Tag: Books

  • 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene

    48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene

    Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature.

    Robert Greene has distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum and extrapolated them with today’s world scenarios to help us understand more about the real people in the world we live in. The book explains the best ways to behave when in crisis. You must be very careful while reading this book and should not only learn the ideas that are helpful but also do learn others to defend yourself from what others could be capable of.

    Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.

    Do not see the book as moral or immoral, morality as a concept is only applicable to a living, rational being which this book is not.

    Most of what is written in the book is already happening and will continue to happen in this world as long as humanity exists. So, for the individual with strict moral principles, this book should not be viewed as a guide but rather as a cautionary warning of what other people are capable of.

    To practice a good chunk of all these laws you have to assume a narcissistic, selfish personality and to some extent forsake aspects of your humanity. Do not read this book as a guide to attain power, but this is a clear cautionary tale on human psychology and a guide on how to avoid being snared by crafty individuals.

  • Steps to build a reading habit

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    Your Reading Habit Checklist

    • 1) Experiment with different reading mediums.
    • 2) Read anything you want.
    • 3) Design an optimal reading environment.
    • 4) Read 2-3 books at a time.
    • 5) Start a reading streak.
    • 6) Join a reading community.
    • 7) Set a daily reading meeting.
    • 8) pick a book and start reading

    1) Experiment with different book reading mediums

    There is no one size fit all, authors today print their books in many formats, if you like reading then find your true reading medium. Use a kindle, your phone, or your table if you love ebooks, if you love the feel and smell of paper read print books, if you don’t want to buy books, join your local library. If you want to listen to the book, take an audible subscription and enjoy audiobooks of all types.

    Amazon has a great kindle unlimited and audible subscription, choose one to fit yourself.

    2) Give yourself permission to read anything

    Reading is not limited to reading a handful of bestsellers. You don’t have to read classic or bestselling books. You’re free to read anything and everything. Follow your genuine interests and curiosity. As @naval wisely said, “Read what you love until you love to read.”

    3) Design your optimal reading environment

    Don’t rely on willpower to keep you focused. Leave your phone, laptop, and other distracting devices in another room. It’s much easier to avoid distractions when there aren’t any than to try to power through ones that pop up.

    4) Read 2-3 books at a time

    When you have a lot of time & energy, read a more serious book. When you’re short on time or low on energy, read something more light. It’s important to have multiple books to choose from, this way you can match your mood to a book that suits it.

    5) Start a reading streak

    Grab a calendar & mark a big X on every day that you read. You’ll get a dopamine hit every time you read & you’ll be able to track your progress. Don’t worry if you miss a day, none of us are perfect and it will happen. The key is to never miss twice.

    6) Find accountability through community

    Visit Goodreads, r/books, #booktwitter, or one of the other million communities that exist on the internet. By surrounding yourself with readers, it will become a strong part of your identity & you’ll be motivated to keep reading.

    7) Set a daily reading meeting

    When you have an important event in your day, you don’t hope you’ll find time for it, you MAKE time for it. Do the same thing for reading. Add it to your calendar, set a reminder, and don’t let other activities interrupt your reading meeting.

    8) Start reading

    stop telling yourself “I’ll start reading when I have more free time.” Instead, follow these steps, and pick up a book today. Stick with it for a year, and even if you miss a day here or there, I guarantee that you’ll be proud you started reading today.

    This list is inspired by Alex from Twitter, please follow him to get many such inspirational guide and tips.

  • Just keep buying by Nick Magiulli

    This book was recommended by both James Clear and Morgan Housel so I had to check it out. If you’re looking for a book similar to The Psychology of Money but with more data, this is the book for you.

    Here are a few short lessons from the book:

    1) The Biggest Lie In Personal Finance

    The biggest lie in personal finance is that you can be rich if you just cut your spending.

    Financial gurus try to tell people that if they just stopped spending $5 a day on coffee, they could become millionaires. Here are a few problems with that advice:

    They assume earning 12% returns when the historical average is closer to 8-10%.
    They assume the person will hold a 100% stock portfolio instead of a diversified portfolio.
    They assume the person will keep investing for decades and never sell any of it until they retire.
    And lastly, all of the gurus that share this advice didn’t get rich this way. They became rich through selling books, courses, etc.

    Yes, you do want to cut spending if you’re living an extravagant lifestyle with unnecessary luxuries, but there’s no need to cut out your daily bagel or coffee order.
    Instead, the most consistent way to get rich is to grow your income and invest in income-producing assets (stocks, real estate, etc.).

    2) How To Spend Money Guilt-Free

    Do you ever feel guilty about spending money?

    You think to yourself, “Oh I could invest this money instead of buying these new shoes or coat”?

    Here’s a simple tip from Nick that will help you–it’s called the 2x Rule: Anytime you want to splurge on something, take the same amount of money and invest it as well.

    So if you’re feeling guilty about buying a new suit work that cost $400, take that same amount and invest it into your stock portfolio.

    Following this simple tip will help you stop feeling guilty about enjoying your money because you know you’re also investing in your future at the same time.

    Also, if you’re super-rich or feeling in a good mood, you can use the 2x Rule to donate the money to charity. So if you’re feeling bad about buying a Rolex for $20,000, donate another $20k to your favorite charity.

    3) Don’t Buy Individual Stocks

    Here’s a scary stat: 75% of professional money managers working full-time with teams of analysts don’t outperform the market.

    Here’s an even scarier stat: Research has shown that 4% of stocks from 1926 to 2016 created ALL the excess return for stocks.

    So ask yourself, do you think you can find that 4% of stocks that will outperform the other 96%?

    Maybe. But the odds aren’t in your favor. Even skilled professional investors have a hard time beating the market.

    So what can you do instead? Simple–buy an index fund or ETF. This is usually a far better bet and you’re likely to end up with more money and less stress following this path than from trying to pick big winners among individual stocks.

    Disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor nor is any of this financial advice. Do your own research and talk to a professional.

    ✅ Actionable Advice:

    1) Stop trying to cut out every small purchase:

    Focusing on cutting out every small purchase isn’t the secret to becoming wealthy.
    Instead, focus on increasing your income and investing it in stocks, real estate, etc.

    2) Follow the 2x Rule:

    Every time you make a large purchase (ex: over $400), take that same amount and invest it into your portfolio.
    This way you’ll be able to enjoy your money today while also investing in your future.

    3) Buy a basket of stocks instead of individual ones:

    4% of stocks are responsible for all of the excess returns
    Buy an index fund or ETF and chances are you’ll get better returns and