This is a collection of all of Jon Finkel’s blogs & columns and exclusive interviews. You’ll find essays and articles on everything from fitness and fatherhood, to sports, 90s nostalgia, pop culture, action movies and more. Along the way, you’ll even get some writing tips and inspirational stories.
And if you’d like to receive Jon Finkel’s writing directly to your inbox, join his weekly newsletter, Books & Biceps today. You’ll get free sample chapters from several of his books and a full month’s worth of workouts based on action movies with Meathead Movie Workouts – Vol. 1. All free. Subscribe here:
Read Jon Finkel’s Blogs and Columns:
Sports, fitness, books, interviews, pop culture, dude stuff, dad stuff… it’s all here:
- Books & Biceps Q&A with Chad Finn
In this Books & Biceps Q&A with Chad Finn, the longtime Boston Globe writer shares stories from his new book, The Boston Globe Story of the Boston Celtics. If you’re a Boston Celtics fan stop reading right… Read more: Books & Biceps Q&A with Chad Finn - Interview with Author Ryan Coleman
I’ve been fascinated with Billy the Kid since I watched Young Guns II as an eleven-year-old. Despite the fact that I was growing up near modern day Boston, the movie somehow made me want to live in… Read more: Interview with Author Ryan Coleman - 640+ Bike Rides to School & Why It Meant Everything as a Dad
After four years of biking both my kids to school every day, Thursday marked the end of an era and I wanted to share how important this was to me: 640+ Bike Rides to School & Why… Read more: 640+ Bike Rides to School & Why It Meant Everything as a Dad - Interview with Author Stayton Bonner
This is an exclusive Books & Biceps interview with author Stayton Bonner about his book, Bare Knuckle: Bobby Gunn, 73-0, Undefeated – A Dad, a Dream, a Fight Like You’ve Never Seen I came across Bare Knuckle… Read more: Interview with Author Stayton Bonner - On WrestleMania XL and Making Legendary Memories with Your Kids
After an iconic father/son wrestling weekend in Philadelphia, I wanted to put some dad thoughts down for posterity and I’m calling this piece: On WrestleMania XL and Making Legendary Memories with Your Kids When you have kids… Read more: On WrestleMania XL and Making Legendary Memories with Your Kids - Isaiah Thomas’s Legendary 51 Point High School Game
In honor of Isaiah Thomas’s triumphant return to the NBA, this is one of my favorite excerpts from our book, Hoops Heist: Seattle, the Sonics, and How A Stolen Team’s Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA’s Secret… Read more: Isaiah Thomas’s Legendary 51 Point High School Game - Neighborhood Dad Loses 100 Pounds in 10 Months
This is your guaranteed Feel-Good Dad Story of the Day – it’s about a dad in my neighborhood who has gone on a stunning fitness journey, losing 100 pounds in 10 months. You’re gonna love this: I… Read more: Neighborhood Dad Loses 100 Pounds in 10 Months - Elmore Leonard’s Long Road to Literary Dominance
Elmore Leonard’s long road to literary dominance should be read by every author and creator: The man had 20+ books turned into movies or TV shows & dozens of bestsellers spanning 50 years. And it all came… Read more: Elmore Leonard’s Long Road to Literary Dominance - How John Grisham Overcame an Avalanche of Rejection to Become an Iconic Author
This is the remarkable story of how John Grisham overcame rejection to become an icon and one of the bestselling writers of all time. Let’s go: John Grisham has sold 400+ million books. But few outside his… Read more: How John Grisham Overcame an Avalanche of Rejection to Become an Iconic Author - Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage
Oooohhh yeahhhh! Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage is the sensational, definitive biography of the WrestleMania headlining, Spider-Man fighting, Slim Jim snapping, minor league baseball playing American original: Randy Savage. Savage, a WWE wrestling hall of famer,… Read more: Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage - Interview with Author Rafi Kohan
This is an exclusive Books & Biceps interview with author Rafi Kohan about his book, Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn’t Total Garbage I love unique, awesome book ideas executed to perfection… Read more: Interview with Author Rafi Kohan - The Inside Story of Chris Farley and Tommy Boy
Chris Farley would have turned 60 on February 15th, 2024. For those of us who witnessed his comedic heyday in the 90s, he’s left a gaping hole in comedy ever since. In his honor, let me tell… Read more: The Inside Story of Chris Farley and Tommy Boy - My Recipe for the Greatest Super Bowl Dish of All Time: The Meat Bomb
Here is a little backstory on the thinking and mindset behind how and why I invented the greatest Super Bowl Dish of all time: The Meat Bomb… You know what’s great about pizza? Cheese. You know what’s… Read more: My Recipe for the Greatest Super Bowl Dish of All Time: The Meat Bomb - The Remarkable Rise of Carl Weathers from Bullied Kid to Football Star to Rocky
RIP to the legend, Carl Weathers. One of my favorites. And surprisingly, most people don’t know his amazing career trajectory: Before Apollo Creed & 40+ years of acting roles, Weathers was a sensitive, bullied kid. Then he… Read more: The Remarkable Rise of Carl Weathers from Bullied Kid to Football Star to Rocky - Why Warrior is the most adrenaline-pumping, satisfying sports movie of the last 15 years.
I re-watched Warrior this weekend and it is the most adrenaline-pumping, satisfying sports move of the last 15 years. If you’ve seen it, you know. If not, you will. And it brings about a fundamental fighting question:… Read more: Why Warrior is the most adrenaline-pumping, satisfying sports movie of the last 15 years. - THE 15 MOST MEMORABLE BOOKS I READ IN 2023
Welcome to my annual reading list. Below are the 15 most memorable books I read in 2023. First, the question most new readers ask me: Why most memorable? Because “best” and “top” in my opinion aren’t helpful… Read more: THE 15 MOST MEMORABLE BOOKS I READ IN 2023 - How Lynne Cox Swam 1 Mile in the 33 Degree Antarctic Ocean
As a lifelong swimmer and amateur ocean racer, stories about endurance swims or challenges in the water fascinate me. This feat, above all else, is amazing: How Lynne Cox Swam 1 Mile in the 33 Degree Antarctic… Read more: How Lynne Cox Swam 1 Mile in the 33 Degree Antarctic Ocean - Hanging with Big John Studd as an 8-Year-Old Macho Man Fan
As we head into the full launch of my Randy Savage biography, I wanted to share a cool moment I had as a kid, hanging with Big John Studd as an 8-year-old Macho Man fan: It’s 1986.… Read more: Hanging with Big John Studd as an 8-Year-Old Macho Man Fan - How Lee Child Started His Jack Reacher Literary Empire with $6
Whether you’ve read every Jack Reacher book or love the Amazon series, the story of how Lee Child started his Jack Reacher Literary Empire with $6 is one you won’t want to miss. Here’s the breakdown: 100… Read more: How Lee Child Started His Jack Reacher Literary Empire with $6 - Exploring the Finkel Phenomenon with Bestselling Author Michael Finkel
In this exclusive Books & Biceps interview, I explore the Finkel Phenomenon with bestselling author Michael Finkel. We begin with a great quote that ties us together: “For a brief period of time I gave the name… Read more: Exploring the Finkel Phenomenon with Bestselling Author Michael Finkel - The 15 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2022
Welcome to the official 2023 Books & Biceps Reading List, AKA, the 15 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2022. Why most memorable? Because “best” and “top” in my opinion aren’t really helpful when it comes to… Read more: The 15 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2022 - 2 Life Lessons from Chris Rock & Kevin Hart
The documentary “Headliners Only” is fascinating for a bunch of reasons: great behind-the-scenes clips, conversations and interviews… But there’s also a lot of wisdom. Here are 2 life lessons from Chris Rock and Kevin Hart: 1) Find… Read more: 2 Life Lessons from Chris Rock & Kevin Hart - 5 Cocky and Confident Quotes from Larry Bird
Forget the hoops highlights of one of my all-time favorite players, Larry Legend, for a moment. Forget the pump fakes, the spins, the sick passes, the jab steps that left dudes falling on the ground. Those are… Read more: 5 Cocky and Confident Quotes from Larry Bird - The Fine Art of Old Dude Forgiveness
This week I witnessed what I’m calling the fine art of old dude forgiveness. It was a moment so impactful, yet so understated, all I can do is describe the scene and you can decide for yourself.… Read more: The Fine Art of Old Dude Forgiveness - How the Tough Guys in WWII’s Underwater Demolition Teams became the Navy SEALs
After reading the book Into Enemy Waters by Andrew Dubbins I became obsessed with how the underwater demolition teams of WWII became the Navy SEALs. So picture this: Imagine storming the beaches of Iwo Jima during WWII… Read more: How the Tough Guys in WWII’s Underwater Demolition Teams became the Navy SEALs
