Note: This is a rebroadcast.

Over the last year, my 12-year-old son has been doing one challenge every week as a rite of passage and chance to earn a special trip. Some of these challenges have involved reading a book in a week, and the most recent book we gave him to read was How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. His review? He said it was the best book he's read so far.

So a book written almost 90 years ago can still be a favorite of a kid in the 21st century. Talk about some staying power. 

The advice in How to Win Friends & Influence People, and Dale Carnegie's other classic, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, is timeless. But to help introduce it to a new audience, my guest, Joe Hart, has recently co-authored the book Take Command, which synthesizes, updates, and adds to the principles of Carnegie's two perennial bestsellers. Joe is the President and CEO of Dale Carnegie & Associates, which continues Carnegie's work in the present day, and we begin our conversation with some background on the guy who kicked off this work back in 1936. We then talk about what principles we can take from How to Stop Worrying and Start Living on developing a positive mindset. From there, we talk about the big overarching principle of How to Win Friends & Influence People, and how you can use it to improve your relationships. We end our conversation with advice on how to live life with more intentionality and meaning.

• How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
• The Dale Carnegie Website, with links to the Take Command book page and the Dale Carnegie Course
• AoM Article: The 8 Best Vintage Self-Improvement Books
• AoM Podcast #818: The Philosophy of Self-Improvement
• AoM Podcast #457: Leadership Lessons With Craig Groeschel
• AoM Podcast #527: The Journey to the Second Half of Life With Richard Rohr
• AoM Podcast #518: The Second Mountain With David Brooks

• Joe on Twitter
• Joe on LinkedIn

As you get older, you can start to feel like you'll never achieve your dream or receive recognition for your contributions to a field, or that your best work is behind you.

Mo Rocca has compiled stories that demonstrate that you shouldn't give up hope, and that no matter your age, the best may yet be to come.

Mo is a humorist, journalist, and the co-author of Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs. Today on the show, Mo shares the stories and lessons of entrepreneurs, artists, actors, and more who achieved greatness or adulation in their twilight years or had a new spurt of creativity when they thought the well had run dry, including KFC founder Colonel Sanders, the artist Matisse, a couple of guys who didn't receive their first war wounds until they were old enough to qualify for the senior citizen discount at Denny's, and even a virile 90-year-old tortoise.

• AoM Podcast #849: Live Life in Crescendo
• Samuel Whittemore
• John L. Burns
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum
• Henri Matisse's The Swimming Pool
• Documentary about Tyrus Wong
• Mr. Pickles the Tortoise

• Mo on X

Do moments where you run up against your dependence on modern technology get you wondering about the ways some of your personal capabilities seem to be atrophying?

Graham Lee has spent years thinking about this idea. While he's a digital skills educator who appreciates the way technology can enhance our abilities, he worries that our ever-increasing reliance on algorithms and artificial intelligence may be robbing us of elements that are vital to the core of who we are.

Lee is the author of Human Being: Reclaim 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology, and today on the show, we talk about some of those dozen endangered skills, including navigation, reading, writing, craftsmanship, and solitude. Lee offers case studies on how these skills enhance our humanness, why their loss matters, and how we can reclaim these capabilities and a greater sense of satisfaction and self-efficacy.

• We, the Navigators, The Ancient Art of Landfinding in the Pacific by David Lewis
• AoM series on learning how to navigate with a map and compass
• AoM Podcast #534: How Navigation Makes Us Human
• AoM Podcast #793: The New Science of Metabolism and Weight Loss
• AoM article on the benefits of solitude 
• Indian Running: Native American History and Tradition by Peter Nabokov
• Watchmaker Geoge Daniels
• Castaway Alexander Selkirk
• NotebookLM

• Graham on LinkedIn

Ever wondered why, after hours of reading and highlighting, you still feel unprepared for that big test? Or why, shortly after a work training, you can’t remember much of what was said and how to apply it? Or why you have trouble comprehending a difficult book?

Whether you’re a student studying for exams, an employee trying to learn the ropes at a new job, or someone who’s into personal study, learning effectively is hugely important in increasing your capacity and knowledge. Unfortunately, most of what people do to learn simply doesn’t work.

Here to unlock the superior, research-backed strategies that will help you harness the potential of your brain is Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology and the author of Outsmart Your Brain. Today on the show, Daniel explains why the default way that our brains want to learn doesn’t work, and how to approach learning by both reading and listening more effectively. We discuss how to get more out of your reading, including whether you should highlight, whether speed reading is effective, the optimal method for taking notes during a lecture, the best way to cement things into memory, and much more.

• AoM Article: How and Why to Become a Lifelong Learner
• AoM Article: How to Read a Book
• AoM Article: How to Read Long and Difficult Books
• AoM Podcast #677: The Value of Learning New Skills in Adulthood
• AoM Article: Ace Your Exams — Study Tactics of the Successful Gentleman Scholar
• AoM Article: Write This Down: Note-Taking Strategies for Academic Success

• Daniel’s website
• Daniel on X
• Daniel on TikTok

Today I talk to Bryan Black, founder and owner of ITS Tactical. ITS Tactical is dedicated to providing "knowledge that empowers individuals with indispensable skill-sets to explore their world and prevail against all threats." You'll find content on emergency prep, wilderness survival, and self-defense on ITS Tactical. It's sort of like Boy Scouts, but manlier.
Bryan and I talk about why he started ITS Tactical, the tactical skills every man should know, and the gear every man should have to be prepared for any situation.

In this episode of the AoM podcast, I talk to science journalist Steven Kotler about his new book The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. In his book, Steven takes a look at the world of extreme athletes and discovers that these so-called adrenaline junkies are pushing the boundaries of human performance, and it isn't the adrenaline that's driving these advances. Rather, it's the concept of flow -- an optimal state of attention that slows down time and makes life-or-death decision making possible.
In The Rise of Superman, Steven gives examples of extreme athletes -- like big wave surfers, solo rock climbers, and base jumpers -- who are tapping into flow to do the seemingly impossible. What's more, he shares research-backed ways that Average Joes can hack their own flow so that they can improve their performance across all facets of life and truly flourish.

What does it mean to be "gifted"?
Is it talent? Creativity? Intelligence? A mixture of all three?
Is giftedness something you're born with or can you nurture it?
Is it possible to measure and predict giftedness?
Our guest today, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, has tackled all these questions in his most recent book Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. Scott is a cognitive psychologist who specializes in creativity and intelligence. Besides writing books and scholarly articles on the intersection of creativity and intelligence, Scott is a co-founder of The Creativity Post, a blog dedicated to exploring the science behind creativity and imagination.
In today's episode, Scott and I talk about intelligence, talent, and giftedness. I think if you're a dad, this show will have a lot of food for thought for you on how to raise your kids to be their best.

Today we talk to John Durant, author of The Paleo Manifesto, about how looking at our ancestral past can help us achieve optimal health both physically and mentally.

In today's episode I talk to writer Steven Pressfield. Steven has written over a dozen books ranging from fiction and non-fiction. His book Gates of Fire, a fictional account of the Battle of Thermopylae, is used by the Marine Corps Basic School and his non-fiction books have become go-to guides for writers, entrepreneurs, and other creative types. Steve and I talk about why war plays a central theme in all his work and how to apply the Warrior Ethos to creative work.

In today's episode I talk to author Christopher Klein about his new biography of famed 19th century boxer John L. Sullivan (he's the "boxer man" that serves as the unofficial logo of the Art of Manliness). Klein and I talk about this larger-than-life character and his influence on boxing and modern ideals of manhood in America today.

In today's episode I talk to A.J. Jacobs, editor at large at Esquire Magazine, writer of several best-sellers (including A Year of Living Biblically, and Drop Dead Healthy), and a self-proclaimed human guinea pig. He's now a contributor to Upwave. A.J. and I discuss some of the crazy experiments he's done with his life, the comic hijinkes that ensued with them, and how they made him a better man.

In today's episode I talk to Antonio Centeno, founder and owner of Real Men Real Style as well as the resident style expert at Art of Manliness. We discuss men's style, why it's important, and things men can do to improve their personal style

In today's episode I talk to Dr. Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist and author the Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now. We discuss why your twenties are so important and the challenges that many twentysomethings have today.

In today's episode I talk to Mark Frauenfelder, editor of Make Magazine, founder of Boing Boing, and author of the book Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throw Away Society. We discuss his experience developing a DIY ethos and becoming more sufficient.

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

What does putting away the ways of childhood and stepping into manhood look like?

My guest says it requires making five key shifts in mindset and perspective. His name is Jon Tyson, and he’s a pastor and the creator of the Primal Path, a rite of passage geared toward helping boys become men. Today on the show, Jon and I unpack the five shifts of manhood and how parents and mentors can help young men make them and move from immaturity to maturity.

• Jon’s previous appearance on the AoM podcast: Episode #810 — How to Turn a Boy Into a Man
• The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character by Jon Tyson
• AoM Article: What Is Manliness?
• Adam’s Return: The Five Promises of Male Spirituality by Richard Rohr
• AoM Podcast #708: Overcome the Comfort Crisis
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• “The Courage to Face Ingratitude” by William George Jordan 
• “This Is Water” by David Foster Wallace
• The 33 Marks of Maturity

• Primal Path
• Forming Men
• Jon on IG

In today's episode I talk to Jack Donovan, author of the book The Way of Men. We discuss is conception of a universal code of masculinity and if it's even possible to live "the way of men" in modern society.

In today's episode I talk to Creek Stewart, owner of Willow Haven Outdoor, and author of Building the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit. His most recent book is The Unofficial Hunger Games Survival Guide. Creek and I discuss his new book and things that you can do now to prepare for an emergency.

In today's podcast we talk to Forrest Pritchard, farmer at Smith Meadows Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He's recently published a book entitled Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmer's Markets, Local Food, and Saving the Family Farm. Forrest and I discuss his story of how he saved a farm that's been in his family for eight generations using sustainable farming practices.

In today's podcast we talk to New York Times Bestselling author Robert Greene about his new book Mastery. We discuss what it takes to become a master in any domain or field in life and the common path that great men like da Vinci, Darwin, and Mozart tred to achieve greatness.

Welcome back to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast!
In today's episode we discuss mating intelligence with the authors of a new book on the subject. Drs. Glen Geher and Scotty Barry Kaufman are pyschologists and the authors of the book Mating Intelligence Unleashed: The Role of the Mind in Sex, Dating, and Love.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast!
In this edition, we talk to author Marcus Brotherton about his new book, Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories of the Marine Heroes of WWII. Marcus has written over 25 books including The New York Times Bestseller We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers. In addition to writing books, Marcus writes at his blog Men Who Lead Well, as well as at The Art of Manliness.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast!
In this edition we talk to Dr. Corey Allan, a marriage and family therapist and the owner of the website Simple Marriage where he writes about how to strengthen and improve marriages and families. Corey has written several ebooks on marriage and has created self-guided online courses (like Blow Up My Marriage) to help couples improve their relationship.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast!
In this edition we talk to the founder and owner of one of my favorite websites, Steve Kamb of Nerd Fitness. If you haven't been to Nerd Fitness yet, go check it out today. Steve writes incredibly useful and inspiring content on how to improve every aspect of your life (but in particular your health) and does it in a way that's fun, engaging, and approachable. He's taken fitness and turned it into a real-life video game. On his site you'll find workouts inspired by The Hobbit and the Konami Code and motivational pieces inspired by The Goonies and Iron Man.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast!
A few months ago we did a massive series on the history of manly honor in the West. In one of the posts, we explored what honor meant to men living in the American North at the time of the Civil War and how different codes of honor clashed in the Union Army. One of the sources we used while researching for that post was a fascinating book entitled The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army.

So after being in hiatus for nearly a year, I've decided to bring back the Art of Manliness podcast. Thanks to all those who emailed and messaged me asking to bring it back.
To kick off the resurrection of the AoM podcast, I talk to Dr. Alex Lickerman. Dr. Lickerman is a practicing physician and author of a recently published book entitled, The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self. If you enjoyed our series on the power of resilience, you're going enjoy my conversation with Dr. Lickerman and his book, Undefeated Mind.

While there may be some heated rivalries in today's NBA, the ferocity of competition doesn't compare to the hard-hitting contests that took place during the 1987-1988 season, when four rising and falling dynasties — the Celtics, Lakers, Pistons, and Bulls — battled it out for supremacy.

Here to illuminate that epic era in basketball and share what can be learned from it is Rich Cohen, author of When the Game Was War: The NBA's Greatest Season. Today on the show, Rich makes a case for why there's never be a season before or since like the one that played out in '87 and '88, and he profiles the players — Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and Michael Jordan — who dominated that season and changed the game. Along the way, we talk about the life lessons that can be taken from these players and their teams, including the rules legendary coach Phil Jackson gave the Bulls, which were inspired by the jazz musician Thelonious Monk.

• Rich's last appearance on the AoM podcast:Episode #817 — Life Lessons From the World’s Greatest Negotiator
• The Last Dance on Netflix
• Winning Time on HBO
• AoM Article: Competition — The Fuel for Greatness
• Sunday Firesides: Your Worst Competitor Is You
• AoM Podcast #790: Kierkegaard on the Present (Passionless) Age
• "The Moods of Ernest Hemingway" by Lillian Ross

• Rich's website
• Rich on Twitter

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger, even before Charles Atlas, there was Eugen Sandow. Rising from obscurity in Prussia, Sandow became an international celebrity during the Golden Age of the Strongman in the late 19th Century for his amazing feats of strength and his well sculpted physique. While Sandow wowed crowds in the United Kingdom and United States, he also preached a new gospel of physical fitness and well being. Our guest today has recently published a biography of Sandow and his times. His name is David Waller and his book is The Perfect Man: The Muscular Life and Times of Eugen Sandow, Victorian Strong Man. Mr. Waller has worked as a journalist for the Financial Times and has written and published two books on business. He lives in South West London with his wife and three children. For more information about the book, visit Victorian Strong Man.

In this week's episode we talk to Nick Offerman, the actor who plays the manliest character on TV, Ron Swanson from NBC's Parks and Recreation.

While it’s now America’s favorite pastime, football was on the verge of extinction as soon as the game was forming around the 20th century. Severe injuries and even death were common in the early days of football as players used little or no protection and the rules of the game encouraged ruthless play. Many university presidents and other social leaders called for the game’s prohibition and came close to getting their way, that is until President Teddy Roosevelt stepped in. Our guest today has written a book on how TR helped save football. His name is John Miller and his book is called The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football.

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness podcast!
Why are men in American falling behind? What’s caused their decline in the past 50 years? Many sociologists argue that driving forces are economic and cultural in nature. But our guest today disagrees and proposes that biology (or rather humans messing with it) is the main force behind the decline of men in the West.
His name is Dr. Lionel Tiger and he’s the author of the book, The Decline of Males: The First Look at an Unexpected New World for Men and Women. Dr. Tiger is the Charles Darwin Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University. He has written several articles and books on how human biology effects social interaction. Dr. Tiger is also a pioneer in a new academic discipline called male studies.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast. In this week's episode we talk to Silvio Calabi, co-author of the book Hemingway's Guns. We discuss Ernest Hemingway's favorite firearms, how his love of guns influenced his writing, and what his favorite hunts were.

Welcome back to another episode of The Art of Manliness Podcast. In this week's edition, we talk to Dr. Frank Farley, a professor of psychology at the University of Temple. For the past twenty years, Dr. Farley has been researching heroism and the attributes of heroes. He discuss whether why society needs heroes and what we can do as men to be heroes for our children.

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's episode we continue our conversation with Dr. Roy Baumeister, author of the book, Is There Anything Good About Men?

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's edition, we talk to Dr. Roy Baumesiter, author of the book, Is There Anything Good About Men?

In this week's post we talk to fighter and author Sam Sheridan about what it takes to be an MMA fighter.

We'll all serve in leadership roles at some time or another. It might be at our work, in our communities, or in our families. But what separates the great leaders from the merely good ones? Are great leaders born or made? Our guest today is an authority on the topic of leadership and will answer those questions. His name is James Strock and his latest book is called Serve to Lead: Your Transformational 21st Century Leadership System. James has published two other books on leadership: Roosevelt on Leadership and Reagan on Leadership.

Change is a constant. Changes big and small are always happening in our lives, while the world also changes around us. We can either resist these changes as unmooring threats to our sense of self, or embrace them as chances to get better and stronger.

The key to taking that second approach, my guest says, is developing rugged flexibility. His name is Brad Stulberg, and he's the author of Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You. Today on the show, Brad unpacks why allostasis is a better model for dealing with disruption than homeostasis, and how healthy change moves in a cycle of order, disorder, and reorder. We then discuss ways to move through this cycle with rugged flexibility — an approach to life that keeps some things solid and stable, while letting others change and flow. We talk about the importance of adopting a being versus having orientation, managing your expectations, diversifying your identity, and more.

• Brad's previous appearance on the AoM podcast: #491: Everything You Know About Passion is Wrong
• "The Case for a Tragic Optimism" by Viktor Frankl
• New Dad Survival Guide: The Mindset
• AoM Podcast #527: Male Spirituality and the Journey to the Second Half of Life With Richard Rohr
• AoM Article: How Labeling Your Emotions Can Help You Take Control
• AoM Podcast #690: The Life Philosophy of Bruce Lee
• Sunday Firesides: Build Your Life Upon Multiple Pillars of Support
• Sunday Firesides: Feelings Follow Action

• Brad's website
• Brad on IG

Welcome back! In this week's episode we talk baseball cards with Dave Jamieson, author of the book, Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession. Listen in!

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast. In this week's episode we talk to Vic Magary from Gym Junkies on how to get started working out.

Welcome back! In this week's episode we talk to Elliot Katz, author of the book Being the Strong Man a Woman Wants. Listen in!

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's episode we talk to Chris Guillebeau, author of the blog The Art of Non-Conformity. We discuss how a man can travel the world on a budget, how you can start a small business to give you the freedom you want while still holding down a 9-5, and overcoming the fear to living the life you always wanted.
Listen in!

Welcome back to another episode of The Art of Manliness podcast! In this week's edition we talk to Andrew Vietze, author of the book Becoming Teddy Roosevelt: How a Maine Guide Inspired America's 26th President. Andrew's book focuses on a New Englander named Bill Sewell who served as TR's woods guide when Roosevelt was a young man. The relationship Sewell and Roosevelt formed had a profound impact on TR and may have even helped direct him to a career in politics. Through the biography of Bill Sewell, we get an intimate look at the formation of the TR's larger than life character.

In this week's episode of the Art of Manliness podcast we talk to personal trainer, Stew Smith. Stew is a former Navy SEAL who now devotes his time to helping other men train and prepare for work in special operations. He's developed fitness programs for men working in the military, special operations, firefighting, and police work.
We talk about how a man can prepare physically for SEAL training, what lessons in manliness we can take from SEALs, and Stew's approach to fitness and nutrition.

Statistics show that American boys are in trouble. They’re more likely to have depression, abuse alcohol and drugs, and perform poorly in school. What can we do to help these troubled boys? To get some answers we talk to Dr. Michael Thompson, author of the book Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys. Dr. Thompson is a psychologist specializing in boys and he’s a clinical consultant at The Belmont Hill School, an all boys school in Massachusetts.
Dr. Thompson and I discuss the emotional problems boys face, what dads can do to help boys develop a solid emotional toolkit, and what we can do to help boys perform to their potential in school.

We've all heard the phrase "Nice guys finish last," right? Why is that? Why do the men whose women friends tell him he'll make a great catch never have a date come Friday night? Or why does the guy who never rocks the boat at work never get the promotion? To answer these questions we talked to Dr. Robert Glover, author of the book No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan For Getting What You Want In Love, Sex, and Life.
We discuss the attributes of these Nice Guys, why there's been a proliferation of Nice Guys during the past 30 years, and what men can do to beat the Nice Guy Syndrome and get more out of life.

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast. In this edition, we talk to Robert Davis about the history of masculinity in America and Freemasonry's influence on American men. Robert is the Executive Secretary of the Guthrie, Oklahoma Scottish Rite and the author of the book Understanding American Manhood: Freemasonry's Enduring Path to the Mature Masculine.

Welcome back to the podcast! In this week's episode we talk to actor Rich Sommer who plays ad man Harry Crane on AMC's hit drama Mad Men. We discuss Mad Men's take on mid-century masculinity, how starring in the show has influenced Rich's perception of manliness, and of course, we talk the dapper style of the men at Sterling Cooper. Tune in!

Note: This is a rebroadcast. 

Do you ever get to feeling kind of down, dejected, and anxious come Sunday evening? People refer to this phenomenon as the “Sunday Night Blues,” and it’s a common experience. You may have chalked it up to rueing the fact that your fun and restful weekend is over, and that you have yet another workweek ahead.

But my guest would say that your Sunday night sadness may also be rooted in the feeling of regret — the regret that you didn’t put your weekend to good use, that it wasn’t restful and fun, and that it was instead busy, draining, and, once again, a big letdown. Her name is Katrina Onstad, and she’s the author of The Weekend Effect. Today Katrina shares how the idea of the weekend, of having two back-to-back days off from work, came about, and how it’s been challenged and subsequently eroded in the modern day. We then talk about how to take back your weekends, so that your invaluable Saturdays and Sundays feel more the way they did when you were a kid — filled with a sense of possibility.

• Saint Monday
• Haymarket square affair
• AoM Podcast #602: The Case for Being Unproductive
• AoM Podcast #450: How to Make Time for What Really Matters
• AoM Podcast #748: Time Management for Mortals
• AoM Podcast #743: How to Get Time, Priorities, and Energy Working in Your Favor
• AoM Article: How to Better Manage Your Life Admin
• AoM Article: The Rise of Spectatoritis
• AoM Article: The Lost Art of Cheap Recreation

• Katrina’s Website

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness Podcast!
In this week's episode we talk to author Matthew Mayo. Matt has recently written a book called Cowboys, Mountain Men, and Grizzly Bears: Fifty of the Grittiest Moments in the History of the Wild West. We discuss Hugh Glass and his 350 mile crawl of revenge to kill the men who left him for dead, lawman Bass Reeves, the first African-American U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi, and many more manly men who helped tame the Wild West. Listen in!

Welcome back to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast! In this week's episode we talk to Scott Farrell, director of Chivalry Today. We discuss the history of chivalry and how modern men can apply the code of chivalry in their lives today.
Enjoy!