I’ve always been a reader but sometime in 2013, I felt I was too smart a writer to read. Great ideas would come to me naturally and so I had the perception that other people were the ones supposed to read from me not the other way round. I was wrong and I realized this courtesy of Nation media journalist Philip Mwaniki. He taught me the importance of maintaining a reading culture within myself and I will always appreciate that.
Mwaniki and I currently don’t see eye to eye. We fell out while I was working for him on a blog called IzVipi.com. In fact, there’s so much bad blood between us that as a judge in this year’s BAKE awards, he decided not to include my blog in the nominations list. This is despite the fact that I was fresh from winning a continental award. I hold no form of regret or bitterness. I still hold the things he taught to me to heart. They say “A wise man can learn a lot from his enemies than a fool can learn from his friends.”
But enough about Mwaniki. Books are important for a bright mind. My brain still churns out plenty of ideas without my eyes having to read anything but my language wouldn’t be close to near perfection if it wasn’t for my love for books.
Today’s generation is so immersed into the internet that it misses out on the rich wisdom in books.
Recently I received the following email from one of my loyal readers:
“What book recommendation would you make for a male in his early twenties looking to become wiser, motivated, and have the biggest positive impact on his life?”
I have made such a list in the past, but I’ve read dozens of books since then and so it’s time for an update.
Being a superstar is not about appearing on TV all the time and having hundreds of thousands of social media followers. it’s about being a real man, a unique man with abilities that can’t be surpassed. It’s about being a champ in life and in your respective field of interest.
Before I share the books, I must state that they i selected them not for fine prose or excellent storytelling but because they will push you to accomplishing goals centered around masculinity, earning money, and getting laid (which is very important). I believe if you give a smart man the right tools, which these books contain, he can figure out how to use them in his own unique situation.
Here are the books, in the order that they should be read:
The 48 Laws Of Power
This book by Robert Greene can probably be renamed “Socialization For Dummies.” It gets even introverted guys up to speed on all the little tricks and games that people play. It can be used not only as defense for when they are used on you, but also as offense for when you want to extract your goals from others. The fact that it has been long criticized as “manipulative” is a hint to the power that it contains for those men who are settling into adulthood. It’s our generation’s “How To Win Friends & Influence People.”
The Art Of Seduction
If you want to be an instant hit with chics even if you look like a cross bread between an old mzungu sponsor and Mugabe, go read this book. Sacrifice those hours you spend watching Game Of Thrones and immerse yourself into the paragraphs of this masterpiece.
The Art of Seduction (2001) is the second book by American author Robert Greene. The book profiles nine types of seducers and eighteen types of victims. Greene uses examples from historical figures such as Cleopatra, Giacoma Casanova, Duke Ellington and John F. Kennedy to support the psychology behind seduction. The book contains 24 seduction techniques. Greene saw The Art of Seduction as the logical follow-up to The 48 Laws of Power since seduction is “about power and manipulation as much as it is about romance, about how to make someone fall under your spell.”
The War Of Art
On the path to becoming wealthy or accomplished, you will encounter a devious force that rises up against you: yourself. Steven Pressfield, author of Gates Of Fire and The Legend Of Bagger Vance, explains that it’s so difficult to complete projects you’ve envisioned because an internal force called “resistance” will try to prevent you from reaching your potential. It sabotages you, urging you to laze around, give up, or idle your time away instead of working hard. He gives you a strategy to fight against it. While the book is mostly intended for creative types, it can apply to any task in which consistent effort is required.
Think and grow rich
This is the best self-help book ever written in the history of the universe. It teaches you not just how to make money, but how to achieve any goal you want in life. The author, Napoleon Hill, analyzed the success of the American business titans of his day and then distilled their behavior into a thirteen-step framework that you can apply for your own goals.
Think & Grow Rich is one of the most widely American books of all time, and it is no surprise to me as to why: the techniques simply work.
The Power of Habit
The Power Of Habit aims to rid you of bad habits such as procrastination or overeating by carefully dissecting them to identify the true reward you’re receiving. This allows you to change the habit into something positive that sticks with you.
If you want to do something that requires willpower—like going for a run after work—you have to conserve your willpower muscle during the day. If you use it up too early on tedious tasks like writing emails or filling out complicated and boring expense forms, all the strength will be gone by the time you get home.
It also introduces the concept of a keystone habit, something that improves many areas of your life simultaneously. Bad habits are often the first roadblock to achieving your goals, and this book arms you with the tools needed to change them.
Starting Strength
I’m firmly in the belief that the modern man needs some type of fitness program to develop confidence and fight the atrophy of his muscles that result from office work and chair-sitting. Therefore he’s going to need a beginner’s workout program to get him in the gym and start building muscle mass and definition. The best book to accomplish that is Starting Strength, which focuses on compounds weights such as the squat, deadlift, shoulder press, and bench press, with dedicated chapters focusing on each. This book is often described at the best weightlifting book ever written.
Influence
This is easily the most important psychology book ever written, condensing the most effective persuasion tactics into one volume. It teaches six main principles that are easily adaptable to use in commerce and getting laid:
- Reciprocity
- Scarcity
- Liking
- Authority
- Social proof
- Commitment/consistency
Examples and explanations are given throughout, so it won’t take a big jump in brain power to apply them to your own life. It’s an easy read that will teach you more practical steps to convincing other people to give you what you want.
The Way Of Men
There is no manual for men on how to live a modern life. Mainstream culture constantly bombards us with propaganda to weaken and feminize us. The Way Of Men is the antidote, exploring masculinity and what it takes to be a man.
“Men are dropping out and disengaging from our slick, easy, safe world. For what may be the first time in history, the average guy can afford to be careless. Nothing he does really matters, and—what’s worse—there is a shrinking hope of any future where what he does will matter.”
Hold on tight during the second half of the book where the author clearly lays out how masculinity is being attacked and marginalized, increasingly seen as something that needs to be treated instead of exalted. The main benefit of this book is that it gives insight into your own behavior while helping you swallow the red pill.
Sex: She Comes First
This book teaches men how to give the woman first priority when it comes to bedroom matters. With what is apparently a real enthusiasm for cunnilingus, Ian Kerner (Ph.D) approached this project with the goal of providing a more extensive guide to the subject than had ever been written before. His dedication shows; Kerner even has quirky, descriptive names for his maneuvers.
Why you need to read this book: Make a mental list of the aspects of your sex life that are either a forgettable afterthought or a total mystery. If going downtown is anywhere near the top, you’ve got a problem — this is one of many Kenyan women’s most consistent complaints about men, and yes, this almost certainly includes you.
Discourse: How to tell A Story
This short story collection is written with Twain’s characteristic wit, and it’s a rare instance of the father of American literature actually explaining his process.
Why you need to read this book: The craft of storytelling comes with its own rules — such as artfully getting people’s attention instead of demanding it like a jackass — by which every guy should abide. Besides, as Twain says, a clumsily told story “is very depressing, and makes one want to renounce joking and lead a better life.”
reading this books alone won’t change your world. implementing the things you learn is what will. So if you get an idea, be quick to practice it.
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