Recommendations based on The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEALby Eric Greitens

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Flags of Our Fathers

    by James D. Bradley
    A tribute to the brave soldiers who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima during WWII.

    In this unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who ... (Goodreads)

  2. War

    by Sebastian Junger
    A gripping account of the experience of soldiers in combat and the psychological aftermath of war.

    In his breakout bestseller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger created "a wild ride that brilliantly captures the awesome power of the raging sea and the often futile attempts of humans to withstand ... (Goodreads)

  3. In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors

    by Doug Stanton
    True story of the sinking of US Navy cruiser Indianapolis and the harrowing survival of its crew.

    A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster — and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived., On July 30, 1945, the USS, Indianapolis, was torpedoed in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History

    by Chris Kyle
    An inside look at the life of the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history.

    From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. The Pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of Kyle's kills (the previous ... (Goodreads)

  5. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War

    by Mark Bowden
    A detailed account of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, where US soldiers fought Somali militia in a brutal urban warfare.

    On October 3, 1993, about a hundred U.S. soldiers were dropped by helicopter into a teeming market in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia, to abduct two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord. The action ... (Goodreads)

  6. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    An epic narrative of the American soldiers of Easy Company during World War II.

    As good a rifle company as any, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, US Army, kept getting tough assignments–responsible for everything from parachuting into France early DDay morning to the ... (Goodreads)

  7. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

    by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
    An exploration of the concept of 'flow' and how it can be used to enhance optimal experience.

    Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, ... (Goodreads)

  8. Rework

    by Jason Fried
    A guide to starting and running a successful business with unconventional advice and practical tips.

    Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf. ... (Goodreads)

  9. Seal Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy Seal Sniper

    by Howard E. Wasdin
    The harrowing account of a Navy SEAL's training and experiences in the line of duty.

    The, New York Times, best selling book that takes you inside SEAL Team Six – the covert squad that killed Osama Bin Laden., SEAL Team Six is a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage ... (Goodreads)

  10. Ten Days in a Mad-House

    by Nellie Bly
    Nellie Bly goes undercover in a mental institution to expose the mistreatment of patients. A shocking and eye-opening account of the horrors of the asylum system.

    In 1887, 23-year-old reporter Nellie Bly had herself committed to a New York City asylum for 10 days to expose the horrific conditions for 19th-century century mental patients. ... (Goodreads)

  11. We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam

    by Harold G. Moore
    An account of the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam, told from the perspective of the soldiers who fought it.

    Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was We Were Soldiers ... (Goodreads)

  12. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

    by Ashlee Vance
    A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.

    Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)

  13. Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All

    by James C. Collins
    Examines the strategies and principles used by high-performing companies in uncertain environments.

    The new question: Ten years after the worldwide bestseller "Good to Great," Jim Collins returns to ask: Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? In "Great by ... (Goodreads)

  14. Small Sacrifices

    by Ann Rule
    True crime story of a mother who goes to deadly lengths to get the perfect family.

    On 19 May 1983 at approximately 10:48 p.m, Diane Downs, drives to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield , Oregon with a gunshot wound to her arm. She claims that an unknown assailant attempted ... (Wikipedia)

  15. American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964

    by William Manchester
    A biography of the military leader, tracing his long and complicated career in the U.S. Army.

    MacArthur, the public figure, the private man, the soldier-hero whose mystery and appeal created a uniquely American legend, portrayed in a biography that will challenge the cherished myths of ... (Goodreads)

  16. Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War

    by Evan Wright
    A journalist embedded with a Marine battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, providing a raw and unfiltered account of modern warfare.

    Another nameless town, another target for First Recon. It's only five in the afternoon, but a sandtorm has plunged everything into a hellish twilight of murky, red dust. On rooftops, in alleyways ... (Goodreads)

  17. Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner Saint

    by Nadia Bolz-Weber
    A frank exploration of faith and religion, reconciling the divides between the sacred and the profane.

    Now a, New York Times, bestseller, Nadia Bolz-Weber takes no prisoners as she reclaims the term "pastrix"(pronounced "pas-triks," a term used by some Christians who refuse to recognize female ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  19. The Longest Day

    by Cornelius Ryan
    A riveting account of the Allied forces' D-Day invasion of Normandy during WWII.

    First published in 1959,, The Longest Day, is one of the bestselling military history books of all time, and the inspiration for the legendary 1962 film. Cornelius Ryan pioneered a new style of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  20. Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

    by Mitchell Zuckoff
    Epic story of a WWII air crash survivors' journey through a dangerous and uncharted jungle.

    “A lost world, man-eating tribesmen, lush andimpenetrable jungles, stranded American fliers (one of them a dame withgreat gams , for heaven's sake), a startling rescue mission. . . . This is atrue ... (Goodreads)

  21. Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69

    by Stephen E. Ambrose
    Exploring the lives of the men who braved the odds to complete the first Transcontinental Railroad.

    Nothing Like It in the World gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. It is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad—the investors who ... (Goodreads)

  22. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous and insightful collection of essays about Bryson's experiences returning to America after living in England for two decades.

    After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed ... (Goodreads)

  23. Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life

    by Maxwell Maltz
    A guide to improving self-image and achieving goals by learning how to use the mind as a powerful tool.

    Positive wisdom and helpful insights on how to be a successful person,Happiness and success are habits. So are failure and misery. But negative habits can be changed–and, Psycho-Cybernetics, shows ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States

    by Founding Fathers
    America's foundation documents, outlining the nation's core values and ideals.

    The Declaration of Independence was the promise of a representative government; the Constitution was the fulfillment of that promise. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

    by A.J. Jacobs
    An exploration of faith and morality through the lens of the Bible.

    From the bestselling author of "The Know-It-All" comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith ... (Goodreads)

  26. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

    by Nicholas D. Kristof
    Examining the global struggle of women and how to empower them in the face of oppression.

    From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. With Pulitzer ... (Goodreads)

  27. Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

    by Gordon B. Hinckley
    An exploration of morality and values, advocating for the restoration of ethics in modern life.

    In this national bestseller, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, has created a classic look at the values that can change our world—and how to stand ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission

    by Hampton Sides
    True story of the remarkable rescue of prisoners of war in the Philippines during WWII.

    On January 28, 1945, 121 hand-selected U.S. troops slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines. Their mission: March thirty rugged miles to rescue 513 POWs languishing in a hellish camp, among them ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

    by Atul Gawande
    A guide to better decision-making, exploring the power of checklists in various fields.

    The, New York Times, bestselling author of, Better, and, Complications, reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the ... (Goodreads)

  30. Decision Points

    by George W. Bush
    Autobiography of former US President, chronicling the pivotal decisions of his life.

    In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life. George W. Bush served as president of the United States ... (Goodreads)