About

Mission:

Brains and Brawn is a site dedicated to the lost art of reading, self-reflection and seeking to become a better man physically, spiritually and intellectually. We want this to be a place where young men can come to find knowledge that pushes them to be a better man while encouraging them to invest in reading. Our posts are not intended to be world class book reviews but rather our take on books that inspire us.

Authors:

Cal Wilkerson: co-founder of Brains and Brawn, an accomplished graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in History along with minors in Classics and Chemistry. While in undergrad, his accolades ranged from Phi Beta Kappa inductee, the Larry D. Givens Award for Excellence in History recipient, the Marcus Elvis Taylor Medal recipient, graduate of the Sally McDonnell Honors College and a published thesis titled, “In Six Days”. Along with success in the classroom, Cal has traveled extensively, is a competitive runner and has a daily desire for self-betterment. Wilkerson spent a year in Malawi teaching high school science and long distance running. Currently he is in his second year of medical residency in Houston, Texas and happily married to his lovely wife Isabella. In his free time he is also weight training, reading and running along with surviving the Texas heat.

Michael McPhail: co-founder of Brains and Brawn, Michael is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Mississippi State University. Following college, he was hired on as an officer and lender for a bank in South Mississippi, where he resides today. He has since moved over to commercial insurance. Professionally, McPhail is involved with several organizations and is committed to his insurance profession and his local community. Additionally, Michael is an avid reader, a fitness buff, and an outdoorsman. He has explored substantially within the North American National Park System, and has traveled much of the Continental Divide Trail. His primary interests lie in thought-provoking literature, podcasts, adventures, and all avenues that promote growing as a man. During 2018, McPhail competitively raced (finishing a 50K and marathon to name a few) and completed the 1,000 mile challenge. He is currently married to his lovely wife Madeline and is settled down happily.

David Coody: Primary contributor of Brains and Brawn, David is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned his master’s degree in Counseling and his undergraduate degree in Communication Studies. Upon graduation, David moved to Brooklyn, New York where he still lives today. David has counseled incarcerated men in Harlem, troubled youth in Brooklyn, and is currently counseling those with disabilities in Queens. With a bit of luck, David also tended bar for Employee’s Only, 432 Park Avenue, and ESPN, where he was lead bartender for the 2020 ESPY’s and ESPY’s afterparty. Growing up on a ranch, David has always been drawn to exploration, adventure, and storytellers. David has lived across the country from Los Angeles to New York City to a few spots in-between in search of the next good story. His nature falls somewhere along the margins of gallant and foolhardy. Since 2020, he has completed unassisted, solo runs of 71 miles, 100K, an overnight 50 miler in Brooklyn, and back-to-back marathons on back-to-back days in Central Park. In addition, David has been an insatiable reader since his youth. David has an affinity towards Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and William Faulkner. His principal reading interests are the meaning of suffering, the history of men, and how to define and live a good life.