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mattzerella-sticks · 6 years ago

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Drop the Act (Dean/Cas, Sam-centric fic, Post-Canon, 3.5k)

After defeating the Empty, Sam thought all the surprises were done for. Cas was saved, was human, and the Winchesters were a complete family unit doing what they do best: hunting monsters and saving people. He didn't account for his brother and angel best friend to manage one final surprise after coming back from a routine hunt in Florida.

But that's what happens when you don't see what's been happening right in front of you for a year.

(Love to my #SPNFamily)

(Link to ao3)

Sam enjoyed the Bunker these past two weeks while Dean and Cas were away. It was a vacation filled with dusty archives and suspenseful podcasts, eating when he wanted to and not having to put his research away while he did it.

There were a few interruptions, like phone calls from his mom checking in. Making sure Sam didn’t neglect basic care for translating more texts. He was offended when Mary suggested he take a night off and step out from the underground. So Sam wouldn’t become, in her words, a ‘hermit’.

His entire time alone wasn’t spent holed away from the world; Sam jogged in the early mornings – when he remembered to sleep at a normal time. And every other day he’d set aside a half-hour for yoga among the trees. Mary still wasn’t satisfied at that, remarking how little he interacted with others in his downtime. Rolling his eyes, Sam told her he hadn’t any need. The kitchen was well stocked before Dean left, and unlike his brother Sam learned how to control his portions.

Sam wasn’t avoiding people; he found no need to seek others out. But when they came, he didn’t turn them away. Even with Dean and Cas out, Jack stayed with him. He, too, was uninvited from the hunt. They left each other alone for the most part, both busy with their own things. If he saw Jack, though, he wouldn’t ignore him. Sam invited his angelic son along with him the other day when he took interest with his yoga mat. Jack didn’t get farther than the warrior pose, but he had fun with it.

So Sam had no problem being around people. He just appreciated his alone time, especially after a rough couple of months. Drowning in back-to-back hunts, he needed to lock himself down and recharge his batteries. Dean and Cas finding their own hunt, one he wasn’t asked to go on, was a sign. The peace and quiet lifted Sam’s spirits. He wasn’t bombarded with loud music, the clatter of pots and pans, distracting chatter and loud, suspicious noises at strange times. Wherever those two went, a commotion was hanging overhead like heavy, dark clouds.

When he heard the slam of the Bunker door though, he knew his serenity was shattered. He shut his book with a sigh, glancing up as Dean and Cas descended the staircase with suitcases in hand.

The hunt was in Florida, closer to Miami than Orlando. Now back in Kansas, they still looked ready for the beach. Dean wore a calm t-shirt of a muted grey color, a complete opposite to Cas’s loud rainbow colored Hawaiian shirt. They both also had on board shorts and flip-flops. Sunglasses were loss in the bird’s nest of Cas’s dark hair while Dean’s was hidden by his backwards cap. The entire walk down the stairs, the two bickered with relaxed grins stretched across their tan faces. Cas’s skin was even more bronzed than usual, while Dean’s body shone with star-like freckles.

Even after a year, Sam found Cas a strange sight when out of his holy tax accountant armor. Picking out a wardrobe was one of the many things Dean taught Cas after becoming human. He didn’t mind, sticking by their friend’s side through it all. He forgot much of what he already learned for his first stint, and the process the second time around was anything but easy. Dean’s resolve never wavered, helping Cas develop his routines and explore his tastes. “What I should have done the first time around,” Dean said.

“Hey guys,” Sam waved at them, “Didn’t know you were coming back so soon.��

Dean nodded, dropping his stuff at the head of the table. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. We kinda lost track of time and forgot to call…”

“To be fair,” Cas said laying his own luggage beside Dean’s, “I assumed Dean had already done so before we left the motel.”

He rolled his eyes. “When could I have? I wasn’t out of your sight that entire morning.” Dean sat, continuing. “Besides, I thought I told you to text Sam when we stopped for the night in Illinois?”

“That’s your fault,” Cas told him, taking the chair to Dean’s left for himself. “My thumb hit the wrong button because of somebody –“

“Oh like that was a problem for you,” Dean cut him off, beaming. Cas matched it in intensity, their smiles glowing with radiant bliss.

Sam cleared his throat, dragging their attention to him before the pull between them was too strong. “I’m glad you’re both home,” he said, glancing between the two, “the Bunker hasn’t been the same since you left…”

Dean nudged Cas, chuckling. “That’s moose-talk for he wanted a few more days without us.”

Glaring, Sam decided to not snag the bait. Instead, he asked them to share how the hunt went. They were tightlipped with the details over the phone, really only connecting with him through text. Sam’s digitization made accessing the Bunker’s resources much easier, but also took away any help he could offer.

They told the story in halves, both of them interrupting the other at the oddest times with little facts and quips. It was hard to follow along at times, but Sam understood the gist of it.

A shifter was targeting couples involved with a retreat program built to counsel married couples through communication problems. Sam snuck in a quick jab, wondering that if this hunt happened maybe years earlier things would have been different.

“Yuck it up,” Dean scoffs, “But some of that shit was actually helpful… if you wanted to be some kind of new age freak in touch with your emotions.”

“Anyway,” Cas course corrected, knocking shoulders with Dean, “we managed to sign up before the next session began so we could investigate.”

“Turns out Cas asks questions better when he’s out of the Fed suit.”

Sam stifles back a chuckle after Cas smacks Dean on the shoulder with a soft thwack. “At least I was asking questions. Half the time you were either on the beach or by the pool –“

“It sucked enough that there was a shifter there, I was trying to make the most of our trip.”

“We still managed to enjoy ourselves, after taking care of the monster…”

Dean sighed, scratching at his neck. “Yeah that’s true.”

Sam looked between the two, brow raised. “So, how did you take care of it?”

The hunt barely lasted longer than three days, the extended time because Dean and Cas had trouble testing the staff with silver. Dean pouted, “Seriously, using the rings was a good start until you get called in to a session with a therapist about commitment and cheating.” He waggled his fingers, flashing the silver band towards him. Sam spied Cas’s hand resting on the table, wearing a similar ring.

Cas smiled at Dean, eyes shining with warmth. “Although I did enjoy your very passionate defense when she assumed you took our marriage as seriously as a… what did she say? ‘Like a teen does his curfew’?”

“She was bonkers,” Dean growled, “Just wanted to separate us, get us out of the way. Figured… since she was the shifter.”

“She was?” Sam asked, “Did you gank her right then?”

“We didn’t realize until later,” he said, “Much later.”

Dean and Cas got into an argument after the meeting with the therapist. He was hurt and blowing off steam, and by doing that drew unwanted attention their way. “It didn’t matter what she or any of them thought,” Cas told them, “We were there for one thing –“

“I didn’t take that well either,” Dean admitted, sheepishly darting his eyes back and forth between Cas and the table. “Stormed off to be alone for awhile… mainly sat by the surf and watched it tickle my toes.”

“While I involved myself in the activities,” Cas said, “Until Dean came to apologize.”

Sam eyes his friend, “That… sounds ominous.”

Dean chuckled, “That’s because it wasn’t me.”

The shifter decided to corner Cas on his way to the pottery lesson, dragging him away to a hidden alcove. Fake Dean took every measure to appear reticent, and quoted a lot of their history back at Cas. He shrugged at Sam. “She did her research.” Cas was ready to forgive Dean, waiting for him to take the first step. It was only when she suggested they seal their argument with some make-up sex did Cas figure out it wasn’t Dean.

Sam rolled his eyes. It wasn’t the first time a monster read more into his brother’s relationship with their friend. And for once it played to their benefit. He shot off a quick prayer that Dean got used to those types of digs. Before, he would scowl for days and butch it up. Now any mention brought out a wry chuckle and a soft look. Sam couldn’t imagine his brother would have been okay faking a relationship with another man a decade ago. He’s really grown, becoming comfortable with his sexuality.

“I stabbed her in the heart when she tried unbuttoning my pants,” Cas said.

Dean leaned into him and smirked. “And that’s when I found them.”

Sam spluttered. “You did?”

“Oh yeah, was walking, working up the courage to see Cas and… let’s just say it didn’t make me feel better stumbling on that.”

“You knew what it was, though,” Cas comforted him, hand disappearing under the table, “All the times I said I wanted to kill you meant nothing in that moment.”

“Oh yeah that moment…”

Sam watched them slip into another one of their moods. Where Dean stared at Cas, and vice versa. Nothing could pierce the veil created when both men communicated with only their eyes. When they started these, Sam felt left out. He wanted that closeness, where someone could know what he was feeling with a single glance. Through the years he got over it, though. What Dean and Cas shared couldn’t be replicated. Now all he felt was a fond annoyance. In the early years, he could count these special interactions with both hands. But then that number grew exponentially. After they got Cas back from the Empty, it rocketed near infinity. Sam knew why.

Dean and Cas were best friends, the former angel an official Winchester brother. Losing him after Lucifer stabbed him was like cutting off a limb. The Empty, two limbs. In the ceremony freeing Cas from that void, Dean vowed to never let any power come between them. His conviction, a powerful magic in itself, forced the Empty into slumber. Not before it shrouded the two as the final words were spoken. They broke the curse hanging over them, and all it cost was Cas’s grace.

“I don’t need it, not anymore,” he said, once they settled back in the Bunker, “Not when I have my family.”

Sam cleared his throat, breaking their intense focus. Back for less than an hour, and he had his fill of them. He asked what happened for the rest of the hunt. “You wrapped it up so quickly… but you were there longer?”

“Dude, we were in Florida,” Dean said, “Vacation.”

“Seriously?”

“Hell yeah,” his brother grinned, teeth sharp and white. “Do you know there are nude beaches in Florida –“

“Gross, I don’t want to hear it –“

“It’s just the human body, Sam.”

“Whatever.”

Dean turned to Cas. “I think he’s gotten his fill of us already.”

“Then we might as well unpack,” Cas sighed, standing, “I’m feeling kind of ripe.” As he stood, Dean did as well; the reason being their joined hands, as Sam noticed. He gaped at them, unnoticed. “I’d kill for a shower right now.”

“Well I hope not me,” Dean joked, leading them away.

Before they could get too far, Sam found his voice. “Guys?” he yelped, voice cracking near the end. Dean and Cas glanced back, free hands hovering over their bags. “What are you… what’s going on?”

“We’re heading to our room, Sam,” Dean said, “What else does it look like?” Whispering to Cas, he talked from the corner of his mouth. “Someone had his nose in the books too long…”

“Our room?” Sam parroted, “What are…” In an instant his face shifted, smoothing out into a familiar expression. He set the tired lines of his bitch face to radiate the most annoyance with his brother’s actions. “Okay, I get it. Ha ha… good one.”

“Okay, now you’re starting to freak me out,” Dean stepped closer worryingly, “Talk to me Sammy. Tell me what’s the matter.”

“That shifter sure got you wrong,” Sam muttered, returning to his book, “You sure seem committed to this bit.”

“What ‘bit’?”

“Seriously, Dean, the case is over. You and Cas can drop the married act now.” He wanted to finish the chapter. It’s difficult when his brother and friend are glaring at him with righteous fury. If he didn’t already know Cas lost his powers, he’d be very concerned for his well-being. “What?”

“Sam,” Cas started, “Dean and I are married.”

The bombshell that dropped before him sounded suspiciously like his book slipping through his fingers. It was a contest, which would blink first him or them. Sam waited for the ringing in his ears stop before asking. “W-what?”

All fight drained from Dean and Cas, each sneaking looks at each other before shooting Sam twin looks of concern. “Sam,” Dean tried, reaching a hand out, “are you okay –“

“I should be asking you that,” Sam leapt to his feet, eyeing him for any clues. “Were you sure it was only a shifter. This isn’t like a spell or anything?” He dragged his fingers across Dean’s chest, as if a hex bag was taped there like a recording device.

Dean bat his hands away. “Dude, the hell? No there weren’t any witches. Me and Cas are married.”

“You’re serious?” Sam asked them, eyes wide, “You guys got married in Florida?”

“No, Sam,” Cas said, “Dean and I have been married for a while… we celebrated our anniversary in Florida.”

“…What?”

“Yeah,” Dean continued, drawing Cas in closer, “One year. Why do you think we didn’t want anyone else coming with us?”

“Because…because you didn’t need us for the hunt?”

“When we went there was no hunt,” Dean sighed, “Except Winchester luck made it so we had ourselves a working vacation. You’re lucky we managed to salvage what was left so we weren’t coming back cranky. Although… ‘m not feeling too good now.”

“Oh my God, you two… I can’t believe this…” Sam sank back down into his seat, tugging at his hair. “A… a year? How… When?”

“You were there, Sam,” Cas said, “all of you were. Mary, Bobby… Jack, Claire, Jody, Donna and the girls… Chuck –“

“Hold on,” Sam cut him off, “When we dragged your ass back from the Empty?”

“Yeah,” Dean said, “Weren’t you listening when Chuck explained?”

Sam blushed, finding his lap more interesting than the conversation. He remembered when Chuck showed them the parchment. On it was a way to rip Cas’s grace out and put it back into his body. He’d still be connected to the Empty, until the second part purified his body of any connection with the entity. And because of that, the Empty still had Cas’s wings, but his soul belonged to humanity. That’s all Sam thought he needed to know. He tuned Chuck out in favor of going over the scroll himself; confident he would understand it better that way. It was illegible, and Sam was too embarrassed to ask Chuck to clarify.

“But,” Sam tried to save some of his dignity, “You two didn’t really change much. How was I supposed to know all of that was a… wedding ceremony?”

Dean smirked, knocking heads with Cas. “We’re too old to act like animals, ripping our clothes off wherever. Didn’t need to, anyway. Me and Cas were always close… so there wasn’t that big a change. Just more options to express what was already there.”

“Although it was me who stopped Dean from getting too frisky in public areas,” Cas sighed, “He didn’t care if you were to walk in on us.”

“Should’ve let him. I bet there wouldn’t have been any confusion if he saw us –“

“I don’t even want the mental image,” Sam said, face redder than before.

His misery garnered a healthy chuckle from his brother. Dean wiped a tear from his eye, “Oh man, Sammy. How could you not notice for a year? You’re the one who’s always harping on the details. Oh – oh – and you even told me the next time I watch porn to wear headphones? Sam, I haven’t had the need to watch porn for so long you heard me and Cas going at it!”

“Stop!” Sam cried, shoving his hands over his ears, “I’m going to murder you!”

“Please, Sam, not my husband. Only I’m allowed to kill him,” Cas said blandly. His eyes feigned boredom but there was a smirk curling across his face.

“I can’t have been the only one who didn’t know.”

“Know what?” Jack asked, stepping into the room; his frown at Sam’s posture immediately transformed into a smile when noticing Dean and Cas. “Hey! When did you two get back?”

Dean waved his question away, instead asking one of his own. “Jack, me and Cas? What are we?”

“…My dads?”

“No,” he sighed, flashing his hand at him. “What do these rings signify?”

“Oh! That you and Cas are married!”

Sam paled at the answer, Dean’s boastful grin leeching the color from him. “You knew?”

“Of course, Sam,” Jack said, “It was their one year anniversary.”

“This isn’t making any sense,” Sam muttered to himself, “Why didn’t I…”

“Mom was in tears for days, Sam. And you thought Claire was joking when she called me dad? Christ, Chuck gave me his blessing and officiated. Even Amara sent a gift, and it wasn’t dad rising from the grave.” He heard Dean swallow, and then a hand on his shoulder. Sam looked up into his brother’s eyes, any and all mirth gone. “You, uh… you’re okay that me and Cas… that we’re…”

Sam bit back a curse, hating himself for how he was acting. “Of course, Dean. It was… I was shocked is all. I mean… one whole year? And I didn’t even know, didn’t congratulate either of you…”

“I thought you did, for what it’s worth,” Dean said, “‘You look happy, Dean. How does it feel to have a no-strings attached win?’” Those were the exact words Sam said to him after the Empty’s tentacles slithered away. A tear hangs precariously from the corner of Sam’s eyes.

“I meant it,” Sam nodded, “Especially now that I know you and Cas are married. Are in love.” The words sat right on Sam’s tongue. Thinking back, he wasn’t sure how he kept the blindfolds on for so long. Love was the only explanation for the way Dean and Cas looked at each other. For how Cas always has a cup of coffee for Dean ready when he wakes up. For Dean buying books for Cas whenever they head out on hunts, the former angel’s collection already taking up one shelf in the Library. Sam swiped at his eyes, launching himself forward to crush Dean into a hug. “You deserve this, Dean.” Dean muttered something under breath, tugging Cas over with their still joined hands. He opens his vice-like grip long enough to crush the other man in, too. “So do you, Cas.”

“All right, all right,” Dean freed himself, fighting the sweet smile unfurling, “That was enough of a chick-flick moment for today.”

Cas nodded. “Dean is all chick-flicked out. We spent last night marathoning Bridget Jones after I lost the coin flip.”

“Cas,” Dean whined, “You’re my husband. You took a vow to always be on my side.”

“I made no such promise,” Cas chuckled, twining his arms around Dean’s neck, “All I committed to was loving you,” he pecked at Dean’s lips, “cherishing you,” again, “and honoring you,” and again, “until I take my last breath. Nowhere in there did I ‘vow’ to never make fun of you.”

“You’re an ass.”

“Yes, but I’m your ass.”

Sam and Jack exchanged amused glances. “All right,” Sam cut them off before they bickered some more, “We get it. You’re together. You don’t have to prove it anymore.”

“This?” Dean asked, “This ain’t proof. You want proof you can watch us have sex.”

Sam frowned, scrunching his nose up in disgust. “Yuck. I told you Dean, I didn’t want the image of you sticking it to Cas.”

Dean stepped backwards, mouth nearly cracking in half by how wide his grin is. “Other way around, moose brains.” He winked, delighting in the stuttered outrage from his brother.

“Really?!?”

“Of course, Sam,” Cas said, Dean already disappearing down the hallway, “How do you think I knew it wasn’t the real Dean?” The pointed stare brought the flush back onto his cheeks. Cas blipped out of sight after that, his and Dean’s laughter both mocking and comforting.

Sam shook his head, the smile still in place on his face. “You two… made for each other.” He enjoyed his alone time, but always made time for his family. He always will. Things may change, can end or begin anew, but family will be eternal.

#Supernatural #Spn #supernatural fanfiction #Spn fanfic #Sam Winchester #Jack Kline #Dean Winchester #Castiel #Destiel #deancas #destiel fanfiction #destiel fanfic #deancas fanfiction #spnfamily

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healthnotion · 7 years ago

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Best of Art of Manliness 2017

Another year here at the Art of Manliness is in the books. 2017 was a big year for us at AoM. We launched a new book, dabbled with being a publisher ourselves, and launched a whole new online/offline program called The Strenuous Life. More on those big projects here in a bit.

We’re also coming up on a big milestone for the Art of Manliness in just a couple weeks. On January 4, the Art of Manliness will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. It’s hard to believe AoM has been around for a decade! I’ll write some more thoughts on AoM’s 10th birthday when it arrives, but in the meantime, thanks to everyone who has been with us on this adventure here at AoM!

We’re taking a break until January so we can spend the holidays with our family and friends, and plan for 2018. While we’re gone, take a look at our review and round-up of the very best of the Art of Manliness in 2017.

Articles

Most Popular Articles of the Year Based on Traffic

Turn 12 Everyday Products Into Improvised Weapons

Why the Secret of a Happy, Successful Marriage Is Treating It Like a Bank Account

Getting Ripped vs. Getting Strong

Why You Should Go to Church (Even If You’re Not Sure of Your Beliefs)

10 Physical Skills Every Man Should Master

23 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do

How to Survive a Shark Attack

5 Willpower Habits Every Man Should Master

The Reverse Sear: The Best Cooking Method for Steak

What to Do If You’re Being Followed

10 Things That Will Put Hair On Your Chest

How to Wear a Suit Without a Tie

Editors’ Picks

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

Spiritual Disciplines for Training the Soul (Series)

Why We Should Celebrate the Masks of Masculinity

Emerson’s Advice on How to Read for Greater Self-Reliance

20 Classic Poems Every Man Should Read

Embracing the Grind in Barbell Training (And Beyond)

Got Sisu? Essential Guerrilla Tactics From the Finnish Winter War

Meditations on Meditations: Reflections on a First Reading of Marcus Aurelius

The Tragic, Liberating Message About Manliness Hidden in American Tall Tales

Cardio for the Man Who Hates Cardio: The Benefits of Rucking

The Causes and Solutions to Overprotective Parenting (Series)

Never Walk By a Mistake

Lessons From Fahrenheit 451 for the Modern Day

How to REALLY Avoid Living a Life of Quiet Desperation

Lessons From the Roman Art of War

You Can’t Return to Eden

Declutter Your Digital Life

How Millennials Could Be the Next Greatest Generation of Personal Finance + How Millennials Can Overcome Their 6 Biggest Financial Challenges

Lessons From Walter Cronkite in the Lost Art of Gravitas

A Man’s Guide to Self-Reliance

Possibilities in Spare Moments

Podcast

It’s been fun to watch the AoM Podcast really come into its own this year. What started out as a little side project back in 2009, has grown into the main way many of you connect with the Art of Manliness. It’s certainly become my main love! Thanks to your support, we had over 22 million listens on the podcast in 2017.

This year we had many great guests come on the show to talk about a variety of topics on how to become a better man.

Most Popular Podcasts of the Year Based on Listens

Becoming a Tactical Athlete

How Your Climate-Controlled Comfort Is Killing You

The Real Science of Supplements and Nutrition

Learning the Art of Charm

Why Action Is the Answer

The Meaning of Beards

Making Exercise a Habit

Stick With It: The Science of Behavior Change

The Power of Likability

How to Finally Beat Procrastination

Not Caring What Other People Think is a Superpower

Why Men Have a Hard Time Making Friends

My Personal Picks

Here are the shows I personally found the most interesting, engaging, and/or useful (some of the most popular above would be included in this list as well):

The Untold Story of WWII’s 45th Infantry Division

The Stranger in the Woods — The Story of the Last True Hermit

An Introduction to Stoicism

The Case for Blue Collar Work With Mike Rowe

The Road to Character

Life Lessons From an Adventurer

What Homer’s Odyssey Can Teach Us Today

Exploring Archetypes With Jordan B. Peterson

Is This a Date or Not? The Problem With Ambiguity in Relationships

The Kaizen Method — Get 1% Better Each Day

How Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith Are the Cure for Sad Clown Syndrome

War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity

The Philosophy of Frugality

How to Raise Free Range Kids

What the Ancient Greeks and Romans Thought About Manliness

Doing More With Less

This Will Make a Man of You

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to the Art of Manliness podcast. It’s a great way to get your AoM fix while commuting or working out.

Also, we’d really appreciate if you’d give the podcast a review in iTunes or Stitcher. It’s a big help in getting more people to discover the show!

The Strenuous Life

Ever since starting the Art of Manliness in 2008, I wanted to create something that would help readers take our content offline. I never wanted readers just to consume our content, but to put it to use in their lives — to take real action on it. I wanted men to become not just spectators but actors �� not just readers, but doers.

This year we finally fulfilled that goal and launched a platform to help AoM readers put into action what they’ve been reading on the Art of Manliness for the past ten years. It’s called The Strenuous Life, and it’s like a scouting program for grown men.

You can read all about the The Strenuous Life here.

In 2017, we had three enrollment periods (July, September, October) for a total of 1,900 members. The July and September cohorts have finished the 12-week challenge, after spending 3 months struggling with weekly Agons (challenges), trying to move their bodies every day, looking for good deeds to perform, working on badges, and generally learning how to grapple with hard things. Now these lifetime members are continuing the lifelong journey of trying to live more strenuously.

The feedback we’ve gotten about the program has been amazing. In-person meet-ups have happened all over the world. New skills and habits have been cultivated. For many members, TSL provided the kick in the rear they needed to get started on all those things they said they would do for years, but kept putting off.

We’re getting ready for a big enrollment here in January. To find out as soon as enrollment opens up, visit strenuouslife.co and put your email on our waiting list. Enrollment fills up very quickly, so you’ll want to sign up as soon as you get the email announcing that enrollment is open.

New Books

The Illustrated Art of Manliness

In May we launched The Illustrated Art of Manliness. It was published by Little, Brown and Company. The book is filled with over 100 skills illustrated by the talented Ted Slampyak. My father-in-law said reading The Illustrated Art of Manliness felt like he was flipping through a 1950s copy of Popular Mechanics or Boy’s Life. That’s exactly the feeling we were trying to evoke with this book. I love mid-century illustrated how-to’s and Ted did a bang-up job capturing that aesthetic in his illustrations. This book feels like something you’d find at the bottom of your grandpa’s old footlocker.

Thanks to everyone who bought a copy and left a review on Amazon. If you haven’t bought a copy, what are you waiting for? You can get it for 33% off at Amazon. (Amazon sold out of our book yesterday, but will have copies back in stock in a few days. Go ahead and order it so it gets shipped to you as soon as it arrives at the warehouse. Or if you need a copy sooner, they’re available at your local Barnes and Noble.) If you’ve already bought a copy, I’d really appreciate it if you could give it a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

The Pocket Guide to Action

In 2017, we took a foray into being a publisher ourselves by publishing The Pocket Guide to Action: 116 Meditations on the Art of Doing by Kyle Eschenroeder. It’s filled with 116 punchy devotionals on the nature and importance of action. This pithy paperback book is small enough fit in your back pocket, but crammed with insightful advice on how to take more action in life so you can become the man you want to be. The design and layout of the book was inspired by vintage military field manuals with the aim of reinforcing the forceful, action-oriented advice contained within its pages. If you spend a lot of time thinking about things, making plans, and examining possibilities, but rarely pull the trigger on any of them, this is the book for you. It’s a great read to get your new year started right.

The Pocket Guide to Action is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. You can also buy it from the Art of Manliness Store. Pick a copy (or two) today! Look for the publication of another book by Kyle, The Pocket Guide to Self-Reliance, in early 2018.

A big thank you to AoM’s loyal readers and listeners for your support in 2017. I hope you’ll stick around to see what we cook up in 2018!

Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and of course, stay manly.

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