This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It’s a peculiar book, especially for a bestseller. Not a lot of it is actually about zen or motorcycle maintenance, it combines a travelogue, a father/son story, and philosophical musings, and the structure of its narration...

Started in 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development represents the longest longitudinal study on happiness ever conducted. It set out to follow a group of men through every stage of their lives, from youth to old age, and continues to study their descendants. The Harvard Study aimed to discover what makes human beings flourish, and its overarching...

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world — having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we’ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week....

In late midlife, a man tends to look back on the preceding decades, assess the standing of his health, relationships, professional achievements, and experiences, and determine whether or not his life has been a success.  But the timeline used in this assessment should be significantly longer — extending much farther back and far further forward. ...

Antonio Vivaldi: Recorder Concerto RV 443 / Maurice Steger, Cappella Gabetta. For some reason, when you get to fourth grade here in the United States, the school gives you a recorder, and you learn how to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on it. Of course, what most 9-year-olds do with a recorder is just randomly blast full-force shrills around the house,...

Note: We recently came across this old poem and dug it. Enjoy. “Thought” By Berton Braley You say “I think” ten times a day Or fifteen times or twenty And even more. Well, anyway You sure repeat it plenty. But pause and ponder half a wink And start your brain-cells clinking; “I think” you say, but do you think Or only think you’re...