“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.”
These are the wise words of George R.R. Martin.

President Harry Truman got right to the point when he said, “Readers are leaders.”

Put simply, a father is a leader, and if you want to be a good father, you are going to have to learn to read. Thankfully, I did not have TV for a good portion of my early life. My parents made a curated decision not to have one, which proved to be a blessing in disguise. Screens can become an enemy.

So, I started reading books early. One of the best decisions of my life. Better still, the habit of reading has stayed with me.

As a young boy, my dad used to say to me, “Son, TV and screens are vicarious experiences and pleasures. Real experience in real life is always better. Books are good because you have to use your imagination and brainpower to read. Become a reader. You will never regret that decision.”

That’s why I am so excited to tell you about my good friend David Maywald’s new full-colour book called 100 of the Best Books for Men – Honouring the Authors, Elders, and Thought Leaders.

David is the author of the recently released breakthrough book, The Relentless War on Masculinity: Does it Ever End?  He is an unashamed advocate for men and boys, so his list is very male-friendly.

Furthermore, the diagram below, created by David, gives an insight into the historical aspect of the list. Some authors of the Top 100 books are listed to give you perspective.

Of David’s top 100 books for men, I have read 24. Additionally, I am familiar enough with 29 of the other books to enthusiastically recommend them. I must confess to having skin in the game, as I co-wrote one of the books and contributed a chapter to another.

In David’s Own Words: The Story Behind the List

How can I best explain the ethos behind David Maywald’s compilation of the 100 of the Best Books for Men? Rather than explaining myself, I’ll let David’s eloquence speak for itself. Here is his own story.

“Books have changed my life. Like many men, I have spent years searching for answers to questions that are both deeply personal and profoundly universal.

What does it mean to be a good man? How should a man live? What responsibilities does he owe to himself, his family, his community, and to future generations? How can he find meaning amid suffering, purpose amid uncertainty, and hope amid the inevitable challenges of life?

I didn’t find the answers in a single book. I found them in many conversations, and from many books…

Some were written by philosophers contemplating virtue and mortality. Some came from psychologists seeking to understand the human mind. Others were written by fathers, teachers, theologians, anthropologists, historians, poets, novelists, and social commentators.

They disagreed on many things, yet together they form a conversation that has stretched across centuries and continents. 100 of the Best Books for Men is my attempt to honour that ongoing conversation. This book is my gift to our broken world, at the time of my fiftieth birthday.

The one hundred books selected here represent lifetimes of reading, reflection, discussion, and discernment. They aren’t the one hundred greatest books ever written. Nor are they the only books worthy of inclusion. Entire libraries could have been assembled around many of the themes explored in these pages.

Instead, these are one hundred books that, taken together, help illuminate the journey of a man’s life.

They explore meaning and character, boyhood and development, initiation and identity, strength and responsibility, love and relationships, fatherhood and family, health and wellbeing, faith and spirituality, social challenges, justice and vulnerability.

Finally, they point towards the renewal of families, communities, and civilisation itself…

Some books in this collection are ancient. Others were published during the last year or two. Some are celebrated classics read by millions. Others are lesser-known works that deserve a much wider audience. Some of the authors approach their subjects through rigorous research.

Others communicate wisdom through stories, myths, memoirs, and lived experience.

Each contributes something very valuable.

As I assembled this collection, I was struck by how often the authors arrived at similar conclusions despite coming from vastly different traditions. Again and again, they emphasised:

1. Responsibility over entitlement.
2. Contribution over consumption.
3. Meaning over comfort.
4. Service over self-absorption.
5. Character over reputation.
6. Relationships over status.
7. Purpose over pleasure.

They recognised that human flourishing rarely emerges from ease alone. Growth requires effort. Maturity requires sacrifice. Love requires commitment. Leadership requires service. Fatherhood requires presence. Wisdom requires humility.

These lessons are neither fashionable, nor are they new. And that’s precisely why they matter…

Much of our contemporary culture encourages us to seek happiness directly. But many of the authors in this collection suggest a completely different path. They argue that happiness often emerges as a by-product of living well, rather than as a goal pursued for its own sake.

The most fulfilled men are often those who devote themselves to meaningful work, loving relationships, worthy causes, spiritual growth, and service to others.

Another striking pattern emerged as I worked through these books: the best authors don’t merely tell men what to think. They invite men to become more courageous, more compassionate, more disciplined, more capable, more self-aware, more responsible, more loving, and more fully human…

The journey of manhood is never complete. There’s always more to learn, more to contribute, and more wisdom to acquire. That reality applies equally to young men beginning their adult lives as it does to older men reflecting on the legacy they will leave behind.

This book is written for both, and for plenty of other readers. It’s for the teenage boy searching for direction. The male university student seeking purpose. The husband learning how to love well. The father raising children.

The grandfather reflecting on what matters most. The elder male mentor who is guiding younger men. The teacher, coach, educator, pastor, and community leader seeking to understand the men and boys in his care.

It’s also written for women who wish to better understand the men in their lives.

The future of men and women has never been separate. Our lives are deeply interconnected.

Healthy men contribute to healthy relationships, healthy families, healthy workplaces, healthy communities, and healthy societies. The flourishing of one sex need not come at the expense of the other.

The deepest wisdom found in these one hundred books points towards partnership rather than conflict. Mutual respect rather than resentment. Understanding rather than caricature.

Throughout these pages, I have attempted to honour the authors, elders and thought leaders whose work has shaped generations of readers.

Some of these writers devoted decades to studying their subjects. Others paid a personal price for challenging prevailing assumptions. Many spent their lives attempting to understand what helps human beings flourish.

We stand on their shoulders.

The insights contained within these books represent thousands upon thousands of hours of research, reflection, experience, and hard-won wisdom.

This collection is offered in a spirit of gratitude. Gratitude to the authors. Gratitude to the teachers and mentors who passed these ideas forward. Gratitude to the fathers and mothers who invested in future generations. Gratitude to the readers and thoughtful commentators who continue the conversation.

This isn’t a book that needs to be read from cover to cover. I invite you to browse it, return to it often, and allow each season of life to point you towards the books that you most need at this time.

May these books challenge you, encourage you, and provoke thoughtful disagreement where necessary. Most importantly, may they inspire you to pursue a life of meaning, character, service, and love.

The world needs good men. These books can help us to become them.

David Maywald
August 2026

Lovework

I have to say David’s 100 of the Best Books for Men is a brilliant book. I can personally vouch for the majority of David’s list. Having said that, he probably erred with my book. You will have to make your own judgment. You can buy your own copy here, but better yet, read your own copy for FREE at this link at the National Library of Australia, and that offer, my friend, is hard to beat.

Yours for More Good Men,
Warwick Marsh

PS: The Men’s Leadership Summit, 28 – 30 August, is fast approaching. It is the experience of a lifetime for men. Yes, books are good, but the Summit is a live transformation. Watch this video here. Book your place here.

___

Image courtesy of Adobe.