It is a book meant for good. 1234 upvotes

I want to tell future readers of this book in this way. I read it first when I was 14 or 15. I thought it was a book on how to smartly fight a war. Then I re-read it when I was 28 and it occurred to me that it may be an instruction book on how to navigate an honorable life. Years passed and I recently found it at the bottom of a box in my closet. I read it again at age 56. I realized it has more to offer. If you read this book, you will actively have to replace Sun Tzus' ancient terms and.... (More)

Beware! Not full length book 370 upvotes

Just received the book. No where in the description does it say it is a shortened version of the book. I feel like I was ripped off (More)

*This* is what a well-researched financial investigation should look like 186 upvotes

Banks are boring, Lending policies are boring. Financial derivatives and interest rates are boring. And yet here we are with an obsessively researched history of a German bank ruling the news cycle. The names explain why: David Enrich and Donald Trump. Enrich found a source in a young man named Val Broeksmit, an unemployed rock musician with a history of opioid abuse and credit card theft, whose father happened to have been a senior executive at DB, and happened to have killed himself and.... (More)

Reads like an intrigue novel by Ludlum or 19 upvotes

Le Carre’ - on a bad day. It would have been helpful to have a scorecard or an Excel spreadsheet along side while reading, too. There are so many characters!

I found the book difficult to follow. It jumps time lines, people and events very rapidly only to returns back to them. This pattern repeats over and over making continuity rare and real conclusions sparse. This is not fiction, right?

There is a tremendous amount of information included in this volume. My problems continue with the.... (More)

SOUND ADVICE FROM MY FAVORITE FINANCIAL GURU 151 upvotes

Disclaimer: I LOVE SUZE ORMAN!

I've been following her for years. While her advice is often ruthless and at times downright brutal, the words she says are words that America needs to hear. This book is no exception. Her very first chapter launches right into how your family is impeding your finances. For my generation, apparently the single biggest financial obstacle is adult children still living at home. I recently heard about this from a financial advisor, and I'm seeing it confirmed here.... (More)

Disappointing 44 upvotes

Disappointing book, hasn't really provided anything most people dont already know. (More)

A classic updated 71 upvotes

I read this classic in its first edition 38 years ago just after completing a graduate degree in economics, and was captivated. The Efficient Market Hypothesis which it expounds was in its infancy. Index mutual funds had not yet been invented. There was much chatter about "crowd psychology" and the like, but Behavioralism as a distinct academic discipline applied to stock price movements had not yet evolved. And of course, no personal computers.

Now the tenth edition comes upon a changed.... (More)

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We Have a Choice: Oligarchy or Democracy 94 upvotes

A zero-sum system is one in which there is a finite amount of a resource. In order for one individual or group to gain more of the resource, another individual or group must lose a corresponding amount of that resource. In Robert Reich’s The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It, he argues that while wealth is not a zero-sum system because the amount of wealth presumably is increasing, power, on the other hand *is* a zero-sum system. However, the two are closely related, Reich argues, because.... (More)

Filled with Factual Errors and Sloppy Arguments 21 upvotes

Greedy, powerful billionaires have rigged the system for their own benefit at the expense of everyone else—this, in a nutshell, is Robert Reich’s thesis. Although I disagree with Reich on how the system works, that is not why I gave the book one star. I gave it one star because it is filled with inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and downright headscratchers. Below are just some (out of countless) examples.

Reich claims he is “not advocating class warfare” (p. 17). But blaming billionaires and.... (More)

Developing a Tough Mental Mindset during the Pandemic 52 upvotes

Mindset is an issue that most of us have to be considering during these unusual times. Living through a pandemic is something that I have enjoyed reading about in many medical thrillers over the years. Yet here we are in 2020 actually living that nightmare. Being forced to self quarantine out of concern for your personal safety and that of those around can seriously take a toll on your frame of mind. I consider myself fortunate to have read an early copy of this latest book from Zahariades..... (More)

Quick and dirty primer on Mental Toughness 2 upvotes

3.5 stars Interesting read. Goes from philosophical to practical. Felt like there was transitional material missing in between. Overall provides some quick and useful ideas and concepts ( read the bold high lights) about topic of mental toughness. (More)

Lots of good stuff, some bathwater 32 upvotes

I've read my share of leadership books as well as books by Navy Seals (and some in the area of the venn diagram where they overlap). This book overall has good lessons, is founded on very solid (if non-groundbreaking) principles, and is well-organized. I got some good tidbits in just about every chapter, particularly on the chapters that cover the 7 specific "commitments" (principles, concepts, behaviors, etc.). While nothing here should shock anyone who has ever read a business, leadership,.... (More)

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As an MBA, and as a person, I wish I would’ve read this book! 23 upvotes

As a writer on personal effectiveness and as a graduate of The Stanford Graduate School Of Business, this is a major book I’d recommend to all, whether an accomplished or aspiring “business” person or in the aesthetic arts. This, and his last book (The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind), takes you all the way to creating a life AND to creating work that are both very satisfying and complete.

I gobbled it up the first day it came out, and I would recommend this to every person on the planet,.... (More)

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Jen Fulwiler FTW 24 upvotes

This book is the best thing since Jen Fulwiler’s conception. Almost every chapter made me both laugh out loud and cry. Check out Jen’s BRILLIANT “sleep temperament” theory (where I was affirmed that I’m the neediest, most un-American dream oriented sleeper of all time but that’s okay!). Get excited for Jen’s story about the time she was kicked out of a fancy museum because of her quest for the ultimate selfie. Most importantly, take the time to complete her seven “cocktail napkin” questions.... (More)

Nothing New Under the Sun 2 upvotes

I was disappointed in this book. Jen simply rehashed the current thinking on finding your purpose/true north/life's purpose/parachute. If you have never read a book about finding your right career, you might find this useful. Otherwise, don't bother. (More)

Ideal Future Self + One Goal = New You 25 upvotes

I have read all the author's other books and even though I enjoyed them, I always felt like he was giving me things to DO rather than a way to BE and this book fills that gap. At its core this books message is simple - a clear vision of your ideal future self + one keystone goal will create a powerful identity/personality and all your future decision will be filtered through that new identity. The author argues this is how success is best created. While delivering this message he give the.... (More)

Doesn’t deliver on it’s premise 4 upvotes

When the title of this book popped up in my recommendations it felt like kismet. I had just participated in an online class that used personality assessments to evaluate how each individual could be most productive. I grew frustrated with the class and all the ‘can’ts’ If you have this personality then you have to accept you will probably never be able to X. I’ve never liked being told what I can’t do.

Personality isn’t published came out not long after the class was over so I was like ‘yes!.... (More)

This book will create millionaires 19 upvotes

I have listened to Ryan's free content on his podcast, Youtube channel and Capitalism website for a while, and this book is like having 5 years of content distilled down into an easily digestible nugget. I have been following the plan outlined in this book for about 9 months, and was able to quit my job and go full time into this new business when quarantine hit. I had a slow start (due to not following ALL the advice) and am still 6-8 months away from a million, but following this plan has.... (More)

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Masterpiece of Storytelling and Actionable Insights 17 upvotes

Think Like a Rocket Scientist is a masterpiece of storytelling and actionable insights. It is refreshingly compelling and captivating (turns out thinking like a rocket scientist is useful for non-rocket scientists). Varol ties together diverse topics (actual rocket science, business, law, psychology) to illustrate nine thinking concepts and brings them to life through striking imagery, wit, humor, and stories of his time at NASA. He pulls in quotations from optimal sources to convey his.... (More)

The author is a liberal who cannot avoid weaving liberalism into his book 3 upvotes

Firstly, here's the book in a nutshell: take calculated risks and don't follow the herd. There. I saved you $15.

Secondly, the author, who I surmise thinks he's surreptitiously weaving liberal examples throughout the book, just cannot avoid exposing his bias. The examples he uses: Michelle Obama, James Carville, Paul Begala, et al.

Oh, he does use Donald Rumsfeld as an example, referencing his getting mocked for a response he made during a press conference.

Simplistic book, written by a.... (More)