An aggressive/assertive personal development book on getting out of your head and the endless loop of negative chatter that goes out. The core messageAn aggressive/assertive personal development book on getting out of your head and the endless loop of negative chatter that goes out. The core message is taking responsibility for your life and take action. The author has some core affirmation which are the blueprint for the messaging which are: I am willing, I am wired to win, I got this, I embrace uncertainty, I am not my thoughts, I am what I do, I am relentless, I expect nothing and accept everything....more
Ask More examines the art and power of asking questions. Frank Sesno infuses his journalistic approach into dissecting other journalists, radio hosts,Ask More examines the art and power of asking questions. Frank Sesno infuses his journalistic approach into dissecting other journalists, radio hosts, company executives, politicians and entrepreneurs go about asking the right questions to reveal the right answers. The examples used are rich and engaging and the book does a good job of highlighting patterns and potential principles of different categories of questions. I learned a lot from ask more and plan to read it again soon as there are more questions I have for the book....more
A blend of memoir, personal development and a glimpse into the radio personality hustle. Charlamagne Tha God writes a hilarious, yet serious book abouA blend of memoir, personal development and a glimpse into the radio personality hustle. Charlamagne Tha God writes a hilarious, yet serious book about creating opportunities and seeking and speaking your truth.You get a look into the day to day and culture dynamics of the radio and entertainment business and lessons on how principles and values set you apart and need to be cultivated on a consistent basis....more
Story of the U.S Coast Guard's heroic rescue of crew from two sinking oil tankers off the New England coast. I must have read too much historical survStory of the U.S Coast Guard's heroic rescue of crew from two sinking oil tankers off the New England coast. I must have read too much historical survival stories by now as it felt like I wasn’t about to get hooked by this story. I feel it may have more relevance to people of that area if who have family or friends in the coast guard or with naval connection....more
Marketing is a game of perception. The laws of marketing attempt to uncover marketing principles, most of which are standing up well against time, asMarketing is a game of perception. The laws of marketing attempt to uncover marketing principles, most of which are standing up well against time, as the book was published over 20 years ago, looking at the marketing failures of some major companies and identifying the marketing laws in which they violated. Reading this has changed my “perception” of marketing, developing and selling products. It’s an overall great business and marketing book which is worth re-reading....more
An interesting thought experiment and story that ponders the idea of having a conversation with someone who may know everything in the universe. It liAn interesting thought experiment and story that ponders the idea of having a conversation with someone who may know everything in the universe. It links intelligence to a measure of how well you function within your level of awareness and how sharp your perception of reality really is. I was captivated by the philosophical and scientific implications around the conversations and it’s impact on religion and faith....more
A defining trait in our species is the will to strive forward. Kalanithi captures that with his posthumously published book that he wrote while dyingA defining trait in our species is the will to strive forward. Kalanithi captures that with his posthumously published book that he wrote while dying of stage IV lung cancer and through that journey trying to more deeply understand the purpose of his work, the life he has lived and has left to live, and the lives and identities he has been entrusted to save and protect as a neurosurgeon. Kalanithi writes and poetic and philosophical memoir as his personal reflection on the challenge of facing death head-on while being both the doctor and the patient....more
Brand lays out a poetic, vulnerable, humble and resilient book on the topic of facing our addictions. Using the lens of his experience dealing with muBrand lays out a poetic, vulnerable, humble and resilient book on the topic of facing our addictions. Using the lens of his experience dealing with multiple forms of addiction he revisits his journey through the 12-steps program and reframes it for a broader appeal. Acceptance, structure, intention and effort are a necessary part of working towards recovery, "If you don't choose to work a conscious program, you are being worked by an unconscious program.”. Explore what you do to escape, self-soothe, or fill voids and you made find a deep and twisting habit that’s like a parasite on your life. A number of people are not honest with their addictions and don’t realize that there is a much wider spectrum of additions and not just the ones we often vilify. Self-Awareness, self-compassion, empathy, and gratitudes are some key emotions I feel Russell Brand displays in this book in addition to his humor and eloquent communication style to make this an engaging and powerful book....more
The focus of this book is on building deep parent-child relationships but could be applied to family relationships in general. Business or other profeThe focus of this book is on building deep parent-child relationships but could be applied to family relationships in general. Business or other professional success can often put one in a mental scarcity trap for time, leading you to spend less time with one’s children or other family members. The Family Board Meeting is a concept towards making and prioritizing consistent time to cultivate deeper family relationships. Three steps the book purposes are one on one time and not necessarily group outings, no electronics, and fun and engaging activities for at least a four hour period. The book focuses this advice in the frame of a parent with their child since I have no children, I re-framed this advice towards my relationship with my younger brother. The same amount of high importance we put towards big business meetings or key individuals we should direct towards family members we want to cultivate a deep relationship with. The book is short and I felt it lacked depth. It could have easily been a blog post and gotten a majority of the point across. Still, it’s a powerful concept that’s simple and sticks and I got value and will work on implementing this....more
Discipline equals freedom gets straight to the point and encapsulates Jocko’s core beliefs around getting the job done on a mental and physical level.Discipline equals freedom gets straight to the point and encapsulates Jocko’s core beliefs around getting the job done on a mental and physical level. The book is formatted in a way that reflects how Jocko speaks, so you’ll have to adapt to the text with Jocko’s voice in mind. The book reads as an assertive, no excuse personal development book crafted by a warrior. There is not much depth behind the chapters or explorations of concepts. The problems and solutions are framed in terms of a battle, both internal and external, leveraging the body and mind. I didn’t feel like I learned anything new, as I was familiar with Jocko and his views, but the book can serve as a reflection and meditation in mental toughness....more
The Rational Male seems to mix bro science and game with pseudo-evolutionary psychological examination of inter-gender relationships. The author focusThe Rational Male seems to mix bro science and game with pseudo-evolutionary psychological examination of inter-gender relationships. The author focuses on the Alpha & Beta male dichotomy and how the feminization of men has created more Betas to somehow serve the feminine imperative and framing of relationships. I disagree with much of the author's points, but in an effort to expose myself to more controversial areas to stress test and or reflect upon my values, I persisted through this book. Much of the book seems to be based on weak foundations, artfully written to sound academic. However, there was a handful of eye-opening point of views that provided me some value from reading despite disagreeing with much of the book. In particular, I enjoyed the author's dismissal of the concept of a Soul Mate, which he references as “ONEitis”, power dynamics and dependency, positive and learning views towards rejection, focus on commitment and respect towards oneself, seeking out genuine interest and controlling the frame in which you operate....more
An alternative teaching of an involved topic, aimed at beginners to learn financial statements and the fundamental accounting operations of a businessAn alternative teaching of an involved topic, aimed at beginners to learn financial statements and the fundamental accounting operations of a business. I appreciated the author's creativity in trying to explain financial and accounting concepts through illustrations. If you have sufficient experience in business, this book might be too beginner level and can be skipped. Early year business school students or employees who haven’t taken business schools seem to be the target audience....more
I’ve been making an effort to read more books that attempt to break apart the view of the self and view of the world and Sam’s book shook my mind. TheI’ve been making an effort to read more books that attempt to break apart the view of the self and view of the world and Sam’s book shook my mind. The main argument is that Free Will is an illusion and our wills are simply not of our own making. We do not have the awareness and control to trace back much of the proceeding thoughts, intentions, neurophysiological events or other prior causes that cause us to think or behave in a certain way. We are poor witnesses to our own experiences he argues and that other people can learn more from observing our actions that we sometimes can figure out from ourselves. Genes, mental condition, environment and a number of other uncontrollable circumstances can trigger a number of behavioral patterns that fly under our awareness radar. Much of our society is built on the idea of free will and believing otherwise could have tremendous consequences in the justice system, religion, and other institutions where personal responsibility is an absolute choice....more
Cryptoassets is a groundbreaking and approachable book explaining the what, why and how to invest in cryptocurrencies exploring blockchain based technCryptoassets is a groundbreaking and approachable book explaining the what, why and how to invest in cryptocurrencies exploring blockchain based technology using top cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, ripple, monero, dash, and zcash as case studies. I felt a similar excitement and mind-opening bliss reading this, to how I felt reading the Intelligent investor years ago. The new era of innovative investors can consider cryptocurrencies as an alternative asset class to invest in using a disciplined and principled approach. The early internet ushered in a new wave of companies and innovations and cryptocurriences are positioning themselves to do similar. However, with the web, most of the value was captured in the application layer from the companies that built on top of the shared protocols of the internet (TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, etc). With blockchain, most of the value is captured on protocol layer, i.e the Bitcoin network, which reward participants in the network a share of the network value via cryptographically secured and accessible tokens.
Cryptoassets provides a framework and various mental models to start thinking about cryptocurrency valuation so you can cultivate independent thought around your investments and research. Some of the criteria and resources outlined to use for fundamental analysis of cryptoassets are identifying it’s potential utility via the technical white paper, or it’s use in the community, it's decentralization edge and security model, the current valuation & supply, it’s issuance model, it’s community and developers base, it’s relation to it’s digital siblings, exchange and wallet support, trading pairs, miner decentralization, number of transactions and user adoption.
The authors break down the assets types of cryptocurriences using digital commodities (cryptocommodities), provisioning raw digital resources, i.e Ethereum, or digital tokens (cryptotokens), provisioning finished digital goods and services, bitcoin. Decentralization and security are primary features of blockchain technology and the book does a great job at explaining other differing value propositions of each of the top cryptoassets.
The book also does a great job and providing historical context and the technical evolution and core value proposition behind each of the cryptoassets it uses for case study. The financial history and comparison was enlightening and highlighted the staying power and performance of Bitcoin including how it has performed against other alternative investments. Another strong inclusion in this book was information around Portfolio Theory, Asset Allocation and Risk Management, things often overlooked and underestimated by investors.
A core principle behind Graham’s Intelligent Investor is to focus on the inherent value of an investment without getting caught in the irrational behavior of the markets. The book talks about investment speculation, and how individuals speculating is less dangerous than the speculation of the crowds or speculation fueled by a ton of leverage and credit. As well as how to spot Ponzi schemes and various ways to store and protect your cryptoassets. It also explores ICOs which have been the source of great speculation as well opportunities.
Overall, I am really impressed with the level of research and detail put into this book which felt like a companion analyst and I highly recommend it. I have a finance background and still came out learning more about finance and investing. I have been exposed to the crypto-space and received, even more, exposure and insights from this book. The depth, quality, and clarity of cryptoassets make it a great book for beginners and experts alike....more
Neil Gaiman, is such a talented writer and displays his craft in this colorful retelling of Norse Mythology, highlighting the stories of Thor and LokiNeil Gaiman, is such a talented writer and displays his craft in this colorful retelling of Norse Mythology, highlighting the stories of Thor and Loki. Ancient mythology has inspired a lot of fantasy fiction and the stories are both entertaining and wise. Some of the stories I found myself zoning in and out of, but I though roughly enjoyed most of the stories that included Loki and his clever schemes....more
A very thorough primer on the art and biology of Bonsai trees filled with images and descriptions of the various types of trees and styles for growingA very thorough primer on the art and biology of Bonsai trees filled with images and descriptions of the various types of trees and styles for growing your own or maintaining a Bonsai. The author takes an iterative and foundation based approach for explaining how trees work and the plant chemistry that goes and how you can learn to "feel" the health of your tree. From the various seasonal tasks to choosing a tree, pot and learning how to prune and wiring a tree to recovering an ill tree, I felt much more confident about Bonsai care after reading this book. A plant care directory is also included that lists many variations of trees to learn how to take care of your specific type of Bonsai....more
A deep cast of characters and a well thought out mystery novel. After a snowdrift leaves a train filled strained on the tracks, a murder takes place aA deep cast of characters and a well thought out mystery novel. After a snowdrift leaves a train filled strained on the tracks, a murder takes place and one of the passengers, detective Hercule Poirot has to investigate the other passengers to find the murderer before the train reaches it's destination. As a reader, it was hard to pinpoint the culprit and the author lays a number of traps to have your mind going for a spin....more
As a technologist and investor in Bitcoin, coming from a value investing background, I felt uncomfortable getting lucky investing in Bitcoin based onAs a technologist and investor in Bitcoin, coming from a value investing background, I felt uncomfortable getting lucky investing in Bitcoin based on speculation as it was hard to wrap my mind around the utility and potential of Bitcoin. Reading Mastering Bitcoin has significantly improved my understanding of the Protocol where I finally feel like I’m starting to get it. The book goes over the technicals of how Bitcoin works from keys, addresses, wallets & transactions, the scripting language, the blockchain, the bitcoin network, mining, bitcoin security and more. This is a technical book, and the examples take some understanding of Computer Science, high-level cryptography, Networking, statistics, and mathematics to follow through as Andreas drills down into the underlying technical implementations behind the core features of the protocol. The book is still approachable if you don’t know how to code, but can understand technical abstractions. It was fascinating to journey through the layering of the technology and evolution to solve complex decentralization and security problems. The book has a lot of additional references and graphs to bring additional context to the what, where, how and why certain things are done in Bitcoin which made the material easier to absorb...more
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