You are reading Books & Biceps #275!

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BOOKS

Ronald Reagan: The Life by H.W. Brands

I bought H.W. Brands’ Reagan biography because of this picture:

Yes, that’s Mr. T in front of a Christmas tree giving out Mr. T dolls with first lady Nancy Reagan sitting on his lap.

I came across this picture after posting a story about what I thought happened to Clubber Lang in the Rocky universe after losing to Rocky Balboa in Rocky III. I will paste that link below…

The picture got me thinking about how few biographies I’ve read on the presidents from the latter half of the 20th century. I researched plenty of them looking for sports info to write Jocks in Chief, but for some reason most of the big, Pulitizer Prize-level bios of the presidents I’ve read and enjoyed are from Teddy Roosevelt and earlier: Lincoln, Taft, Cleveland, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, etc…

I read H.W. Brands’ Andrew Jackson and Ben Franklin biographies a long time ago and they were spectacular, so when I saw he wrote the definitive bio on Reagan, I bought it and, as expected from a legend, it’s terrific.

My favorite early story so far takes place when young Reagan graduated college during the great depression and couldn’t find work.

He wanted more than anything to start a career in the new field of sports radio broadcasting - and nobody would hire him. He drove to one station after another and nothing. He wanted to give up.

Finally, after a particularly bad interview where he didn’t get the job, he stormed out of the station manager’s office and shouted, “How the hell can you get a job as a sports announcer if you can’t even get a job at a radio station!”

The station manager overheard Reagan yell and ran after him.

“Hold on, you big bastard,” the manager yelled. “What’d you say about sports?”

Turned out, the manager needed a sports announcer for one assignment. He let Reagan try out and he got the job: the Iowa vs. Minnesota Homecoming football game in 1938. The pay: $5 and bus fair.

Reagan’s young career in radio and entertainment took a ton of twists and turns after that, but had he not gotten that chance… had he given up… he may never have entered show business at all, he may never have acquired his immense verbal talents, and perhaps we never hear of Ronald Reagan.

You can buy it here.

BICEPS

The onslaught of Black Friday e-mails asking you to buy things sucks. So I figured I’d flip the script and give you something for free.

Everyone reading this can grab my book, The Dadvantage: The Fitness Plan for New Fathers, for free (normally $9.99).

If you are a new dad, you need this. And if you know a new dad, they need this.

The link above is to a PDF you can download for yourself or even give to a new dad you know for free. The free book will only be available for 72 hours and then it’ll be back on sale on Amazon and other places.

This workout plan doesn’t require any equipment, takes up very little time and is designed to help new dads operating on little sleep.

AC Slater himself, Mario Lopez, endorsed the book.

“The Dadvantage is your key to grown up dad fitness!” - Mario Lopez

So did the Art of Manliness:

“Like many first-time dads, I let my exercise and diet habits go to pot when my son arrived. I was just too tired and pressed for time during those first few weeks of being a dad to go to the gym and eat a healthy diet. Definitely going to be using the The Dadvantage plan for kid #2”. -Brett McKay, The Art of Manliness

Grab your copy for free right here. Happy Thanksgiving!

Quick Flexes

Below is the article I mentioned earlier about Mr. T.

What do you think happened to him after his loss to Balboa? I have a theory:

I hope you got to play some football on Thanksgiving.

My favorite part of the holiday is that every year my brother and I head to our local park and grab a field to play on with our wives and kids.

As the kids get older, the games get more and more fun and competitive. My favorite highlight play this year involved my nephew throwing a dart touchdown pass to my wife, who bobbled it at first and then hauled it in and got both feet down for the touchdown. Clutch.

Then my brother and I ran our old high school route tree and I’m proud to say we can still nail a 40-yard post corner on a dime:

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Are you an AUDIO BOOK fan? 

I’ve long resisted, but recently become a fan and have one or two going right now… I like them for fiction and have been listening to them in place of podcasts during drives…

A nice way to “read” a few more books a year.

If you love audiobooks or are thinking of joining Audible, use this link below and support Books & Biceps:

→ USE THIS LINK for an awesome Audible Premium Deal

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Thank you all for reading.

Have a great weekend! - Jon

PS: I’m gathering testimonials for this newsletter as we grow. If you have one minute, please reply with one or two sentences describing the best book, workout or thing you learned from the newsletter.

Thanks!