Self Improvement – Rich Maloy

Mastery by Robert Greene

Rich — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 04:58:17 +0000

I’m really torn on “Mastery” as to whether I loved it, hated it, or just liked it. The stories of everyone from Faraday to PG to Darwin and Franklin and dozens more are absolutely brilliant. I love the stories and kind of wish the book was just that: stories of great people who achieved mastery.

What I hated was the cringe-worthy advice. There are whole sections with broad generalizations about how people supposedly behave (e.g., “arrogant people are insecure”) that are not backed up by a shred of research or evidence. For how well the rest of the book is researched, the lack of it in the parts that are supposed to help the reader better understand their fellow humans is awful.

I appreciate that the author created a clear framework for mastery and turned it into a blueprint that others can follow. Even if not every master in the book fits precisely within that framework—who was Paul Graham’s overbearing master under whom he served as an apprentice?—it was still a decent framework.

Pick up this book to listen to the stories and appreciate the lives of some of the greatest humans to ever walk the planet. And take the rest with a grain of salt.

Publisher’s Summary

What did Charles Darwin, middling schoolboy and underachieving second son, do to become one of the earliest and greatest naturalists the world has known? What were the similar choices made by Mozart and by Caesar Rodriguez, the U.S. Air Force’s last ace fighter pilot? In Mastery, Robert Greene’s fifth book, he mines the biographies of great historical figures for clues about gaining control over our own lives and destinies. Picking up where The 48 Laws of Power left off, Greene culls years of research and original interviews to blend historical anecdote and psychological insight, distilling the universal ingredients of the world’s masters.
Temple Grandin, Martha Graham, Henry Ford, Buckminster Fuller – all have lessons to offer about how the love for doing one thing exceptionally well can lead to mastery. Yet the secret, Greene maintains, is already in our heads. Debunking long-held cultural myths, he demonstrates just how we, as humans, are hardwired for achievement and supremacy. Fans of Greene’s earlier work and Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers will eagerly devour this canny and erudite explanation of just what it takes to be great.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Psychology, Self Improvement

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

Rich — Sat, 01 Dec 2018 04:48:27 +0000

There were times during this book where I thought I was listening to a self-aggrandizing autobiography, and just as I was judging the author for a pointless diversion, BAM! He’d hit me upside the head with something mind-blowing, earth-shattering, or just laugh-out-loud funny. This book is now on my unequivocal recommendation list. GET IT, READ IT.

Publisher’s Summary

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be positive all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.
For decades we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F*ck positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f*cked, and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is – a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mind-set that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.
Manson makes the argument, backed by both academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited – “not everybody can be extraordinary; there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault”. Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.
There are only so many things we can give a f*ck about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self Improvement
Subjects: Rich's Reco's

Barking up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker

Rich — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:14:33 +0000

What’s great about this book is that the author examines both sides of common perceptions (often misconceptions) about success. He takes them to their logical extreme, digs in and finds research to most refute both sides of the extreme, and often ends up recommending something right in the middle. However, there were a few good take-aways from the book, including one piece that I’m continuing to work on in my daily life: self-compassion. It’s a good book and is worth a read, even if it’s not totally mind-blowing.

Publisher’s Summary

Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and, most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn:
Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength
Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers
Why trying to increase confidence fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds a superior solution
The secret ingredient to “grit” that Navy SEALs and disaster survivors leverage to keep going
How to find work-life balance using the strategy of Genghis Khan, the errors of Albert Einstein, and a little lesson from Spider-Man
By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn what we can do to be more like them – and find out, in some cases, why it’s good that we aren’t. Barking up the Wrong Tree draws on startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t, so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self Improvement

Startup Life by Amy Batchelor, Brad Feld

Rich — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 05:56:05 +0000

Juli and I listened to this on a few road trips. It provoked some very good discussion between us, and often enough that we would pause the book, talk about what we just heard, debate and discuss, then continue listening. As I write this review some five years later, I honestly can’t recall a single specific thing from the book, but that it was thought-provoking enough for us to want to pause and discuss, should be enough of a recommendation.

Publisher’s Summary

Real life insights on what it takes to make it in a relationship with an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs are always on the go, looking for the next “startup” challenge. And while they lead very intensely rewarding lives, time is always short and relationships are often long-distant and stressed because of extended periods apart. Coping with these, and other obstacles, are critical if entrepreneurs and their partners intend on staying together—and staying happy.In Startup Life, Brad Feld – a Boulder, Colorado-based entrepreneur turned-venture capitalist – shares his own personal experiences with his wife, Amy, offering a series of rich insights into successfully leading a balanced life as a human being who wants to play as hard as he works and who wants to be as fulfilled in life and in work. With this book, Feld distills his 20 years of experience in this field to addresses how the village of startup people can put aside their workaholic ways and lead rewarding lives in all respects.
Includes real-life examples of entrepreneurial couples who have had successful relationships and what works for them
Provides practical advice for adapting to change and overcoming the inevitable ups and downs associated with the entrepreneurial lifestyle
Written by Brad Feld, a thought-leader in this field who has been an early-stage investor and successful entrepreneur for more than 20 years
While there’s no “secret formula” to relationship success in the world of the entrepreneur, there are ways to making navigation of this territory easier. Startup Lifeis a well-rounded guide that has the insights and advice you need to succeed in both your personal and business life.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self Improvement

Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim

Rich — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:59:14 +0000

I don’t remember anything about this book. To be fair, I’m writing this review in November of 2018, over nine years from when I read it. But some books stick with you for the impact they make on you, no matter how long it’s been. And some fade in memory. This is the latter.

Publisher’s Summary

Millions of people hate their jobs, or have recently lost one, and would love to start a small business. Yet very few actually try, because the process feels as scary as jumping off a cliff. No matter how boring or stressful a job might be, it’s hard to give up a salary and benefits. But for some, it can be the smartest, happiest decision of a lifetime.Pamela Slim, a former corporate training manager, went solo 12 years ago and has enjoyed every bit of it. In 2005 she started a blog called Escape from Cubicle Nation to help others make the same jump; it quickly attracted a loyal following and national media attention. Slim explores both the big emotional issues of leaving the corporate world and the nuts and bolts of launching a business. She explains the amazing new opportunities to use social networks, Web marketing, and “lifehacking” technology to quickly become profitable, while still having time for family and other pursuits. Drawing on anecdotes from her own career, as well as true stories from her coaching clients and blog readers, Slim will help readers weigh their options, and make a successful escape if they decide to go for it.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self Improvement