Reading (Fiction & Nonfiction)

My favorite books would have to be Frank Herbert's "Dune",  Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", and Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land".

Jim Butcher is the author I want to be when I grow up.  His "Dresden Files" series is absolutely amazing.  It's like Harry Potter for adults.  And there is no doubt that John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series has heavily influenced my own fiction writing.

Nonfiction is a little tougher.  I like all of Malcolm Gladwell's stuff.   Outside of that though, my interests are so varied it is difficult to pick a few specific favorites.  Genres include Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Marketing, Biographies, Leadership, Business Advice, and of course the everpresent Technology.

Playing with Technology

While "Geeks don't Sleep" may not be as true for me these days as it once was, technology certainly blurs the line between my home and work life.  I may not have time to play with the latest Microsoft OS Beta at work (it's Windows 7 at the moment), but I can hardly wait for the nights and weekends to put it through it's paces.  Some goes for the latest mobile smartphones, or more recently Social Networking as a business tool.  It's nice when your work revolves around one of your passions!

Homebrewing

Half art and half science, this hobby engages both my creative and analytical sides.  And enjoying your hobby so much that you can't drink as much as you brew and have to start giving it away does wonders for keeping friends in touch! 

Segway Riding

I can't believe how much fun these things are.  Every time we go to a new city or country one of the first things we do is look to see if they have Segway Tours.  And now that I have one of my own, I am seriously considering trying to get a Segway Polo team started locally.

Travel

My wife and I love to travel.  We both absoultely fell in love with London when we went there in 2007.  So much history and personality.  And all the people we met were absolutely great!  Other favorite destinations are Mexico, anywhere in the Caribbean, Quebec, Scotland, and Ireland. 

Snorkeling

My goal is to snorkel at each of the Carribean Islands!  Want to guess how many I have checked off the list?  Bet you'll be surprised...  (I still can't believe I went to Aruba and didn't get to snorkle!)