The more I read,

of Jon Krakauers' book about Pat Tillman, (that I can't put down), the more impressed I am with both of them, esp Pat, the All-Pro. He was a true warrior/philosopher whose life is well documented on the athletic fields and through his journal that he began writing several years before he was so tragically killed. A truly amazing person who makes me feel puny in comparison, in so many ways. He did realize, though, after enlisting, that instead of finding himself with a bunch of like-minded 'heroes',  he was surrounded by mostly whiny kids who enlisted cuz they couldn't find a job, and he had a premonition about his life 'being in their hands', and that he had probably made a huge mistake as he missed his wife and family. He also said he learned he couldn't trust the 'supreme commander' of the US military. Like I said, he was very intelligent, but fatally impulsive. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to learn the history of our involvement in Afghanistan, as the author parallels the lives of Tillman, Bin Laden, and the events that created the Taliban and dragged us into the war that we are still fighting, unsuccessfully, 10 years later.  Krakauer's an amazing author, and I can't wait to read, 'Into the Wild', 'Into Thin Air', and 'Under the Banner of Heaven'. I have never read a book so thoroughly researched and presented from so many different, but convergent, angles. Thanks a bunch, Ted, and Kari, for recommending Krakauer.