What book are you reading? Right now. Post up!

[Bearcorp]

Currently a third the way through “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama, really enjoyable book to read and a fascinating insight into his journey to becoming President

 

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[redshift]

Usually such philosophy is delivered in a very contemplative style (like Michael Singer), not particularly concerned with performance in a physical endeavor. It’s nice to see this applied to a context that requires smart effort, action, and peak performance.

Check out "Stillness is the Key" by Ryan Holiday. It has a bunch of examples of mindfulness applied to endeavors that require peak performance (sports, business, etc).

Another one I'm reading is "Just Breathe" by Dan Brule. More about breathwork, but really it's about a Navy Seal who was deep into meditation. It's presented in a way with peak performance in mind.

I've read a few more like this also but can't remember the names off the top of my head right now.

 

[Antifragile]

At the recommendation of @Kak I just started reading The Science of Success by Charles Koch

 

[Kak]

At the recommendation of @Kak I just started reading The Science of Success by Charles Koch
View attachment 42822

Freaking game changing management book. Literally no other management book is on this wavelength and it makes incredible sense.

I think the invention of this management style will ripple through industries for centuries. What the Gutenberg press did for the flow of information, Charles probably did for management. It’s a shame that few want to listen.

 

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[redshift]

Freaking game changing management book. Literally no other management book is on this wavelength and it makes incredible sense.

I think the invention of this management style will ripple through industries for centuries. What the Gutenberg press did for the flow of information, Charles probably did for management. It’s a shame that few want to listen.

He's got a newer book - "Good Profit". Seems to have the same subtitle. Is that a better pick?

 

[Antifragile]

He's got a newer book - "Good Profit". Seems to have the same subtitle. Is that a better pick?

I've read it a while back and liked it a lot. That's why when @Kak suggested "The Science of Success" it was a no brainer to add it to the list. In short, read both?!

 

[Woosah]

The lessons are priceless. Here’s just one:

“It is perplexing to wonder why we ever leave the here and now. Here and now are the only place and time when one ever enjoys himself or accomplishes anything. Most of our suffering takes place when we allow our minds to imagine the future or mull over the past. Nonetheless, few people are ever satisfied with what is before them at the moment. Our desire that things be different from what they are pulls our minds into an unreal world, and subsequently we are less able to appreciate what the present has to offer. Our minds leave the reality of the present only when we prefer the unreality of the past or future.”

I get the message and agree with what's said, just don't like the wording of the first sentence. Even though I've used those very same words myself in the past (I have it in my own book as well), and can probably still catch myself sometimes using them today, there is no moment outside the here and now.

This realization is only seeping deeper for me as time goes on.

Those thoughts of the past or future, they're all happening here, right now. It's just I'm using my mind's faculty of memory or imagination, rather than perception.

 

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[Woosah]

For the topic of the thread though...
I just recently finished Ego is the Enemy and Will's autobiography.
Currently reading Inner Engineering by Sadhguru

 

[Kak]

He's got a newer book - "Good Profit". Seems to have the same subtitle. Is that a better pick?

Also a phenomenal book, but Science of Success is special. He goes deep into what he coins as “Market Based Management” which essentially studies human behavior, and Dedree McLusky’s concept of the Great Enrichment and how that doesn’t just apply to macro society but also on a micro level within individual companies.

He is literally the first person that decided to run a company with this understanding and implementing these concepts. The power of the concept speaks for itself. Every year they up on the competition. No one does that!

To top it off, he takes this recipe for ridiculous growth and hands it to all of us readers on a silver platter. Amazing man.

 

[MitchC]

James Dyson - invention, a life

So far I’m finding it incredibly difficult to read, he’s just rushing through all these different historical moment and inventions and all these people.

I just kind of have to force myself to blast through it rather than keep thinking who was that again, where did this guy suddenly appear from etc.

I hope it gets better and easier to read.

It’s almost the total opposite of Mr China which I sped through easily and could not put down.

I will say though, it is interesting, the history of these inventions and companies he’s talking about, and it is interesting to hear his experienced insight, what he learned from them and how he thinks about them.

His personality is coming through as well, he’s ripping into politicians and British people and all sorts of things which I’m enjoying.

I just really hope this is some kind of really long introduction and the rest of the book gets a lot easier to follow and read as it becomes more focused on him.

Just an update on this, probably the very page after I wrote this the book got really good.

It just switched into a chronological account of his business journey and became much easier to read.

And what a story he has.

One of the takeaways is that he ignores market research and does everything differently. He can do this because he owns the whole company.

People in focus groups with new products might say they don’t like something, but then you do it and put it on the market and turns out everyone loves it.

A couple things that surprised me was 1, how innovative and focused on innovation and engineering Dyson is, which you can tell from the products they’ve made, but not to the level that this book explains.

You might see oh he made a better vacuum, or hand dryer. But to do that he entirely reinvented how vacuum cleaners work, and to do that he had to prove that all the leading experts at the time were wrong because all their studies said it wouldn’t work.

He also reinvented how electric motors work to make them way smaller and way more powerful. At a cost of like 100m, when there was no real need since the current ones worked and the new ones would be way more expensive.

And 2, he owns the whole company, started it from nothing, invented a new type of vacuum cleaner in his garage, and now spends billions on developing new ideas and hiring engineers.

And 3, we take for granted so many products. The first part of the book is talking about different things and it just kind of brushes over how he made a new boat trailer and the existing models used some kind of seat belt straps and weren’t that easy to use. Now we just take it for granted that you use ratchet straps and trailers are fairly simple and well designed. Vacuums would be another obvious one since that’s his main product, old vacuum cleaners absolutely sucked.

 

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[Woosah]

Metaphysically, maybe. Generally when we say that you are present or in the here and now, it means the opposite of being stuck in your thoughts… meaning following a reactive pattern of thoughts that you can’t control. Being stuck in your thoughts is different than using your faculty of memory and imagination… it means that your memory and imagination are using you.

As I said, I get the message and agree with what's said, just don't like the wording.

Funny that you felt a need to explain what it meant to me though, even after reading that

 

[Black_Dragon43]

As I said, I get the message and agree with what's said, just don't like the wording.

Funny that you felt a need to explain what it meant to me though, even after reading that

What can I say, I’m a very needy person!

 

[Kak]

I've read it a while back and liked it a lot. That's why when @Kak suggested "The Science of Success" it was a no brainer to add it to the list. In short, read both?!

His newest is actually “Believe in People” which again, is another phenomenal book.

Few billionaires take the time to leave not just a business legacy, but a methodological legacy as well. The only other billionaire, in my opinion, that has come close to Charles Koch with the detailed methodological approach he takes to life is Ray Dalio, and I’m still far more impressed with Charles.

I’m convinced that he might, a century from now, become known as the greatest CEO to ever live, if MBM is widely adopted. The father of MBM, the concept that made the world that much better.

 

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[AristotlesPupil]

The Personal MBA, Josh Kaufman
How to Fight a Hydra, Josh Kaufman

They are amazing. The second one is quick to read but dense in content, give it a shot

 

[MTF]

Reading this now and enjoying his perspectives on many things even though I don't agree with everything he believes in (which is completely fine with him as he's 100% against the current "outrage" culture, polarization, and people being unable to listen to someone who may have a different opinion):



I have a feeling that many people on this forum would love this book. He tackles the Twitter mob, the entitled and weak modern generation, and in general a lack of many desirable qualities that help individuals build a better society.

Note: I have ZERO interest in US politics and don't care what kind of a politician he is. That's beside the point.

 

[BigRomeDawg]

Thinking in Bets - Loving this so far.

Life isn't like Chess, despite how often people use metaphors to compare them. In Chess, at any given time, we have all the information required to make a decision, and there are correct and incorrect choices.

Life is more like Poker, where you make decisions without having all the information, and the choices are never "correct" or "incorrect", but have different probabilities of success. Good decisions can have a bad result, and vice versa. There's a lot out of your control and a big element of chance.

Annie Duke, a professional poker player, turns this metaphor into practical life and business advice.

 

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[Daniel.]

This isn't the typical book recommended but I have to post the book that literally changed my life. I finished this in one sitting (while hungover) and literally stopped drinking after having trouble cutting it out completely. I DO NOT live in temptation at all, I have completely changed my mindset towards alcohol - and has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I haven't had a drink in about 5 years

COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE

This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life - Kindle edition by Grace, Annie. Professional & Technical Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Buy This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Boogie]

Life is more like Poker, where you make decisions without having all the information, and the choices are never "correct" or "incorrect", but have different probabilities of success. Good decisions can have a bad result, and vice versa. There's a lot out of your control and a big element of chance.

It sounds like an interesting book. I'll add it to the list.

Not to get off topic, but a related blog post is:

Expected Value: Millionaire's Math

I remember when I was nearing my graduation from college. I was 22 years old. Other than partying, all anyone was thinking about was what the heck they were going to do with their lives. “What should I do next?” … Continued

foreverjobless.com

 

[starttoday123]

Surrounded by idiots by Thomas Erickson was worth the read about communicating with different types of people

“You help other people understand you by creating a secure arena for communication—on their terms.”

 

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[Felix Nachem]

Limitless : By Jim Kwik

 

[MTF]

In his memoir, Dean Stott details his life in the relentless pursuit of excellence. He was an operator in the Special Boat Service and later a security expert working in various hot spots around the world.

In an effort to reinvent himself while still performing at an elite level, he decided to break the World Guiness Record of the fastest cycle journey of the Pan American Highway (a 14,000 mile/22,500 km route that stretches from Argentina to Alaska, passing through some of the most dangerous countries in the world).

Quite enjoyable, particularly the second half of the book when he covers all the meticulous preparations for his long cycle journey. His work as a security expert was also interesting to read (and sometimes distressing - the guy was so used to death even the death of his father didn't impact him).

---

Now switching to endurance athletes and currently reading this:



--

As a side note, this year I'm on pace to read the most books I've ever read in a single year. As of today, I've finished 21 since January, mostly memoirs and autobiographies. I also re-read two books so I guess I can count that as well. Perhaps just for the fun of it I should set a goal to read 100 this year

 

[mistico]

This book teaches finding and validating a problem, developing an initial small-scale solution, and scaling a long-term solution.

 

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[Angler]

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazi and Tahl Raz.
THIS BOOK SLAPS!
From what I've read so far it's a process oriented book(build lasting 1 relationship at a time). It oozes positive vibe after the preface.
Consider this was the ending to preface:
1. Go on a Learning Safari: Everyone has something to teach. Everyone has something to learn. Take an intellectual, spiritual, and creative journey.
2. Build Friendships: Summit Series isn’t about networking; it’s about building lifelong friends. The people around you are amazing. Get to know them.
3. Embrace Synchronicity: The unexpected moments are often the most meaningful. Embrace them.
4. Show Love: Summit Series is about character, not résumés. Show love to the start-ups, and don’t fanboy the big-timers.
5. Have Fun: If it’s not fun, it doesn’t count.

A few days from now I'll edit this with a quick summary.

Edit:
If you've read MJ's books, then you might get triggered by the surface of this book(especially the first few chapters). A lot of slowlane and side walk ideology being thrown around(the appeal is to the majority); however, if you can swallow your bias and stick to it, the major lessons are still VERY important to entrepreneurship and the lifestyle that follows.
1) Be a damn good person, give for a sake of giving, not to keep score. Relationship like other things is a process and there may be drought seasons before you get a bountiful harvest(trust/loyalty).
2) Relationship/networking is not a scarce commodity. The more you connect someone in need with someone who can help them, the stronger these bonds become.(again be a giver!) I've seen this happen on this forum SOOO many times, an at one point I was wondering if the legendary contributors here co-penned this book LOL.
3) Don't have small talks because it's the "norm", talk about something that the other person has some feeling toward or something you value(screening for shared value). This makes conversation DAMN exciting, and not a "hey, how are you" type of thing.
4) ALWAYS, have value to GIVE. Value is the oil to networking cog. If you can bring some sort of value that the other person may find appealing--excitement, connection, joy, a service, etc...-- you're already on your way.

I probably miss a few more key lessons, but these are the one still fresh in my mind. Toodles.

 

[LifeisSuffering]

UltraLearning by Scott H.Young

 

[Guyfieri5]

Going through Wild at Heart by John Eldredge at the moment. Have read the book before but go through it again every couple of years. Excellent read.

 

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[Silverfox148]

Non Fiction
The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

Life changing book for me, it's given me a ton of mental freedom and is helping me to peel off layers I have had since 7 years old. I recommend this to anyone, even if you don't think you have suffered trauma.

Non Fiction/Entertainment
The Underground Empire - David Mills

Old book, my second time reading it, multiple stories told from multiple POVs, it's about the governmental/drug connections/drug industry, spans multiple continents, huge book.

 

[MrE]

I have added six books to my audible wish list just by scrolling through the last few pages of this thread. Thank you all for the great recommendations!

I just finished Four Thousand Weeks for the second time.

Also the Unf*ck series by Gary John Bishop

 

[redshift]

I just finished Four Thousand Weeks for the second time.

I liked the message of this book but felt like it had twice as many pages as it needed. The author had a very rambling tone at times as well. Worth a read nevertheless.

 

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[Antifragile]

 

[xShepherdx]

Currently reading through The 50th Law by 50 Cent & Robert Greene.

The book is about overcoming fearlessness and is my favorite book by Greene, and easily in the top 5 books I've ever read.