Yearly Reading Lists

books

2017 

1. Becoming Human Jean Vanier
2. Vagabonding Rolf Potts
3. A Brief History of Time Shandiel Beers
4. How Not to Die Michael Greger
5. Intro to Biohacking Ari Meisel
6. Meditations Marcus Aurelius
7. The Chaos of Longing K.Y. Robinson
8. 100 Deadly Skills Clint Emerson
9. The Children’s War and Other Poems Shandiel Beers
10. Beautiful Ruins Jess Walters
11. Portrait of the Alcoholic Kaveh Akbar
12. There are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce’ Morgan Parker
13. What are People For? Wendell Berry
14. Stealing Fire Steven Kotler
15. Flow: The Psychology of Optimum Experience Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
16. What Doesn’t Kill Us Scott Carney
17. The Rise of Superman Steven Kotler
18. A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson
19. Deep James Nestor
20. The Untethered Soul Michael A. Singer
21. Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu
22. Night Sky with Exit Wounds Ocean Vuong
23. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Yuval Harari
24. Scalped: Volume 1 Jason Aaron
25. Never Split the Difference Chris Voss
26. Buddhism Plain and Simple Steve Hagen
27. How to Love Thich Nhat Hahn
28. The Nature Fix Florence Williams
29. Kill Your Boyfriend Grant Morrison
30. The Sixth Extinction Elizabeth Kolbert
31. The Methusaleh Project James Lee
32. Become What You Are Alan Watts
33. The Lessons of History Will Durrant
34. Sparta: The Warrior State Revealed James Harper
35. Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging Sebastian Junger
36. The Road to Sparta Dean Karnazes
37. The Awakened Ape Jevan Pradas
38. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Neal deGrasse Tyson
39. Lumberjanes: Volume 1 Noelle Stevenson
40. A Book of Five Rings Miyamoto Musashi
41. The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg
42. Of Beards and Men Christopher Oldstone-Moore
43. The Way of Men Jack Donovan
44. Spartans Patrick Auerbach
45. The Call of the Wild Jack London
46. Why Buddhism is True Robert Wright
47. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst Robert Sapolsky
48. The Experience of Insight Joseph Goldstein
49. Lord of the Flies William Golding
50. Learning to Breathe Fire J.C. Herz
51. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind Shunryu Suzuki
52. The Jungle Books Rudyard Kipling
53. Chasing Excellence Ben Bergeron
54. Girls Gone Old Fiona Helmsley
55. The Havalmal Saemundr Frodi
56. Blood Brotherhood and Other Rites of Male Alliance Jack Donovan
57. Her Body and Other Parties Carmen Machado
58. An Introduction to Zen Buddhism D.T. Suzuki
59. Navy SEAL Self-Discipline Dominic Mann
60. 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition Clint Emerson

2018

1.Strange Tools Alva Noe
2. Wired for Story Lisa Cron
3. The Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell
4. Eight Weeks to SEALFit Mark Divine
5. Bone Games Rob Schultheis
6. Mind Over Muscle Jigoro Kano
7. The Primal Connection Mark Sisson
8. Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes
9. Running with the Mind of Meditation Sakyong Mipham
10. Born to Run Christopher McDougall
11. North Scott Jurek
12. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Haruki Murakami
13. Bigger, Leaner, Stronger Michael Matthews
14. Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven Brandon Easton
15. Green Arrow: Vol. 9 Outbreak Ben Percy
16. Shirtless Bear-Fighter! Jody LeHeup
17. Injustice Tom Taylor
18. Star Wars: Shattered Empire Greg Rucka
19. Bitch Planet: Vol 1 Kelly Sue DeConnick
20. Bitch Planet: Vol 2 Kelly Sue DeConnick
21. DMZ: Vol 1 On the Ground Brian Wood
22. Viking: The Long Cold Fire Ivan Brandon
23. Airboy James Robinson
24. The Goddamned: Vol 1 Jason Aaron
25. The Fade Out: Vol 3 Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Elizabeth Breitweiser
26. Swing: Vol 1 Linda Sejic, Matt Hawkins, Jenni Cheung
27. Slots Dan Panosian, Pat Brosseau
28. American Nations Colin Woodard
29. The Lost City of Z David Grann
30. Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer
31. The Mother Tongue Bill Bryson
32. 1984 George Orwell
33. Sidharta Herman Hess
34. Island Aldous Huxley
35. White Fang Jack London
36. Spoiler Alert xTx
37. Own the Day, Own Your Life Aubrey Marcus
38. Extreme Ownership Jocko Willink
39. Grit Angela Duckworth
40. Essentialism Greg McKeown
41. 10 % Happier Dan Harris
42. The Miracle of Mindfulness Thich Nhat Hanh, Mobi Ho
43. Musashi’s Dokkodo Miyamoto Musashi
44. Be Here Now Ram Dass
45. Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening Joseph Goldstein
46. One Dharma Joseph Goldstein
47. Teachings of the Buddha Jack Kornfield
48. The Wise Heart Jack Kornfield
49. The Essential Dogen: Writings of the Great Zen Master Dogen
50. The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma Bodhidharma
51. Zen Flesh, Zen Bones Paul Reps
52. Braving the Wilderness Brene’ Brown
53. The Three Pillars of Zen Phillip Kapleau
54. Crossing Pleasure Avenue Karen Hildebrand
55. Mr. & James Fitzpatrick
56. Painted Blue with Saltwater Logan February
57. The Myth of Man Alex Vigue
58. Night Watch Katy E. Ellis
59. In The House of My Father Hiwot Adilow
50. General Motors Ryan Eckes
60. Go Wild John J. Ratey, Richard Manning
61. Superhuman Rowan Hooper
62. The Story of the Human Body Daniel E. Lieberman
63. Deep Survival Lawrence Gonzales
64. Everybody Lies Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
65, The Edge of Physics Anil Ananthaswamy
66. From Bacteria to Bach and Back Daniel C. Dennett
67. The Devil’s Teeth Susan Casey
68. Endure Alex Hutchinson
69. A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived Adam Rutherford
70. Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Yuval Noah Harari
71. Other Minds Peter Godfrey-Smith
72. The Fold Peter Clines
73. Ready Player One Ernest Cline
74. The Fifth Season N.K. Jemisin

2019 

1. Bruce Lee     Matthew Polly
2. Motivation    Chuck Rylant
3. The Way of the Iceman Wim Hof
4. A Roadmap for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Stephan Kesting
5. Pranayama: The Vedic Science of Breath Advait
6. Run for Your Life Mark Cucuzzella
7. Good to Go Christie Aschwanden
8. Play On Jeff Bercovici
9. Running With the Buffaloes Chris Lear
10. A Killing Art Alex Gillis
11. Speed Boxing Secrets Sammy Franco
12. The Rise of the Ultra Runners Adharanand Finn
13. Beyond Training Ben Greenfield
14. Becoming Supernatural Joe Dispenza
15. The Warrior Monk Philosophy of Trainer Cus D’Amato Brett McKay
16. A Death on Diamond Mountain Scott Carney
17. Digital Minimalism Cal Newport
18. Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond
19. Mastery Robert Greene
20. Feral George Monbiot
21. The Body Bill Bryson
22. Zen and the Birds of Appetite Thomas Merton
23. Autobiography of a Yogi Paramanhansa Yogananda
24. Discipline Your Mind Zoe McKey
25. The Way of Chuang Tzu Zhuangzi
26. Wherever You Go, There You Are Jon Kabat-Zinn
27. Stillness is the Key Ryan Holiday
28. General Motors Ryan Eckes
29. Lust Diana Raab
30. Piano Rats Franki Elliot
31. Altered Traits Daniel Goleman
32. The United States of Japan Peter Tieryas
33. Futuristic Violence in Fancy Suits David Wong
34. Several Short Sentences About Writing Verlyn Klinkenborg

2020

  1. The Pastures of Heaven John Steinbeck
  2. What the Buddha Taught Walpola Rahula
  3. It’s All About the Bike Robert Penn
  4. Because They Wanted To Mary Gaitskill
  5. The Black River Chronicles: Level One David Tallerman
  6. To Shake the Sleeping Self Jedidiah Jenkins
  7. The Spirit of Science Fiction Roberto Bolano
  8. The Warrior‘s Meditation Richard L. Haight
  9. The Twilight City Gregory Mattix
  10. Trout Fishing in America/The Pill Versus The Springhill Mine Disaster Richard Brautigan
  11. On Writing Well William Zinsser
  12. Ask the Dust John Fante
  13. The Illiad Homer
  14. Thrill Me Benjamin Percy
  15. Winter World Bernd Heinrich
  16. The Yoga Mind Rina Jakubowicz
  17. Yoga: A Man’s Guide Olivia Summers
  18. Tools of Titans Tim Ferris
  19. The Wedge Scott Carney
  20. The River of Wisdom Darren Maine
  21. The Prophet Kahlil Gilbran
  22. A Spy’s Guide to Thinking John Braddock
  23. Minimalism Gwyneth Snow
  24. The Hinge Dr. Rob Bell
  25. Occult Memory Systems of the Lower Midwest B.H. Fairchild
  26. Slouching Toward Bethlehem Joan Didion
  27. In the Dust of This Planet: Horror of Philosophy Vol. 1 Eugene Thacker
  28. The White Album Joan Didion
  29. Man’s Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl
  30. Yoga Susan Hollister
  31. The Snows of Kilimanjaro Ernest Hemingway
  32. The Alchemist Paulo Coelho
  33. Slaughterhouse Five Kurt Vonnegut
  34. The Drowned World J.G. Ballard
  35. Brief Answers to the Big Questions Steven Hawking
  36. Animals Eat Each Other Elle Nash
  37. Walden Henry David Thoreau
  38. Drive Daniel Pink
  39. Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann
  40. The Maffetone Method Philip Maffetone
  41. Brave New World Aldous Huxley
  42. The Doors of Perception / Heaven and Hell Aldous Huxley
  43. Letters to a Young Poet Ranier Maria Rilke
  44. The Devil & Sherlock Holmes David Grann
  45. What If? Randall Munroe
  46. Florida Lauren Groff
  47. Smarter, Faster, Better Charles Duhigg
  48. No Beast So Fierce Dane Huckelbridge
  49. Kiss As Many Women As You Can Franki Elliot
  50. When Violence is the Answer Tim Larkin
  51. Swamplandia! Karen Russell
  52. Other Voices, Other Rooms Truman Capote
  53. The Order of Time Carlo Rovelli
  54. Liferider Laird Hamilton
  55. My Life in Heavy Metal Steve Almond
  56. Notes to the Beloved Michelle Bitting
  57. Full Catastrophe Living Jon Kabat-Zinn
  58. Verses Ani DiFranco
  59. The Invaders Pat Shipman
  60. Lift Daniel Kunitz
  61. Alone on the Ice David Roberts
  62. Enlightenment Now Steven Pinker
  63. Middlewest: Book One Scottie Young
  64. The Universe in a Single Atom Dalai Lama
  65. Notes from an Apocalypse Mark O’Connell
  66. The Lost City of the Monkey God Douglas Preston
  67. H is for Hawk Helen MacDonald
  68. 80/20 Running Matt Fitzgerald
  69. My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies Ed Brubaker
  70. Death of Love Justin Jordan
  71. Farmhand: Volume 1 Rob Guillory
  72. After Ecstasy, the Laundry Jack Kornfield
  73. Being Peace Thich Nhat Hahn
  74. Spirit Run Noe Alvarez
  75. Left of Bang Patrick Van Horne
  76. Civilized to Death Christopher Ryan
  77. Death in the Afternoon Ernest Hemingway
  78. Relentless Forward Progress Bryon Powell
  79. Quackery Lydia Kang
  80. 2BRO2B Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
  81. The Body Artist Don DeLillo
  82. The Island of Dr. Moreau H.G. Wells
  83. Daily Rituals Mason Currey
  84. The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath
  85. The Joy of Movement Kelly McGonigal
  86. Undoctored William Davis
  87. Collapse Jared Diamond
  88. There There Tommy Orange
  89. Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller
  90. Fates and Furies Lauren Groff
  91. Wave Function Coco M. Keehl
  92. Cannery Row John Steinbeck
  93. The Virgin Suicides Jeffrey Eugenides
  94. Chemical Pink Katie Arnoldi
  95. Seven Days in the Art World Sarah Thornton
  96. No Sweat Michelle Segar
  97. Hype Nina Shapiro
  98. Writing to Learn William Zinsser
  99. Breath James Nestor
  100. Occult America Mitch Horowitz
  101. Awakened Mind Mitch Horowitz
  102. To Build a Fire and Other Stories Jack London
  103. A Course in High Magick Damien Echols
  104. Candide Voltaire
  105. Mortal Coils Aldous Huxley
  106. The Gift of Fear Gavin De Becker
  107. Iron and Silk Mark Salzman
  108. Striking Distance Charles Russo
  109. The Unfettered Mind Takian Soho
  110. Skin in the Game Nassim Nicholas Taleb
  111. Run The World Becky Wade
  112. Iron Ambition Mike Tyson
  113. Life is a Wheel Bruce Weber
  114. Samurai Rising Pamela S. Turner
  115. The Queen’s Gambit Walter Tevis
  116. And I Don’t Forgive You Amber Sparks
  117. Prozac Nation Elizabeth Wurtzel
  118. Don’t Call Us Dead Danez Smith
  119. Whereas Layli Long Soldier
  120. The People’s Elbow Rax King
  121. Last Child in the Woods Richard Louv
  122. Nothing to See Here Kevin Wilson
  123. Breathing for Warriors Belisa Vranich

2021

  1. SEAL Survival Guide Cade Courtley
  2. The Four Agreements Miguel Ruiz
  3. The Killer Across the Table John. E. Douglas
  4. The Secret Wisdom of Nature Peter Wohlleben
  5. Atomic Habits James Clear
  6. The Book of Men Colum McCann, Ed.
  7. Nudes Elle Nash
  8. The Nickel Boys Colson Whitehead
  9. The Obstacle is the Way Ryan Holiday
  10. High-rise J.G. Ballard
  11. I Hold a Wolf by the Ears Laura van den Berg
  12. The White Darkness David Grann
  13. Warrior’s Creed Roger Sparks
  14. WWII: A Chronicle of Soldiering James Jones
  15. The Bed Moved Rebecca Schiff
  16. Exhalation Ted Chiang
  17. The Art of Impossible Steven Kotler
  18. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden Denis Johnson
  19. Men Without Women Haruki Murakami
  20. A History of God Karen Armstrong
  21. The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury
  22. Finding Ultra Rich Roll
  23. The Art of Learning Josh Waitzkin
  24. Limitless Jim Kwik
  25. Interior Chinatown Charles Yu
  26. Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain Lisa Feldman Barrett
  27. A Briefer History of Time Stephen Hawking
  28. The War of Art Stephen Pressfield
  29. Reality is Not What It Seems Carlo Rovelli
  30. The River of Consciousness Oliver Stacks
  31. Some Assembly Required Neil Shubin
  32. The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones
  33. Warriors of Medieval Japan Stephen Turnbull
  34. The True Believers Louis Martin
  35. David and Goliath Malcolm Gladwell
  36. Water, Wood, and Wild Things Hannah Kirshner
  37. Opening Closed Guard Robert Drysdale
  38. Hallucinations Oliver Sacks
  39. Catching the Big Fish David Lynch
  40. All Systems Red Martha Wells
  41. A Little Hatred Joe Abercrombie
  42. An Unnatural Life Erin K. Wagner
  43. The Trouble with Peace Joe Abercrombie
  44. Ice Anna Kavan
  45. The Minority Report and Other Stories Philip K. Dick
  46. Remote Control Nnedi Okorafor
  47. Parable of the Sower Octavia E. Butler
  48. Artificial Condition Martha Wells
  49. The Lathe of Heaven Ursula K. Le Guin
  50. Projections: A Story of Human Emotions Karl Deisseroth
  51. Breathe: A Life in Flow Rickson Gracie
  52. Whisper Down the Lane Clay McLeod Chapman
  53. Reborn on the Run Catra Corbett
  54. A Wrestling Life Dan Gable
  55. Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drupka Kunley Elizabeth Monson
  56. Range David Epstein
  57. The Divine Within Aldous Huxley
  58. Sending Nudes Julianne Ingles
  59. The End is Always Near Dan Carlin
  60. Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer Steven Johnson
  61. Old Man Hawkeye Vol.1 Ethan Sacks
  62. Son of Shaolin Jay Longino
  63. The Undiscovered Self Carl Jung

2022

  1. The Oracle of Night: The History and Science of Dreams Sidarta Ribeiro
  2. The Icepick Surgeon Sam Kean
  3. Old Man Hawkeye Vol.2 Ethan Sacks
  4. The Tao of Wing Chun John Little
  5. Noor Nnedi Okorafor
  6. The Disappearing Spoon Sam Kean
  7. Wing Chun Kung Fu J. Yimm Lee
  8. Tai Chi Classics Waysun Liao
  9. Empire of the Summer Moon S.C. Gwynne
  10. Trying Not to Try Edward Slingerland
  11. Animal, Vegetable, Junk Mark Bittman
  12. Light Chaser Peter F. Hamliton and Gareth L. Powell
  13. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons Sam Kean
  14. The Wisdom of Crowds Joe Abercrombie
  15. Machines in the Head Anna Kavan
  16. Me, Myself, and Why Jennifer Ouellette
  17. Tentacles Longer Than Night Eugene Thacker
  18. The Conspiracy Against the Human Race Thomas Ligotti
  19. A Natural History of the Future Rob Dunn
  20. The Temps Andrew Deyoung
  21. The Hunter-Gather’s Guide to the 21st Century Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein
  22. Existential Physics Sabine Hossenfelder

2023

  1. The Inner Tradition of Yoga Michael Stone
  2. Why We Meditate Daniel Goleman
  3. The Sweet Science A.J. Libeling
  4. Practical Art of Bonsai John Handy
  5. Sad Sexy Catholic Lauren Milici
  6. Bonsai: The Beginners Guide Bonsai Empire
  7. Built to Move Kelly and Juliet Starrett