Holiday travel mixed in with work travel allowed me to knock out four books in my December reading list. Book categories included parenting, sports, stoicism, and the American Revolution. Two of the books, The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids and The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living were books I started at the beginning of the year reading one page each day. It was extremely satisfying to read such a small amount of a book only to look back to realize how much progress I made on each of the “daily” books that I made.
The books that are part of my December reading list include The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids, Michael Jordan: The Life, The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution. For all of the books I have read this year, check out my reading lists [HERE].
The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids
The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids by Ryan Holiday provides parenting medications in short form every day of the year. The book draws on lessons from historical figures like Theodore Roosevelt, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Elizabeth II, and Marcus Aurelius,” weaving stories from these figures in a daily devotional format for parents.” I read this book in 2023 and got just as much out of it the second time I read it in 2024. Other Holiday books to check out include Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.
Michael Jordan: The Life
Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby explores the competitor and adrenaline junky that is the basketball GOAT Michael Jordan. Lazenby’s biography of Jordan starts the book by returning to Jordan’s ancestors in North Carolina bringing you along for a ride through his life. The story starts with Jordan as a baseball little leaguer followed by the infamous story of Jordan being cut from the high school basketball team. Jordan goes to UNC to play for legendary basketball coach Dean Smith. He’s then drafted by the Chicago Bulls where he goes on to win six NBA championships. In between the champions, Jordan retires, attempts to play pro baseball, comes back from retirement, retires after this sixth championship, unretires to play for the Washington Wizards, and then becomes the owner of the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats. You read about his the highs of his life from winning NBA champions and relationship with Nike to the murder of his father, his divorce, and struggles with his brothers and sisters. Additional Jordan books to check out include Driven from Within and Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made.
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday “offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms.” I finished my second spin through The Daily Stoic (I read the book in 2017). I realized this book is one that I will read every year because of how valuable the book is in calming my mind. Additional Holiday books to check out include Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, Ego Is the Enemy, Stillness Is the Key, and The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick is the “second book of his acclaimed American Revolution series” where Philbrick focuses on the relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. Washington was forced to retreat from New York in the fall of 1776. Arnold came to his rescue after Washington’s retreat by blocking the British navy advancing south from Lake Champlain. Arnold continued to fight for the Americans until his financial commitments to his wife’s family plus his inability to advance his career came to a head. At this point, Arnold agreed to fight for the British by surrendering Fort Ticonderoga. What is fascinating about this book is how incredible of a fighter Arnold was for the Americans only to be remembered as an infamous traitor. Also check out the podcasts Nathaniel Philbrick, “Valiant Ambition” and Valiant Ambition in the American Revolution for a deeper dive into the book. Additional books about Washington to read include In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown, Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership, The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution, Washington’s Crossing, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, and Washington: A Life.
