Last November we published our second book: The Art of Manliness Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues. The book is a collection of the best advice ever written down for men. From the philosophy of Aristotle to the success books of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to the speeches and essays of leaders like Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, Manvotionals contains the manly wisdom of the ages–a myriad of poems, quotes, and essays designed to inspire men to live life to the fullest and realize their complete potential as men.

While some of the selections in Manvotionals are best read silently, many are better enjoyed and experienced audibly. They were meant to be spoken aloud and were written in a time when people enjoyed nothing more than to sit around with friends and family, listening to each other take turns reciting their favorite poems and bits of literature.

Nothing stirs the soul like lines of epic poetry or a great speech being read manfully and with real vigor. And this is where you come in, dear reader.

We’re calling on YOU to help us bring to life the words in Manvotionals. 

The Manvotionals Recitation Contest

On AoM, we’ve talked a lot about the art of rhetoric and the importance of oratory. It’s one of those classic skills great men from history devoted themselves to developing. And now here’s your chance to work on and display your prowess in the rhetorical canon of delivery.

We want you to upload a video to YouTube of yourself reciting your favorite selection from our book, The Art of Manliness Manvotionals. 

Want an example of what we’re looking for? Here’s Dennis Hopper reciting If by Rudyard Kipling (found on page 37 in Manvotionals) on “The Johnny Cash Show” back in 1970:

Slow clap. My mustache just grew another 2 inches.

We want you to do something similar, but you can pick whichever selection you like best from Manvotionals. Get as creative as you want with your recitation. If you’re reciting Teddy Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena,” dress up like Teddy and ride a moose. If that’s not your style, sit in your worn leather chair by the fire drinking a glass of scotch while the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow roll off your lips. Or just simply sit in front of your computer’s webcam without any props or special effects and bellow out the philosophy of Seneca in your manliest voice.

The Prizes

Yeah. You really have to put yourself out there for this contest. For some of you, the thought of uploading a video of yourself reciting a famous speech to YouTube already has you shaking in your long johns. But fortune favors the brave, my friend.

The winner of the Manvotionals recitation contest will be walking away with this epic prize package:

$50 Amazon Gift Card

To assist you in your quest to acquire the manly wisdom of the ages, we will provide the winner of the contest with a $50 gift card to Amazon. Use it fill your library with books from our AoM approved book lists or other edifying books. Or you can buy this sledgehammer. We don’t care. You’re a grown man. Spend your gift card however you want.

Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal

A man needs a place to write down the deep, manful thoughts that come to him while reading Manvotionals. A run-of-the-mill spiral notebook simply isn’t worthy of such prose. You risk that your immortal writings will be confused for common ephemera and thrown out with yesterday’s junk mail.

You need something with distinction, gravitas, and the ruggedness to be passed down to your progeny. The Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal fits the bill. Wrapped up in rugged steer hide, the No. 9 Journal is the perfect place to record your life happenings and philosophical ponderings.

Value: $145

Large Saddleback Leather Briefcase

The bag that needs no introduction. Manvotionals can help you carve out a path in life. The Saddleback leather briefcase can hold the supplies you’ll need for your adventures along the way.

Value: $555

How to Enter

Here’s how to get your hands on this awesome prize package. Follow these rules carefully lest you be struck down.

1. The source material of your recitation must come from The Art of Manliness Manvotionals. Your selection must come from The Art of Manliness Manvotionals. You can recite the whole selection found in the book, or an excerpt from a selection found in the book. If you don’t have a copy of Manvotionals, buy one or borrow it from a friend or from your library.

2. Upload a video of yourself reciting your Manvotional to YouTube. Once you’ve picked what you want to recite, have your wife, friend, or pet honey badger record you reciting your Manvotional and then upload it to YouTube.

3. Title your video “Manvotionals:” followed by your subtitle. Example: Manvotionals: The Village Blacksmith

4. Tag your video with “Manvotionals” and email us a link to your video. After you’ve uploaded your video, let us know! First, tag your YouTube video with “Manvotionals.” Then email us a link to your video using our contact form. If you don’t do this step, you’re not entered in the contest.

5. Only one submission per person! You only get one shot at this, so pick your best recitation. If you submit more than one submission, you’ll automatically be disqualified altogether. Only one!

Deadline to Enter

The deadline to enter is February 19, 2012 at 12 AM CST. That gives you three, count ‘em three, weeks to create your masterpiece.

Selecting a Winner

Entries will be judged both on the quality of the recitation and on the creativity of the video. After we receive the videos, we will pick our favorite entries and post them on the site. Starting February 20, 2011 and running until February 27, 2011 voting will be open to the public at The Art of Manliness website. The recitation video with the most votes by February 27 at 10:00 pm CST will be named the winner.

What are you waiting for? Start your reciting and recording today!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  CONTEST OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (INCLUDING DC). MUST BE 18 YEARS AND OLDER.  ENDS 02/27/12.    VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.  BY SUBMITTING YOUR VIDEO, YOU GRANT AOM THE NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE IT FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ON THEIR SITE AND OTHER PLATFORMS LIKE FACEBOOK.COM/ARTOFMANLINESS. BASICALLY, YOU MAINTAIN THE COPYRIGHT, AND YOU JUST GIVE US PERMISSION TO PUBLISH IT ON THE SITE. CAPECHE?

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Merry Christmas! Kate and I will be taking the coming week off to spend time with family and reboot before the new year. So we won’t be publishing anything new on the site until January. But for those of you who still need an AoM fix while we’re away, we’ve put together this recap of 2011 on the Art of Manliness.

Launch of Manvotionals

The biggest news this year was the launch of our  second book in November, The Art of Manliness Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues. We couldn’t be prouder of this book, and it’s already garnered 29 five star reviews on Amazon.com. If you haven’t gotten it yourself, hopefully you’ll find the book under the tree come Christmas morning!

The Most Popular Posts in 2011

These were the most popular posts for each month of this year based on traffic:

Jan: Becoming Superhuman in 2011

Feb: Craft the Life You Want: Creating a Blueprint for Your Life

Mar: How to Make a Bugout Bag: Your 72-Hour Emergency Evacuation Survival Kit

Apr: Lessons in Manliness From Bass Reeves

May: The Art of Conversation: How to Avoid Conversational Narcissism

Jun: The Ins and Outs of Opening a Door for a Woman

Jul: Arming Yourself for the Zombie Apocalypse: How to Build the Ultimate Survival Shotgun

Aug: How to Decorate a Man Room

Sept: Are You As Fit As a WWII GI?

Oct: How to Quit Mindlessly Surfing the Internet and Actually Get Stuff Done

Nov: 3 Characteristics of an Educated Man

Dec: Dressing for a Job Interview: Your 60 Second Visual Guide

Editors’ Picks

Of course traffic isn’t the only measure of the worth of a post. Here are some of our personal favorites from this year:

Don’t Should All Over Yourself

22 Manly Ways to Reuse an Altoids Tin

Your Grandpa’s Hair Products: 5 Old-School Hair Grooms to Give You that Cary Grant Shine

Lessons in Manliness from Atticus Finch

Develop a Strong He-Man Voice by Using the Voice Nature Gave You

How to Haggle Like Your Old Man

Win the War on Debt: 80 Ways to Be Frugal and Save Money

Lessons in Manliness from the Egyptian Revolution

Unleash the Power of the Nap

Lessons in Manliness from Friday Night Lights

Bookend Your Day: The Power of Morning and Evening Routines

What Man Understands That He Is Dying Daily? (This Is Your Life)

Motivational Posters from the Band of Brothers

Viewers vs. Doers: The Rise of Spectatoritis

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: The Power and Pleasure of Delayed Gratification

The Law of Sacrifice

Manliness Doesn’t Just Happen

The AoM Archives

If the above posts aren’t enough to satiate your AoM appetite, I highly recommend browsing through our archives. We have over 1,000 articles in there just waiting to be read.

A Thank You to Art of Manliness Readers

It’s sometimes hard to believe that we’ve been at this AoM thing for four years now. I never thought when I started the site back in 2008 it would grow to be this big. Since last year, we’ve grown from 82,000 subscribers to over 118,000 and from 1.5 million pageviews a month to over 7 million. We’ve also amassed over 80,000 fans on Facebook and over 27,000 followers on Twitter.

Our deepest thanks goes out to all of you who’ve been with us since the beginning and to those who’ve just joined us in our quest to revive the lost art of manliness. Thank you for sharing AoM with your friends and family. Thank you to those who took the time to write us a kind email or thank you note sharing your appreciation for the site (those always seemed to come just when we needed some extra encouragement). And thank you to those who bought our books.

It’s an honor for us to interact with such great men (and a few ladies) on a daily basis. A lot of people lament that men today are in decline. But you guys give us hope that the art of manliness is still alive and well and will continue to grow into the future.

We’ll be working hard in 2012 to keep bringing you top quality, totally free posts that inform, entertain, and inspire. See you then!

Semper Virilis!

What are your favorite Art of Manliness articles from the past year? (Or of all time?) Your feedback is always welcome and helps us improve the site.

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Well, another Movember is on the books here at AoM. For those of you who are new to the site, during the month of November, the Art of Manliness participated in Movember, an annual fundraiser in which participants grow mustaches while raising money for men’s health issues. This is the third year we’ve participated.

This year, the 556-man Art of Manliness Movember Team was represented in four different countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Together, AoM Movember participants raised a whopping $49,346 during the month of November. Holy freaking cow!  We beat last year’s amount by $17,000! The U.S. AoM Movember Team finished in 12th place out of all the teams in the U.S. And this especially impressive given that the top ten reads like a list of the world’s biggest companies and financial firms (Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Pepsico…). Let’s hear it for the mighty little guys and their manly grassroots effort!

A big thanks to all the AoM Movember Team members who hit the pavement soliciting donations and thanks to all of you who donated money. And a very big thanks to Shaun Daws, who orchestrated the AoM effort from the land down under.

We had a contest among the U.S. AoM Movember Team members to see who could raise the most money. Last year’s winner, Clint Herring, had an impressive showing by  raising $2,715 this time around. But it wasn’t enough to claim the title this year. The 2011 AoM Movember Contest winner is…

Charlie Beriault! Charlie raised an absolutely incredible $4,210 during November to help fight prostate cancer. For his herculean efforts, we’ll be giving Charlie a handsome Saddleback Leather travel case filled with manly goodies like a Dovo straight razor, a razor strop from Straight Razor Designs, a badger hair brush, Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shaving Cream, Tweezerman Mustache Grooming Kit (to keep that new mustache looking good), Col. Conk Mustache Wax, and one signed copy of The Art of Manliness Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues.  Thanks for the awesomely manly effort, Charlie!

A big thanks goes out to to Saddleback for donating the travel case. And thanks again to all those who helped make Movember such a resounding success! We’ll see you next year!

PS-Are any of you going to keep your nascent mustaches? I’d love to hear your stache stories in the comments!

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The holiday season is officially upon us and that means it’s time for our annual AoM holiday gift guide. When we make our gift guides, we try to hunt down and share the kind of products an Art of Manliness Man would want to find under the Christmas tree: manly, useful, and classic. We also try to include gifts that are unique and one-of-a-kind.

Use the guide to find the perfect Christmas gift for your father, husband, brother, or friend, or print out the post, circle your favorites, and casually leave it where your loved one will find it. And of course you’ll want to send a copy to the man at the North Pole.

If you don’t see something on the list that strikes your fancy, be sure to check out our gift guides from previous years for more ideas:

• 2008 Holiday Gift Guide
• 2009 Holiday Gift Guide
• 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

With this year’s gift guide, we took a tip from a reader and organized the items in order from most expensive to least, to make it easier for you to find something that matches your budget.

Hope you enjoy browsing the list as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

Anything from Saddleback Leather Company

From their iPad cases to their Dopp kits to their signature briefcases, there isn’t anything made by the Saddleback Leather Co. that most men wouldn’t be positively thrilled to find under the tree come Christmas morning.  Handsome, well-crafted, and made to last (everything they make is backed by a 100 year guarantee), your loved one would likely trade a few years of tchotchkes that gather dust in his closet for one gift that he’ll be using until he goes to his grave. Look to spend about $150-$600. Trust me. It’s worth it. 

Survival Training Courses with Creek Stewart

This year Creek Stewart wrote two of my favorites AoM posts of all time: How to Make a Bug Out Bag and How to Make a Survival Shotgun (and he’s got a great post for this week about picking a survival knife). But writing about survival isn’t a hobby for Creek; he’s the lead instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor School in Indiana where he teaches courses in wilderness and urban survival.The school features classes on building and using a Bug Out Bag as well as a 3 day “Survivacation,” a comfortable and relaxing trip where you learn 30 different survival skills. Experiences are always better than things, so why not sign up a self-reliant-minded man in your life for a spot in these classes? $300-$375

Pendleton Woolen Mills Robe

Every man needs a comfy robe he can wear around a cold house while he drinks his coffee and reads the morning paper. These robes from Pendleton Woolen Mills fit the bill. Made of 100% virgin wool, a Pendleton Woolen Mill robe is designed to keep you warm and toasty. $198

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky

For the man of adventure: a bottle of the whisky that explorer Ernest Shackleton abandoned in the Antarctic more than 100 years ago. Back in 2007, some workers restoring Shackleton’s hut stumbled upon three cases of Mackinlay’s Old Malt Whisky that had been left behind on his ill-fated expedition. A company has recreated the original Shackleton whisky and made only 50,000 bottles of it. Get yours why they last. $175

Hold Fast Photography Equipment

Image from Gear Patrol

Oklahoma Photographer Matthew Swaggart wanted functional photography equipment that looked good. After his searches came up empty, he just decided to make what he was looking for himself. That’s how Hold Fast Photography Equipment was born. Hold Fast Photography Equipment specializes in camera harnesses, straps, and bags that are functional, durable, and stylish. You’ll feel like a 1950s National Geographic photographer hoisting your camera gear in this stuff. Hold Fast uses leather and duck canvas to make their gear, and all of it is handmade right here in my home state of Oklahoma.  Great gift for the professional or amateur photographer in your life.  $135-$175

Tactical Tomahawk

Between 1966 and 1970, Peter LaGana, a WWII veteran of Mohawk-descent, crafted and sold thousands of tactical tomahawks by direct mail to American troops serving in Vietnam. His modern take on the ancient tomahawk featured a sturdy construction and a penetrating spike for the poll. In 2000, both LaGana’s company, the American Tomahawk Co., and his tomahawk design were revived. Made in the USA, this tactical tomahawk is carried by some soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and used as a multipurpose tool for breaching doors, deflating tires, smashing windows, breaking locks, chopping through cinder blocks, and opening crates. Of course, it can also just be used for impromptu tomahawk throwing contests in the backyard. $100

Hand-Carved Mustache Comb by Nick Offerman

Here’s a gift for a man who fits two criteria: 1) he grew a kick ass mustache during Movember, and 2) he’s a fan of Parks & Recreation’s manly folk hero, Ron Swanson. These mustache combs were handcrafted in actor and woodworker Nick Offerman’s woodshop. Each comb is about 4 inches long and they are carved out of different kinds of exotic wood and coated with a non-toxic and mustache-friendly finish. Supplies are limited. $75

Moonshine Cologne

In addition to writing a best-selling cookbook for men and fantastic cooking articles on The Art of Manliness, Matt Moore has also created a manly smelling cologne called Moonshine. Not only does the story of how Moonshine was created make a good business case study, it’s actually a really great smelling cologne. Moonshine has a woodsy aroma with hints of spice, including notes of black pepper, tobacco, leather, gin, and patchouli. Guaranteed to make the women swoon. And it comes in a rustic burlap sack and wooden box, so it will delight the recipient too.

I’ve never been much of a cologne man, but Matt sent me a sample bottle, and I gave it a try out of courtesy. I was instantly converted. Now I’m always looking for reasons to splash on some Moonshine. What I like most about Moonshine is that it’s subtle. Most colognes are so overpowering that they make me feel a bit nauseous. With Moonshine I feel like I just finished a midnight bootleg run in the crisp Appalachian Mountain air. $72

Book Book iPad Case

If you’re a man fond of scotchy, scotch, scotch, leather-bound books, and the smell of rich mahogany a la Ron Burgundy, then might we suggest the Book Book iPad case to protect your iPad? The Book Book case is designed to make your iPad look like an old, leather-bound book you’d find in the distinguished library of a gentleman scholar. The case zips up to protect your iPad when you’re not using it. The Book Book’s real book feel will make reading on your iPad even more enjoyable.  $70

Kaweco Liliput Al Fountain Pen

The Kaweco Liliput Al Fountain Pen is a great “everyday carry” fountain pen for the calligraphers on your list, or those who’ve never owned a fountain pen but have been curious about them. At just 3.8 inches (9.7 cm) in length when capped, the Kaweco Liliput fits nicely in your pocket. When you’re ready to write, just remove the pen’s cap and screw it on the back to give yourself a 5″ long pen. The Kaweco Liliput accepts standard international short cartridges. You can get the pen with the nib size and color of your choice. I picked up one of these babies earlier this year and now I’m always looking for excuses to write with it. $53

Hand Carved Badger Shave Brush

We’ve extolled the virtues of shaving brushes on the site many times before. A good shaving brush creates a thicker lather and helps get the shaving cream up under each whisker which results in better, smoother shaves. Plus, it just feels nice on your face to lather up with a brush.

While you could pick up a mass-produced, plastic-handled shaving brush, why not indulge a bit by getting a handcrafted one? Crafted by an expert woodwoker, each brush handle is handmade from the finest wood, and the brush itself is made of Silvertip Badger hair. Make sure to check out this artisan’s other creations in his Etsy shop.  $40

Vintage Swiss Army Flashlight

A flashlight has always made a great, albeit boring, Christmas gift for a man. So find a flashlight that has some character, and you’ve got the perfect present on your hands.

Some guy discovered a huge surplus of decommissioned Swiss Army flashlights and now the fine gents at Cool Material are selling them.  These flashlights were actually used by the Swiss Army over two decades ago and show some vintage wear and tear. Each one gives you three different light options: clear, red, and green. You can also perform Morse Code with this bad boy. Plus, they look flippin’ cool. $35

Ebbets Field Vintage Baseball Cap

Ebbets Field Flannels specializes in re-creating the hats and jerseys of by-gone sports teams. You’ll find hats from now defunct minor league baseball teams as well as the Negro League. All of Ebbets Field’s hats are made in the USA from wool broadcloth. Kate picked up a Tulsa Oilers ballcap for me last Father’s Day. It fits my giant noggin nicely and has become my go-to baseball hat. Great gift for the sports fan in your life. $30

Custom Coin Rings

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You can now order signed copies of our new book, Manvotionals, through our site. Even if you’re not hankering for my John Hancock, if you reside in a far flung place of the world where the book is not yet available, this is a great way of getting your hands on a copy.

Books are $14. We can customize the inscription however you want. Just make a note of it in your order.

Shipping is done through U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail for $4.95. If you order more than two books, shipping gets bumped up to $10. We also do international shipping. (Rates vary depending on where we’re sending the book.) Just click on the link below to complete the order. All major credit cards are accepted.

Buy a Signed Copy of Manvotionals!

We also have copies of our first book available for purchase for $14. We can sign those, too.

Buy a Signed Copy of Art of Manliness: Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man!

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