Need a new book to read? Want something to dive into and learn from? Maybe one of the few books listed below is just want you’re searching for.
When it comes to forum website Reddit, there is always heaps of new information being shared across its many subforums. From tips for dating, financial advice, tips for nutrition, and more. But we recently came across a Reddit post asking for advice on what books would be great for men. And honestly, that got us interested in the same topic. So, we scoured across Reddit to find some regularly mentioned books in similar Reddit posts about “books for men.” Check out what we collected own below.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
“I thank my mother for teaching me motherly things. I thank my father for teaching me fatherly things. I thank my teacher for sharing knowledge. I thank my friends for being there for me.”
Meditations started as a Roman emperor’s diary and notes on stoicism. Aurelius first wrote the Meditations as a way to self-guide himself through life. The personal diary turned published book has since been received by the world as a philosophical and meditational guide. If you want a book to help you relook at yourself, your spiritual self, and the way you see the rest of the world, try this book.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Similarly, The Art of War helps to reshape the way one thinks about many aspects of life. As one Redditor shared:
“The book is a very short read (version I had was 68 pages), but I have gone through it multiple times. Everything in this book can be applied to every day life, just depends on how you interpret it.”
‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.'
Another Redditor commented later in the thread that the book “felt more like a primer on how to think. Utilize advantage, be mindful of disadvantage. Over and over until even the slow kids catch on.”
Renovation by Michael Litchfielf
We could do no better to explain the need for this book than the below words of one Redditor from a year ago:
“Renovation by Michael Litchfield. It’s my bible, honestly. I usually read the section on the project, watch some YouTube videos, and then read the section again. YouTube is good for watching how it’s done but a lot of times leaves out important details or background info of why we’re doing it this way. My dad has the original falling apart on his bookshelf from 27 years of use when he (city boy) bought a farm and had to start from scratch. I bought my house last year and the first thing he got me was the newest edition of this book.’
Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer et al.
But what about meals and cooking? What kind of cook books should men try. Frankly, it’s hard to say. After all, many different people have different tastes and styles of cooking. So, it would be best just to try as many different cookbooks as possible and build your own cooking aesthetic. Plus, once you have more knowledge in cooking, you won’t need to stick to recipes as much.
But if you really need a cookbook to start, try The Joy of Cooking. As one Redditor wrote last year:
“The Joy of Cooking is really good for learning the basics. A lot of the recipes (at least in the ancient copy I have) are things like “Basic white bread” and “Chicken Stock”. Great book to build some solid foundations. I think the more recent editions cover some more exotic dishes and ideas.”
Tribe: On Homecoming And Belonging by Sebastian Junger
At its core, this book is about the human instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding. Junger’s book then explores how this is true to many sagas in the human existence. From the time of the American colonies to the lives of military veterans today.
As one Redditor raved about it two years ago:
“I'm starting this comment off with this book because it is, far beyond the shadow of a doubt, the most important book that every man should read. It is primarily meant for soldiers in the US military but god d*** dude every f***ing male on this planet needs to read this f***ing book, plus it's less than 200 pages. If someone comes up to you and tells you that you can only read one more book ever again let it be this one. If you buy any book recommended here today, it absolutely needs to be this one. If you're one of those dudes that is in a sort of “melancholy” where you're not “living” life, you're just sort of “existing”, this book can really help you sort things out. F***, buy this book even if you're one of the women of [the reddit forum].”
Your Must-Read Books
Have you read any of the books on this list? What did you think about it? Is there a book you would recommend? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below.
