarly to how you might describe Walter Jones or Larry Allen. When making excuses for his team's failings during a bad 2017 season, Herman not only mentioned the loss of Connor Williams, but also generally mentioned Rodriguez in the same breath.
Concerns and areas where improvement is needed:
- He's been a disaster at tackle and cannot, under any circumstances, be asked to operate in this capacity ever again. The bowl game was a nightmare and that occurred mere months ago. His feet and his set on the edge of the line of scrimmage will not magically improve at this point in his development.
- He's never played a season as anything more than a backup and in this seasons -- sometimes against bad teams in blowouts -- he's never had a season where he allowed disruption and/or caused a penalty less often than one per every 23 snaps.
- Of 37 eligible "seasons" of Texas OL play during the Deep Dig era at Orangebloods, Rodriguez' two seasons with qualifying samples rank as No. 22 in this metric (as a redshirt freshman) and No. 30 (as a sophomore), which indicate not only bad seasons (worse than the likes of Tristan Nickelson, Jake Raulerson, et al) but also that he did not improve from one year to the next -- a concern in and of itself.
- Going back to the original high-school evaluation, the strength question has never truly been answered functionally. While he is better inside than he is at tackle, he hasn't ever shown flashes of strength that we have seen in flashes from players interior line players like Patrick Vahe, Kent Perkins, Trey Hopkins or even Brandon Hodges.
- In all, Rodriguez, coming into his senior season, is certainly a player that the staff should be happy to have on board, but would optimally be a depth-player who is capable of plugging holes at any of the interior line spots should injury occur. If three players on the Texas roster are not capable of supplanting Rodriguez by earning starting spots at the LG, C and RG positions, it should be viewed as somewhat of an indictment on the depth of that position group.
This player audit filed Monday April 16th, the year of our lord 2018 in the county of Travis, state of Texas.
CATCHING UP ON BOOK REVIEWS
I can't believe I've read or listened to five new books since the last Book Review section here at The Short that dropped immediately post-Combine. When I think about it, it's not too surprising, though. I've travelled a bunch for NFL draft stuff and always read on planes and listen to audiobooks while driving. Furthermore, I'm in the process of moving into my new home and I always listen to audiobooks when I am doing busy work like cleaning out the garage, making runs to goodwill or yard work like tending to gardens, etc. There will be a lot more of that in my immediate near future, so I look forward to taking in a few new good books, as always, suggestions are appreciated and welcome. It was from Orangebloods, in fact, that I got turned on to arguably the best book I have read since I started this column and reading list:
I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller by Terry Hayes
(5 stars)
Just an amazing book. I'm sad it ended. I want multiple sequels and would recommend it to anyone. Just read it.
Publisher's Description: A breakneck race against time...and an implacable enemy. An anonymous young woman murdered in a run-down hotel, all identifying characteristics dissolved by acid. A father publicly beheaded in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square. A notorious Syrian biotech expert found eyeless in a Damascus junkyard. Smoldering human remains on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan. A flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity. One path links them all, and only one man can make the journey. Pilgrim.'
Cathedral of the Wild: An African Journey Home by Boyd Varty
(3.25 stars)
I love books about nature and despite the description, it really doesn't have much to do with Mandela or South African history as it does with the author's unique connection to nature. At times it feels a bit like it's coming from someone who thinks more highly of his accomplishments, wisdom and insight than is probably necessary, but it's an entertaining read about wildlife and conservation in the African wilderness told from a unique viewpoint at the very least.
Publisher's Description: When Nelson Mandela was released after twenty-seven years of imprisonment, he needed a place to recover and adjust to his new life. He went to Londolozi Game Reserve. Founded over eighty years ago by Boyd Varty's great-grandfather, Londolozi started as a hunting safari. But in 1973, Boyd's visionary father, Dave, transformed it into a nature reserve, creating a blueprint for modern-day conservation. This transformation is the backdrop of Boyd's family history and his own personal odyssey.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
(3.75 stars)
I only started listening to this book because I saw it was a New York Times best seller and it was about the Alaskan wilderness which I've always been very interested in. What the book really is is something I would have never set out to read: a poignant, coming-of-age tale of a young woman in the most haunting of circumstances. It tugs at your heart strings and keeps you engaged through the whole book, with plenty of action and adventure stuff along the way and supremely memorable characters. The only reason it didn't get four stars or maybe more is that the ending felt a small bit rushed and somewhat .... well I don't want to give anything away .... so I won't. It's a great book.
Publisher's Description: Alaska, 1974. Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed. For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival. Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
A Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting: How the Science of Strategic Thinking Can Help You Deal with the Toughest Negotiators You Know--Your Kids by Paul Raeburn and Kevin Zollman
2 stars
I bought this book as I consider myself somewhat of a game theorist (part of my job, after all, is predictive analysis for a host of fantasy and gambling/gaming-related enterprises) and also because I am a parent of a young girl who's basically a terrorist that can out-negotiate me at every turn. This seemed like the perfect book for me, but it wasn't. It's boring and the concepts are remedial, plus the author thinks he's much funnier than he is. I couldn't finish it, meaning it gets two stars max. I could probably give it 1.5 stars but it is better than the book by the Dos Equis guy.
Publisher's Description: Raeburn and Zollman show that some of the same strategies successfully applied to big business deals and politics—such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Ultimatum Game—can be used to solve such titanic, age-old parenting problems as dividing up toys, keeping the peace on long car rides, and sticking to homework routines.
Hunting El Chapo by Cole Merrell and Douglas Century
(3.75 stars)
The title pretty much says it all, it's the book written by the one man in this world who knows the most about El Chapo - the DEA agent who spent his professional career immersing himself in the life, culture and methods of El Chapo and the Sinaloan drug cartel. It's not as thrilling as I Am Pilgrim (partly because you know how this one is going to end), but it's close enough and when you bake in the fact that it's a true story, it's most certainly worth the time to read -- or at least catch the movie as it's soon to be a major motion picture.
Publisher's Description: A blend of Manhunt, Killing Pablo, and Zero Dark Thirty, Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century’s sensational investigative high-tech thriller—soon to be a major motion picture from Sony—chronicles a riveting chapter in the twentieth-century drug wars: the exclusive inside story of the American lawman and his dangerous eight-year hunt that captured El Chapo—the world’s most wanted drug kingpin who evaded the law for more than a decade.
Alex's Daily Short Reading List
Books I've read or listened to on Audiobook since the Daily Short has been in existence (this list is not encompassing of all of my favorite books although it certainly includes a few of them - books I recommend reading start at 3.5 stars as the Mason-Dixon line).
The Undoing Project (5 stars)
The Accidental Superpower (5 stars)
I Am Pilgrim (5 stars)
The 4-Hour Work Week (4.75 stars)
Dueling With Kings (4.5 stars)
The Great Alone (3.75 stars)
Hunting El Chapo (3.75 stars)
The Lost City of the Monkey God (3.5 stars)
The Summer That Melted Everything (3.5 stars)
---
Woolly (3.25 stars)
Cathedral of the Wild (3.25 stars)
The North Water (3.25 stars)
A Beautiful, Terrible Thing (3 stars)
Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting (2 stars)
American Gods (2 stars)
The Graveyard Book (2 stars)
Stay Interesting (1 star)
