What I'm Reading: The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Book by David Von Drehle

Talking Billions with Bogumil Baranowski

It’s Sunday. On weekends, I usually put the finishing touches on the upcoming episode. I won’t say what it is; I’ll let it be a surprise, but it’s a really special conversation that made me think—you’ll find out tomorrow.

As I was recording the episode's intro, it dawned on me that it might be a good time to record this bonus episode.

It’s been on my mind for a while to share with you what I’m reading. Of course, I read books, newsletters, shareholder letters, articles, and more produced by my upcoming guests, but I also read beyond that. With certain persistence, luck, synchronicity, and serendipity, some of those reads will lead to new guest invitations and episodes.

This week I want to share with you my thoughts on the The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Book by David Von Drehle. I already lined up his other books for future reading.

I’ll start with the writing style; I just love the way the author writes. It reminds me of how my brain works and how I like to collect information and learn.

I picture an ever wider embrace; your arms go out to the sides, and you catch as much as possible, more than you thought.

The spark of curiosity that starts with a singular bit of information, one idea, takes me on a wide and long-ranging journey. I return like an avid traveler with pockets, backpacks, duffels, and suitcases of memories, ideas, images, and observations—the heavier, the better.

That’s the image I have in mind, and the author delivers on that front more than any other right in can think of right this minute.

He tells the true story of a neighbor he meets, a centenarian, Charlie White, who lives in Kansas City. He tells the story in a very unique way. We learn not only about Charlie’s eventful, rich, challenging, and inspiring life but also about the big and small historical backdrop of the life he lived in a century that took us from horse carriages and early radio to space travel, social media, and video calls, and more. Charlie was a doctor and physician, and his profession has undergone an equal, if not bigger, transformation than the world around him.

As a licensed pilot myself, I love open skies. Therefore, I had to appreciate the brief but important story of Charlie’s marriage to a famous woman pilot, a legendary aviator who grew up with Amelia Earhart’s accomplishments in the sky and lived a dream of her own.

The author mentions Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, President Truman, and other historical figures whose paths crossed or overlapped with Charlie's.

Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you that you’ll meet the prohibition-era gangsters, and you’ll head out on an expedition to the Amazonian jungle.

Beyond the story of one person, Charlie White, we learn about what it takes to live a good life, and David Von Drehle dives into psychology, philosophy, and science that propose an interpretation, explanation, and maybe even a blueprint for a life well lived.

I’ll drop a hint here that perseverance, optimism, and ingenuity can help as much as turning challenges and life’s dead ends into opportunities and new vistas.

There aren’t many books I can’t put down for a few days until I’m done; this one was such a book.

If anything of what you just heard resonated with you, don’t hesitate to pick up the book and send me an email sharing your thoughts. I don’t know the author, but I’d love to meet him; I don’t get anything in return for sharing my thoughts here; if you get the book, consider it a good friend’s reading recommendation.

It’s just the opinion of one curious reader who couldn’t keep it to himself, what an incredible read it was.

I was so moved by the book that on this beautiful Sunday, I felt compelled to share it with you.

Have a lovely afternoon, and tune in tomorrow for the regular Talking Billions episode.

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