Book Review: "Early Retirement Extreme"

Book Review: "Early Retirement Extreme"

What's my rating for "Early Retirement Extreme"?

I gave the book a 4 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Jacob is the real deal. He doesn’t tout himself as an expert, just as someone who has a thesis to share that he thinks might be of value to others. He’s an ordinary guy (with a Ph.D. in physics) who stumbled upon the pursuit of an extremely early retirement in the most simple way possible: by questioning the logic of the status quo. His thought process makes me think I’d greatly appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation with him someday.

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Book Review: "Think and Grow Rich"

Book Review: "Think and Grow Rich"

What's my rating for "Think & Grow Rich"?

I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

"Think & Grow Rich" is one of the few books I’ve read many times. To say it offers significant value for the money is an understatement. The author covers so many topics so densely, the material requires us to chew on the ideas and concepts presented, sometimes repeatedly.

I also find the book is effective in eliciting both reflection and action on the part of the reader. I dare anyone to say they’ve read this book and changed nothing in the way they think and/or live their lives.

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Book Review: "The Way We're Working Isn't Working"

Book Review: "The Way We're Working Isn't Working"

What's my rating for "The Way We're Working Isn't Working"?

I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

It’s an amazing book! Schwartz has done his research and has had a direct hand in helping us learn what leads to great performance. The result of all that effort is this fantastic book, which contains what he’s discovered and has applied in his own life. I could not put it down and found myself saying “YES!” out loud on numerous occasions.

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My 2016-2017 Reading List

My 2016-2017 Reading List

Another year of reading has flown by! For those of you die hards who wait for my updated reading lists, I've moved from quarterly updates to an annual summary now that I have a "Reads and Reviews" (aka "Books") section in the top navigation bar. There, you can view my reading list to date, past years' reading lists and the image of all books read since April 2013, aka the F2P "Wall of Books".

From April 2016 to March 2017, I've managed to read, and learn from, a total of 70 books. That's 287 in total since becoming truly free to pursue.

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Book Review: "Unshakeable"

Book Review: "Unshakeable"

What's my rating for "Unshakeable"?

I gave the book a 4 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Tony Robbins writes books that sell. Not only because of his name and reputation, but because of his conversational writing style. And who can argue with the insights he shares in this book when they’re based on interviews with over fifty “masters of the financial universe” such as Bogle, Buffett and Graham?

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Book Review: "The Recovering Spender"

Book Review: "The Recovering Spender"

What's my rating for "The Recovering Spender"?

I gave the book a 3.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

I appreciate the fact that the book includes Lauren Greutman’s personal spending story, along with some of her husband Mark’s experiences as well. We learn through stories, and when an author chooses to share theirs, it tends to stick with us as readers. To boot, she is a good storyteller and isn’t afraid to share information about her past decisions, the likes of which most of us would prefer to keep to ourselves.

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Book Review: "Man's Search for Meaning"

Book Review: "Man's Search for Meaning"

What's my rating for "Man's Search for Meaning"?

I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning" moved me beyond words. It moved me to tears, to laughter, and finally to wonder. It lead me to reflect on my life, on how I view and interact with others. And it made me meditate on modern society’s negative effect: eroding our ability to strive for that which matters most yet cannot be measured.

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Book Review: "Money Talks"

Book Review: "Money Talks"

What's my rating for "Money Talks"?

I gave the book a 5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

“Money Talks” makes it easier to engage in money conversations we’d otherwise avoid. This book is the ultimate how-to book for just about any money conversation. Using an astounding seventy-five different scenarios organized in this eight-part, 400+ page book, Gail covers everything from emotional manipulation, to managing change, to addressing power and control issues.

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Enough Already: The Cost of Not Having Enough...of What Money Can't Buy

Enough Already: The Cost of Not Having Enough...of What Money Can't Buy

I recently read another book by John C. Bogle titled “Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life”. The title intrigued me and I figured I was likely to like it, as I’d enjoyed reading a previous work from this author: “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing”.

And I was right. It is a great book and one that I recommend.

Interestingly enough, the part of the book that struck me the most is conveniently located on the very first page...

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