Mandatory Reading: The Guru of Badassery

Yes, I was a history major, and yes the best part about history is war. So you can bet that my mind was thoroughly blown when my brother gave me Badass: A Relentless Onslaught of the Toughest Warlords, Vikings, Samurai, Pirates, Gunfighters, and Military Commanders to Ever Live. Yes, the title's exhausting, but the real workout is trying to keep your brain from melting while absorbing the awesomeness within.

Ben Thompson, author of Badass, Badass: The Birth of a Legend, and www.BadassOfTheWeek.com, describes himself as "the world's foremost expert on badassitude" and I can't argue with him. His books and website give you all the A-list badasses like Leonidas, The Red Baron, and John McClane, but he also brings to light the badass deeds of Peter the Great, who was apparently the ultimate partier, Atalanta, an ass-kicking chick who was a member of the Argonauts, and Ben Francisco, a sword-swinging giant who wrecked faces during the American Revolution. Yup, apparently nut job brought a sword to a musket fight and still dominated.

So do yourself a favor and check out the epic writings of Ben Thompson, the Guru of Badassery.

And I don't recommend reading about badasses on Sundays; it makes it that much harder to get motivated to sit in your office cubicle Monday morning.