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Writer's pictureAuthentik Savage

Gnarly Reads Pt. 1:

These are some gnarly books from my library that I have enjoyed. Each one gave me something, whether it was a feeling, knowledge, or a mental vacation. These are all available for purchase or preview through Google Books.


1. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson:

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek (Barnes & Noble). This an easy read that possesses the ability to make you reassess your head-space.


2. Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne:

Empire of the Summer Moon spans two astonishing stories. The first traces the rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. The second entails one of the most remarkable narratives ever to come out of the Old West: the epic saga of the pioneer woman Cynthia Ann Parker and her mixed-blood son Quanah, who became the last and greatest chief of the Comanches.


Although readers may be more familiar with the tribal names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined when the American West opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by age six; full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled backward by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. This book provides the reader with a piece of US history which is relatively left untold. This book will take you on a mental journey through this wild time out west.


3. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield:

At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.


Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history—one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale. This made me feel as if I was side by side with Leonidas with my shield and spear at the ready. This book is awesome dudes.


4. Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss:

As a traditional psychotherapist, Dr. Brian Weiss was astonished and skeptical when one of his patients began recalling past-life traumas that seemed to hold the key to her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks. His skepticism was eroded, however, when she began to channel messages from the “space between lives,” which contained remarkable revelations about Dr. Weiss’ family and his dead son. Using past-life therapy, he was able to cure the patient and embark on a new, more meaningful phase of his own career. With more than one million copies in print, Many Lives, Many Masters is one of the breakthrough texts in alternative psychotherapy and remains as provocative and timeless as it was when first published. This one is a bit different dudes, but I believe you will find something within its pages


5. Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins:

For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.”


In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential. This is another solid one, dudes. If you are the type that practices self-accountability and strives to better yourself, this is for you.


Dudes, enjoy these books and never forget, Be Authentik!




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William Hayden
William Hayden
Jul 10, 2020

Can’t Hurt Me will meet you where you are and systematically destroy any excuse you think is an obstacle. The underlying theme I take from Goggins is that motivation is bullshit. It’s an emotion that comes and goes. Drive is what matters.


I’ve seen Can’t Hurt Me impact countless lives, mine included. Not only does he tell you how to alter your perception and approach to life, he gives you tools and the ability to gauge success.


Goggins is Savage Actual.

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Kris Pedisich
Jul 09, 2020

One of my latest reads was Born to Fish written by and about Greg Myerson. It's about an obsessed angler became World's greatest Striped Bass fisherman.

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