Books I’ve finished recently
Tiny summary but detailed notes for each. Use the ISBN number to find it from your local library or anywhere else. This page will constantly update as I read more, so bookmark it if you want to check back in a few months.
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A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - by William Irvine
ISBN: 0195374614 READ: 2010-09-26 RATING: 10/10
Almost too personal for me to give an objective review, because I found when reading it that the quirky philosophy I've been living my life by since 17 matches up exactly with a 2000-year-old philosophy called Stoicism. Mine was self-developed haphazardly, so it was fascinating to read the refined developed original. Really resonated.
(my notes)
Drive - by Daniel Pink
ISBN: 1594488843 READ: 2010-09-01 RATING: 10/10
Essential for all managers. Deep surprising study of motivation at work. Extrinsic vs intrinsic. Work vs play. When money is used as an external reward for some activity, the subjects lose intrinsic interest for the activity. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
(my notes)
Switch - by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
ISBN: 0385528752 READ: 2010-05-10 RATING: 10/10
Great great great great GREAT psychology book about real ways to make change last - both personal and organizational. So many powerful insights, based on fact not theory. Inspiring counterintuitive stories of huge organizational change against all odds. Highly recommended for everyone.
(my notes)
The Happiness Hypothesis - by Jonathan Haidt
ISBN: 0465028020 READ: 2010-05-01 RATING: 10/10
Psychology professor's digestible but deep insight into how our minds work, around the topic of happiness. Great metaphor of a rider on the back of an elephant. Rider is reasoning, elephant is emotions. Rider has limited control of what the elephant does. Surprising insights into ethics and morality. See my notes for great quotes, but read the whole well-written book.
(my notes)
Business Stripped Bare - by Richard Branson
ISBN: 1905264429 READ: 2010-02-17 RATING: 10/10
A real and specific description of the inner workings of the Virgin companies. Every entrepreneur, investor, and manager should appreciate this detailed account of practices, philosophies and stories from the core.
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The Geography of Bliss - by Eric Weiner
ISBN: 044669889X READ: 2010-01-20 RATING: 10/10
Cranky NPR reporter dives deep into Iceland, Bhutan, Qatar, Holland, Switzerland, Thailand, India and Moldova to find out why people are happy (or not) in each. So beautifully written with astounding insights into culture and happiness. Amazing. Been thinking about it for weeks afterwards.
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The Investor's Manifesto - by William J. Bernstein
ISBN: 0470505141 READ: 2009-11-12 RATING: 10/10
Absolutely my favorite author and advisor on the subject of investing. Anyone with any money to invest (or already invested) please read this book. Such clear thinking, using only facts, and using numbers not guesses. Modern portfolio theory: use passive indexes of the entire market, no speculation, no stock picking, and avoid the entire fee-sucking financial industry.
(my notes)
How We Decide - by Jonah Lehrer
ISBN: 0618620117 READ: 2009-11-10 RATING: 10/10
Brilliant book with one clear message: our emotional brain is faster and usually smarter than our logical brain. Our emotions are trained by years of logic and experience, retaining it all for real wisdom. Many decisions are better made by going with the gut feeling. Gets a little too technical with deep brain/neuro/cortex talk, but brings it back to usable points.
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Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives - by David Eagleman
ISBN: 0307377342 READ: 2009-10-04 RATING: 10/10
Fiction. Awesomely creative think-piece of 40 different short stories of what happens when you die. To be clear: the author is not pretending this is fact! The framework is inspiring for anyone: coming up with 40 different answers to any one question.
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Influence - by Robert Cialdini
ISBN: 006124189X READ: 2009-08-15 RATING: 10/10
Classic book on the psychology of persuasion. I read it 15 years ago, thought about it ever since, and re-read it now. How to get a 700% improvement in volunteers. How to sell more by doubling your prices. How to make people feel they made a choice, when really you made it for them.
(my notes)
Ignore Everybody - by Hugh MacLeod
ISBN: 159184259X READ: 2009-06-28 RATING: 10/10
Brilliant succinct wisdom on creativity from an artist. Seth Godin says, "Hugh harangues and encourages and pushes and won't sit still until you, like him, are unwilling to settle." I highly recommend this to all musicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Even those that prefer not to read much. :-)
(my notes)
The Time Paradox - by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd
ISBN: 1416541993 READ: 2009-04-03 RATING: 10/10
See my in-depth article about this book at sivers.org/time
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Personal Development for Smart People - by Steve Pavlina
ISBN: 1401922759 READ: 2008-12-27 RATING: 10/10
A surprisingly great broad and unflourished look at all different aspects of self-improvement. Really great insights from someone who's read them all.
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Predictably Irrational - by Dan Ariely
ISBN: 006135323X READ: 2008-08-11 RATING: 10/10
My favorite type of book: pointing out and understanding all of the counter-intuitive things people do.
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The Ultimate Sales Machine - by Chet Holmes
ISBN: 1591842158 READ: 2008-06-12 RATING: 10/10
After reading E-Myth Revisited, this is the best book I’ve seen on how to turn it into real results, step-by-step. Not ambiguous. Very “do it like this”.
(my notes)
The 4-Hour Work Week - by Tim Ferriss
ISBN: 0307353133 READ: 2008-05-15 RATING: 10/10
Brilliant reversal of all of the “how to manage all your crap” books. This one tells you how to say “no” to the crap, set expectations on your terms, and be just as effective in a fraction of the time. This is perfect for musicians with other responsibilities (day jobs) that need more free time to actually make music!
(my notes)
The Wisdom of Crowds - by James Surowiecki
ISBN: 0385721706 READ: 2008-04-16 RATING: 10/10
Mind-blowing examples of how groups of diverse people acting independently are smarter than any one person in the group. Has huge implications for management, markets, decision-making, and more.
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The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less - by Barry Schwartz
ISBN: 0060005688 READ: 2007-07-11 RATING: 10/10
Faced with many options or decisions in your life? This will change the way you look at them. We feel worse when we have too many options.
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Stumbling on Happiness - by Daniel Gilbert
ISBN: 1400077427 READ: 2007-07-11 RATING: 10/10
Not at all new-agey, as the title might suggest. Harvard professor of psychology has studied happiness for years, and shares factual findings that will change the way you look at the world.
(my notes)
Made to Stick - by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
ISBN: 1400064287 READ: 2007-03-12 RATING: 10/10
Actually analyzing what makes certain ideas or stories more memorable than others! Fascinating. Apply this wisdom to your songs, bio/story, communication with fans, etc.
(my notes)
The Innovator's Solution - by Clayton Christensen
ISBN: 1578518520 READ: 2006-09-21 RATING: 10/10
Required reading for business-owners and investors. Shows how technology improves faster than people's ability to use it, so when someone says a technology is “not good enough”, add “yet” and prepare for disruption.
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Small is the New Big - by Seth Godin
ISBN: 1591841267 READ: 2006-09-08 RATING: 10/10
My favorite author, by far. I’m a massive fan and disciple. A collection of his short insightful posts from his blog, all thought-provoking and inspiring for anybody marketing anything, even music. (Seth was a CD Baby client and fan.)
(my notes)
The Art of Profitability - by Adrian Slywotzky
ISBN: 0446692271 READ: 2005-12-02 RATING: 10/10
25 different models of profitability presented in examples you can relate to your own business, making you realize profit-sources you’d never thought of before.
(my notes)
E-Myth Revisited - by Michael Gerber
ISBN: 0887307280 READ: 2004-02-26 RATING: 10/10
Everything needs to be a system. Think of your business as a franchise prototype. You should be able to hand the “how-to” manual to just anyone, to do it as good as you.
(my notes)
Hackers & Painters - by Paul Graham
ISBN: 1449389554 READ: 2010-08-20 RATING: 9/10
A collection of essays from one of the best. Loosely about intelligence, entrepreneurship, programming, and questioning norms. Many brilliant ideas and insights.
(my notes)
Confessions of a Public Speaker - by Scott Berkun
ISBN: 0596801998 READ: 2010-06-28 RATING: 9/10
Best book on public speaking. A must-read if you do this at all. Great concrete advice and personal tales.
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The Talent Code - by Daniel Coyle
ISBN: 055380684X READ: 2009-08-22 RATING: 9/10
A great book showing that deep practice - (struggling in certain targeted ways - operating at the edges of your ability, where you make mistakes - experiences where you're forced to slow down, make errors, and correct them) - is what really makes you improve at anything.
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What Would Google Do? - by Jeff Jarvis
ISBN: 0061709719 READ: 2009-03-05 RATING: 9/10
Great think-piece about lessons learned from Google's approach to things, and how they might approach different industries like airlines, real estate, education, etc.
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CrowdSourcing - by Jeff Howe
ISBN: 0307396207 READ: 2008-08-27 RATING: 9/10
Great look at a different way of getting a project done: not outsourcing it to a person, but developing a system where thousands of people can contribute a little bit.
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The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read - by Daniel R. Solin
ISBN: 0399532838 READ: 2008-05-14 RATING: 9/10
An itty-bitty quick-read no-fluff book with the wisest succinct advice to investors: You can't predict the future, and neither can anyone else. Determine your asset allocation, stick with cheap broad indexes, and rebalance occasionally.
(my notes)
Wikinomics - by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams
ISBN: 1591841933 READ: 2008-04-23 RATING: 9/10
Lessons learned from Wikipedia can be applied to most other businesses. How can you harness the spare-time or self-interest of thousands to build something better for everyone?
(my notes)
What Got You Here Won't Get You There - by Marshall Goldsmith
ISBN: 1401301304 READ: 2008-03-08 RATING: 9/10
Stinging counter-intuitive insights into how most of us are dealing with co-workers completely wrong. Great specific suggestions for how to do it better.
(my notes)
Meatball Sundae - by Seth Godin
ISBN: 1591841747 READ: 2007-12-30 RATING: 9/10
Instead of asking how to use the new internet tools to support your existing business, ask how you can change your business to take best advantage of the new tools.
(my notes)
Execution - by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
ISBN: 0609610570 READ: 2007-02-12 RATING: 9/10
Great in-depth look at the dirty discipline of getting things done in a large organization.
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Getting Things Done - by David Allen
ISBN: 0142000280 READ: 2005-04-30 RATING: 9/10
Classic book with near-cult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty.
(my notes)
The 48 Laws of Power - by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers
ISBN: 0140280197 READ: 2003-05-06 RATING: 9/10
Warning: some think this book is pure evil. But power exists, so it can only help to understand it better, even if you choose not to wield it.
(my notes)
Making a Good Brain Great - by Daniel G. Amen
ISBN: 1400082099 READ: 2010-07-28 RATING: 8/10
About the care of the physical brain - the goo in your skull - from a doctor who scans brains and has linked specific behavior to brain chemistry.
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I Will Teach You To Be Rich - by Ramit Sethi
ISBN: 0761147489 READ: 2010-03-23 RATING: 8/10
An amazing book about consumer finance and a healthy approach to managing your money. If you are age 18-35, this is a must-read! My notes are scarce, so get the book. Even if over 35, you might find some good tips on lowering your fees on various services, and a good reminder of good savings practices.
(my notes)
Talent Is Overrated - by Geoff Colvin
ISBN: 1591842247 READ: 2009-11-16 RATING: 8/10
Talent is not innate - it comes from thousands of hours of deliberate practice: focused improving of your shortcomings. That's it. If you can get past the first 20% of the book that just asks questions, the next 60% is quite good.
(my notes)
Never Eat Alone - by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
ISBN: 0385512058 READ: 2009-07-26 RATING: 8/10
A good book that's mostly about networking, but also some general business smarts. Definitely read if you need more work being social.
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Reality Check - by Guy Kawasaki
ISBN: 1591842239 READ: 2009-03-08 RATING: 8/10
Great collection of essays about entrepreneurship from his blog at blog.guykawasaki.com
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You, Inc - The Art of Selling Yourself - by Harry Beckwith
ISBN: 0446578215 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 8/10
One of my favorite authors, and a massive inspiration for my e-book. This is his newest, but read anything he’s done. It’s all top-notch insights on making life easier by being more considerate, whether you call that marketing or just life.
(my notes)
The Four Pillars of Investing - by William Bernstein
ISBN: 0071385290 READ: 2008-06-07 RATING: 8/10
If you've already read and loved The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read, above, then read this more in-depth book next.
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The Art of Learning - by Josh Waitzkin
ISBN: 0743277457 READ: 2008-05-30 RATING: 8/10
Chess master becomes Tai Chi master, realizes his real genius is learning, and shares his insights and stories.
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Here Comes Everybody - by Clay Shirky
ISBN: 1594201536 READ: 2008-04-06 RATING: 8/10
Like Wikinomics and Crowdsourcing, required reading if interested in harnessing the collective power of people online.
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Maximum Achievement - by Brian Tracy
ISBN: 0684803313 READ: 2006-11-12 RATING: 8/10
A classic self-help book. Exactly what you'd expect. But very good.
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The Selfish Gene - by Richard Dawkins
ISBN: 0199291152 READ: 2010-09-18 RATING: 7/10
About evolution and the theory of natural selection, proposing the idea that it's not creatures that are looking to replicate, but individual genes.
(my notes)
Nudge - by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein
ISBN: 014311526X READ: 2010-08-15 RATING: 7/10
Introducing the idea of Libertarian Paternalism: influencing people's behavior for their own benefit, without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives.
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On Writing - by Stephen King
ISBN: 0743455967 READ: 2010-05-05 RATING: 7/10
Great thoughts about writing (mostly books) from one of the most successful writers ever. Oddly doubles as an autobiography, telling many stories about his life from childhood.
(my notes)
Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking - by D.Q. McInerny
ISBN: 0812971159 READ: 2010-03-15 RATING: 7/10
World getting too fuzzy an unreasonable? Watching too much TV? A good book on logic is a great antidote. I'd never read one before, so I don't know how to compare it to others, but I really loved the clear thinking and deep insights here.
(my notes)
Pomodoro Technique Illustrated - by Staffan Nöteberg
ISBN: 1934356506 READ: 2010-01-11 RATING: 7/10
Pretty cool technique of working in 25-minute chunks. Better to start with a simple article about it, then read the book after if you love it. I do, so far.
(my notes)
Pragmatic Thinking and Learning - by Andy Hunt
ISBN: 1934356050 READ: 2009-11-03 RATING: 7/10
A great curated collection of facts about how to learn effectively and think clearly. Since it's written by a programmer, it makes many computer analogies that fellow programmers will appreciate. Non-programmers might feel a little left out.
(my notes)
Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes - Gilovich and Belsky
ISBN: 0684859386 READ: 2009-10-19 RATING: 7/10
My favorite genre of book lately: clear examples of bugs in our brain: where our intuition is wrong. But this one focuses just on money issues. Loss aversion. Sunk cost fallacy. Confirmation bias. Anchoring. Etc. I love this stuff.
(my notes)
Born to Run - by Christopher McDougall
ISBN: 0307266303 READ: 2009-06-21 RATING: 7/10
Gripping story of a man who was trying to find out why his feet hurt while running. This led him to the story of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon, the greatest distance runners in the world. If you like running, you'll love this book! My favorite quote: "No wonder your feet are so sensitive. They’re self-correcting devices. Covering your feet with cushioned shoes is like turning off your smoke alarms."
(my notes)
Lucky Or Smart? - by Bo Peabody
ISBN: 1439210101 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 7/10
Tiny book by an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur telling his tales and lessons learned.
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Outliers: The Story of Success - by Malcolm Gladwell
ISBN: 0316017922 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 7/10
Deep study of why some people are so much more successful. Often due to circumstances and early opportunities, but really comes down to the fact that it takes about 10,000 hours of hard work to master something.
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The China Study - by Campbell and Campbell
ISBN: 1932100660 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 7/10
Biggest study ever on the effects of diet on health. The multiple health benefits of plant-based foods, and dangers of animal-based foods, including all types of meat, dairy and eggs.
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The Power of Less - by Leo Babuta
ISBN: 1401309704 READ: 2009-01-21 RATING: 7/10
Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest. Set limitations. Become incredibly effective. Written by someone who's been successfully living this way for years.
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Tribes - by Seth Godin
ISBN: 1591842336 READ: 2008-11-17 RATING: 7/10
Inspiring look at what it takes to organize and mobilize groups of people.
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How to Talk to Anyone - by Leil Lowndes
ISBN: 007141858X READ: 2008-09-12 RATING: 7/10
Wonderful considerate book about conversational people skills.
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Brain Rules - by John Medina
ISBN: 0979777704 READ: 2008-08-26 RATING: 7/10
New scientific insights into why our brains work this way, and how to use what we now know to learn or work better.
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Cut to the Chase - by Stuart Levine
ISBN: 0385516207 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 7/10
Tips on more effective communication.
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The Magic of Thinking Big - by David Schwartz
ISBN: 0671646788 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 7/10
A classic self-help book. Exactly what you'd expect. But very good.
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How to Get Rich - by Felix Dennis
ISBN: 1591842050 READ: 2008-06-18 RATING: 7/10
Shockingly honest thoughts from a filthy rich bastard.
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The Culting of Brands - by Douglas Atkin
ISBN: 1591840961 READ: 2008-02-08 RATING: 7/10
Unique fascinating dissection of cults and why they work. Then how to apply those lessons to marketing your business.
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Don't Make Me Think - by Steve Krug
ISBN: 0321344758 READ: 2007-08-08 RATING: 7/10
The classic book of web usability. Required reading for anyone who makes websites.
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Know-How - by Ram Charan with Geri Willigan
ISBN: 0307341518 READ: 2007-02-12 RATING: 7/10
Acquired expertise in big business. Subtitle: 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't.
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The Art of Project Management - Scott Berkun
ISBN: 0596007868 READ: 2006-11-19 RATING: 7/10
The best book on how to oversee projects to completion.
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The Upside of Irrationality - by Dan Ariely
ISBN: 0061995037 READ: 2010-07-05 RATING: 6/10
First read his amazing book “Predictably Irrational.” But if you read and loved it, then this is a continuation with some more examples - mostly organizational. He also catharticly details his own painful injuries in every chapter.
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The Profit Zone - by Adrian Slywotzky
ISBN: 0812933044 READ: 2009-10-14 RATING: 6/10
Dryer but deeper prequel to the great “Art of Profitability” book, also recommended here. Start with that one. Only read this if that one fascinated you.
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Overachievement - by John Eliot
ISBN: 1591841313 READ: 2009-07-04 RATING: 6/10
Performance coach, with a bent towards sports, surgery, and executive performance, gives his thoughts on being a top performer. The key is the "Trusting Mindset": like a squirrel runs across a telephone wire. Just doing it, without thought, because you've trained yourself plenty until that point.
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The Culture Code - by Clotaire Rapaille
ISBN: 0767920570 READ: 2008-11-01 RATING: 6/10
Weird look at how different cultures (mostly Europe versus U.S. in this book) see things differently. Example: British luxury is about detachment whereas U.S. luxury is about rank.
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Speaking of India - by Craig Sorti
ISBN: 1931930341 READ: 2008-09-30 RATING: 6/10
Required reading for anyone doing business in India, with detailed analysis of cultural and communication differences. Example: in India a lack of emphatic “yes!” means “no”. Teaches Westerners to adapt to this.
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Richard Branson - Losing My Virginity
ISBN: 0812932293 READ: 2008-06-01 RATING: 6/10
Autobiography of his life from childhood through 2004. Interesting how he was always over-leveraged and how that drove him forward. Amazing how he negotiated Necker Island from £3 million down to £180k.
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Discover Your Inner Economist - by Tyler Cowen
ISBN: 0452289637 READ: 2009-10-19 RATING: 5/10
The book title is misleading. It ends up being mostly the author's recommendations for the transactions of life. When to give to charity, what restaurants to choose, what insurance to buy, etc. He makes a rational case for these, that is often very interesting, but still feels like just his opinion.
(my notes)
Causing a Scene - by Charlie Todd
ISBN: 006170363X READ: 2009-08-18 RATING: 5/10
Fun tales from the guy that invented Improv Everywhere. Not really educational as much as just fun, and I'm a huge fan of their “missions”.
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How to be a Billionaire - by Martin Fridson
ISBN: 0471416177 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 5/10
Biographical look at billionaires from the last 200 years, and lessons learned from how they did it. Some lessons aren't really applicable to the rest of us, like changing government laws to protect your monopoly. But some are.
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Enough - by John Bogle
ISBN: 0470398515 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 5/10
Legendary investor, now 80, looks back with long-view wisdom on investing, living, and giving.
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Management of the Absurd - by Richard Farson
ISBN: 0684830442 READ: 2009-04-14 RATING: 5/10
Counter-intuitive lessons about management. Highly recommended for managers and leaders, but also teachers and parents.
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Fooled by Randomness - by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
ISBN: 1400067936 READ: 2008-04-05 RATING: 5/10
Mr Black Swan sure does love the sound of his own voice. Interesting thoughts on investing and misjudging randomness inside lots of blather.
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The Obsolete Employee - by Michael Russer
ISBN: 0966248465 READ: 2007-10-01 RATING: 5/10
How to run a company without employees, but with a loose network of work-from-home freelance agents. Very instructive, but also good perspective like how until the industrial revolution, there were no employees: everyone was freelance.
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Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - by T. Harv Ecker
ISBN: 0060763280 READ: 2007-06-12 RATING: 5/10
If you suspect that your mindset is holding you back from making more money, read this. Identifies and dissolves the mental baggage we've built up that believes money is evil and those who have it are greedy.
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Born Standing Up - by Steve Martin
ISBN: 1416553657 READ: 2010-01-09 RATING: 4/10
A simple autobiography of his early years. Interesting tale, though no usable lessons for me.
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Committed - by Elizabeth Gilbert
ISBN: 0670021652 READ: 2010-01-07 RATING: 4/10
If listening to someone think out loud about marriage for 12 hours interests you, you will like this. Since I was newly engaged, I did.
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What the Dog Saw - by Malcolm Gladwell
ISBN: 0316075841 READ: 2009-12-05 RATING: 4/10
A pretty-good collection of his articles from the past few years. While most are somewhat interesting, it felt a little like surfing the net or TV. Lots of “huh”, but no lasting insights. More entertainment than education.
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Crash Proof 2.0 - by Peter Schiff
ISBN: 047047453X READ: 2009-10-25 RATING: 4/10
Opinion on what to do if the dollar crashes, as the author is strongly speculating that it will. I highly recommend reading the Investor's Manifesto after or instead of this, for a strictly fact-based non-speculative approach instead. But still this is interesting to hear this point of view.
(my notes)
The Great Formula - by Mark Joyner
ISBN: 0471778230 READ: 2009-06-06 RATING: 4/10
Create an irresistable offer. Present it to people who need it. Sell them more afterwards. Lots of examples of this.
(my notes)
China Road - by Rob Gifford
ISBN: 0812975243 READ: 2009-06-02 RATING: 4/10
Not a business book, unless you want to understand China a bit more. Journalist who's worked in China for 10 years decides to move back to London, but takes one last cross-country trip and gets first-time insights into rural Chinese life and how the country has changed.
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Hot Commodities - by Jim Rogers
ISBN: 0812973712 READ: 2008-08-11 RATING: 4/10
Very specific book about understanding the commodity markets.
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Life Without Lawyers - by Philip K. Howard
ISBN: 0393065669 READ: 2010-04-24 RATING: 3/10
I really liked his TED talk (search ted.com), and this book elaborates on the idea. Makes a good point, but should just be a long article - not a whole book.
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The Productive Programmer - by Neal Ford
ISBN: 0596519788 READ: 2009-11-01 RATING: 3/10
I thought it was going to be more general or philosophical tips, but seemed to be more about IDE-specific tips instead. Then it crashed my Kindle (and still does). Oh well.
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Radical Honesty - by Brad Blanton
ISBN: 0970693842 READ: 2009-06-20 RATING: 3/10
First read the great article in Esquire magazine: http://www.esquire.com/features/honesty0707 This book just elaborates on that philosophy.
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A Bull in China - by Jim Rogers
ISBN: 1400066166 READ: 2008-08-06 RATING: 3/10
Very specific book about investing in China's stock market.
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Founders at Work - by Jessica Livingston
ISBN: 1430210788 READ: 2008-02-12 RATING: 3/10
Long in-depth interviews with company founders, telling their tales of how they started. Lots of stories with a few usable gems.
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Rapt - by Winifred Gallagher
ISBN: 1594202109 READ: 2009-07-26 RATING: 2/10
Well-intentioned book I couldn't stomach because of her awkwardly flowerly writing style. Also I've read a lot about focus and flow, so this was mostly a repeat covered better in other books.
(my notes)
The How of Happiness - by Sonja Lyubomirsky
ISBN: 159420148X READ: 2009-06-01 RATING: 2/10
Since I loved Stumbling on Happiness, I was prepared to love this, but the big difference is that Stumbling on Happiness showed tests and experiments to prove their points, whereas this book only presents conclusions. Maybe equally accurate but less convincing.
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Conspiracy of the Rich - Robert Kiyosaki
ISBN: 0446559806 READ: 2009-11-24 RATING: 1/10
Yet another Rich Dad book shat out for the usual audience of those who don't read. Often so bad it hurts, but with the occasional useful sentence. He always seems to go out of his way to avoid giving any usable info - only generalities. Does he care? Is he trying to write great books? Are these things just machine-generated or something?
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The Think Big Manifesto - by Michael Port and Mina Samuels
ISBN: 0470432373 READ: 2009-05-12 RATING: 1/10
One of the few books I've actively disliked. Ever read the introduction to a book? Where they say “what you hold in your hands here is something that could change the world”, and blah blah blah? I kept reading, wondering when the introduction was going to be over. Over halfway through the book, I realized this was it: just broad general encouraging unuseful nothings for the entire book.
(my notes)
