Ten Books Every Man Should Read

At this point in my life, I’ve been studying and teaching philosophy for a decade. In that time, I’ve also grown from a student into an experienced teacher who mentors others on a daily basis.

Over that time, there have been lots of works that have influenced the way I understand myself, the world, and the people in it. I’m not going to pretend it’s a ten-best list or something like that: there are simply too many excellent books out there for me to make that claim.

Instead, here are ten books that I’ve found useful, and I hope you will, too.

Aurelius wrote this work as his personal journal, and he never intended it to be seen by anyone else. I’m glad his final wishes were disrespected and this ended up in the canon of Western philosophy.

The book represents the reflections of a man who lived with the world on his shoulders, and who was looking for ways to cope with the realization of his mastery over his own fate. Those are feelings a lot of men can relate to, and working through them with a Roman emperor is a great place to start in gaining a little more control over our lives.

Sometimes, the world places us in situations that are outside of our control but assert total control over our lives. At least, that’s what major crises can start to look like.

You were probably assigned this one in high school but never read it. You should read it again in a post-COVID world: Camus’ commentary on finding purpose in a world that seems out of control are some of the most insightful things I’ve ever read.

This work is a serious philosophical exploration of love that, in my view, challenges a lot of what we were taught growing, especially about romantic love. Fromm argues that the basis for all sorts of communities, from families to nations, is love.

Once we really, truly see the humanity in ourselves and in others, he argues, we’ll realize that there’s something fundamentally loving about the human experience that we should all work to grow and embrace.

If you’ve ever wondered where Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, and the rest of the founders got much of their political thought, take a look at Locke’s book.

In this work, Locke makes the case that monarchies should be a thing of the past, and that representative government of, by, and for the people, is the way to go. Most Americans will find that this work gives them a lot of insight into their own thinking about political life, and that’s why I recommend this one to you.

I’d recommend Discipline and Punish to people who already read and like philosophy. Foucault writes a book that is, on its surface, a history of French prisons in the 19th century. That’s an important part of the book, but not the big story.

Discipline and Punish is, really, his diagnosis of modern power. Especially in the 21st century, it is easily one of the most chilling books that I’ve ever read, and I love teaching it to people nearly a decade after I first read it.

Dr. West’s book is one of the more poignant takes on racism in American politics to be written in the past several decades. In it, he explains the structures of power that have affected relations within the black community, and with the broader context, for centuries.

If you want some insight into where critiques of racism as being system come from, this book is vital reading for you.

Building communities and relationships seem to be some of the more persistent problems faced by human beings. This work is Aristotle’s take on just those questions.

Instead of hard and fast answers, Aristotle helps you develop tools by which to judge the actions of others so that you can relate to them in ways that are more effective.

This is one of the most misread books of all time. If you read it carefully, you’ll see that he does not argue for winning at any cost. Instead, Machiavelli carefully weaves a more nuanced argument: that if your ends are just and good, then the means to achieve them might sometimes be ugly.

That is to say, he’s not saying it’s okay to be a jerk, but rather to be willing to do what you must to reach just ends.

With very few exceptions, every head of state you can think of has read this book. Plato describes the foundations of the political order in his ideal society and sets Justice as the center of the political universe.

Several millennia after it was written, this book is still an intellectual necessity for those who care about politics.

This one, which became the basis for the film Blade Runner is good science fiction on its face: it follows the adventures of a bounty hunter who is sent to kill androids.

Beneath the surface, it’s an excellent exploration of utilitarianism, nihilism, as well as human relationships with technology. Put together, those things make this one of my favorite books.

As you can tell, my taste in books is all over the place, ranging over the last several thousand years of human history, and with no particular theme. What all of these books do have in common, however, is that they made me think. I hope that they can do the same for you and that you take the time to read at least one of them. Also, I’m always on the lookout for the good stuff, so if you have a reading recommendation for me, feel free to post a comment!