The Art of Manliness

We talk to Charlie Hoehn about his book Play it Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety. Charlie shares his experiencing burning-out from work and how rediscovering play saved him.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Charles Duhigg discusses habit formation and changing bad habits. They explore the habit loop, neuroscience behind habits, and ways to transform habits for better behaviors. The conversation also includes examples of manipulating habits in real-life situations and book recommendations.

In this episode I talk to Mark Divine, owner of SEALFit and the author of the new book, The Way of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed. Mark and I discuss his service as as SEAL, how he's helped potential SEALs get ready for BUD/S, as well as how civilians can apply the principles that SEALs call upon to forge mental toughness.

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.

A.J. Jacobs, a writer and human guinea pig, discusses crazy life experiments that made him a better man. Topics include self-tracking, Biblical living impact on behavior, small steps for self-improvement, and becoming the perfect husband. Entertaining insights on motivation and life improvement are shared.