As if we needed another way. Despite the distasteful topic, Rick comes through, as he always does, entertaining and making you laugh when you're stunned yet again by the audacity of this pathological fabulist. A worthwhile read, although those who really need to read it never will.
Updated: Apr 9, 2021
Ever feel the pull to just take that plunge and learn how to scuba dive? Be one of the intrepid explorers people might read about, say, in National Geographic? Do you envy those who gamely strap on hundreds of pounds (literally) of gear, stagger to the water's edge, and once in the water, be transformed into a balletic aqua-creature, all grace and flow? Don't you wish you could immerse yourself, body and mind, into the vast, endless blue of the ocean? Caves? Antarctic icebergs? Interconnecting aquifers deep below the forest floor? Wanna experience the personal challenge of mastering the daunting chemistry of rebreathers and be one of the truly elite adventurers of our day? Face the challenge of living a sport that snarfs up lives like a couch potato eats chips? Take the dare despite the danger, experience the unparalleled beauty and revel in the comradeship of shared conquest of unspeakable peril? Since my idea of adventure is driving around with under a quarter tank of gas, that's certainly not for me. But it sure was a riveting read!
This book starts out with the story of Sandra Bland, and her tragic interaction with the police which preceded her death by only a few days. Then the book seemingly promises to make sense of all of this. There are interesting dips into current events, researched and explained in greater detail than maybe you'd experienced in the news, so you start to think, "Okay, I think I'm getting his point." But then in another story, you may find that the opposite is true. While I think the author missed the boat on his direction, the stories and insights gave some food for thought. I don't think he ultimately told us anything about "Talking to Strangers", other than, sometimes things aren't what they seem. That is the overarching message to me. Frustrating though this meandering experience was, at times, ultimately it's our own responsibility to be in charge of our own interactions, and so maybe he didn't fail me after all.
