10 Best Books for Men Who Don't Like Reading
Want to start reading but can't seem to stick with it? These 10 books are great choices for men who don't like reading, haven't read in years, or simply don't know where to start.
I didn't grow up as a big reader.
Like a lot of guys, I was much more interested in sports than books. Reading felt like something I had to do for school, not something I would ever choose to do with my free time.
That changed for me in college.
I picked up Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy because my grandmother had given me a copy. I was a football player, so reading a book written by a Super Bowl winning coach didn't really feel like "reading" in the way I had always thought about it. I finished the book that weekend, went to Barnes & Noble, bought a few more books, and I've been reading ever since.
That's one of the reasons I started Books4Guys.
I don't believe everyone needs to become the person who reads 50 books a year. I just want more guys to discover that reading can actually be enjoyable when you find the right book.
So if you haven't finished a book in years, hate reading, or have tried to become a reader and couldn't make it stick, don't start with the book someone tells you that you're "supposed" to read.
Start with something you actually want to read.
Here are 10 books I'd recommend.
1. Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
If you're trying to get into reading, this is one of the easiest places to start.
Make Your Bed grew from Admiral William H. McRaven's commencement speech at the University of Texas and shares lessons he learned through Navy SEAL training and more than three decades of military service.
The chapters are short, the stories are interesting, and the lessons are practical. Start your day by accomplishing something. Find people who will help you through life. Don't be afraid of failure. Keep going when things get difficult.
You don't need to read 300 pages to walk away with something valuable.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: It's short, straightforward, and you can easily read a chapter at a time.
2. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
If you think business books are boring, read Shoe Dog.
Phil Knight tells the story of building Nike from a small company selling running shoes out of the trunk of his car into one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
What makes the book so good is that the journey isn't presented like some perfectly executed business plan. Nike nearly failed over and over again. There were cash problems, lawsuits, disagreements, risks, mistakes, and plenty of moments when Knight had no idea whether the company would survive.
It reads more like a story than a business textbook.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: You get business lessons without feeling like you're reading a business book.
3. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Maybe personal development isn't your thing.
That's okay.
Try fiction.
The Old Man and the Sea is the story of Santiago, an aging fisherman who hasn't caught a fish in 84 days. He ventures farther into the Gulf Stream and hooks a giant marlin, beginning a battle that becomes about much more than catching a fish.
It's about persistence, pride, struggle, failure, and refusing to quit.
It's also short.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: You can finish it quickly, and it's proof that a book doesn't need to be hundreds of pages long to stick with you.
4. Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
If you want something intense, this is it.
David Goggins writes about overcoming an abusive childhood, poverty, obesity, insecurity, and enormous physical challenges on his way to becoming a Navy SEAL and endurance athlete.
His approach isn't going to appeal to everyone, and that's okay. But it's hard to read his story without questioning some of the excuses you've made in your own life.
This is the kind of book that can make you want to get off the couch and do something.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: Goggins' personal story keeps the book moving while the lessons give you plenty to think about.
5. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
You don't need to be a finance guy to enjoy this book.
In fact, that's part of what makes it so good.
Morgan Housel doesn't spend hundreds of pages teaching complicated investing strategies. He writes about the way people think and behave around money.
Why do intelligent people make terrible financial decisions? How much is enough? What role does luck play in success? Why is building wealth different from looking wealthy?
The chapters work almost like individual essays, so you can read one and put the book down without losing your place in a complicated argument.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: Short chapters, great stories, practical lessons, and very little financial jargon.
6. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
Sports books are one of my favorite recommendations for guys who say they don't like reading.
If you'll watch three hours of football on Saturday and another ten on Sunday, there's a pretty good chance we can find a football book you'll enjoy.
Friday Night Lights follows the 1988 Permian High School football team in Odessa, Texas, but the book becomes about much more than football. It's about a town, expectations, race, economics, pressure, young athletes, and the enormous role high school football can play in a community.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: If you already love sports, you're starting with a subject you're naturally interested in.
7. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
This is another great option if you want to learn something without committing to a massive book.
The Richest Man in Babylon teaches financial principles through short stories set in ancient Babylon. The ideas are simple: save part of what you earn, control your spending, put your money to work, avoid foolish investments, and continue increasing your ability to earn.
The book has been around for generations because the basic principles still apply.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: It's short, simple, and teaches useful financial lessons through stories instead of complicated explanations.
8. QBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller
This one has to make my list because I've probably recommended and given away this book more than any other.
I reread it every January.
The central idea is personal accountability. Instead of asking questions like "Why does this always happen to me?" or "When is someone going to fix this?", Miller challenges us to ask better questions focused on what we can do next.
It's an incredibly quick read, but the idea has stuck with me for years.
That's another lesson for someone getting into reading: a book doesn't need to be long to change the way you think.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: You can finish it quickly and immediately apply the message to your work, relationships, and everyday life.
9. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
If traditional self-help books make you want to stop reading immediately, don't read them.
Pick up a great true story instead.
Into the Wild tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who left behind much of his conventional life, traveled across America, and eventually ventured into the Alaskan wilderness.
You may admire some of his decisions. You may think some were incredibly foolish. That's part of what makes the book interesting.
It raises questions about freedom, adventure, family, purpose, society, and what we're actually searching for.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: It has the momentum and adventure of fiction while telling a true story.
10. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
I'm ending with the book that helped start it for me.
Tony Dungy writes about football, leadership, family, faith, adversity, and his journey to becoming a Super Bowl winning head coach.
When my grandmother gave me Quiet Strength, I wasn't trying to become a reader. I read it because I loved football.
That's the important part.
One book led me to another. Then another. Eventually reading became something I enjoyed rather than something I felt like I was supposed to do.
Why It's Great for Non-Readers: If you love football, sports, coaching, or leadership, you're learning through a world you already understand.
How to Start Reading When You Don't Like Reading
If you take anything from this list, make it this:
Stop trying to read books you don't enjoy.
You don't get extra credit for struggling through a 500-page classic you hate.
Like sports? Read sports books.
Like business? Read business stories.
Like military history? Start there.
Love crime shows? Pick up a thriller.
Want to learn about money? Read a personal finance book.
And if you start a book and absolutely hate it, put it down and try another one.
The goal at first isn't to become the world's greatest reader. It's to find one book that makes you want to read another book.
Start with ten pages a day. Read for 15 minutes instead of scrolling on your phone. Keep a book next to your bed or somewhere you'll actually see it.
That's enough.
Nick Hutchison, founder of BookThinkers and author of Rise of the Reader, recently joined me on the Books4Guys Podcast. Nick wasn't much of a reader growing up either. Then, during a college internship, he started noticing how many successful people credited books for helping them grow. He went to Barnes & Noble, bought ten business and personal development books, and went from a non-reader to someone obsessed with learning through books.
That's why I don't buy the idea that someone simply "isn't a reader."
You might just not have found your book yet.
Final Thought
Books4Guys isn't about seeing who can read the most books.
It's about helping more people become readers, thinkers, learners, and leaders.
If you haven't read a book in five years, I'm not asking you to read 25 this year.
Read one.
Find something you're genuinely interested in. Give it a shot. And if you enjoy it, find another.
That's exactly how it started for me.
And you never know where that first book might take you.