Books

This is a collection of books we have read that have influenced the way we think, act, and lead. Books will be added to this list periodically, so continue to come back and check out the updated list if you are interested in becoming the best version of yourself. Get some.

A Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays and Reflections)

Written by Aldo Leopold

Aldo Leopold was an American author, philosopher, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, environmentalist, and all around bad-ass woodsman of the early 1900's. His most well known book, A Sand County Almanac, has sold more than two million copies. A collection of outdoor essays about everywhere from his home wilderness in Wisconsin around the country to the mountains of New Mexico, and everywhere in between, sheds a much needed light on the value of the outdoors and our responsibility to take care of it. From the book:
 "Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television.” 

Purchase here.

Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War.
Written by Dakota Meyer (and Bing West)

"Into The Fire" recounts the 2009 Battle of Ganjgal, which took place in a village in the mountains of Afghanistan, written by Medal of Honor recipient and Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer. Meyer, born and raised in Kentucky before becoming a Marine, tells of what happened leading up to and on the day of the fierce battle. A patrol was ambushed while traveling through a mountain pass to get to the village of Ganjgal, where some of the fiercest fighting in the war on terror occurred. Meyer and his driver, Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, ignored direct orders to stay put while his comrades were taking on a barrage of enemy fire, and charged into the valley time and time again over a period of five hours, employing multiple weapons to kill insurgents and rescue wounded American and friendly Afghan soldiers.

The gripping tale is more than just a war story. In the telling of the darkest times of his life, Meyer shows his humanity and deep struggles that came from the effects of that day.

Purchase here.

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

 Written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

U.S. Navy SEAL officers Jocko and Leif led the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq war. After retiring from service, they started a consulting company that teaches other companies how to lead effectively, and ultimately succeed. In their book, they put forth powerful principles, practical examples, and gripping stories aimed at helping you lead from the "battlefield to business to life."

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Killing Lions: A Guide Through the Trials Young Men Face
Written by John Eldredge and Samuel Eldredge

The name Killing Lions comes from a story of a Mumbai man who had to kill a lion in order to protect his family, and the central idea of the book reflects the story: we need to do hard things and challenge ourselves in order to grow. (You can read a more in depth look at that story here.) The book is a collection of letters sent back and forth between father and son. The letters from Samuel are filled with questions on topics covering love, God, money, work, life, and more. The responses from his father, John, give wise insight on how to deal with and overcome such trials. Everyone, especially young men, ought to give it a read.

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Meateater: Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter
Written by Steven Rinella

Steven Rinella grew up in Twin Lake, Michigan, where he and his two older brothers were taught by their father to hunt, fish, and love nature deeply. Rinella's passion has taken him high into the Brooks Range of Alaska, all the way to the untouched jungles of the Amazon. His collection of stories, as the New York Times Book Review put it, serves as "a history lesson, a hunting lesson, a nature lesson, and a cooking lesson" in one. To him, hunting is about more than just the pursuit of an animal, and in this book he includes every aspect of his adventures - from the history of an area, to the trials of the hunt and the animals that he chases. He grapples with the complex relationship between man and nature through his own personal stories and experiences. Even if you are not a hunter, there are countless principles of life that you can learn from reading Rinella's work.

Purchase here