We set our clocks back one hour this November 6, and no more will I be going for my 6 pm runs. I prefer working out in daylight, so it’s around this time of year that I move all my training/ gym time/road work to morning hours only. This leaves my evenings open for some downtime, and for me, that means reading time. I don’t have cable TV or Netflix, and that’s a good thing. If I’m not willing to fill my body with junk, why would I fill my head with it? And from what I can tell, all television these days is junk. So I propose, instead, a bit of fall reading.
Here are ten books I’ve read or am currently reading that I think all fighters should consider. And please know that I didn’t just choose them haphazardly or for pure entertainment. These are books that I feel will inspire and nourish you. Some are fiction, some are about boxing, and others are works of spiritual guidance. What they have in common, in my humble opinion, is they can help inform and shape character, thereby making you a better 360-degree fighter in this world.
The Hunt for Red October, by Tom Clancy
A modern American military classic and a must-read if you enjoy thrillers. It’s also painfully, but poignantly relevant to our current geopolitical situation.
How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, by Pete Greig
I don’t usually prefer audiobooks, but I loved the audible version of this book because it is so very eloquently and passionately narrated by the author. It’s also the most profound and poetic book about Jesus I’ve ever come across. A comment Greig makes in chapter one is perhaps the truest statement of mankind – that learning to discern God’s voice is the most important task of our life here on Earth.
Championship Fighting, by Jack Dempsey
Legendary boxer Jack Dempsey lays bare his techniques. I highly recommend the paperback for the detailed illustrations. This is a book you’ll want to keep on your bookshelf for reference.
The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis
This book changed my life and there is nothing else quite like it. A compilation of letters written entirely in the voice of the devil, this is a masterful work of satire that will make you question yourself, your faith, and what you think you know about the devil – in the best way.
The Prophecy Answer Book, by Dr. David Jeremiah
Maybe it’s just me, but I have been increasingly interested in Biblical prophecy and if we are nearing “the end times” as they say. This book answers a lot of questions and takes a very clear, concise approach that I found helpful and I hope you will, too.
The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told
The title says it all. You won’t be disappointed.
Cinderella Man, by Jeremy Schaap
This will inspire you and make you realize how good you really have it – the Cinderella story for boxers.
The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
Because they don’t age, and sometimes short stories are just more fun to read than a long novel. Also because Hemingway is one of the greatest American writers of all time, he loved boxing (and dabbled in it), and was just generally an all-around badass.
Think a Second Time, by Dennis Prager
Los Angeles author Dennis Prager is best known for his online fireside chats via Prager U, where he gives life advice from the Judeo-Christian perspective. But years before Prager U, he wrote this very straightforward book that is brimming with wisdom. Prager suggests we think a second time for the very simple reason that most people, well – don’t.
The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This one is admittedly a bit heavy. But if you don’t mind the philosophical intensity, you’ll appreciate this epic Russian literary masterpiece. Especially if you have brothers.