Reads & Reviews

This book is a biographical work about, as the subtitle indicates, “Thomas Young, The Anonymous Polymath Who Proved Newton Wrong, Explained How We See, Cured the Sick, AND Deciphered the Rosetta Stone, among other Feats of Genius.”

The more I read about who is successful in this life, the more I realize just how important it is to understand the word “enough.” I’ve written a lot about this on this blog, but I think it’s essential to keep hammering the point...if not for you, at least for me.

It has never been easier in this world to go narrow and deep. The resources to delve deeper and deeper in a subject are nearly infinite. In order to run out of material you practically have to specialize within a specialty!

In a recent post about going live on YouTube, I mentioned the often-drawn-out process involved in turning dreams into reality. And that drawn-out process occurs only if we’re lucky. The alternative is that whatever we were working on never materializes or quickly gets mothballed.

Another year of reading has come and gone. From April 2017 to March 2018 I've read and learned something from a total of 34 books. That's 321 in total since becoming truly free to pursue, but it's far from my usual 60-70 books per year. 

I’ve had an abysmal few months when it comes to reading books cover to cover as I keep inching toward my 1,000-book goal. And I’m perfectly OK with that because it’s for good reason.

As it turns out, I've started but did not finish reading far more books over the last few months. And, as I’ve explained previously, if I don’t finish a book—no matter how far in I get—it doesn’t get added to my list. 

I’ve abandoned or temporarily set aside these books for various reasons...

As at July 2017, I have 300+ books read, 30% of a 1,000-book reading challenge I started in April 2013 (though I didn't quite know it at the time). 

I expected to learn a great deal from the books I expected to read but what I didn't expect were the lessons I would learn from the act of reading itself. I guess you could call these additional lessons a great add-on bonus throughout this process. 

After reading the first 100 books, I offered ten lessons the experience had provided. 

Then, after the next hundred, I thought I'd provide the next tranche of lessons. There happened to be five more.

This time? Another five.

Enjoy!

It might not be what you think.

When we think of our story, we think of what we tell others. This story usually consists of our background, our expertise in various areas and what we’ve had a chance to experience throughout our lives.

Our résumé is a story, our online dating profile is a story, how we introduce ourselves is a story, even our elevator pitch is a story and it can influence how others view us—how they mentally file us for future reference.

What if I were to tell you that those stories, though important, are not as material as your story, what you tell yourself?

What's my rating for "The Behavior Gap"?

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

I once heard a great saying: “Only trust the expert who can explain a complex concept in a way a five-year-old can understand.” To me, that expert is Carl Richards. In this book, Richards explores the ways in which we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to money, and his illustrated examples drive his points home with face-palm clarity.

What's my rating for "Broke Millennial"?

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

Author Erin Lowry chose her audience well and never deviates from it. Those most likely to heed the messages in this book are young, broke students or post-secondary graduates with some debt (student loans and possibly other consumer debt) who are facing a still lukewarm entry-level job market.

What's my rating for "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"?

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

In attempting to give myself a refresher on The Seven Habits by leafing through the book, I easily let myself get sucked back into reading the whole book…for a third time.

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.

What's my rating for "Happy Money"?

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

I loved, loved, loved this book. The content focuses not so much on making more money but on spending what we do make more wisely. What’s wise? Maximizing how much happiness we get out of every dollar.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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...

What's my rating for "Scarcity"?

I gave the book a 4.5 out of 5 Rockstar rating.

The insights I gained while reading this book has informed no fewer than sixteen articles and a number of talks I’ve written and delivered since discovering it in 2014. It helped me explain a number of situations I’d faced or witnessed others face where, no matter what we did over the short to medium-term, our situation seemed to either stay the same or get worse, almost akin to being caught in a rip tide.