The worst book I ever read was..

[Invictus]

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

Aside from being a pop psychology book that extrapolates research and case studies (things are rarely so black and white), I felt like it had a terrible theme. All of these hugely successful people happened because they were outliers and there were events out of their control. They were born a few months earlier in the year, they managed to learn to code when it was still new because their school just happened to have a class, etc.

It's not that I don't think some people have a few things line up right, or that some people have more convenient opportunities, but I hated the feeling I got reading the book. It felt like Gladwell was saying that it comes down to not just having a talent, but in being lucky enough to have the opportunity to do that.

And I despise anyone that says it comes down to luck. I believe that if you're willing to sweat and bleed, you can make it work. Maybe you won't hit it huge as a billionaire or Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, but you can make the climb.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Can't say I hate books, I just stop reading them when they don't interest me or contain anything to improve my life.

Think and Grow Rich was one I stopped reading. So was 4HWW.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Gary Vaynerchuk "Crush It" was a mistake because it's dated.

Sad that a lot of books end up this way which is why recent internet content is more valuable. And forums like this.

For me, the centerpiece of my writing is asking myself "Will this be relevant 10 years from now?"

I can't imagine writing a book that has an expiration date simply because Facebook changed their algorithm.

 

[Scot]

Who moved my cheese.

Ugh. This book. I've had this boom forced on me in so many corporate leadership programs.

I HATE this book.

I sent you rep as reparations for you having to read this book.

 

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[ChapoJR]

Too many to name.

After you're done reading the 'top 50' or so business/self-development books, so many just repeat the same sh*t it's ridiculous. Escape the rat race, more to life than college, value your time instead of getting a 9-5, start a business doing something you love, blah blah blah.

The spiel is cool and all, but once you've been fed the 'red pill' so many times, so many of these books are just repetitive BS.

 

[Sean Kaye]

A few of the worst books I've read over the last year - avoid at all costs:

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero - she talks about manifesting shit and vision boards. Not good.

Hacking Growth by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown - Just lame. Apparently, the key to success is experimenting. Duh.

Payoff by Dan Ariely - Just schlock and regurgitated tripe.

Idea to Execution by Ari Meisel and Nick Sonnenberg - This was one big ad for their outsourcing business and they cite numbers that I'm not sure are totally legit.

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday - Everything he writes is pretty verbose and crappy. He quotes a bunch of other people, does very little analysis around it, but just structures it so he sounds smart. I've given up reading his books.

Honourable Mention goes to:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson - the first half of the book was ok, the second half is all over the shop with dating advice, lifestyle wantrepreneur BS and repeating shit from his blog. I am convinced he wrote the book and his publisher said, "Make it bigger" and the second half was tacked on because the first half is tight whereas the second half is a rambling mess.

 

[Andy Black]

I have a load of books on my shelf that I started and didn't get past the first chapter.

I couldn't say if they are bad books or not, just that they weren't the right book for what I was currently working on.

At the minute I find it impossible to read a book. I'm not on some self-imposed non-consumption diet. I lately just find them a distraction from what I need to do.

 

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[jsk29]

I once spent over $1k on a book called Let There Be Range back when I played poker full time. I bought the book because it was hyped up on the poker forums and was co-authored by one of the best high stakes online players of that era. I believed it was an awesome book that revealed the advanced plays I was missing from my game to crush opponents at the tables. In reality, it just led to "fancy play syndrome" and misapplication of theory in situations that rarely occurred at my own stakes. The takeaway was to be skeptical of overhyped, overpriced info products that are marketed as INSIDERS secrets to accelerated profits.

In contrast, the best poker book I've ever read is The Mathematics of Poker. It's an extremely dense book that takes a lot of work to digest, but it's literally the ONLY book you need to study if you wanted to master the game of poker (+ grinding it out at the tables of course). And it's 2% of the price of LTBR.

But Mathematics of Poker isn't sexy. It isn't hyped up and marketed to the average grinder. It takes hard mental effort to get through the pages. It doesn't promise any shortcuts.

The same lesson applies to most business books and info products out there.

 

[G-Man]

Think and Grow Rich was one I stopped reading.

That thing is a total dumpster fire. People talk about it almost like it gave them a religious experience, so I kept all the way to the end, hoping he would get to the damn point. .... He did not.

 

[Almantas]

Was just reading a similar thread on Reddit few days ago. Here's what I found:

I've no doubt Unscripted will be even bigger hit!

P.S. Sorry for stealing your thread - let the rant continue... lol

 

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[G-Man]

Automatic Millionaire by David Bach is the biggest steaming pile of schlock to ever end up in purgatory on my Kindle.

 

[E-Sharp]

yes you guys don't want to hear that but the future belongs to global communism after the failure of capitalism.

Of course. Thanks for reminding us of communism's stellar track record.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Please note:

You can hate a book when you first read it.
If you read it 10 years later, your opinion on it might change.

I find this happening A LOT with movies. Something I first watched in 15 years ago I hated. When I watch it again, I love it.

If you're changing as a person and expanding knowledge, this should happen to you too.

Two books I read YEARS ago that I couldn't stand (or finish) was Good to Great and Art of the Start.

I'm wondering if would enjoy them today.

 

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[tiagosoares17.22]

The Power Of Now.

At the time, this book was being suggested by tons of people. "You gotta read this book", "oh, it's a fantastic book", "I just finished to read the power of now and it was amazing". I was seeing this all over the place and I thought - I have to check it. After 30 pages I couldn't continue. It was just too repetitive.

The issue was, at that time, I was basically getting started with self-development and I wasn't prepared and ready to absorb and value such information. To be honest, until now I haven't read it again, but I now understand a lot more and better what he meant. And I found ways to practice being present, more consciously.

I guess I might be confusing some of you.

The point is: Sometimes, we are not ready to certain information. And from there, one can lower the value and importance of a message because of the lack of understanding.

The book wasn't bad, it was just not the right time for me.

 

[Sean Kaye]

Can't say I hate books, I just stop reading them when they don't interest me or contain anything to improve my life.

Think and Grow Rich was one I stopped reading. So was 4HWW.

Yeah good point - I stopped reading "You Are A Badass" about 20% of the way through. She started rambling on about vision boards and manifesting money, so I couldn't handle it anymore. Same with "Hacking Growth" - at about 20% of the way in I went, "This is BS" and stopped it.

Interesting about "Think and Grow Rich" and "4HWW" - in many respects both are fraudulent. Napoleon Hill was a con man. And Tim Ferriss openly admits that he's a workaholic who often puts in 80 hour weeks. I felt with both those books, the fraudulent nature of the authors came through which led me to disliking them.

4HWW was one I forced myself to finish because everyone raved about it, I needed to see if I was missing something.

 

[TonyStark]

All of the sequels to RDPD were pretty awful, in my opinion.

 

[ZCP]

Who moved my cheese.

 

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[MiguelHammond10]

A book that many literary critics and book reviewers say is a timeless classic, while I say it is complete garbage and hands down the worst book I have ever read. I know everybody has read a few books that they disliked or just completely hated. Well, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is that book for me. Let’s just say my dislike for this book is as deep as Biff Tannen’s hate for Marty McFly.

 

[ZF Lee]

Can't say I hate books, I just stop reading them when they don't interest me or contain anything to improve my life.

Think and Grow Rich was one I stopped reading. So was 4HWW.

Same here!
Think and Grow Rich overhyped perseverance and persistence. Although both virtues are good, if you put all your efforts in the wrong system or route, you'd be F*cked. Fastlane solved that for me. That is not to say I detest hard work or diligence, it's just that they are not everything.

The 4HWW and the Laptop Millionaire led me into the world of outsourcing, ebooks, webinars and blogs. At first I was dazzled by the possibilities of earning dough online, passive, which involved skills I had such as writing and video.

After TMF , I realised that some of the tactics suggested were actually one-time endeavours that just wouldn't result in anything tangible, be it a good business or wealth. At the end of the day, I would be taking, taking, taking via Internet BRO-marketing, and I would end up having nothing to show for my work.

The 4HWW isn't a criminal book, to be clear. Or even the Laptop Millionaire. It's just that both were presented in the wrong context....the wrong context of 'take all the money', avoidance of the challenges and responsibilities that come with realistic business ventures, online or not.

MJ, you even described 4HWW in the reader reflections via terms such as 'subterfuge and nefarious schemes'...very apt.

All of the sequels to RDPD were pretty awful, in my opinion.

RDPD and the series is for ignorant people who have next to no common sense on wealth generation or business lol. I am giving such a harsh opinion because it took me FOUR books to realise that it was all just rehash stuff. My comprehension and critical thinking skills were at an all time low at that point lol.

The book 'Business of the 21st century' which talks about network marketing was alarmingly cringey and very biased as it did not discuss the lack of control and the lower probabilities of success in the field.

Six Months to Six Figures was a washout. Lacked material depth. Same goes for the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Although the latter focuses on resourcefulness in entrepreneurship, the entire book just felt like a wall of text. I was very disappointed to find that I was deceived by TPE's claim that it was a 'cult classic'. Damn you, marketing.

Likewise, Outliers by Malcolm Galdwell was overly focused on the role of luck and coincidence. It didn't even produce any viable suggestions on what we can do to control our probabilities of success! I felt so F*cking depressed after reading the first few pages that I deleted the damn thing. If the world were really constructed based on the Outlier's philosophy, we'd be F*cked.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Let there be range completely ruined my poker career.

What specifically was this book telling you to do that ruined your career? Genuinely curious.

And Tim Ferriss openly admits that he's a workaholic who often puts in 80 hour weeks.

Yea, one look at his body of work / accomplishments and you can tell the dude is a productivity machine who probably only TAKES OFF 4 hours a week. Oh the irony.

Atlas Shrugged is another one I couldn't finish, too boring.

I didn't make it through Fountainhead. Love its message and theme, but the long verbosity was putting me to sleep.

 

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[garyjsmith]

"Inversion is a powerful thinking tool because it puts a spotlight on errors and roadblocks that are not obvious at first glance. What if the opposite was true? What if I focused on a different side of this situation? Instead of asking how to do something, ask how to not do it." -- James Clear

It can often be seen that many are looking for the right books, whether to change a mindset or uncover the path of ease. Here, I hope we can answer the question: What have we learned from the worst books?

What was your takeaway from that experience? Why did you purchase the book in the first place? Was it by recommendation? Did you believe it was a 'good book' until you found opposing information, or maybe a contrary opinion from an associate?

 

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[ZCP]

Ugh. This book. I've had this boom forced on me in so many corporate leadership programs.
I HATE this book.
I sent you rep as reparations for you having to read this book.

Not sure HATE is strong enough word. You would have thought this book was the 5th gospel the way it was built up.
Corporate latched onto this like it was the new Carnegie or something.
Uhgh.... i may skip lunch now just thinking about it.....

 

[MidwestLandlord]

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

One of my favorite books, actually. ^^^

Think and Grow Rich is one of the only books I've never finished. Complete garbage.

Atlas Shrugged is another one I couldn't finish, too boring.

 

[Fpm9]

I enjoyed 4HW but I can't take the author seriously since I read one of his article about how he "gained 34lbs of muscle in 4 weeks going to the gym 4 hours a week and without steroids"

 

[VentureVoyager]

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. And all of his creations.
Might be a great inspiration for a 12-year old kid who has never had a chance to read a real book before, but I remember being shocked by the pointlessness and overall naivity of this pseudo-intellectual gibberish, along with the highly irritating style of his narration...and I was 12 at the time, too. Have never finished reading this hogwash, I felt that it was too childhish, or written by someone who is constantly high.
And I used to read a lot in my early teenage years: Julius Verne, Bulhakov, Jostein Gaarder, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, etc.
The best way to put it would be "so banal it hurts". It's a perfect example of a "the sun rises, and then the sun sets" or "fire is hot, but water is wet" type of book.

Some amazingly deep quotes from this vastly touching piece of art, to give you a taste:

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

“No project is completed until its objective has been achieved.”

“Not everyone can see his dreams come true in the same way.”

“And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.”

“Nobody is worth your tears, and the one who is won't make you cry”

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

“This is what we call love. When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there's no need at all to understand what's happening, because everything happens within you.”

“Sometimes there's just no way to hold back the river.”

“We are afraid of losing what we have.”

“To die tomorrow was no worse than dying on any other day. Every day was there to be lived or to mark one’s departure from this world.”

“When you possess great treasures within you and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.”

“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”

"I have been told that beauty is the great seducer of men.”

Ready to vomit? Yes, these are real quotes from the book.
And that's just the tip of the wisdom iceberg.
Basically every single page consists of these deeply touching and eye-opening ultra powerful life-changing pieces of wisdom along the lines of "The Boy discovered that the sand was dry on the desert, and indeed, The Universe can be vast and big, and The Soul of The World and the Warriors of Light can realize their dreams on this planet. There's no need to speak when there's no one around. The boy remembered that the sky is blue and followed his dream."
Ok, these last three sentences were my take on his writing style, but basically this is how painful it is to read.

To be fair, there are also some valuable quotes in the book, for instance:
“What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.
"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.”

But those few good fragments can't change the fact that overall, it sucks.
It's better to just look for the quotes on the internet than wasting your time by trying to go through this book. Unless you are a masochist, or need somebody to tell you that happiness feels happy and that some people can be sad.

 

[Cashflow Queen]

"Inversion is a powerful thinking tool because it puts a spotlight on errors and roadblocks that are not obvious at first glance. What if the opposite was true? What if I focused on a different side of this situation? Instead of asking how to do something, ask how to not do it." -- James Clear

It can often be seen that many are looking for the right books, whether to change a mindset or uncover the path of ease. Here, I hope we can answer the question: What have we learned from the worst books?

What was your takeaway from that experience? Why did you purchase the book in the first place? Was it by recommendation? Did you believe it was a 'good book' until you found opposing information, or maybe a contrary opinion from an associate?

Gee so many people posted on here a lot of hate on books that literally changed my life. I’ve read almost all mentioned and they impact me in at least ONE way...one idea or nugget of wisdom always sticks years down the road. I don’t think you should listen to the naysayers, read Amazon reviews and see what’s up. Whether you like the book or think it’s a waste is completely based on YOU and where you are at in YOUR life and business. Often I come back to go through books I read a year ago and realize new facets to the book I had breezed by earlier when I was not ready for that piece of information or thought it was useless. Reading these reviews you can tell much more about the poster than about the book. But for sure you should never be arrogant about gaining wisdom. Especially if the author is more successful than you. How can you learn if you already closed your mind to it?

 

[Olimac21]

Start with why by Simon Sinek. Main message and Ted Talk very good/relevant, the book however is super repetitive.

 

[TonyStark]

• Anything by Malcolm Gladwell
• Anything by Tai Lopez
• Anything by Tony Robbins
• Anything by Grant Cardone
• Anything by Tim Ferris
• Anything with the word 'Startup' in it

 

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[Mr.Rob]

Also 95% of all sales books =

 

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[Zarathustra]

Atlas Shrugged

Fountainhead

This. Ayn Rand novels are honestly just self-masturbation for businesspeople, no different than romance novels are for middle aged women. I get it, capitalism is good and business makes the world great, but nobody needs to read some winding 1000 page narrative about it when a 125 page non-fiction book could do.