Sunday, August 24, 2008

We are Socially Intelligent?

According to an online IQ test, I score the highest in the area of social intelligence. This is closely followed by math (!!!) intelligence and verbal intelligence (about the same scores). I did most poorly in spatial intelligence, in fact I found those tests really hard. My score is saved online. If you'd like to take the test and compare go to the site and try it out!

Aaron is taking the test as we speak and he totally beat my social intelligence score! He also scored high in math and spatial, followed by verbal. His score is online, too.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Review of: The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Dan White

I know I will be a harsh judge of any long-distance hiking memoir because I have done two of the long trails and have a whole slew of my own memoir-deserving stories (including my honeymoon hike of the PCT in 2002 with our dog).

I think this was a generally amusing tale of a guy’s journey on the PCT. My major complaint about the book was that the author ended up focusing a lot on his relationship and less on the trail. The relationship story ends up being sort of lame and doesn’t really show him in the best light, so I’m unsure why. Also a minor complaint, he never tells us what year he hiked in. Obviously it was many years before 2002, since I had the absolute hardest hitch of my hiking career in Castella and sure could have used a trail angel! All in all a funny and well-written book. I commend ANYONE that makes a good effort to hike a long trail and soak up the amazing trail culture! But as is the danger in memoir, the Cactus Eater’s story just doesn’t seem quite as interesting as my own!!