The book "Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World" is from William H McRaven, a retired United States Navy Four-Star Admiral and Navy SEAL. His book is based on the Commencement that he gave to the graduating class at the University of Texas at Austin. McRaven took inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world" when he shared ten key principles he learned during his Navy SEAL training. These principles helped him overcome challenges throughout his life and he believes that anyone can use these same basic principles to make changes in their lives.

The first principle – and the one after which the book was named – is to make your bed each and every morning, a lesson that may seem insignificant, but one that means every day is started with a completed task and you continue to add to that task throughout the day. This book will provide every young child starting out in life, whether in middle school, high school, or college with valuable information that will inspire them to achieve more in life.

In the first chapter, McRaven mentions that each morning an instructor would check to make sure that everyone's bed was made up correctly, from the sheets and blankets with "hospital corners" to the alignment of the pillow. The instructor would also check the firmness of the made bed by flipping a quarter high above the mattress and letting it bounce off the mattress. The firmer the made bed the higher the quarter bounced and if the instructor could get his hand under and catch it in time then your bed was made correctly. The title of the book initially drew my attention because it reminded me of my uncle who served in the military as part of the 301st Fighter Squadron Army Air Forces during WWII. He once showed me, even in his 90s, that he not only still makes his bed every morning, but also correctly like he was taught in the military as he could still bounce the quarter high enough off his made bed to catch it in his hand.