for

books every man should read

The books that recur most often when men curate reading lists for other men — covering the canonical works, the modern self-improvement, and the challenging classics. Curated from public reading lists across generations.

40 books, ranked by how many of the 4,800 notable readers in our index have publicly recommended each one.

  1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
    52 people

    Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

    James Clear · 2018

    52 recommenders

  2. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
    52 people

    Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

    Phil Knight · 2016

    52 recommenders

  3. Meditations
    43 people

    Meditations

    Marcus Aurelius · 2006

    43 recommenders

  4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
    29 people

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    Stephen R. Covey · 2004

    29 recommenders

  5. The Odyssey
    24 people

    The Odyssey

    Homer and translated by Emily Wilson · 1999

    24 recommenders

  6. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
    23 people

    The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

    Eckhart Tolle · 2004

    23 recommenders

  7. The Republic
    21 people

    The Republic

    Plato · 2003

    21 recommenders

  8. 12 Rules for Life
    20 people

    12 Rules for Life

    Jordan B. Peterson · 2018

    20 recommenders

  9. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)
    20 people

    Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)

    Jocko Willink · 2015

    20 recommenders

  10. The Count of Monte Cristo
    16 people

    The Count of Monte Cristo

    Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, illustrated by Nokman Poon · 2003

    16 recommenders

  11. Catch-22: Introduction by Malcolm Bradbury (Everyman's Library)
    15 people

    Catch-22: Introduction by Malcolm Bradbury (Everyman's Library)

    Joseph Heller · 2004

    15 recommenders

  12. East of Eden
    14 people

    East of Eden

    John Steinbeck · 2002

    14 recommenders

  13. The Old Man and the Sea: The Hemingway Library Edition
    13 people

    The Old Man and the Sea: The Hemingway Library Edition

    Ernest Hemingway · 1996

    13 recommenders

  14. The Way of the Superior Man : A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire
    13 people

    The Way of the Superior Man : A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire

    David Deida · 2004

    13 recommenders

  15. Blood Meridian
    12 people

    Blood Meridian

    Cormac McCarthy · 1992

    12 recommenders

  16. Letters From a Stoic
    9 people

    Letters From a Stoic

    Lucius Annaeus Seneca · 2004

    9 recommenders

  17. For Whom the Bell Tolls
    7 people

    For Whom the Bell Tolls

    Ernest Hemingway · 1995

    7 recommenders

  18. Letters to a Young Poet
    7 people

    Letters to a Young Poet

    Et Al. Charlie Louth Rainer Maria Rilke · 2002

    7 recommenders

  19. A River Runs Through It
    5 people

    A River Runs Through It

    Norman Maclean · 1989

    5 recommenders

  20. All the Pretty Horses
    5 people

    All the Pretty Horses

    Cormac McCarthy · 1993

    5 recommenders

  21. Meditations on First Philosophy
    5 people

    Meditations on First Philosophy

    René Descartes · 1993

    5 recommenders

  22. The Odyssey of Homer
    5 people

    The Odyssey of Homer

    Homer · 2006

    5 recommenders

  23. Atomic Habits
    4 people

    Atomic Habits

    James Clear · 2022

    4 recommenders

  24. The Sun Also Rises
    4 people

    The Sun Also Rises

    Ernest Hemingway · 2014

    4 recommenders

  25. A River Runs through It and Other Stories
    3 people

    A River Runs through It and Other Stories

    Norman MacLean · 2001

    3 recommenders

  26. No More Mr Nice Guy
    2 people

    No More Mr Nice Guy

    Robert A. Glover · 2003

    2 recommenders

  27. The Republic of Beliefs
    2 people

    The Republic of Beliefs

    Kaushik Basu · 2018

    2 recommenders

  28. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Scribner Classics)
    1 person

    For Whom the Bell Tolls (Scribner Classics)

    Ernest Hemingway · 1996

    1 recommender

  29. Iron John: A Book about Men
    1 person

    Iron John: A Book about Men

    Robert Bly · 2004

    1 recommender

  30. Letters from a Stoic (A Penguin Classics Hardcover)
    1 person

    Letters from a Stoic (A Penguin Classics Hardcover)

    Seneca · 2014

    1 recommender

  31. Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ
    1 person

    Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

    John Owen · 1994

    1 recommender

  32. Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts
    1 person

    Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

    Oliver Burkeman · 2024

    1 recommender

  33. Meditations For Women Who Do Too Much
    1 person

    Meditations For Women Who Do Too Much

    Anne Wilson Schaef · 2004

    1 recommender

  34. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Workbook
    1 person

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Workbook

    Stephen R. Covey · 2003

    1 recommender

  35. The Odyssey
    1 person

    The Odyssey

    Gillian Cross & Neil Packer · 2012

    1 recommender

  36. The Republic of Arabic Letters
    1 person

    The Republic of Arabic Letters

    Alexander Bevilacqua · 2018

    1 recommender

  37. The Republic of Science
    1 person

    The Republic of Science

    Michael Polanyi · 1962

    1 recommender

  38. The Republic of St. Peter
    1 person

    The Republic of St. Peter

    Thomas F. X. Noble · 1986

    1 recommender

  39. The Republic of Tea
    1 person

    The Republic of Tea

    Bill Rosenzweig, Mel Ziegler & Patricia Ziegler · 1992

    1 recommender

  40. The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896
    0 people

    The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896

    Richard White · 2017

    0 recommenders

other contexts

Each context is hand-curated from the 4,800-recommender index — the books that recur most often when people who’ve been through this share what helped. methodology →