The 15 Best Books Read by the AoM Team in 2015

Here at the Art of Manliness, we’re big believers in the brain-boosting, character-expanding, enjoyment-inducing power of books. Kate, Jeremy, and I always have our nose in a book (or pointing at a digital reader), and last year for the first time we decided to put together a list of the best books we read during the course of the year. We’ve decided to do it again this year, and give you a peek into the meaty sources behind a lot of the articles we write and publish, as well as the books we’re simply enjoying in our spare time.

These aren’t necessarily books that came out in 2015, but simply the books we happened to pick up and enjoy this year.

Resilience: Hard-won Wisdom for Living a Better Life by Eric GreitensBy far the best book I read in 2015. It was so good in fact, that I read it twice this year. In Resilience, former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens shares a series of letters written between him and a SEAL buddy who was going through a rough time in his life with alcoholism, job loss, and PTSD. Greitens calls upon his background in philosophy to provide insights and advice for his Resilience: Hard-Won W... Greitens Navy SEAL, Eric Best Price: $1.43 Buy New $20.57 (as of 01:05 UTC - Details) struggling friend on how to develop resilience in the face of adversity. Resilience is something I’ve spent a great deal of time researching and writing on because it’s a trait that I struggle with myself and have to constantly work on. Greitens’ book is by far the best I’ve ever read on the subject. Every page has some nugget of wisdom on how you can become more resilient to big adversities, or just life’s mundane struggles. Along the way you’re treated to personal war stories from Greitens’ SEAL days, as well as excerpts from Thucydides, Aristotle, and Aquinas. —Brett

The Godfather by Mario Puzo. While the movie version rightly gets acclaim as one of the best films of all-time, the 1969 novel which inspired it is an excellent piece of writing and literature that most every man would enjoy reading. You know the plot already: for the course of 10 years we follow the Corleones — a very powerful Italian mafia family. We see how their family and power dynamics change over time as young men grow up and old men decline. There is some incredibly virile writing in The Godfather, and you’ll come to think a little differently about right vs. wrong, friendship, loyalty, and the power of familia. —Jeremy

Self and Soul: A Defense of Ideals by Mark Edmundson. Have you ever had those moments when life just feels flat? Even if on the surface your life seems awesome, something inside you aches and longs for something more meaningful. In Self and Soul, Mark Edmundson diagnoses the spiritual malaise many Westerners feel today. He forcefully argues that we’ve turned our backs on the world of the Soul — the world of ideals like courage, The Godfather: 50th An... Puzo, Mario Buy New $12.99 (as of 11:10 UTC - Details) compassion, truth — and have (thanks to Shakespeare and Freud) completely embraced the materialistic and selfish desires of the Self. Self and Soul is an incredibly challenging, convicting, and thought-provoking book. It really forces you to look at your life and ask, “Am I really living for something bigger than myself? If not, how can I change that?” —Brett

With the Old Breed by E.B. Sledge. I’ve taught history at the college level, and always been something of a WWII buff, but reading With the Old Breed made me realize that I had previously been ignorant of the horrific reality that was the Pacific War. With rich and haunting prose, Sledge takes you right into the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa and allows you to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the nightmarish scenes on a very visceral level. This is surely one of the best books on war, period, and is a must-read for every American who wants to fully understand the sacrifices their forebearers made for them. -Kate

The Innovators by Walter Isaacson. Everything Walter Isaacson writes is just golden, so when his newest book came out about this time last year, I knew I had to read it. Rather than focusing on a single person, as the prestigious author has in the past, he decided to focus on the biography of the computer. What were its origins, who were the key people paving the way, and most importantly, which factors led to remarkable innovation of the Self and Soul: A Defen... Edmundson, Mark Best Price: $3.04 Buy New $18.00 (as of 03:25 UTC - Details) world’s most powerful machine? What you’ll learn is that innovation is almost always a team effort, and that it’s rarely truly unique, but rather incrementally built upon the findings of others. Seeing as how computers run our world, it’s in your interest to know the machine’s origin story. You’ll also learn a lot about business, and what it takes to truly succeed in the marketplace. I can’t recommend this book enough, even if it is a bit technical at times. –Jeremy

Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos. Last year one of my picks was A Higher Call by Adam Makos. It’s the story of an unlikely friendship between enemies during WWII. Well, Adam has put out another historical book — this time set in the Korean War — and it easily made this year’s list. Devotion is the true tale of two men from completely different worlds: one, the black son of Southern sharecroppers; the other, a white man from a rich New England family. During the course of their service as naval fighter pilots, the two men became good friends. That friendship is put to the test when one of them is shot down on a remote North Korean mountain during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Devotion asks: How far would you go to save a friend? It is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and sit on the edge of your chair. When you’re done, you’ll feel completely edified and inspired to be a better man. —Brett

Read the Whole Article

With the Old Breed: At... E. B. Sledge Best Price: $1.53 Buy New $9.23 (as of 04:45 UTC - Details)

The Innovators: How a ... Isaacson, Walter Buy New $13.99 (as of 05:50 UTC - Details)

Devotion: An Epic Stor... Makos, Adam Best Price: $1.99 Buy New $26.34 (as of 10:50 UTC - Details)

The Professor in the C... Jonathan Gottschall Best Price: $1.97 Buy New $21.70 (as of 10:50 UTC - Details)

Zealot: The Life and T... Aslan, Reza Best Price: $1.97 Buy New $6.08 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)

Alas, Babylon (Harper ... Frank, Pat Buy New $9.49 (as of 05:35 UTC - Details)

Reclaiming Conversatio... Sherry Turkle Best Price: $2.56 Buy New $13.00 (as of 10:50 UTC - Details)

The Frenzy of Renown: ... Braudy, Leo Best Price: $3.99 Buy New $18.50 (as of 03:10 UTC - Details)

Henry Thoreau: A Life ... Moser, Barry Best Price: $2.35 Buy New $25.00 (as of 12:35 UTC - Details)

100 Deadly Skills: The... Clint Emerson Best Price: $14.91 Buy New $15.99 (as of 10:53 UTC - Details)

C. S. Lewis -- A Life:... McGrath, Alister Best Price: $2.20 Buy New $5.91 (as of 02:55 UTC - Details)