Books can be intimidating for some people. However, some are entertaining, inspiring, and worth your time. You won’t believe it but reading books is one of the greatest hobbies men have ever found. So, do you have any favorite ones that you can label as the books that every man should read in his lifetime?
Every year many books are published. However, some leave a mark, and some become the greatest of all time. And here I have listed the 34 books that every man should read once in his life.
Page Contents
34 books that every man should read
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The first in this list is “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” This book by Dale Carnegie is one of the best-selling and greatest of all time. It contains six major sections that teach you how to handle and win people, make them like you, be a good leader, and lead a happy and better life.
Check out How to Win Friends and Influence People on Amazon.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
You must have watched the Great Gatsby movie based on a novel of the same name. In the film, you see Nick, a veteran, is obsessed with the stylish lifestyle of Jay Gatsby. However, the experience you get by reading the book is nothing like the movie. It teaches you about social class, wealth, obsession, love, etc.
Check out The Great Gatsby on Amazon.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
It is a collection of short stories that are unique on their own. The main focus of the book is love, the nature of real love. Depicting the realities of relationships, love influenced by drunkenness, and so on, the book is not to be missed.
Check out What We Talk About When We Talk About Love on Amazon.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Published in 2011, Thinking, Fast, and Slow shows how a human thinks, solves problems and makes decisions. The book depicts two phases of thought process: System 1- fast, intuitive, automatic, and emotional and System 2- slow, logical, calculating, and effortful.
Check out Thinking, Fast and Slow on Amazon.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Written by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorians Gray is a fantasy novel. The story depicts how a young man gets eternal youth. However, the expense was far more significant than he thought. Get to be familiar with the life of Dorian Gray full of selfish pleasure and fear by reading this book.
Check out The Picture of Dorian Gray on Amazon.
Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
You probably might have seen the movie Lone Survivor, which shows Marcus’s journey to surviving the fatal battle on his own. However, the book goes into depth.
Will he be able to stay alive alone and complete his mission?
Check out Lone Survivor on Amazon.
Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver
Written by Raymond Carver, Where I’m Calling From is a short story depicting the effects of alcohol. The book focuses on a man who is sent to the rehabilitation center by his girlfriend. There he meets Joe and starts telling him about his life.
Check out Where I’m Calling on Amazon.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a book about the life of the writer Dan Millman himself. It is an autobiography showing his early life, who is a former world champion athlete. It shows his journey to becoming a peaceful warrior.
Check out Way of the Peaceful Warrior on Amazon.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Published by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro in 1989, the book is about the life of Stevens, who is a butler at Darlington Home. The story shows Stevens’s dignity, his loyalty towards his lord Darlington. However, he starts reflecting on these when he receives a letter from his former colleague Miss Kenton and meets her. Thus unveils his past mutual affection and attraction.
Check out The Remains of the Day on Amazon.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air is about the personal experience of Jon Krakauer. With the help of guide Rob Hall, he is on the base camp of Mt. Everest. But soon, his journey comes to an end because of one of the worst disasters at Mount Everest in 1996. Unfortunately, Rob and several other climbers are killed in action. The book is about the tragic events that happened with Jon.
Check out Into Thin Air on Amazon.
True Grit by Charles Portis
If you have not watched the True Grit movie yet, I recommend you watch it. It is one of the greatest movies ever produced. The story focuses on a fourteen-year-old girl, Mattie, looking for her father’s killer to bring justice. It was based on this novel by Charles Portis.
Check out True Grit on Amazon.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Published in 1987, Beloved, a novel by Ton Morrison, is related to paranormal activity. The story focuses on a family of former slaves. However, the nightmare doesn’t end there. An evil spirit now haunts their home. Find the mystery behind the ghost haunting them by reading the book.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Essentialism by Greg McKeown is a must-read book if you are having trouble with productivity. You can overcome it by becoming an Essentialist. That is precisely what this novel depicts. It shows different ways to be productive by eliminating everything that is not necessary.
Check out Essentialism on Amazon.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Are you a fan of sci-fi stuff like aliens and time travel? If yes, then this one’s for you. The story focuses on Billy Pilgrim, who aliens kidnap. Then begins the journey of him traveling through time.
Check out Slaughterhouse-Five on Amazon.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuro Ishiguro, in his novel Never Let Me Go, has shown the nature of humans and humanity. It depicts how valuable life and friendship are. Plus, it shows the consequences of scientific experimentation in society.
Check out Never Let Me Go on Amazon.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel that focuses on the life of Elizabeth Bennet. It shows the development of romantic affection. It is basically about the true feelings of love and what women want in their life. Besides, the protagonist, Elizabeth, is stuck between social status and expectations.
Check out Pride and Prejudice on Amazon.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Set in Kerala, India, The God of Small Things focuses on the fraternal twins whose lives are devastated by the laws of Indian society. The writer Arundhati Roy is trying to depict the differences in how much love they acquire and who deserves it.
Check out The God of Small Things on Amazon.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Written by the famous writer Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild follows the life of Christopher McCandless. As its name suggests, the protagonist leaves every comfort of his life behind and embarks into the wilderness of Alaska to live in nature and experience whatever it throws at him.
Moreover, it is a true story based on the life of Christopher McCandless.
Check out Into the Wild on Amazon.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
What will you do if you have the power to be invisible? However, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison isn’t about having such an ability, but in a sense, the protagonist isn’t visible to society. The book is about a young black man. The story depicts the racism in his country. After moving to New York, he soon realizes how he is treated in the city. Even if he is there, he is practically unseeable because of his color.
Check out Invisible Man on Amazon.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Set from 1910 to 1989, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is about a poor family. This book focuses on the story of four generations of a Korean family who moves to Japan for a better chance of survival and life.
Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad
The book by Norman Ollested depicts two plots. One is about a young man who survives a devastating plane crash. The other is about Norman Ollested’s relationship with his father.
Check out Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival on Amazon.
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The best-selling book by Anne Morrow is about a mother of five children. She rents a cottage on an island. Every day she walks on the beach collecting seashells while taking a break from her busy life. The novel is about peace, solitude, love, marriage, etc.
Check out Gift from the Sea on Amazon.
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
Wild at Heart is a masterpiece when it comes to being a man. It is one of the best books that every man should read. The author describes that the life of a man is an adventure and filled with desires. He conveys the definition of masculinity in this magnificent piece of work.
Check out Wild at Heart on Amazon.
The Republic by Plato
The Republic is about the splendid dialogues between Socrates and others, making it one of the best books that every man should read. The book focuses on the definition of justice and how it should be.
Through this book, the author is trying to show the concept of political justice, the immortality of the soul, the philosopher’s role, etc. If you love reading literature, then this one’s for you.
Check out The Republic on Amazon.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
The Prince is a book about the traits of a prince and how he should appear. At the same time, it tells how to gain power, keep and maintain it, and rule the state and politics. It is an instruction guide for royals and the prince who wants to climb to the top.
Check out The Prince on Amazon.
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Hailed as the greatest detective to date, everyone has heard about Sherlock Holmes. The book shows the deduction, observation, reasoning skills of Sherlock. In every chapter, you get to see his cunningness. He is still considered the best and most intelligent character of all time with a high IQ.
Check out Sherlock Holmes on Amazon.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Buried Giant is about an elderly Briton couple living in England. They suffer from a long-term memory disorder, making it difficult for them to retain their memories. The story gets interesting when they recall that they might have had a son years ago. Then, they embark on a journey to search for him.
Will they be able to find him? But the main question arises- Do they have a son in real?
Check out The Buried Giant on Amazon.
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
The Lost City of Z- sounds pretty fascinating, right. Not only the name, but the book itself is a masterpiece. Story with great plots, development, and characters make it one of the best books that every man should read.
Published in 2009, the story starts with the disappearance of a British explorer and his son while searching for an ancient civilization. Now, the author himself is on the journey to Amazon to unveil this mystery.
Check out The Lost City of Z on Amazon.
Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose
Stephen Ambrose, New York Times best-seller, brings an epic and one of the best stories about WWII to date. Band of Brothers is a book about the heroic tales of the men of East Company. It shows the journey of an ordinary group of men becoming an unbelievable band during the war.
Because of its great story, it has been adapted to a mini-series with the same name.
Check out Band of Brothers on Amazon.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Seeing the title, you might have guessed what this book is about. You are right. It is a self-help book that tells you how to be productive, effective, improve yourself, and become better. It helps you to lead a successful life and find out the missing part in your life.
Check out The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on Amazon.
1984 by George Orwell
With his brilliant literature writing skills, George Orwell has brought a masterpiece focusing on the consequences of totalitarianism, government, and mass surveillance. Dreadful and unsettling things about the politics and technological changes yet entertaining to read make it one of the best books that every man should read.
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
One day, you are suddenly stranded on an unhabituated island. It is a situation you don’t want to imagine, right? However, in William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys faces a similar situation. It looks fun initially, but soon, they start thinking about long-term survival. However, that is not their only problem. They have to think about governing themselves as well.
Embark into the epicness of young boys surviving on an isolated island.
Check out The Lord of the Flies on Amazon.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Get ready to experience an epic story of mafia and crime you have yet to know. The Godfather by Mario Puzo is a masterpiece when it comes to plots and character development.
The book focuses on the Corleone family, who rules the city of New York. But the story gets interesting when the youngest son of the head of the mafia joins them. Then starts the race of honor, loyalty, and blood.
Check out The Godfather on Amazon.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Last on this list is Hamlet by William Shakespeare. How can we miss this masterpiece? The story focuses on Prince Hamlet, who returns home to attend his father’s funeral. However, upon his arrival, he finds out that his mother has remarried his uncle, the current King. Suspecting that something wrong is going on, he prepares himself to unveil the mystery behind his father’s death.
In Conclusion
There you have it: 34 books that every man should read once in his life.
The story, development, twist, characters, etc., in these books, are indeed a masterpiece that will keep you awake all night. So, start reading.
Even if you aren’t a reader or don’t have a hobby of reading books, I suggest you at least start with one of the books on the list. They are worth your time. And, we promise you’ll want to read more.
Do you have any favourite books? Let us know in the comment below.
Image Credits: DariuszSankowski from Pixabay