NEW ON THE LIST AND IN PUBLISHING
‘Bed’ time:
“Make your bed.” Sounds simple. I do it, and I’m no Navy SEAL.
Admiral William H. McRaven’s Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life … And Maybe the World — based on a 2014 graduation speech he gave at the University of Texas — was an immediate hit when it was published in early April, peaking at No. 5 on USA TODAY’s BestSelling Books list on April 27.
As graduation season ended, sales slowed, and by last week the book had dropped to No. 102. But now it’s soared up the list again, to No. 20, thanks to a video of McRaven’s speech that’s caught fire on Facebook. Produced by an inspirational company called Goalcast, the video incorporates footage of Navy SEALs training along with the retired admiral’s exhortations. Goalcast’s video, posted on Aug. 16, “immediately struck a nerve,” says Grand Central’s Caitlin Mulrooney-Lyski. “The video has had incredible reach in a short period of time and the admiral’s message is resonating, yet again, with a new audience.”
Why should make your bed? As McRaven said in his speech to grads: “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. ... Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.”
The book, an expansion on the speech, revolves around 10 “fundamental life lessons” McRaven learned in SEAL training.
Now chancellor of the University of Texas system, McRaven became commander of all U.S. Special Operations forces. He oversaw the op that led to the death of Osama bin Laden.