Read by David Goggins
What books does David Goggins recommend?
David Goggins's book recommendations extend the same message he built two bestsellers around: master the mind, and the body follows. The retired Navy SEAL and ultramarathoner has endorsed three titles, all through forewords and afterwords he contributed, and they run hard toward self-improvement, leadership, and mental toughness. He salutes Cameron Hanes's Endure with a fellow athlete's respect: "Cameron stands out among all the savages... a rare breed of human able to drive himself to another level with discipline and consistency." His foreword for Brent Gleeson's Embrace the Suck delivers the philosophy unfiltered — "If you want to master your mind and defy the odds, you have to embrace the suck" — while JeVon McCormick's Modern Leader rounds out a list built for readers ready to be pushed.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Endure
How to Work Hard, Outlast, and Keep Hammering
byCameron Hanes
2022336 Pages“Cameron stands out among all the savages. He is a rare breed of human able to drive himself to another level with discipline and consistency.”
— David Goggins
Source: David Goggins wrote the afterword for this book.
Read by David Goggins
Embrace the Suck
The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life
byBrent Gleeson
2020224 Pages“Life f***ing sucks. Get over it. If you want to master your mind and defy the odds, you have to embrace the suck.”
— David Goggins
Source: David Goggins wrote the foreword for this book.
Read by David Goggins
Modern Leader
The Old Rules of Business Are Broken. Here’s the New Playbook.
byJeVon McCormick
2022210 Pages“This is a time for responsibility. If you're not going to finish this book, don't start it. The unique business problems we face today have rendered the old corporate playbook obsolete.”
— David Goggins
Source: David Goggins wrote the foreword for this book.
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Frequently asked questions
What books does David Goggins recommend?
David Goggins has endorsed three titles: Cameron Hanes's Endure, Brent Gleeson's Embrace the Suck, and JeVon McCormick's Modern Leader — each a book he contributed a foreword or afterword to.
What is David Goggins's top book recommendation?
Cameron Hanes's Endure, for which he wrote the afterword. Goggins praises Hanes as "a rare breed of human able to drive himself to another level with discipline and consistency," standing out "among all the savages."
Where do David Goggins's book recommendations come from?
All three come from forewords and afterwords he wrote — the afterword for Cameron Hanes's Endure, and forewords for Brent Gleeson's Embrace the Suck and JeVon McCormick's Modern Leader.
Has David Goggins written any books?
Yes. He is the author of the bestselling memoirs Can't Hurt Me (2018) and Never Finished (2022), both laying out his philosophy of mental toughness and pushing past perceived limits.
What genres does David Goggins recommend most?
His picks are concentrated in self-improvement, leadership, and psychology, with a memoir and wellness thread — a tightly themed list centered on discipline, resilience, and mastering the mind.