A New Anthony Bourdain Book Drops This Month—Here's Why It Matters
Plus, sharing my work on the Huckberry x TIMEX IRONMAN release, a band out of Thailand that totally rocks, why you should be more like the Blue Jays, and more.
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AFTER LAST NIGHT’S game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, I’m reminded just how much baseball is reflective of real life.
The star-studded Yankees found themselves exiting the playoffs early once again. This year, to a team that hardly anyone was taking serious. Although they finished first in the AL East this year, the Blue Jays finished last in the division in 2024. Much of their 2025 roster consists of guys you’ve just now heard of for the first time.
And yet here are the Blue Jays in all their glory, moving on to try and win the AL pennant for the first time since 1993. Ask anyone with a baseball eye, and you can tell the Jays play together as a team. Their pitchers pick each other up. Their offense fights at every two-strike count. The most telling stats between the two teams? It lies in the offense.
Yankees: 1st in home runs this season. 3rd worst in strikeouts.
Blue Jays: 1st in batting average. 1st in on-base percentage.
We all love the home run ball, but oh how the mighty fall when that’s all a team can rely on. The Blue Jays are playing ball the old school way. Proving that doing the small things, and executing them timely, pays off in the long run.
Be more like the Blue Jays today.
STYLE & GEAR NEWS
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New Book to Know: The Anthony Bourdain Reader
I’m a huge Bourdain fan. I still rewatch Parts Unknown episodes to this day. So when I read on Gear Patrol there’s going to be a collection of Bourdain writings publishing on October 28th (yes, this October 28th) I had to stop what I was doing and learn more.
The Anthony Bourdain Reader is a 512-page book that will offer a collection of new, classic, and rediscovering writings from Bourdain that span decades. It’s edited by Kimberly Witherspoon, Bourdain’s former agent. It’s introduced by Patrick Radden Keefe, one of my favorite writers and the author of Say Nothing, Empire of Pain, and Rogues.
Read more: 8 Great Life Lessons I Learned From Anthony Bourdain
What I love about this book is how far and wide the scope is of unpublished writing:
“The Anthony Bourdain Reader is also a showcase for new and never-before-seen material, like diary entries from Bourdain’s first trip to France as a teenager and ‘It’s Cruel and Unforgiving Terrain,’ a piece on the New York restaurant scene, as well as unpublished short fiction like ‘I Quit My Job Yesterday’ and chapters from No New Messages, his unfinished novel. These newly discovered pieces all contribute to give the fullest picture of the man behind the books.”
I’ve already got this book pre-ordered. It’ll be a solid gifting idea for any Bourdain fan this upcoming holiday season. Priced at $40.
#ShareYourWork: Huckberry x TIMEX IRONMAN Flix
My latest work project is a collaboration on the TIMEX IRONMAN Flix. This campaign was over three months in the making, first getting passed to me in July. On top of being the copy lead for it, I also created the brief, drove initial creative direction, and monitored the entire production process up to release day.
Basically, I put an insane amount of hours into this project and want to share it with you all. Here’s the campaign write up I put together:
“Trusted by athletes, adventurers, world travelers, and beyond, the TIMEX® IRONMAN® series is the stuff of legends in watchmaking circles. To honor its rugged legacy, we gave the TIMEX® IRONMAN® Flix our own Huckberry spin: an exclusive colorway in Sand/Orange/Olive that pays respect to the challenge of navigating unforgiving terrains. The places where mental grit is forged alongside physical strength. Where every step forward is ‘off the beaten path.’
What makes the TIMEX® IRONMAN® Flix special is it delivers precise timing and rugged toughness, all while staying supremely lightweight and easy to use. The watch features a 100-lap memory chronograph with recall, interval and countdown timers for training, and three customizable alarm settings. And for the hours of the day when the sun has yet to rise (or has finally set), there’s an INDIGLO® backlight that activates with a flick of the wrist.”
If you’re wondering why I’ve got the phrase written as “TIMEX® IRONMAN®” in the campaign, it’s because that’s the proper naming Timex requested in communications I had with their team. Really it doesn’t matter too much if there’s a copyright or not—or if TIMEX is written as “Timex.” However, when it comes to getting collaborations right and honoring a partner’s request, then these small details very much become a conversation.
The anti-smartwatch is $129. Available at Huckberry.
Cool Australian Brand to Know: Someday Fabrications
Someday Fabrications is a design studio based in Melbourne, Australia with a cool workwear-inspired aesthetic. I learned about them looking over a coworkers shoulder and noticing he was browsing Someday’s hats.
I like these lines Someday has on their About page: “We believe in doing things the right way - without compromise on our output. Slowly, Surely, Someday."
My product favorites are their hats and the chore coats they put out in their AW25 collection.
OUTFIT: All-In on Patagonia
INROADS
Stories across the internet that inform and inspire. Find an inroad and see where it leads.
Young Wolf Thailand
Young Wolf has had a presence on YouTube and Instagram for over half a decade. I just discovered the Bangkok-based rock band this week. The aura of these guys is high. The singer’s got a great voice and a unique aesthetic. Check out their Oasis cover of “Supersonic” when you have a second.
Chatting with… Fjällräven
For those who might not be familiar, Proper Mag is a British men’s lifestyle publication and creative agency based in Manchester. I was recently checking the features section on their website and came across an interview of James Lee, the head of R&D at Fjällräven. It’s a quick interview with a cool inside look at how the brand is showing up in 2025 and beyond. There’s also some wear-tested photos of the Expedition Down Lite Jacket in an excellent color called “Dark Oat.”
The Polo Bar Gets A New Location
Opening in 2028 at 1 Hanover Square, in a city you can likely guess, The Polo Bar will get its second-ever location. I’ve been lucky to dine at The Polo Bar in NYC on a few occasions over the years thanks to press events. To this day, it’s in my top three favorite restaurants. I always order the burger. It’s iconic.
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More From The Archives
Are you caught up on all my latest posts? Here’s what you might’ve missed.
Last Saturday, I wrote my fall report on the 28 Coolest Style & Gear Releases Making Waves This Month.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared the #1 lesson that rewired how I approach work. Now, I just wish I learned it earlier in life.
I wrote an essay on the style code of Cormac McCarthy. He once wrote in the margins of a book on men’s style that slip-on dress shoes were “disgusting.”
We’re nearly 75% through 2025. My story on the 21 Ways to Live a Little More Each Day shares what I’ve been doing to make life sweeter, easier, and healthier.
I recently published my first vlog for LIVE A LITTLE. It talks the LAL origin story, and what I hope to accomplish as we approach year two of this newsletter.
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Stoked for Bourdain book. I just read Kitchen Confidential; per his advice, just traded all my random knives for a Global Chef’s Knife. Came in mail today 🤘🏼