Book Ponder

Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour

I had only heard of Louis L’Amour in passing as an author of old western novels. After listening to an interview with his son on the Art of Manliness podcast, I resonated with the life of Louis L’Amour, and even though it feels far-fetched, I felt like that is the life I would have lived if I lived in the same era as him.

I love that L’Amour spent most of his youth traveling the country and working odd-end jobs while voraciously reading anything he could get his hands on. Eventually, when he became a successful author, he used all the experiences from his youth to fuel his stories. I loved Louis’s dedication to reading and his sacrifices to ensure he had plenty of books to read.

I’m not a big Western guy, but The Education of a Wandering Man was my favorite read of 2024.

Emerson: The Mind on Fire by Robert D. Richardson Jr.

As I resonated with Louis L’Amour in his era, I lived vicariously through Ralph Waldo Emerson in his amazing biography by Robert D. Richardson. Emerson pioneered many of the autodidacts and knowledge management tools we use today. He prioritized deep work sessions to work through complex ideas. He knew the power of walking and used it as an idea generator. He wrote down any ideas that came to him and carried a commonplace book with him from a young age.

These are all tools and skills that are more important today than ever.

Emerson’s life had many different phases, and you can see it through his journal entries; as his mind matured and evolved, so did his beliefs. Richardson does an incredible job of guiding us through the life of a literary genius; the title does it justice.

Emerson’s mind was on fire, and witnessing it was an enjoyable journey.

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr. by Ron Chernow

I am always intrigued by how much harder highly successful people work than the average Joe. I consider myself an above-average productive person, but when I read biographies of individuals in history with an insatiable will to be successful, I am floored by the sacrifices and pure energy they poured into their craft.

It consumed them, and John D. Rockefeller was one of those men. His work ethic was second to none, and by sheer will, he created the richest business the world had ever seen.

Ron Chernow does a great job in guiding us through the controversial history of Standard Oil and the monopolistic strategies they used to control the oil industry for decades. He looks at Rockefeller’s philanthropic work and how he spent most of his post-Standard Oil life giving away most of his money. He also gives us an in-depth look at the dirty work Standard Oil participated in and if Rockefeller truly was oblivious to it or was a master and letting others do his dirty work.

Regarding work ethic and ambition, no one comes close to Rockefeller.

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen

I’ve had Over The Edge of the World sitting on my bookshelf for years, and I regret not reading it sooner. Bergreen does an excellent job telling the story of Magellan’s daunting journey with his crew across the world to find a strait through South America to the Spice Islands.

We get an inside view of the intense rivalry between Spain and Portugal in the Age of Discovery, the impact of scurvy on long voyages, the constant threat of mutiny that captains had to manage, and witnessing firsthand accounts of the difficulties of discovering new lands with inhabitants that had very little contact with the outside world.

The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids by Ryan Holiday

I must credit Ryan Holiday, Brandon Sanderson, Cal Newport, and Steven Erikson as the authors who renewed my love for reading as an adult. I try to repay the favor by pre-ordering and reading any new books they release. I didn’t think I would find a better daily devotional book than The Daily Stoic, but I believe Ryan Holiday surpassed himself with The Daily Dad, especially if you are a parent.

As I have a 10-year-old son, when writing this, the Daily Dad taught me to be patient, present, and enjoy the ride of being a dad. Having a son is the greatest blessing of my life, and after reading the Daily Dad, I plan to enjoy every second of it because it doesn’t last forever.

This is my go-to gift for other fathers I know.

The 2024 Year In Review

2024 was another great reading year for me; even though It looks as if I’m only going to read around 35 books this year from my usual goal of 52, I noticed my reading skills continued to improve, and I gained the most value I have ever gotten from my reading.

Most of the books I read were 500 to 900 pages, and I am proud to have read them all deeply, taking extensive notes, and extracting as many lessons as possible to apply to my life.

I hope you pick up one of these books in 2025, and if you have read one of them already, let me know what you think.

Happy Reading!

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