Explore/Create

My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark

By: Richard Garriott, David Fisher

Narrated by: Christopher Grove

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listeners on the great adventure that is his life. An audacious genius with an insatiable curiosity and an irrepressible playfulness, Garriott takes listeners on an unforgettable intellectual experience that is enlightening, adventurous, and fun.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Garriott Research, Inc. (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

inspired

I felt inspired but the stories Richard shared. It was a fun read. I would recommend it for older kids or young adults but it also helps us older adults be in touch with our inner child.

Inspiring biography of the Father of Ultima!

I loved the entire book. Perhaps what interested me the most where the " Create" chapters where Mr Garriot would explain how his dream of creating virtual experiences came to be.. Successes, hardships and failures... They were all interesting to listen to.

wow<br />

what an amazing person with a great view of life, i wasnt expecting much honestly but boy was i surpised

A enjoyable listen

I admit that I was a fan of Richard Garriott before listening to this this book but it was very insightful and very enjoyable and at times it brought me to tears a pain for him and other times it brought me to tears of joy and there are some funny parts where I almost spit up my drink, it's definitely worth a listen.

Masterpiece of Inspiration

Last time I was not able to stop listening to an audio book was when I was listening to the Martian by Andy Weir.

Richard's book is beyond inspiring!

Some Inspiration

I almost had to dock the book one star, because the author is very proud of his accomplishments to the point of perhaps overstatement. It certainly felt like a brag book in places.

However, I do appreciate some of what he has achieved, and I do think there are some amusing stories and useful ways of looking at the world.

Recommended, but with the occasional wince of discomfort if you don’t like self-promotion.

The Modern Day Explorer

Richard Garriott is a great example of a modern say explorer. I am a fan of videogames, and an interview between Richard Garriott and gaming news engine IGN is how I found out about him and his book. Great story and would recommend!

My space man

Based on his Eight Virtues of the Avatar featured in Ultima IV, I made the decision that, if there were such an election, I would vote Richard Garriott for "American Space Man", as opposed to the other rich white guys who endeavor to turn cocaine money into space travel for criminals (Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk).

I find it troubling that Garriott seems to have the desire to live forever, but I suppose that's on par with white guys who endeavor to colonize the galaxy.

I'm glad I read the book. It solidifies my imaginary vote.

An Interesting Read.

Having followed Richard Garriott's life and career and played all of his games, I find this book to be mainly two things. First and foremost a detailed and somewhat humble-brag accounting of how everything he's done has been for the sole purpose of getting into space. He spends quite a lot of time on the subject of Space in this book. Second, a detailed and yet also a somewhat embellished-humble-brag accounting of just about everything he's created or accomplished. While Mr. Garriott is an interesting, intelligent, charismatic, and driven person, the book makes very clear he's also been a very fortunate and lucky individual mainly due to the family he was born into. Unfortunately, he doesn't go into any further details about the series that made him famous (Ultima) beyond the common stories he slings at trade show and convention interviews and as the book creeps toward "current / modern time" some of the more negative details surrounding his life accomplishments become more absent specifically around his last game SotA. There are more details surrounding his time at and departure from EA, his early adventure trips (like the Titanic), geo-caching, and his Haunted Houses that most won't know and are nice to hear about.

It is an interesting read but it does set him up in the best light as you'd expect a self written biography would. If you don't know much about Lord British, this is the book. If you do, skip it.