Reading List

The books that shaped me, and the ones I'm burying my face in lately.

"My alma mater was books, a good library. Every time I catch a plane, I have with me a book I want to read — and that's a lot of books these days. If I weren't out here every day battling the white man, I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity — because you can't hardly mention anything I'm not curious about." - Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a book that impacted me man. The movie was so good I had to go read the book to see what I missed. When I think back to my perspective of Malcolm as a kid, he was often vilified and viewed differently than the man I met in his autobiography.

This is the ultimate story of re-creating yourself, facing adversity, and living a life of purpose. Yeah it's common, but when asked what book I would recommend, I almost always mention this one first. So if you're new here, I would start there. And if you've already read it, read it again.

Since I was a child, I always had my face in a book, I was just curious about everything and looking for answers. Some of my earliest memories include reading The Cat in the Hat to my younger brother when I was like 7 years old. I remember being obsessed with that book to the point my mom bought the cassette copy so I could listen to it and follow along at night. I had so many questions. Like, why did they let the cat in with their parents gone? At that age I had a house key and knew not to let anyone in lol. Or how was the fish able to speak? We had huge fish tanks at the time and my fish just ate each other. This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with books.

Early in life I spent a lot of time studying different religious texts, obsessing over finding the truth behind the words. Leading me down hours and hours of research, just filling a void of uncertainty. I grew up in a pretty strict religious environment, so I would study all the texts they produced and often cross-reference the info with other sources. Something that was frowned upon, but I couldn't help it. Like I said earlier, I've always had this obsession with information and just trying to fill a void of curiosity that seemed to grow with every new book I opened.

If you're anything like me, you've read hundreds of books in your life and have sought out other readers to get ideas from. This is my way of paying forward the books that have crossed my path over time.

"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." - Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

The Essential Reads

These are the books I come back to. The ones that changed how I think, how I move, how I see myself. If want a good starting point, start here.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Malcolm X & Alex Haley

Malcolm was 39 years old when he passed. I often think about his age and what I feel he could have accomplished had he been around longer. Then my brain obsesses over how much of an impact he had in such a short period of time.

This book is like an dope TV series you look forward to watching each week. You begin to read the words and hear Malcolm's voice in your head. For anyone with regrets or having a hard time forgiving themselves, this book is for you. If you come from adversity, poverty, or feeling self doubt, this book is for YOU.

With everything possibly against him, Malcolm found a way to change the direction of his life and then spent the rest of it fighting for people just like him. What it teaches: Self-recreation is possible. Your past doesn't define your future. Obtain knowledge, Pass knowledge.

The Way of the Superior Man - David Deida

David argues that men often sacrifice their deepest purpose for relationship comfort or security. Comfort is a slow death. I know that feeling, for years I chose comfort. You know the safe job, the predictable routine. But this book reminded me that men need challenge to feel alive.

Getting back in the gym, chasing an IT career I'm passionate about, actually starting my blog. These are all steps in the right direction to feeling alive and not just comfortable.

Don't Wait for Permission! Stop seeking validation before you act, just do shit. David speaks of the comfort many men live with in a relationship. As a man you often know what you need to do, but are reluctant looking for permission or approval. If you're anything like me, you have an internal voice telling you that there is more. Act on that voice stop waiting for approval from others to live your life.

I waited 12 years to launch How We Hustle because I was waiting to feel ready. This book taught me that you'll never feel ready. You just move. That's Recreating Hayes.

Tribes - Seth Godin

Seth is a genius I'll just start there. Short, powerful book about building movements. I bought this book years ago and it sat in storage with a bunch of other books and old journals. I finally completed it and wish I read it years ago.

Everyone can have or lead a movement. You don't need a specific title or even permission to build a tribe. I'm not some guru. I'm just documenting my journey and building a community of people who are also recreating themselves. We'll naturally find each other based on that.

Tribes begin and grow when they have leaders that offer two things. People want connection to others and a direction to move towards. Direction: I'm showing how I stopped waiting in real time, everyone will get to see me executing on goals. Connection: That's the core of the brand I started 12-13 years ago and put on hold. A community of people that just figured it out, and sharing those stories. You will get to see me building both and realize you already have the skills to do it if I am.

Status Quo is the enemy. Tribes grow when someone challenges what everyone accepts as "normal." That's what I'm challenging right now. You don't have to settle for the norms, the comfortability, the body you no longer want, anything you want to change can happen with the work. My tribe will be people who reject the comfortable safe life.

Seth's Tribes taught me that we don't need permission to build a movement. We just need to stand for something and invite others to join. Recreating Hayes isn't about me having it all figured out. It's about building a tribe of people who are tired of waiting and ready to move. That's why I'm documenting everything publicly, so you can see it's possible.

Think And Grow Rich: A Black Choice - Dennis Kimbro

Another core book for me. Dennis Kimbro just give an outline for attacking success and living a life of purpose. Success requires crystal clear purpose and the decision to pursue it relentlessly. There is power in just making a decision. Successful people make decisions quickly and change them slowly; failures do the opposite.

Kimbro adapts Napoleon Hill's classic with stories of Black excellence and persistence. The concept of definiteness of purpose changed how I approached my goals. Not vague somedays, but specific commitments with deadlines. This book taught me to decide fast and stay committed.

Want Book Recommendations?

I send out quarterly book recommendations to a small group of readers who actually want to dig deep. No fluff. No bestseller lists. Just books that will make you think differently.

Submit a Recommendation

Read something that changed you? Let me know. I'm always looking for the next book that will rewire how I think.
Tweet at me: @recreatinghayes

Final Thoughts

Books are how we talk to the dead. How we learn from people we'll never meet. How you compress decades of someone's life into a few hours of reading.

If you're serious about changing, start reading.

Not articles. Not threads. Not summaries.

Full books. Cover to cover. Word for word.

That's where the real work happens.

-Hayes