I've done quite a bit of reading when researching for my recent book. I've identified five books that I think are the most powerful in today's evolving men's literature. These books give a deep understanding of the landscape of the war of the sexes. The order in which to read them is also important.
I believe these recommendations would come in handy to newbies currently unplugging. They are essential reading even for veterans, in my opinion, in that they fill in any knowledge gaps that might exist.
What are your own top 5 books for men, in reading order?
Think about a typical blue-pill man on the verge of a life-changing creative crisis. What would you recommend?
Write them in reading order, with a line or two of comments for each, and let's see where we have unanimity, and whether there are any undiscovered diamonds out there.
Here I go first
1. The Manipulated Man, by Esther Vilar
Written by a feminist, it's a classic treasure of insight into the ways women manipulate men. Especially important because it highlights men's exploitation by "traditional" women.
2. The Myth of Male Power, by Warren Farrell
This is the Bible of the Men's Rights movement. Although more than 20 years old, it is still fresh, with some notions that are quite radical even for today's men's movement - such as the need to limit female sexual power.
3. The Privileged Sex, by Martin van Creveld
When did female primacy come to be? Martin van Creveld, an acclaimed historian, digs into the past couple of millennia to show that women were always privileged, and it's not a result of recent feminism.
4. Sex at Dawn, by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha
This is the most informative book to date about male and female sexuality. It does have a major flaw, considering female libido to be greater than male, but it's still invaluable.
5. The Rational Male, by Rollo Tomassi
/u/Rollo-Tomassi needs no introduction in here. His book (as well as the follow up) are invaluable in exposing the female sexual strategy, and thus arming men with knowledge which they can use to their advantage. A life-saver.
Now I wouldn't write my own book, The Empress Is Naked: From Female Privilege to Gender Equality and Social Liberation if I didn't think I have something new and unique to contribute. Check it out.
-Adam Leonas
[deleted] 8y ago
Books/theory reading on body language? (eye movement, the placement of your hands, your posture, your vocal tonality, etc)
I want some knowledge as a starting point before i go out and analyse/experience it myself
epistemic_humility 8y ago
guitarguypa 8y ago
grillinwithkrillin 8y ago
The War of Art - Steven Pressfield - short chapters make this one perfect for toilet reading. instrumental in cultivating & fortifying a "get shit done" attitude. pun not intended
The Millionaire Fastlane - MJ Demarco - this book is the Morpheus of financial literature. was a truly paradigm-shifting experience for me
The Unchained Man - Caleb Jones - Blackdragon's masterpiece, Red Pill 101
Maximum Achievement - Brian Tracy - a step-by-step guide on mind-fucking yourself into a life you love living
A Guide to Rational Living - Ellis/Harper - much cheaper than therapy and gives you the tools to become your own therapist. highly, highly recommended for those with depression issues
whenfoom 8y ago
ChairBorneMGTOW 8y ago
I agree with you about Myth of Male Power and Rational Male. So I'll name five different ones...
1. Enjoy the Decline, Aaron Clarey. Literally, this one changed my life. If you live in North America, this book is a must-read.
2. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley. This book is a description of the ultimate beta society.
3. We Were Soldiers Once and Young, Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest depictions of the art of leadership. Or, you could watch the Mel Gibson movie, it's good too - The author claimed that the movie was the only Vietnam war movie to ever "get it right".
4. The Way of Men, Jack Donovan. A discourse on the necessity of male bonding, and what values / characteristics other males look for in their tribal loyalty circle ("gang").
5. MacBeth, William Shakespere. Ok, it's a play, not a book. But this is the English language's penultimate work on the capriciousness and greed of women, and how they will use men to do their dirty work.
Bobbagwell 8y ago
Extreme Ownership - everything is your fault, now do something about it.
Everbody pretty much nails the list, but these are some more that should get some time.
How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci - Push the limits of your mind
Mastery - Enjoy the plateau
Influence - I love this book, of course I now use reciprocity in reverse and I get better results
The Talent Code - Geniuses are made not born.
IllimitableMan 8y ago
My top 5:
1- The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Psychology, strategy and Machiavellianism. Discusses strategic gambits on an interpersonal level by presenting psychological insights illustrated through historical anecdotes.
2 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
A diary written by an introspective and inquisitive long-dead Roman emperor with a strong grip on Stoic philosophy. The most authoritative text in this niche to survive from antiquity. Helpful as a spiritual guide to dealing with, and perceiving life.
3 - The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian
A book of incredibly insightful social observations from the keen mind of a middle age Spanish philosopher. The proverbs are spectacular and still relevant. It’s a great little book, very affordable, and as each proverb is self-contained and takes up only half or a single page, the book is easily picked up and put down. A great complement to the 48 Laws of Power, The 48 Laws of Power is rumoured to have been loosely based upon this text.
4 - Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
This book is great for encouraging fearlessness and a love of struggle. Effectively the book is based on the philosophy and idea of antifragility, that by subjecting yourself to stress, you can become incredibly powerful.
5 - How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
This book teaches you how to become someone who is liked, it answers the question: “how do I charm people to make myself popular?” Many, many men could benefit from this book, in a sense it is teaching social skills. Be careful to balance the methods given in this book with the Machiavellian tenets outlined in The 48 Laws of Power. Do not be frivolously charming, your charms should serve you rather than enslave you into the nice guy role. When you charm to appease rather than to control, your charm loses its power as it becomes your crutch. Where charm is necessary, use charm. Charm, like ego, should be seen as a tool – not a way of being.
My top 10: http://illimitablemen.com/books-for-men/
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IllimitableMan 8y ago
I recommend Atlas Shrugged as it essentially outlines how mediocrity, big government and socialism will come to rule for as long as elite citizens (the smart, the industrious) continue to support it. Only drawback is the book is long as fuck, 1100+ pages. And it is fiction teaching a life lesson to enhance your overall awareness rather than a non-fiction which gives you knowledge you can immediately apply to your life. Basically, book is about the big picture (macro) rather than your immediate life (micro) - should be read at some point, but is hardly a matter of urgency.
TheCarmineCapsule 8y ago
I've read both, and I personally prefer The Fountainhead.
a_chill_bro 8y ago
You limited this list to five so I just included a blend of my favorite books. These run the gamut from evolutionary biology to the art of power and influence as well as getting an action plan together for your life. They are in no particular order.
Battle-Scars 8y ago
1. Rational Male v1 v2, Rollo
2. No More Mister Nice Guy, Robert Glover
3. Models, Mark Manson
4. The Undefeated Mind, Alex Lickerman
5. Reflections On The Art of Living, Joseph Campbell
Bonus- It's All About Her: Surviving the Female Narcissist, Lisa Scott
This one gets honorable mention because it's a good guide to recognize Female Narcissists when you come into contact with them. It will save you a lot of time, money, and heartache.
fingerthemoon 8y ago
'Sex At Dawn' has been thoroughly debunked and revealed to be pseudoscience written with a personal agenda. I wish people would stop promoting it.
Sex at Dusk: Lifting the Shiny Wrapping from Sex at Dawn
joshsoowong 8y ago
Manipulated man and Rational Male are my favorites. I haven't read the second book to the Rational Male but I want to know if it is just as good as the first one. Sex at dawn, Privileged sex, and Myth of Male power seem like books that I might read. Just am not completely sold on reading them.
Battle-Scars 8y ago
Rational Male v2 highly recommended.
IIlllIllIIIllIl 8y ago
What does he add? I'm about halfway through the first one.
Enjoyitbeforeitsover 8y ago
Did you get to the part of the "Something about Mary", where he suggests following that advice is BS. I was laughing when Rollo was like, beating of before a date is retarded. That you should be sexual when you are with women, however I'm thinking that you have to find a balance where you are sexual since you didn't beat off, but you also want to tone it down and not be all needy or acting like you want to get laid. I'm guessing that's the balance right there right?
IIlllIllIIIllIl 8y ago
No, not yet. I'm at whatever section is after Unplugging. So far everything I've read is an encapsulation of the basics I already know.
Makes sense, though. I think the traditional answer here is to have plates lined up before and after, so abundance mentality is the frame you're in. Personally though, plates aren't for me, but I'm also not pursuing anything with anyone currently. So I'm still deciding where to draw the line for myself in all that.
Benny757 8y ago
In addition, I would recommend some classic men's books that should be continuously read:
Men at War - a compilation introduced by Hemingway: "This book has been edited in order that...boys, as they grow to the age where they can appreciate it and use it and will need it, can have [a] book that will contain truth about war as near as we can come by it."
Moby Dick - Herman Melville - Everyone needs a journey into the heart and soul of man, and into evil - it is a wicked, wicked book.
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad - Another singular journey capturing man at his essence...and at his most awful.
TheSliceman 8y ago
48 Laws
Hagakure: Book of the Samurai
Art of War
Letters From a Stoic
Yes, Animal Farm is for men. You must know the social order. Boxer, the dutiful yet dimwitted work-horse, would have been so much better off had he known the game of power he was involved in and the actual cards of power he held. Dont be Boxer.
Redasshole 8y ago
The Hagakure will not be fully understood by someone who doesn't practice martial arts, unfortunately..
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adam-l Endorsed Contributor 8y ago
Both these books are good reads. The Red Queen, especially, can be considered the epitome of the mainstream narrative on sexuality. Problem is, they both consider monogamy as the de-facto norm.
A more modern sexuality theory is put forth in Sex at Dawn. If it is too progressive for your tastes, you can read (reactionary) Geoffrey Miller's The Mating Mind. It acknowledges, from the conservative viewpoint, truths that were identified only by "radical" progressives a few years ago.
IamGale 8y ago
Boxer was a strong horse and could of been a stronger leader. I think you should be a boxer providing you can pivot into a position of power.
redambience 8y ago
Boxer wasn't a leader, he blindly followed the leaders. He never questioned, he always obeyed.
Sure, I appreciate Boxer's work ethic, his stubborn will to push on despite the odds, his ironclad will to do the work that had to be done despite the setbacks. But Boxer blindly followed, because Napoleon Is Always Right.
Napoleon isn't always right. Anyone with a modicum of sense can tell you that. To blindly follow and never question is submissive, period. Don't be Boxer.
[deleted] 8y ago
Animal Farm and 1984 are both required reading for any man wanting to make sense of modern feminism and the cultural Marxism that underpins it.
Fulp_Piction 8y ago
I never realized it, but 1984 opened my mind to the possibility of a real 'big brother'. It got me thinking about social manipulation, and how to identify it.
Talking about 3 massive, generic leftist states using propaganda to manipulate their racially identical population, who themselves are under constant surveillance after being born into a war that never really affects their lives and is only perpetuated in order to harbour fear is becoming less and less of an exaggeration by the day. Troubling times.
TheSliceman 8y ago
Animal Farm is more a simple guide to the fundamental failings of leftism.
And the California Documentary, 1984, is an example of a feminist utopia. Sexual expression of any kind is outlawed except for the kind that doesnt produce offspring and heaven forbid - a family, the state controls every aspect of your life, there is no comedy, and there is perfect equality throughout the proletariat. The end game for feminism.
scarfox1 8y ago
Wasn't Orwell a democratic socialist (i.e., a lefty)
TheSliceman 8y ago
Ive never been able to understand or reconcile this fact.
adam-l Endorsed Contributor 8y ago
Orwell was left-wing, for sure.
Now, there is, of course, hostility between western-type "free" market capitalism and Soviet-type state-capitalism. What you probably miss is that the hostility of the, let's call them, libertarian socialists, against the Stalinist states is often even bigger. This was certainly the case for Orwell.
Stalin and the soviet bureaucratic ruling class emerged as a counter-revolution, after physically exterminating virtually all the leaders of the Bolshevik revolution. So there is the added hostility of treason.
1984 is about totalitarian surveillance states. It referred initially to stalinism, but can be applied just as validly in today's West. For instance, in 2006, Houston Police Chief Wanted Surveillance Cameras In Private Homes.
brmpbrmp 8y ago
this ideology exists and has been a current of left-wing thought from the first socialist thinkers. read Orwell's Homage to Catalonia to get an idea of the tensions between the libertarian and authoritarian left, in his case in the context of the spanish civil war
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explorer92 8y ago
A highly suggest this for men who have become naturals for women! Are you tired of negging or have never negged at all? Are you tired of shitty drunk slut lays? Are your standards of women generally high quality? Great book on maintaining LTRs
of course!
SPOT ON. One of the fathers of self improvement
some REAL hippy shit, but has DEFINETLY helped me out in understanding and handling the unpredictability of women
Possibly one of the most influencial books I've read today. Stoicism brings virtue to a science. The philosophy almost acts like a souls handsanitizer, but we only have fun when things get dirty right? Find your balance
J_AsapGem 8y ago
1, How to win friends and influence people
2, 48 laws of power
3, Rational male
4, The monk who sold his ferrari
5, Law of attraction unabridged
bsutansalt 8y ago
The Game and Rules of the Game
Tao of Jeet Kune Do
The Manipulated Man
ASAP_Bickle 8y ago
If you need a break from reading all this nonetheless fantastic non-fiction, pick up The Great Gatsby. I know you probably hate it because it's old and you had to study it in high school, but it is a great, consise tale about a woman who chooses a dominant Alpha over the romantic Beta, and it really does read as one of the greatest of all novels.
kfpswf 8y ago
Read the abridged version after I was familiar with TRP. That book goes to show how men are the true romantics. But I'd prefer to read a character like John Galt than Gatsby, to be honest.
ASAP_Bickle 8y ago
I'm still too intimidated by AS's length to read it, but I've heard good things. Rand was the original RP woman.
Tiborik 8y ago
I started reading it in ebook form not expecting to get very far. Surprised that I was already 300 pages in, I bought the book and finished it quicker than I would have thought. It's a good story on top of getting all the ideas across that Rand intended to.
oh, but the point was that on the ebook, I didn't realize how long it was. Without thinking about how daunting the task seemed at the start, I just started working on it. Before long, I achieved. Hope that helps.
kfpswf 8y ago
I used to read that on my way to work. About an hour each day. Still, took me about 6 months to finish it. It isn't the 9th longest piece of literature in the western world for anything. Do try. It is worth it.
BabaxGanoosh 8y ago
The Way Of Men. This book changed my life. Im sure anyone on this sub will recognize themselves and the situations Donovan writes about.
Anything by Robert Greene. How to become powerful, seductive and master yourself.
I dont have anymore than that at the moment, but i would suggest reading biographies of great men. Right now im reading Seven Pillars Of Wisdom, T. E. Lawrence(of Arabia)s first hand account of the Arab uprising during the First World War
teamjkforawhile 8y ago
Sex at Dawn has been mostly discredited as pseudo-science crap by actual evolutionary psychologists. It tells a lot of people want they want to hear though.
Somebody finally got sick of it enough to tear it completely apart by writing Sex at Dusk.
When Steven Pinker calls something psudoscience, you can bet it is.
Polyamorous people without any understanding of evo-psych love it though.
Physio_Tool 8y ago
I thought there was something that just didnt sit right with me after I read the book. I couldnt figure out if they had extrapolated too much from different monkey' societies (especially the bonobos) and ignored more todays reasons for long term monogamy and the human condition. i.e. We are not programmed for monogamy but lets ignore societal needs, philosophy, amd religion and make a sweeping generalisation that humans should consider not being monogamous
Battle-Scars 8y ago
I see Sex at Dawn quoted as the Bible in the Poly community quite often. Haven't read it and probably won't.
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HoundDogs 8y ago
Gotta love the Molyneux when your into having years of denial hit you square in the chest. Those were hard books to read.
eddiae 8y ago
molyneux screams beta nutjob to me, he's generalising his simple analysis as a general theory to understand basically everything, wich is low iq behavior. something instinctively disgusts me when looking at his beta cuckold face.
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0xdada 8y ago
Upvote for Antifragile.
Antifragile is like a modern philosophical foundation. If you are already a high IQ polymath, it will be a game changer, or articulate what you already understood. I would say it's like GEB for post-millennials. If you aren't someone who trades on being a brainiac (e.g. non-quant, sales guy, regular engineer), a good intellectual goal is to be able to read and understand Taleb's books.
They are accessible, but also deal with sophisticated topics that give you some sense of the edges of human knowledge.
VYPV 8y ago
I personally feel that five books aren't even close to what an educated man should have read, but here's my attempt of a well-rounded selection.
All of these deal with personal growth, survival, and even understanding the world beyond yourself. They are also world classics, thus providing not only assistance in personal growth, but also an educational boost.
Hang10Dude 8y ago
Upvote for the Old Man and the Sea.
IIlllIllIIIllIl 8y ago
I've heard bits about this book, and I've always been interested in it. What would you say are some of the motifs from it?
I'm a little ways into Moby Dick and while I can't compare them, I'm enjoying the setting.
Fulp_Piction 8y ago
It's about the struggle. Is it worth it to toil and toil for years to perhaps end up with nothing?
Life will wear you down, do something that fulfils you, and do it today.
IIlllIllIIIllIl 8y ago
I will definitely check it out.
Manmore 8y ago
The Fountainhead
Icanus 8y ago
This book changed my life.
This is an absolute must read for every man.
[deleted] 8y ago
How to win friends and influence people?
hiphoprising 8y ago
This book is a staple for any grown man. This book was the first book I read that I felt truly made a huge difference in how I approach others. Boiled down it's kinda like a kindergarten version of 48 laws of power (and has a much more cheery point of view).
[deleted] 8y ago
Do you really like the fountainhead?
I was so bored by that book.
Manmore 8y ago
Love it. Think I've read it six times or something. Taught me to really live for myself and don't give a fuck what anyone thinks of me or my dreams.
ChairBorneMGTOW 8y ago
Ugh. I despised Howard Roark as a character. Whiny bitch he was. He took jobs to do specific work, then broke contracts, and bitched about it like a little cunt. Instead he should have simply refused shit projects if he didn't want to do them as the client specified.
Atlas Shrugged was 1000x better.
patrol_of_basements 8y ago
The title says "books for men", not "books for fun". If you want fun, read Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
And how could you be bored if you're interested in becoming a better man? This book is about a man of supreme talent, will, integrity and power. It's a tale about how character is built, what foundation it's built on. I've read it when I was finishing high school and honestly, it was probably the most important book I've ever read. I liked "Atlas Shrugged", but it's too abstract and grandiose to be appliable to one's everyday life. "The Fountainhead" showed me the way of living and fighting for your happiness, finding your true self and never betraying it. And how easy it is to fail on this path if you allow yourself weakness or allow others to divert you from this path exploiting your empathy, compassion or fear (and they will always, always try).
This book contains more RedPill knowledge than all of the sidebar, just scattered across the pages, not condensed in an easy-to-swallow form. But the idea of a novel is that it shows you the feeling of RedPill in addition to RedPill knowledge. You feel that freedom from doubt and fear, you feel the struggle and feel alive like you never were when you were plugged-in, almost in an instant. It's so much more powerful than any theory you could read.
Yes it's not all about sexual strategy, but it's all about having a better life as a man, the life you were born to have.
[deleted] 8y ago
I'll give it another try then, I've never finished it.
RememberingAlpha 8y ago
I could not agree more. The fountainhead is the most red pill piece of literature I ever touched. Howard Rourke forever, he alpha widowed dominique and that dynamic drives the narrative. She always comes back to him
patrol_of_basements 8y ago
He's not the classic dominant-type alpha male, he's closer to sigma actually. But at the same time infinitely more masculine. He's not the type to slay pussy left and right like Winand, but his quality of life and self-esteem is so much higher. When you felt a mere semblance of this once you won't settle for less.
And yeah, they are both unicorns, Roark is absolute masculinity and creative freedom, Dominique is unreal because she can understand his nature completely. This is the only danger of this book: one might think that such women exist. They don't. Some will recognise your supreme qualities (if you have them) and try to trick you into thinking that they understand, but believe me, I've been there: they don't. It's all an act to lock you down (though sometimes they themselves believe it) especially if the relationship is romantic. They only way you can get recognition on a level this deep is from closest male friends who share the same ideals, which is also extremely rare.
And the dynamic between them doesn't drive the narrative I think. It's a side line compared to Roark-Winand and Roark-Toohey and of course Roark-Roark dynamic. And that's the most RedPill point Rand could ever make. She's not a center of his life and keeps coming back.
ChadThundercockII 8y ago
The movie is good too. Worth watching if one doesn't have time of the book.
patrol_of_basements 8y ago
Yeah, unfortunately it seems odd to watch because some scenes were lost in a fire or something. So the available version is more like a set of scenes from the movie.
weirdfish42 8y ago
Really? There was a longer original? What a shame, love the book, enjoyed the movie.
Vasallo7G 8y ago
Madame Bovary is a classic and also a blue pill story.
Tom_The_Human 8y ago
If men have all the power how come women make all the rules?
The Way of the Superior Man
The Sex God Method
The Game - it shows how even having the ability to slay mad pussy doesn't protect you from Oneitis.
Clint_Redwood 8y ago
Protip, anyone looking to power through books with great retention. Use audible and read the book in sync together. Set audible to x2 or x3 and power through most books within 4 to 6 hours.
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hiphoprising 8y ago
How to Win Friends and Influence People: This book is a must for anyone in sales or account management. Incredible insight.
The Millionaire's Fast Lane: Great for entrepreneurs, motivation and understanding personal responsibility
The Art of War: Good for understanding action/reaction and thinking steps ahead
48 Laws of Power: It's like reading a dictionary on life
redambience 8y ago
After 133 replies and no mention, I feel it needs one since it led me to the manosphere: Robert Bly's Iron John.
It's a springboard for half of TRP's talking points.
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[deleted] 8y ago
48 laws of power - Robert Greene
Games people play - Dr. Eric Berne
Influence - Robert Cialdini
Win friends and influence people - Dale Carnegie
Bonus: Dune - Frank Herbert - Although this is a fictional work it demonstrates almost all over the lessons from the book above. Including transactional analysis, use of power words to gain influence and prestige, understanding the various forms of seduction and as a bonus it has multiple AWALT examples through the book.
De_Polignac 8y ago
Fear is the Mind Killer, Dune is one of the greats
All__fun 8y ago
I'm reading the first book of Dune right now.
It reminds me a lot of Game of Thrones.
It's like everybody has secret motives.
The Baron appears to be always thinking three steps ahead.
I'm absolutely marveled by the way the characters interact.
It's like verbal chess all throughout this book.
taoofmojo 8y ago
The Manipulated Man, by Esther Vilar. I just read this very insightful book. Found it shocking that it was written by a woman. Thanks to the person who post this. Help me understand why mother and father made the decisions they did.
[deleted] 8y ago
would it be wrong to start reading into these before finishing the sidebar reading?
Hippo_Kankles 8y ago
zhu_ 8y ago
I find how to make friends is in conflict with no more mr nice guy.
greatmikeshark 8y ago
No more Mr Nice Guy, The Rational Male, The Vertical Mind
cheeky_throwaway101 8y ago
-The taming of the shrew.
-Canterbury Tales
-Macbeth
-Gullivers Travels
-Robinson Crusoe
I thought I'd put in five of the most red pill fictional books out there (imo). The first three mentioned are chock full of RP truths, particularly the story of 'The wife of Bath's Tale' in the Canterbury tales, it specifically focuses around a womans desire to control men. Obviously nothing needs to be said of Lady Macbeth as the story is so legendary, and likewise with The taming of the shrew, the wife who is commanded to by her husband is more obedient and keen to profess her loyalty to him, the wife who is treated as the mans equal, who she elopes with in a fit of passion (the couple who everyone believes to be a perfect match) is disobedient and quarrelsome.
The last two books don't necessarily have women in them, but both books start with solid fatherly advice given to the young men before they start on their adventures. They show the gut and growth of the two protagonists from boys into men and clearly underline the capabilities of men who use their inherent male nature to succeed and learn.
Neroky 8y ago
The following list is for someone who knows nothing at all:
1. No More Mr. Nice Guy
First book to tell you why it´s good to do follow YOUR ideals and why it´s bad to always yield just to be "liked" by others. This paired with the short introduction to Stronglifts 5x5 to help building the assertiveness and confidence.
2. The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane
Now that confidence is present, we need an edge. That "there is something about this guy and I wanna be around him" thing. This book teaches everything one needs to be charismatic in a way, a teen would understand and is able to implement. Also a subtle introduction to NLP.
3.Models by Mark Manson
By now we have forged our blade(Confidence) and sharpened it(Charisma). Models teaches one how to swing that blade for the sake of getting women and especially being congruent with oneself. It gives you that mindset one needs to pick up women and changes the core being you.
4. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Written by a guy who was leader of a senate at age 19 and Roman emperor 21 years later. Meditation teaches you how to lead a happy life and has its focus on being calm and stoic. Basically it strengthens your frame to a point that is becomes rock solid. Again, a book that changes the core of your being.
We now have a sharpened blade which we know how to handle and a calm mind to take action.
5. 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Feints, knowing the vital spots and fighting with a poisoned blade. We all want to win and in order to ensure victory, we must do anything to achieve it. You may listen your enemy complain how "it wasn´t an honorable fight" when the person is 6 feet under or in other terms: When you achieved your goal. Having morals is just dead weight that is slowing you down or even stopping you. This book is a history lesson about people who attained power and how they achieved it.
My idea of the perfect man would be as charismatic and confident as James Bond, mixed with the coldness and efficiency of Agent 47.
ston3cold 8y ago
Antifragile; NNT
The Fountainhead; Ayn Rand
Thinking, Fast and Slow; Daniel Kahneman
The Hero with a Thousand Faces; Joseph Campbell
5 is a really low number...
edit: picking 5 is as hard as formatting this it seems...
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[deleted] 8y ago
Reading the Art of the Deal now, it's very good.
0xdada 8y ago
thehonestdouchebag 8y ago
Meditations may have helped me accept the world for what it is more than any other piece of text that I have read anywhere. Highly recommend for any that are still in the anger phase.
epistemic_humility 8y ago
I feel oddly tranquil after any random page from meditations. Its amazing and under-appreciated to say the least.
WhoIsOBrien 8y ago
Is your version also written with "Thee, thou, thy"? I have trouble understanding it that way. Having the same trouble?
Equilibriun 8y ago
Way of the superior man
Think and grow rich
Myth of male power
How to win friends
No more Mr nice guy
xkulp8 8y ago
Read Catch-22 five times
UndecidedThrownaway 8y ago
My modern American Lit. Class isn't going to be reading it, but I'll ask my teacher for a copy.
Any reason why "5 times"?
xkulp8 8y ago
My snarky answer is you're better off rereading Catch-22 than reading any other work of fiction the first time, it's that good.
But also, due to the way the book is structured (or not structured if you're reading it for the first time), you notice things you miss on the first read.
Everything starts falling into place around page 300.
UndecidedThrownaway 8y ago
After my mid-terms are over and I apply to schools I will absolutely finish this book, I just found a copy in my sister's room too so I'll start it now
xkulp8 8y ago
You're a senior in hs then? Back in the dark ages when I was applying to colleges everyone's deadline would have passed by now :)
If you have free time and are taking the AP english exam, absolutely read it for the free-response essay. It's an incredibly versatile book.
UndecidedThrownaway 8y ago
Yessir
And thankfully I still have quite some time, but I plan on finishing this week
Appreciate the response, bud :D
David949 8y ago
Bachelor Pad Economics by Aaron Clarey It does touch on dealing with women but better then it's a bible for everything in a mans life from what to study in school to investing to relationships.
yamakiriroronoa 8y ago
Game/Sex: 1.The sex God method 2.The multi-orgasmic man 3.Pimp by RsdJulien/Juliem Blanc(not a book, but the essential game/pickup manual) 4.How to talk to anyone 5.The rules of the GAME
smartengineer93 8y ago
Can confirm "How to talk to anybody." Excellent resource on maintaining social proof will some tips on Game.
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smartengineer93 8y ago
Leil Lowndes. She also wrote another book called, "How to make anybody fall in love with you" which could be compared to maple syrup. Once you boil off all the useless material such as "certain women liked this odor of men's under shirts, others preferred the shorter/heavier/different diet." The whole book can be condensed to 1 chapter talking about how most couples with few outliers are withing 2 points of each other. So a HB6 will date between a 4 and an 8 realistically for a BB. She states RP philosophy indirectly by telling the reader to raise their own SMV in order to get that model we all want.
yamakiriroronoa 8y ago
Leil Lowndess or something
jeff_vii 8y ago
Sorry going to have to heavily advise against anyone reading rules of the game. Not only is the advice from strauss mainly 'canned garbage' he's a complete hypocrite. He's new book he's done a 360 into blue pill. I always thought the game was quite blue pill to begin with as it was like providing someone with a crutch to walk instead of red pill which would be seeking self improvement , the strength and function to walk alone
yamakiriroronoa 8y ago
The great thing about it for me is the 30 day challenge, that's why it's on the list
[deleted] 8y ago
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Physio_Tool 8y ago
Theres much better modern ways of approaching game then Neil Starauss's stuff. Goodlookingloser will teach you to get jacked, good looking, well styled, and how to get women in bed as quick as possible without gaming her. 60 years of challenge is another like that
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Physio_Tool 8y ago
Game when your jacked is completely different then skinny. Once I started working out, I quick escalated the hell out of girls at the club and most of my lays were in 5-30minutes. But before when I did pua gamey stuff It would take me forever and I only had 5 lays versus now where I have 30 something
mugatucrazypills 8y ago
The Manipulated Man
Rational Male (Tomassi)
Ayn Rand (everything she wrote)
Think and Grow Rich - you practically can skip the self help section for the rest of your life, they're all based on this
Everything by Greene (48 laws, etc)
Pick your flavor of PUA or Weightlifting, Nutrition Guides
not recommended: anything from the nero-linguistics programming, quasi mystical pseudo school of pickup, magical thinking for dudes,
NMMNG ... here's a great description of your problems repeated for 300 pages with some neo-puritanism, noFap, godpimping mixed in Dr. Glover describes accurately why the passive aggressive nice guy marriage can't be fixed then telling you you should try to fix it for 2/3 the book because god or something
myth of male power/privileged sex, etc, sort of a repeat of why you're fucked from a social studies perspective again, after 30 pages you probably get it.
Special Interest: Gottman on relationships, Women's Infidelity, Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, Pimp by Iceberg Slim, Evolutionary Biology (Sperm Wars, The Red Queen), Biography Section of the bookstore with a special focus on men who have been successful in leadership positions.
[deleted] 8y ago
[deleted] 8y ago
I found the Book of Pook after being introduced to 'Game' through some VH1 show my brother was watching many years ago. It seemed a bit too tryhard with all the 'peacocking' shit and I knew it wasn't for me. Though I found the knowledge interesting... and somehow I was fortunate to stumble upon The Book of Pook.
I read that e-book from front to back in one sitting. Almost everything rang with truth, and within that book it recommended reading Esthar Vilar's 'The Manipulated Man'. Once again, opened that PDF book file and couldn't put it down. Read that from front to back. This was crucial knowledge that changed my views, as I took my past experiences, my success and my failures, and compared them to the knowledge being provided and realized the theory matched up on what we call the sexual market place. Even in grade school this is how it was! Nothing changes until they look to settle for Beta-Bux... THEN all the sudden they want to 'go slow' and all that jazz. Pook also mentions that I believe, talking about how women start at the top and work their way down until they get the best they can get. The Book of Pook is a must read for any person who wants to brush up on original RP wisdom.
moredishware 8y ago
The Han Feizi by Han Fei
"When it comes to women, the wise ruler may enjoy them, but should not be drawn into their pleads or submit to their requests."
"When you hear any statements made, do not alter or shift them. Just compare them with the actions, and observe whether the statements and actions correspond with each other."
The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."
The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli
"A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it."
"The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves."
Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
"Until we have begun to go without them, we fail to realize how unnecessary many things are. We've been using them not because we needed them but because we had them."
"Preserve a sense of proportion in your attitude to everything that pleases you, and make the most of them while they are at their best."
The Discourses by Epictetus
"Keep the prospect of death, exile and all such apparent tragedies before you every day – especially death – and you will never have an abject thought"
"We must not believe the many, who say that only free people ought to be educated, but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that only the educated are free."
IamGale 8y ago
Stumbling on Happiness. This gives you the science one why we feel happy. Very good principles on managing your happiness and what's under your control.
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always-be-closing 8y ago
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Hadji Murat, Leo Tolstoy
Moby-Dick, Herman Melville
Citizen Soldiers; Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose
Break whatever delusions you have, understand how the elite manipulate men through women and 'duty', feel miserable for the death of goodness and the all the beautiful lies savaged by ugly facts, mourn masculinity's passing, do all of that.
Then remember that in the face of defeat, you can still move forward for yourself and fellow men.
If that list were meant as a listening experience, I'd say you could split it up with Things Fall Apart-Brave New World as an A and B side, with Hadji Murat being the intro to Moby-Dick , and Stephen Ambrose's stuff as a kind of coda to the first two albums.
Other things that are good to read in isolation:
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche
Araby, by James Joyce
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London (this is the kind of book your sons should read when they're young if you have any, I feel)
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
Something Happened, by Joseph Heller
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[deleted] 8y ago
I think everything in Dubliners should be read tbh. Araby is a great choice though
redrick_schuhart 8y ago
The Way of Men by Jack Donovan
The way of men is the way of the gang claims Donovan in his book. It's hard to disagree. His explanation of the four qualities the masculine man must have - strength, courage, mastery and honor - are an inspiring blueprint for the reader to take further in his own life.
No More Mr Nice Guy by Robert Glover
Throw off toxic Nice Guy behaviors and see your world as full of abundance.
For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
Faced with an impossible mission in the Spanish Civil War, the protagonist confronts the horror of war, treachery and his own fear - and emerges with his honor intact.
Touching the Void
Mountaineer Joe Simpson's extraordinary battle to survive after a climbing accident. An example of how pure will and bloodymindedness can overcome overwhelming odds.
The Double by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I highly recommend the recent film adaptation.
Guy in a soul-crushing job is thrown when a RP clone of himself appears in his workplace and upstages him at everything.
IamGale 8y ago
Touching the void will shake you to the bone. It's just insanely motivating.
Money_Bags97 8y ago
So many books to read! Just finished the rational male, and starting The Book of Pook soon but I don't know if that's the right course to go right now. I want to read them all just don't know the order as to not get confused.
EdmondDaunts 8y ago
I'm surprised 1984 by Orwell isn't number 1. This is a book that most people think is all about fear and Room 101, or that Big Brother is watching you and all that surveillance state stuff.
When in actual fact it's about control of the truth, the narrative of your life and what you must do to be successful. It's a brilliantly cold book.
Red_Swords 8y ago
Tons of other great books to choose from, but I think this is a decent flow. From unplugging and deciding what you truly want, to aggressively planning how to obtain it, to ruthlessly executing those plans no matter what stands in the way.
I only wish I could fit The Art of War after The Prince, because I think they complement each other well.
Money_Bags97 8y ago
On How to win friends, I know the original was written in the early 1900s then revised, but how does it do for today's modern society? I heard it's more written for businessmen.
Also I saw a new one called HtWFaIP in the Digital Age
Red_Swords 8y ago
Well, it's pretty clear while you're reading it that it was geared towards businessmen and entrepreneurs. It's also kind of old, so I can understand your apprehension.
I would compare it to how much, much older texts, like the Art of War is considered by some people to be a great resource if you work in business. Just because it was written from a military perspective, doesn't mean it's lessons can't be applied to other aspects of life.
Likewise, just because HTWFAIP was written from a business perspective, doesn't mean that the lessons can't be applied outside of a business context.
And in regard the question of it's age, human nature is timeless.
I haven't read the new one, and I don't know anything about it, so I can't give any opinion on that. But the original is pretty great, if you ask me.
Money_Bags97 8y ago
Thank you for your response.
I definitely have it on my reading list
[deleted] 8y ago
50th Law, Art of War, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Greene series, Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, Bonus: When Perfect Isn't Good Enough (For the anxious).
Scroph 8y ago
Came here looking for this. The 50th law is underrated unfortunately, even though it preaches some important concepts like fearlessness and street smarts.
Hang10Dude 8y ago
1) Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche 2) The Road Less Travelled - M. Scott Peck 3) The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle 4) Meditations - Marcus Aurelius 5) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
Redasshole 8y ago
Why only 5 books?
We already have a reading list.
RiggedRed 8y ago
The Bogleheads guide to investing Easy, logical, straightforward advice on how to begin to make your money work for you. Every man should be self sufficient in matters of money.
Starting Strength Classic weightlifting book by Rippetoe, a beginners bible to getting strong.
Magic Bullets Good intro to pickup
Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes--And How to Correct Them While this is also quite applicable to money, it's good at getting you to see how your mind fools itself, and rationalizations that will prevent you from improving
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change This book needs no introduction. Improve yourself, and other things will fall into place.
ProtoPill 8y ago
The Book of Proverbs, the Bible
Either New York Times #1 Best Seller The Investment Answer (for novice investors) or "the best book on investing ever written"--The Intelligent Investor (for those with some experience).
Gary Harrison's seminal work on skepticism--Think
The classic etiquette manual that sorely exposes the sophistication and class missing from contemporary society--Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette.
ASAP_Bickle 8y ago
I may be biased by my religion, but I cannot recommend Proverbs highly enough.
xkulp8 8y ago
Ecclesiastes has its merits as well.
[deleted] 8y ago
First chapter of Ecclesiastes is epic. Kind of confused how it even made it into the bible
APookIsAPook 8y ago
I've read sex at dawn. It presents a very poor argument in my opinion. The entire book's premise is based upon mating strategy similarities between humans and bonobos, however the authors conveniently leaves out that humans are equally closely related to chimpanzees which have the exact opposite type of mating strategy to bonobos. It's much more likely humans are naturally somewhere in between polygamous and monogamous by nature.
Not to mention that the book is written by a couple with very little background in biology. A quick search for "Sex at dawn criticism" will give more details.
I don't think that book belongs on any reading list. I'd add The Way of Men by Jack Donovan to that list.
niczar 8y ago
Influence, by Robert Cialdini, a nice introduction to the science and practice of manipulation by a professor of social psychology, which is a real science or at least genuinely tries to be one, unlike 99% of the humanities departments at most universities.
And four books which would have been classified as very left-wing just a decade ago, but are certified pure shitlordery nowadays:
The Blank Slate and The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, a two pronged, unimpeachable, science-based take down of the ideology underlying social justice warrioring and feminism.
The Authoritarians, by Bob Altemeyer (free on the web), a summary of decades of his research in authoritarianism and social dominance. Note that the authoritarians he speaks off are right-wing, because at the time they were, but authoritarians by definition bow to the dominant ideology so nowadays they're left-wing feminists.
Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky. Dictatorship functions through coercion, democracy through propaganda.
Mula-Musa7 8y ago
osama_bin_lefty2 8y ago
So weird that you posted this. I literally got an idea for the exact same title post yesterday.
[#1] With a fucking bullet: The Rational Male, by Rollo Tomassi
[#2] Way of the Superior Man
[#3] Book of Pook
[#4] Bang + Day Bang by roosh V (Suprised not many people mentioned it)
[#5] Not a game book but the 50 the law by Robert Green might just be the best thing I ever listened to.
TheMGhandi 8y ago
Read The Prince and then watch Game Of Thrones in that fashion. It was hard at first, but then it really softened me up at the end. Oh the memories.
And yes, it was meant that way.