Book Recs and Wisdom
Below are some books that have influenced my thinking or that I’ve found interesting. I’ve included some nuggets of wisdom so you can get some value out of the list itself. I’m not saying I don’t have confidence in you reading these, but on the other hand a little TLDR is always appreciated. Just looking out for you ;)
These days I mainly listen to books using Scribd and audible. Scribd is great because it's “unlimited” books for $10. While it has most books, it occasionally doesn't have newer releases (in which case I use Audible as a last resort). It’s nice to be able to learn while doing perfunctory things like dishes or packing.
With all that out of the way, here we go…
Wisdom/ Psychology
"The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" https://www.navalmanack.com/ (free)
This is a great compilation of Naval’s content (blog posts, interviews, etc). It’s overflowing with wisdom and interesting ideas. It tackles topics like building wealth & happiness.
"The only true test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life.”
“A busy calendar and a busy mind will destroy your ability to create anything great.”
“Play long-term games with long-term people. All returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest.”
“When you’re healthy you have 10000 needs, but when you’re sick you only have one need.”
“If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100 percent swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous.”
“Escape competition through authenticity.”
"The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/376765355
“Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others.”
“Do Not Live to Satisfy the Expectations of Others”
“It’s that you are disliked by someone. It is proof that you are exercising your freedom and living in freedom, and a sign that you are living in accordance with your own principles.”
‘The important thing is not what one is born with, but what use one makes of that equipment.”
"101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/386390631
Each chapter is a different essay that is about 5 minutes long. Nice to be able to throw on and get bite size complete essays that help you reflect and grow.
“Your habits create your mood, and your mood is a filter through which you experience your life.”
“What if you've already received everything you've ever wanted, but you've been so focused ahead that you haven't even noticed?”
“Life is not a series of problems to be solved, it’s a journey that you should be fascinated by.”
“Your soulmate is really this: the person who brings out your inner child. The person who makes you feel so truly safe that the kid inside you can come out.”
“Atomic Habits by James Clear” https://www.audible.com/pd/1524779261
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
“Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.”
"How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/487100748
This is one of the best books I’ve read on the world of magic. It covers history, principals, magicians, types of magic, etc. It also is about creativity and passion…”Sometimes magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect.” - Teller
Nature via Nurture: Genes, experience and what makes us human https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054J9CLK/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_50R0H3EY0ECAP4QXQJZM
“Nurture depends on genes, too, and genes need nurture. Genes not only predetermine the broad structure of the brain; they also absorb formative experiences, react to social cues and even run memory. They are consequences as well as causes of the will.”
"Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/477567281
“According to Girard, humans don’t desire anything independently. Human desire is mimetic—we imitate what other people want. This affects the way we choose partners, friends, careers, clothes, and vacation destinations. Mimetic desire is responsible for the formation of our very identities. It explains the enduring relevancy of Shakespeare’s plays, why Peter Thiel decided to be the first investor in Facebook, and why our world is growing more divided as it becomes more connected.”
Personal Finance:
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel https://www.audible.com/pd/B08D9TXF3H?
Probably the best personal finance book I’ve read. It encapsulates many of the key concepts in an entertaining read.
Saving money is the gap between your ego and your income, and wealth is what you don’t see.”
“Compounding works best when you can give a plan years or decades to grow. This is true for not only savings but careers and relationships.
The highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up every morning and say, “I can do whatever I want today.”
“At a party given by a billionaire on Shelter Island, Kurt Vonnegut informs his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history. Heller responds, “Yes, but I have something he will never have … enough.”
"Rich Dad Poor Dad” https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/237884401
My introduction to personal finance books. It’s an entertaining story that teaches key concepts like the difference between assets & liabilities. It’s not a perfect book and it focuses on real estate more than stocks and other assets. It’s a good starting place as far as making the subject matter entertaining and establishing a mindset.
“Sight is what you see with your eyes, vision is what you see with your mind.”
“To be a successful business owner and investor, you have to be emotionally neutral to winning and losing. Winning and losing are just part of the game.”
History
"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/356337373
“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order is imagined.”
“One of history’s few iron laws is that luxuries tend to become necessities and to spawn new obligations.”
“We did not domesticate wheat. It domesticated us.”
“Humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers, or equations, and the simpler the story, the better.”
“One of the greatest fictions of all is to deny the complexity of the world and think in absolute terms:”
A Promised Land by Barack Obama https://www.audible.com/pd/0525633723
This is a very cool audio book because “Barry” himself is narrating. It’s crazy to have a historical figure walk you through major world events from their perspective. The book is also beautifully written and Obamas thoughtfulness is on display.
"Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money" https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/282944761
“Until the Civil War, a majority of the money in circulation in the United States was issued by private banks, creating a crazy patchwork of competing bills that could become worth nothing if the issuing bank went down.”
“The reason gold itself had been used as money was not that it was valuable; it had become valuable because it was used as money.”
“The root problem with conventional currency is all the trust that’s required to make it work,” Satoshi wrote. “The central bank must be trusted not to debase the currency, but the history of fiat currencies is full of breaches of that trust.”
Entrepreneurship
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss https://www.audible.com/pd/B0031AS3BE
It took me a while to pick this up as the title always felt gimmicky. That being said it’s really a book about living life on your terms and optimizing your time.
“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.”
“The opposite of love is indifference, and the opposite of happiness is boredom.”
“Pareto's Law can be summarized as follows: 80% of the outputs
result from 20% of the inputs.”“If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?”
How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis https://www.audible.com/pd/0593345525
Funny, actionable, & somewhat of a cautionary tale about the opportunity costs of chasing riches
“Being rich is fine, and at the very least is better than being poor. But it shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of your life, or anyone’s life.”
“When enough people share a short-lived delusion, vast sums of money can be acquired overnight.”
The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank https://www.audible.com/pd/146908001X
“The Four Steps to the Epiphany launched the Lean Startup approach to new ventures. It was the first book to offer that startups are not smaller versions of large companies and that new ventures are different than existing ones. Startups search for business models while existing companies execute them.”
“Intellect without will is worthless, will without intellect is dangerous. — Sun Tzu,”
“Build it and they will come,” is not a strategy; it’s a prayer.”
“In a startup no facts exist inside the building, only opinions.”
The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/0525642234
Startups are really hard and this does a good job of capturing the slog.
“what determines whether you succeed or fail is grit, a special blend of passion and perseverance directed at accomplishing long-term goals.”
“Most of your experience enduring the middle miles will be couched with uncertainty. You’ll feel like you’re wading through an ocean of unknown depths and inhabitants—in the dark.”
From Impossible To Inevitable:... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119166713?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Detailed advice on sales strategy and process (mainly for SaaS)
To end on a lighter note, some of my favorite fiction throughout the years. Many of these got me into reading books in the first place.
Fiction:
Ender's Game: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006JMD2/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_R43CT98TAVZE38KSRDT1
I love the whole series. I particularly like the Bean/ Shadow series starting with Enders Shadow
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/B015ELUYL4
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/B002V0Q4LG?source_code=ASSORAP0511160007
Angels & Demons https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416524797/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_D2ZGAAFPW8AWHJJ5XB5Z
Congrats, you made it to the end. Hopefully you found an interesting book or nugget of wisdom.
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