Post: #1

I prefer to read philosophy books or discipline written by special forces guys. Ive read tao te ching, zhuangzi, all the stoic philosophers, mans search meaning, discipline equals freedom. What books do you guys recommend?

Post: #2

Hagakure

Post: #3

For motivation, I always go for the WWII and prewar-era British explorers. Guilt-edged was entertaining. Arctic Snow to Dust of Normandy is another one. I actually really like the autobiographical stuff by Ran Fiennes. I feel inspired by half-mad Brits who are willing to risk climbing whatever mountain or sailing whatever sea because, well, no one has done it before. They don't make them like that anymore. The bonus is that a lot of these guys will explain their personal philosophies and training regimes. Ran Fiennes even released a fitness book.

Post: #4

Lone Survivor, American Sniper, 12 Rules for Life.

Post: #5

"The Scent of Dried Roses" by Tim Lott is an excellent memoir of depression and how this guy found help with anti-depressants, stayed on them for a while, and then got off them.

Tim Lott is a very good writer and he has great compassion for his family and even for himself.

Quote:What clues lurked in genes or circumstance? Was it the fault of bad brain chemistry or life's buffetings? Was it a case for pills or psychoanalysis, of matter or mind? Lott delves into his family history, poring over photographs and yellowed jottings, gathering testimony, reviving the dead in new colours and compendious detail – a petty villain on the rob, a grandfather destroyed by grief, a simple-minded uncle mired in a helpless lethargy. The writing moves with his method of inquiry, variously poetic, forensic, philosophical, always with an eye on the story.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/n...s-tim-lott

If you are one of those people who believes in staying off the chemicals at all costs, this book is a counter argument that might add some depth to your understanding.

Post: #6

The Obstacle is the Way - Ryan Holiday

Great book, have read it several times when things just weren't going right or I needed some pick-me-up. I'm actually keeping it next to the shitter at the moment and reading a chapter whenever duty calls.

Post: #7

Meditation would help. The most important book I have read lately is The Key by Whitley Strieber. Short but meaty. I keep it on the bed-shelf and re-read it often.
The Key explains why some meditation is necessary for a happy life. I never knew. Now I meditate.

Post: #8

I hear the Bible is a good source for all of those...