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Explore/Create: My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark
An inventor, adventurer, entrepreneur, collector, and entertainer, and son of legendary scientist-astronaut Owen Garriott, Richard Garriott de Cayeux has been behind some of the most exciting undertakings of our time. A legendary pioneer of the online gaming industry—and a member of every gaming Hall of Fame—Garriott invented the multi-player online game, and coined the term “Avatar” to describe an individual’s online character.
A lifelong adventurer and member of the Explorers Club, Garriott has used the fortune he amassed from the gaming business to embark on a number of thrilling expeditions. He has plumbed the depths of the Atlantic ocean to see the remains of the Titanic, hunted for meteorites in Antarctica, and in 2008 became one of the first private citizens to be launched into space. Richard has been one of the foremost pioneers of the private space industry, investing his time and energy into making space travel more accessible.
In this fascinating memoir, Garriott invites readers on the great adventure that is his life. Yet his is no ordinary autobiography; throughout, Garriott engages readers with interactive activities and challenges them with “secret codes” for his games. An audacious genius with an insatiable curiosity and an irrepressible playfulness, Garriott takes readers on an unforgettable intellectual experience that is enlightening, adventurous, and fun.
A lifelong adventurer and member of the Explorers Club, Garriott has used the fortune he amassed from the gaming business to embark on a number of thrilling expeditions. He has plumbed the depths of the Atlantic ocean to see the remains of the Titanic, hunted for meteorites in Antarctica, and in 2008 became one of the first private citizens to be launched into space. Richard has been one of the foremost pioneers of the private space industry, investing his time and energy into making space travel more accessible.
In this fascinating memoir, Garriott invites readers on the great adventure that is his life. Yet his is no ordinary autobiography; throughout, Garriott engages readers with interactive activities and challenges them with “secret codes” for his games. An audacious genius with an insatiable curiosity and an irrepressible playfulness, Garriott takes readers on an unforgettable intellectual experience that is enlightening, adventurous, and fun.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2017
36 people are currently reading
630 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 41 reviews
February 2, 2018
Very readable! And very interesting! Not that this is a well-written book (it's not). Just that Garriott himself is an exceptionally interesting person who has lived a particularly interesting life. Don't get me wrong, I very much recommend reading Explore/Create! But I must admit I am disappointed. Given the raw material, the co-authors could have done so much more!
But I loved:
-Getting some insight into the mind of Garriott, from his commitment to extravagantly inventive party experiences (good god how I'd love to attend one, and how I'm so inspired to host one!) to the care with which he crafted the languages for his game universes.
-The importance of going outside of your field for inspiration, no matter what you do but ESPECIALLY if you're doing creative work.
-How Dungeons and Dragons influenced (i.e. directly inspired) his games. I wish I'd experienced that generation but D&D was never really part of my life. Thanks to this and Stranger Things, I'm getting a better sense of how much of an impact D&D had.
-Geocaching! I was into this pre-smart phone era and would like to get back into it now.
-Easter eggs and follow-up links throughout the book, challenges to the reader
But I loved:
-Getting some insight into the mind of Garriott, from his commitment to extravagantly inventive party experiences (good god how I'd love to attend one, and how I'm so inspired to host one!) to the care with which he crafted the languages for his game universes.
-The importance of going outside of your field for inspiration, no matter what you do but ESPECIALLY if you're doing creative work.
-How Dungeons and Dragons influenced (i.e. directly inspired) his games. I wish I'd experienced that generation but D&D was never really part of my life. Thanks to this and Stranger Things, I'm getting a better sense of how much of an impact D&D had.
-Geocaching! I was into this pre-smart phone era and would like to get back into it now.
-Easter eggs and follow-up links throughout the book, challenges to the reader
May 30, 2017
It's a pretty good book if you want to read about the kind of life you WISH you had. Richard Garriott comes across a bit arrogant in the book, but maybe it's hard to write about going into outer space and to the deepest part of the ocean without coming across a bit arrogant. Still it is undeniably interesting and there is a lot of cool stuff in the book especially if you are a bit of a geek.
You do have to realize that it was autobiographical, so the viewpoint is a bit skewed. I remember listening along to the hurdles NASA posed when he bought his way onto the ISS, thinking what jerks they were being until I remembered that there was one of only 300 astronauts with PhDs, who went through a rigorous vetting process and harsh training that weren't going into outer space because some guy was able to pay $20M to take one of their seats.
I listened to this on audio from audible and one thing I have to say about the book was that the reader was not very good. I do not say this lightly because I have an immense amount of respect for the readers of these books and this is only the second time I would say that. He had virtually not emotion in his voice as he went through some pretty thrilling pages.
You do have to realize that it was autobiographical, so the viewpoint is a bit skewed. I remember listening along to the hurdles NASA posed when he bought his way onto the ISS, thinking what jerks they were being until I remembered that there was one of only 300 astronauts with PhDs, who went through a rigorous vetting process and harsh training that weren't going into outer space because some guy was able to pay $20M to take one of their seats.
I listened to this on audio from audible and one thing I have to say about the book was that the reader was not very good. I do not say this lightly because I have an immense amount of respect for the readers of these books and this is only the second time I would say that. He had virtually not emotion in his voice as he went through some pretty thrilling pages.
November 16, 2020
This has been on my TBR for ages after my Dad lent me his copy of the book. Richard Garriott is someone I really admire, having grown up playing the Ultima games (particularly VII Parts I and II). They are still the standard by which I set all other games for their lore, world building and vivid, 'living' NPCs. His life is incredible and he is a fantastic storyteller. Not only is he a legend in the video game industry, Richard has also been to the Titanic, spent 2 weeks on the International Space Station, and has been to the North and South Poles. An incredible story with lots of great lessons for others along the way around creativity, entrepreneurship, working with others and management.
This quote from the start particularly stuck with me:
"Admittedly, I've had my fair share of lucky breaks. But I do buy into the adage that luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. Opportunities parade past us all the time. The key is that you must be paying attention to see them, you must be willing to take risks, you must expose yourself to the possibility of massive failure - and you must believe in what you are doing so much that you do it anyway."
This quote from the start particularly stuck with me:
"Admittedly, I've had my fair share of lucky breaks. But I do buy into the adage that luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. Opportunities parade past us all the time. The key is that you must be paying attention to see them, you must be willing to take risks, you must expose yourself to the possibility of massive failure - and you must believe in what you are doing so much that you do it anyway."
March 15, 2021
Richard is truly the personification of the Dos Equis most interesting man in the world. Delightfully funny, vulnerable, and lots to learn, I couldn’t put this book down.
June 1, 2018
One day, Lord British, his title in the game, exercising his privilege of invisible mode, was silently observing what game players were doing in the virtual world of Ultima Online he made. He came to a river and saw a fisherman sitting on the bank fishing. Then, a heavy-armed adventurer returning triumphantly from the dungeon passed by the fisherman.
When fighter became sympathetic with the fisherman with no arms and offered him his redundant weapons, the fisherman promptly declined the offer and said: “No, no, you ruffian. I come out here in the morning and I set my line and catch my fish. In the afternoon I take my fish into town and sell them to the villagers for a modest profit, and with the profit I go to the pub and enjoy my drinks and food with my dear friends and we share the stories of the day. This is the life I lead, that is the life I like, so be gone, warmonger. ”
Richard was happy hearing this conversation. He was content with the unique world he had designed. He was really able to realize that he succeeded in making the alternative world in which players could freely choose their ownlives. Different from other games, players don't have to fight with monsters.
He was born as a son of an astronaut and brought up in a facility of NASA with national top scientists. He produced legendary games, ULTIMA series in his early years and became a billionaire. However he was not good at business management, he retired in early forties. Recently he has invested in what he was interested in like polar expeditions, space travels, haunting attractions, exploring the next themes.
To his mind, rules are not to be obeyed, but able to change arbitrarily. He confessed that he was not able to go to the office in the morning. As Ultima became a big hit and the employees were busy making the sequel, they were confused with their elusive president, but he didn't care about it at all. He continued this work style. It took very long time to realize that he found management wasn’t his cup of tea. His strong concentration on only what he was really interested in had to be the driving force to produce the legendary games.
He looks excited speaking about the 1970's computer founding period, Ultima's big success, struggles in business, a rally with Ultima Online, failure games, his retirement from games, space travel and pole exploration, and what he is doing now. This book is dangerous book, infecting us with creativity.
When fighter became sympathetic with the fisherman with no arms and offered him his redundant weapons, the fisherman promptly declined the offer and said: “No, no, you ruffian. I come out here in the morning and I set my line and catch my fish. In the afternoon I take my fish into town and sell them to the villagers for a modest profit, and with the profit I go to the pub and enjoy my drinks and food with my dear friends and we share the stories of the day. This is the life I lead, that is the life I like, so be gone, warmonger. ”
Richard was happy hearing this conversation. He was content with the unique world he had designed. He was really able to realize that he succeeded in making the alternative world in which players could freely choose their ownlives. Different from other games, players don't have to fight with monsters.
He was born as a son of an astronaut and brought up in a facility of NASA with national top scientists. He produced legendary games, ULTIMA series in his early years and became a billionaire. However he was not good at business management, he retired in early forties. Recently he has invested in what he was interested in like polar expeditions, space travels, haunting attractions, exploring the next themes.
To his mind, rules are not to be obeyed, but able to change arbitrarily. He confessed that he was not able to go to the office in the morning. As Ultima became a big hit and the employees were busy making the sequel, they were confused with their elusive president, but he didn't care about it at all. He continued this work style. It took very long time to realize that he found management wasn’t his cup of tea. His strong concentration on only what he was really interested in had to be the driving force to produce the legendary games.
He looks excited speaking about the 1970's computer founding period, Ultima's big success, struggles in business, a rally with Ultima Online, failure games, his retirement from games, space travel and pole exploration, and what he is doing now. This book is dangerous book, infecting us with creativity.
November 10, 2021
9/10
What a life… and what a ride!
You may not be interested in everything this book has to offer. You may not be interested in many of the things this book has to offer. But I’ll be damned if you don’t engage with it deeply multiple times throughout the journey!
From chasing meteorites in Antarctica to a D&D frenzy with multiple games in parallel, from visiting the remains of the Titanic to the art of creating a brand new language for video game, from hiper-realistic haunted houses to flying into outer space - this book has something for everyone!
Yes, it is not the most well-written or well-edited book you will read. Not even close. And yes, ego does kick-in here and there. The fair rating all things considered would probably be 4 stars. But to hell with that - this book is an absolute trip!!!
Ideal for explorers at heart (and Ultima fans I guess), but highly recommended for everyone else too!
What a life… and what a ride!
You may not be interested in everything this book has to offer. You may not be interested in many of the things this book has to offer. But I’ll be damned if you don’t engage with it deeply multiple times throughout the journey!
From chasing meteorites in Antarctica to a D&D frenzy with multiple games in parallel, from visiting the remains of the Titanic to the art of creating a brand new language for video game, from hiper-realistic haunted houses to flying into outer space - this book has something for everyone!
Yes, it is not the most well-written or well-edited book you will read. Not even close. And yes, ego does kick-in here and there. The fair rating all things considered would probably be 4 stars. But to hell with that - this book is an absolute trip!!!
Ideal for explorers at heart (and Ultima fans I guess), but highly recommended for everyone else too!
November 14, 2023
I really wanted to love this. I did. But..
This book is exactly as out of touch and pompous as you'd expect a born-to-privilege billionaire to be. I fully acknowledge that it would be impossible for Mr. Garriott to describe going to space, having lunch on the deck of the Titanic, going to space, meeting celebrities, going to space, dropping multiple six figure sums on dinner with celebrities (and did I mention buying a private ticket to space? ) in a humble way, but he might have toned down a tad that it was due to how awesome and creative he is instead of a huge bank account that made it all happen. "Truthfully, how many people have to hire stuntmen and animal wranglers for their own wedding?" (page 126) .. Uhh.. how many people can do that, Richard? Does this mean you're super cool and creative? Or does it just simply mean you have more money? Less back patting, please.
I'm pretty sure he couldn't describe what he ate for breakfast this morning without somehow mentioning his trip to space. It's on every page. We get it. You went to space.
3 stars for the portion that talks about my favorite game of all time, Ultima Online. It's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life in very big ways. I enjoyed the stories that talked about it and the history of all Ultima games. I appreciated the insight behind the world that gave me the most immersive internet magic I've ever felt along with life-long friendships and even poignant exes. Those chapters were fun to read, except for when they also somehow managed to talk about buying a ticket to space.
This book is exactly as out of touch and pompous as you'd expect a born-to-privilege billionaire to be. I fully acknowledge that it would be impossible for Mr. Garriott to describe going to space, having lunch on the deck of the Titanic, going to space, meeting celebrities, going to space, dropping multiple six figure sums on dinner with celebrities (and did I mention buying a private ticket to space? ) in a humble way, but he might have toned down a tad that it was due to how awesome and creative he is instead of a huge bank account that made it all happen. "Truthfully, how many people have to hire stuntmen and animal wranglers for their own wedding?" (page 126) .. Uhh.. how many people can do that, Richard? Does this mean you're super cool and creative? Or does it just simply mean you have more money? Less back patting, please.
I'm pretty sure he couldn't describe what he ate for breakfast this morning without somehow mentioning his trip to space. It's on every page. We get it. You went to space.
3 stars for the portion that talks about my favorite game of all time, Ultima Online. It's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life in very big ways. I enjoyed the stories that talked about it and the history of all Ultima games. I appreciated the insight behind the world that gave me the most immersive internet magic I've ever felt along with life-long friendships and even poignant exes. Those chapters were fun to read, except for when they also somehow managed to talk about buying a ticket to space.
June 17, 2025
I read this book after already having completed Master's of Doom, and Sid Meier's Memoir, and I can confidently say that this book belongs in that collection of great books on game developers. I'll admit that Garriott's book, of all three, is much less about games and game making and more about the adventures of his life. However, Garriott is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a fantastic story teller, and I was at the edge of my seat for most of the book.
When I studied music history in college, it wasn't really about the process classic composers used to produce great works of art, it was about their lives and all the chaos and order that surrounded it to produce the kind of person passionate enough to give us the masterpieces we have today. In that sense, I think this book does Garriott justice, for he would not have made such fascinating and entertaining games if he wasn't already such an interesting person.
His pursuits and stories reminds us that ultimately when we reach out and touch the world, the ideas and inspiration is enough to keep a passionate game developer such as Garriott primed with fascinating ideas for his games. And thank goodness for that!
When I studied music history in college, it wasn't really about the process classic composers used to produce great works of art, it was about their lives and all the chaos and order that surrounded it to produce the kind of person passionate enough to give us the masterpieces we have today. In that sense, I think this book does Garriott justice, for he would not have made such fascinating and entertaining games if he wasn't already such an interesting person.
His pursuits and stories reminds us that ultimately when we reach out and touch the world, the ideas and inspiration is enough to keep a passionate game developer such as Garriott primed with fascinating ideas for his games. And thank goodness for that!
April 5, 2018
Explore / Create: My Life at the Extremes (2017) by Richard Garriott is an autobiography of the creator of the Ultima Series and founder of Origin Systems, Richard Garriott. Garriott is an amazing guy who created incredible games, threw fantastic parties and got himself into space. His father was also an astronaut.
Given Garriott's remarkable achievements the book is a disappointment, it reads more like a series of blog posts than a book. Despite that, for anyone who played Ultima games or knows of Garriott's remarkable life it's of value.
Garriott writes about how playing D & D from an early age had such an impact on how he wanted to create games. He writes about how he geocaches, how he built adventure rides in his own home, his adventures in space and in the depths of the ocean. He's certainly led an incredible life.
The book, however, doesn't flow and feels cobbled together. Like Garriott had so much stuff he wanted to write about but couldn't assemble in a coherent way. Still, for anyone curious about the man behind the games and his life it's worth a read.
Given Garriott's remarkable achievements the book is a disappointment, it reads more like a series of blog posts than a book. Despite that, for anyone who played Ultima games or knows of Garriott's remarkable life it's of value.
Garriott writes about how playing D & D from an early age had such an impact on how he wanted to create games. He writes about how he geocaches, how he built adventure rides in his own home, his adventures in space and in the depths of the ocean. He's certainly led an incredible life.
The book, however, doesn't flow and feels cobbled together. Like Garriott had so much stuff he wanted to write about but couldn't assemble in a coherent way. Still, for anyone curious about the man behind the games and his life it's worth a read.
March 4, 2020
Meh. There are interesting stories here, but I didn't get as much on what shaped him or motivated him as I would get out of a biography. I also feel like a biography would have expanded on certain parts of his history more. There are glimpses of what could have been in the Ultima Online stories. Even those though were ultimately unsatisfying for me. Hard to recommend for general audiences or based on the topics covered (exploration, business and video game development). Easy to recommend if you are really interested in the man himself. It is an easy read and there are some great nuggets in the different stories he tells.
There are two things I wish I knew before I read this book. Garriott's father was an astronaut and his brother handled the business side of their original video game company. I don't say those things to diminish Richard's accomplishments. It is to point out that in an autobiography you don't get a lot of exploration into how those two interacted with and influenced Richard's life. It is hard to learn from or generalize those specific experiences without them.
There are two things I wish I knew before I read this book. Garriott's father was an astronaut and his brother handled the business side of their original video game company. I don't say those things to diminish Richard's accomplishments. It is to point out that in an autobiography you don't get a lot of exploration into how those two interacted with and influenced Richard's life. It is hard to learn from or generalize those specific experiences without them.
August 17, 2018
Just realized I didn't write a review for this beautiful and a quite dramatic story.
Yes, it's not a regular "knowledge transfer" book where the author goes into his insights and experiences. Richard is a great storyteller, and you see that thru his journey as well as thru his writing itself.
I was able to reflect on my own life while reading it. Reconsider some worldviews and learned a ton about the gaming industry as well as private space flights pioneering.
Now, I'm playing computer games with my kids a bit more, helping them navigate around a wide selection of games (I wish I had such privilege in my childhood 😬) by curating their tastes, reading reviews together and just discussing our preferences.
I would read that book again at some point, yeah, that's one of *those* books.
Yes, it's not a regular "knowledge transfer" book where the author goes into his insights and experiences. Richard is a great storyteller, and you see that thru his journey as well as thru his writing itself.
I was able to reflect on my own life while reading it. Reconsider some worldviews and learned a ton about the gaming industry as well as private space flights pioneering.
Now, I'm playing computer games with my kids a bit more, helping them navigate around a wide selection of games (I wish I had such privilege in my childhood 😬) by curating their tastes, reading reviews together and just discussing our preferences.
I would read that book again at some point, yeah, that's one of *those* books.
May 6, 2017
Breezy, entertaining and informative read by one of Austin's more notable residents, Richard Garriott. Inspiring tales from his professional and personal life abound in this book, ranging from early video game development to modern day space exploration. He's obviously a highly intelligent being who has achieved much professional success and personal wealth (including that "massive Austin house on the hill" a.k.a. Britannia Manor), but the best takeaway from this fun memoir is the insight into his driving motivations: an endless curiosity coupled with a boundless desire for adventure and experience.
March 1, 2020
A glimpse into a different and very fascinating world. His life gives him the constant sparks of creativity and an astronaut's view of life and an aquanaut's depth of knowledge and the distance he takes through Amazon to make things happen. His budding interests were nurtured through the closely knitted community of scientists, adventurers, engineers and entrepreneurs before entering the cutthroat world of corporate America.
Finally, he always maintain an almost childlike interest and facination with both science and fantasy and even Stephen Hawkins and the lengths he goes through to achieve them. These are revealing through his ideas and gaming concepts. Facinating. To read again book.
Finally, he always maintain an almost childlike interest and facination with both science and fantasy and even Stephen Hawkins and the lengths he goes through to achieve them. These are revealing through his ideas and gaming concepts. Facinating. To read again book.
September 12, 2020
Richard Garriott is a very peculiar human being: he went to space, into the Titanic carcass and also impacted millions of lives by inventing the MMORPG genre, at least the modern concept of it.
This books talks about these and other things from a personal perspective: it's not a "biography" but its entertaining and inspiring. I'm not giving it 5 stars because i finished the book wondering how many more stories Mr. Garriott could pack in it :). Still would recommend to anyone that looks for amazing stories of amazing people.
P.S. Took me a while to read it because it was a "bedside book" and i didn't read often before sleeping!
This books talks about these and other things from a personal perspective: it's not a "biography" but its entertaining and inspiring. I'm not giving it 5 stars because i finished the book wondering how many more stories Mr. Garriott could pack in it :). Still would recommend to anyone that looks for amazing stories of amazing people.
P.S. Took me a while to read it because it was a "bedside book" and i didn't read often before sleeping!
June 9, 2020
Richard Garriott is a really interesting guy who has had an eventful life. Explore/Create is a great overview of his accomplishments and achievements, plus is a fascinating look at his creation process when it came to the Ultima series. While the book says you can read it in any order, I do think going straight through is the best method of reading this book. The exploration and creation chapters feed off each other in a way that shows that exploration and creation are two adjacent facets of the same die.
July 31, 2021
Fascinating and approachable
This book is a memoir and a master class in life. While he did have a variety of opportunities that many of us haven't, but part of the opportunities he has had just required thinking creatively and deciding to take the risk. Aside from the normal tales and life lesson, this also has a lot of invitations to interact through social media, typically Twitter. So read, learn, maybe message the author.
This book is a memoir and a master class in life. While he did have a variety of opportunities that many of us haven't, but part of the opportunities he has had just required thinking creatively and deciding to take the risk. Aside from the normal tales and life lesson, this also has a lot of invitations to interact through social media, typically Twitter. So read, learn, maybe message the author.
October 6, 2021
Richard Garriott did it again!! Explore/Create did a wonderful job of keeping pace, telling a childhood story of growing up in an Astronaut neighborhood, the beginnings of an incredible software startup which leads to travels beyond the atmosphere. There is at least one story that is partially repeated, however the first instance is more of a lead than an actual story itself, other then that this is a great read and I would recommend this book to anyone.
September 15, 2017
More of an inspirational than an autobiography. Garriott is definitely a fascinating person, and he's not afraid to tell you so. His has been a charmed life, as he tells it -- everything turns out great, and for the most part quite easily. I think I'd be more interested in an outside view of his life.
September 19, 2023
This is not like most books I have read. You can literally pick it up and read a chapter and it is a full story to itself. This is a wonderful collection of real life stories that can inspire and young and old. I have bought this to give as gifts for some young readers in hope of inspiring them to live life to the fullest.
October 23, 2020
Subject Appeal: 5/5.
Research Depth: 4/5.
Research Breadth: 5/5.
Narrative Flow: 4/5.
Verdict: 5/5. Like Garriott's mind, his book reads like an exercise in wanderlust, a heartfelt call to embracing the unknown.
Research Depth: 4/5.
Research Breadth: 5/5.
Narrative Flow: 4/5.
Verdict: 5/5. Like Garriott's mind, his book reads like an exercise in wanderlust, a heartfelt call to embracing the unknown.
November 18, 2020
A solid 4.5 stars.
The only reason I don't give a full five stars is that the writing could have been better at points, and the chronology of events was sometimes a bit confusing.
But overall it was a great book.
The only reason I don't give a full five stars is that the writing could have been better at points, and the chronology of events was sometimes a bit confusing.
But overall it was a great book.
April 20, 2021
The origin of virtual worlds and a personal experience of actual spaceflight. Richard's offers to reach out to him via social media after finishing the book really add to the sense of engagement following
February 7, 2019
I won this book in the giveaway! I found a ton of inspiration from this book. I was thoroughly entertained and began to think about what I aspire to achieve in life.
October 6, 2020
Super cool book. It starts with RG recounting the time he got stuck under the Titanic in a submarine. I mean, who else has stories like that. And that's just the first few pages!
March 22, 2021
Fascinating history of the Ultima series and other seminal games. It is marred by some slightly ableist language in the chapter about Stephen Hawking.
July 1, 2022
I love this book. It is full of amazing stories and offers insight into a fabulous collection of ideas and worlds. Richard Garriott is one of my idols, and this book reinforces this for me.
May 4, 2024
Founder of online gaming, space traveller
July 18, 2020
I feel like this book was written by Lord British and not Richard Garriott.
Ironically I got a better feel for Richard Garriott in the Contato biography than this work. The books complement each other and together paint a nice picture of this amazing creator.
Ironically I got a better feel for Richard Garriott in the Contato biography than this work. The books complement each other and together paint a nice picture of this amazing creator.
November 25, 2016
While I was very interested in receiving it, I also was worried that I would find it somewhat boring. Not due to lack of being well written or good content but rather as someone who has been following Richard Garriott at some level or another most of my life, I was worried it would all be old news to me.
Quite the contrary, there were only a couple sections of the book that feel this way to me. Areas that I had heard stories about from Richard or seen on Youtube had new insights and revelations. To my astonishment, I even learned about a few of Richard’s adventures in life I had not known of. I attribute this to the fact that as a public personality, time alone in private with him is rare. So topics tend to be the ones that the majority of the public pull from him.
This book allows for a format in which Richard gets to share adventures that may not be as popular, but I find none the less intriguing.
While he certainly offers some advice here and there, it is more narrative and story driven. Recounting major stories, turning points, and adventures in his life with some commentary. I personally, was then able to draw some corollary’s in my own life and learn from his experience.
Being done this way led to a fun story that at many times completely engaged me, drew me in, and made me feel like I was living it a bit. Not in the way a good Fiction Novel would, but well enough to help me feel the experiences he describes.
David Fisher did a fantastic job overall in capturing the nuances of Richards personality in person, in print. I have had the honor to engage with Richard face to face on occasion and many times as I read this book I could easily hear him telling me the story!
There can be a lot of reasons someone may be interested in this book. Hoping to gain some insight or wisdom from a creative individual perhaps. You may be a fan or follow of one area of his life such as video game or space travel and are looking for things specific to that. Maybe you just find him and his stories fun or exciting.
For me, it is a combination of all these things and many others, which put this book was on my wish list. Whichever reason you are considering purchasing it for, do yourself a favor and get on the preorder list. It’s not lengthy which for some will be positive. For myself, that was the only negative.
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The above is the primary part of a review I did of this book on my website. For the entire thing please visit: http://www.thecaverns.net/Wordpress/t...
Quite the contrary, there were only a couple sections of the book that feel this way to me. Areas that I had heard stories about from Richard or seen on Youtube had new insights and revelations. To my astonishment, I even learned about a few of Richard’s adventures in life I had not known of. I attribute this to the fact that as a public personality, time alone in private with him is rare. So topics tend to be the ones that the majority of the public pull from him.
This book allows for a format in which Richard gets to share adventures that may not be as popular, but I find none the less intriguing.
While he certainly offers some advice here and there, it is more narrative and story driven. Recounting major stories, turning points, and adventures in his life with some commentary. I personally, was then able to draw some corollary’s in my own life and learn from his experience.
Being done this way led to a fun story that at many times completely engaged me, drew me in, and made me feel like I was living it a bit. Not in the way a good Fiction Novel would, but well enough to help me feel the experiences he describes.
David Fisher did a fantastic job overall in capturing the nuances of Richards personality in person, in print. I have had the honor to engage with Richard face to face on occasion and many times as I read this book I could easily hear him telling me the story!
There can be a lot of reasons someone may be interested in this book. Hoping to gain some insight or wisdom from a creative individual perhaps. You may be a fan or follow of one area of his life such as video game or space travel and are looking for things specific to that. Maybe you just find him and his stories fun or exciting.
For me, it is a combination of all these things and many others, which put this book was on my wish list. Whichever reason you are considering purchasing it for, do yourself a favor and get on the preorder list. It’s not lengthy which for some will be positive. For myself, that was the only negative.
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The above is the primary part of a review I did of this book on my website. For the entire thing please visit: http://www.thecaverns.net/Wordpress/t...
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