Synopses & Reviews
Finding fulfillment is about more than just wild adventures and shameless self-indulgence, but that doesn’t mean a guy can’t enjoy himself trying
The pursuits of liberty and happiness are two of our inalienable rights; ironically, they’re often at odds with the third one. But as far as Harry Hurt III is concerned, if you aren’t willing to put your life in jeopardy for a good time, you don’t deserve to have one.
In each of his “Executive Pursuits” columns in The New York Times, Hurt, a journalist and professional dilettante, puts it all on the line in the search for freedom and joy in the most unlikely of places. And the likely ones, too.
Whether he’s flying a vintage Mustang, risking his neck at polo, or risking his dignity dancing with the New York City Ballet, Hurt gives his readers a Plimpton-esque glimpse of the adventures hidden just around the corner.
Hurt writes about hedonism, but the columns collected for the first time here in Hurt Yourself are really about finding fulfillment as a man in the second half of his life. He writes about marriage, as he gets into, and out of, trouble with wife; fatherhood, as he struggles to connect with his son; and manhood, as he battles the demons of vanity, insecurity, and fear.
Through it all, Hurt tackles each premise—from playing quarterback for the New York Jets to finding a swim suit a middle-aged man can actually wear—with self-deprecating humor and an unfailingly honest journalist’s eye.
Review
"Harry Hurt's book is a delight. I'd always wondered what executives did when they weren't ... um ... executing. Now I know. The lesson of this book is that our nation's economy would be in better shape if corporate bigwigs did the things described herein all day and never went to work."
—P.J. O'Rourke, award-winning author of On The Wealth of Nations
"Harry Hurt goes almost stride for stride with the master, George Plimpton, as a daring amateur who will try his not-so-amateurish hand at almost anything—polo, violin playing, sky diving—and make you smile at what unpredictably went wrong."
—James Salter, author of A Sport and a Pastime
"Harry Hurt III is the real deal."
—Jim Kelly, Editorial Director, Time Inc.
"Harry Hurt lives out our fantasies with great style in these delightful essays. This quirky and wry narrative is a joy to read."
—Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and His Universe
"Harry's column about getting a custom suit in Chinatown was one of the funniest things I've ever read."
—Gael Greene, author of Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess
Synopsis
Harry Hurt III is a journalist and professional dilettante who puts it all on the line in the search for freedom and joy in the most unlikely of places. And the likely ones, too. Whether hes flying a vintage Mustang, risking his neck at polo, or risking his dignity dancing with the New York City Ballet, Hurt gives the readers of his “Executive Pursuits” columns in The New York Times a Plimpton-esque glimpse of the adventures hidden just around the corner.
Hurt writes about hedonism, but the columns collected for the first time here in Hurt Yourself are really about finding fulfillment as a man in the second half of his life. He writes about marriage, as he gets into, and out of, trouble with wife; fatherhood, as he struggles to connect with his son; and manhood, as he battles the demons of vanity, insecurity, and fear.
Through it all, Hurt tackles each premise—from playing quarterback for the New York Jets to finding a swim suit a middle-aged man can actually wear—with self-deprecating humor and an unfailingly honest journalists eye.
Synopsis
Harry Hurt III is a journalist and professional dilettante who puts it all on the line in the search for freedom and joy in the most unlikely of places. And the likely ones, too. Whether he's flying a vintage Mustang, risking his neck at polo, or risking his dignity dancing with the New York City Ballet, Hurt gives the readers of his Executive Pursuits columns in The New York Times a Plimpton-esque glimpse of the adventures hidden just around the corner.
Hurt writes about hedonism, but the columns collected for the first time here in Hurt Yourself are really about finding fulfillment as a man in the second half of his life. He writes about marriage, as he gets into, and out of, trouble with wife; fatherhood, as he struggles to connect with his son; and manhood, as he battles the demons of vanity, insecurity, and fear.
Through it all, Hurt tackles each premise--from playing quarterback for the New York Jets to finding a swim suit a middle-aged man can actually wear--with self-deprecating humor and an unfailingly honest journalist's eye.
Synopsis
Whether hes flying a vintage Mustang, risking his neck at polo, or risking his dignity dancing with the New York City Ballet, journalist Harry Hurt III gives his readers a Plimpton-esque glimpse of the adventures hidden just around the corner.
About the Author
Harry Hurt III is an award-winning journalist and the author of six nonfiction books. He lives in Sag Harbor, New York.