Make Your Bed

A single Navy SEAL principle — make your bed before anything else — turned into a viral commencement speech, and Hachette's Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven is the book that grew from that moment. McRaven delivered the original address at the University of Texas in May 2014, and it spread because it wasn't motivational-poster fluff. It was hard-won, specific, and backed by decades of leading people through some of the most demanding conditions on earth.

The premise is deceptively simple: if you start your day by completing one task with care, you build momentum that carries through everything else. McRaven draws ten principles directly from Navy SEAL training — not abstract leadership theory, but lessons forged under real pressure. The result is a short, readable book that punches well above its page count, and it's the kind of thing that stays on the nightstand instead of collecting dust on a shelf.

• #1 New York Times bestseller — one of the most widely read leadership books of the past decade
• Ten concrete principles drawn directly from Navy SEAL training and McRaven's military career
• Based on the viral 2014 UT commencement address that has been viewed tens of millions of times
• Author credentials: Admiral William H. McRaven commanded U.S. Special Operations Command and oversaw dozens of high-stakes missions
• Short and focused — written to be read in a single sitting without sacrificing depth
• Covers resilience, discipline, and teamwork through real stories rather than corporate frameworks
• Published by Hachette, a major trade publisher with wide distribution in print and digital formats

Care & Cleaning: Books in the Hachette catalog, including Make Your Bed, are best kept away from direct sunlight and high humidity, both of which can warp spines and yellow pages over time. Store upright on a shelf with similar-height titles so the spine doesn't bow. If the cover picks up dust or a smudge, a barely damp microfiber cloth wiped gently across the surface is usually enough — avoid anything wet near the binding. For a book you're likely to return to, a simple cloth sleeve or dust jacket protector will keep it in good shape for years. Treat it well and it holds up; McRaven's ten Navy SEAL principles are the kind of thing worth revisiting more than once.