BOOKS
THE ESSENTIALS
These are the books that have helped me navigate my journeys, and write about them. I have no doubt they will assist you along your paths. Click on the covers for my personal reviews and purchase information.
If you haven’t read this yet, stop whatever you’re doing and crack this thing. It will radically change your life. It’s The What, The How, and most importantly, The Why. To understand what I’m getting at just click the cover.
Robert Bly’s examination of “Iron John” – a parable from the Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm about a boy’s journey into manhood with the guidance of the mysterious Wild Man – is a must-read if you want to discover the true nature of masculinity.
A profound examination of how we live and how to live better, this story of a motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son is a personal and philosophical odyssey. The narrator’s relationship with his son leads to a powerful self-reckoning.
It may sound counterintuitive to promote “alone time” in an effort to improve your relationship with your children (and your spouse), but solitude is absolutely vital to your mental, spiritual, and relational well-being. Find the time to find yourself.
A cornerstone of stoicism, Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations is one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. It’s a series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and a profound understanding of human behavior.
The tragic adventure story of a son who loses himself in Alaska during an attempt to find the Wild Man within. Dads need to introduce their sons to their wild natures. If we don’t, it can be deadly.
Want to know How To Dad Badly?
Read this.
Beautifully written and bravely honest, Wayward is an eye-opening memoir I connected with in surprising ways. Wayward is a compelling, intense read for everyone who has left The Fold.
One of my favorite writers had a tragic, fatherless childhood and the wounds, the scars, fucked him up. He found comfort in Christian Spirituality, which is an interesting twist in itself. Miller writes with honesty and vulnerability and his story is something all men who grew up without a dad can relate to.
“Mothers don’t father and fathers don’t mother.” Fathers have always parented differently than mothers. In Fatherneed, Dr. Pruett shows why that difference is so important to a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
I needed this book twenty-seven years ago.
I had a lot of similar experiences as the author did growing up in a religious household, so much of this book felt familiar.
A gold mine. I wish I had read this before I ever started writing my own.
Best book on the craft, period.