The Book Shelf: May 2022
My love for reading laid dormant for a long time… for about 12 years. I remain part of the 1% of Denver’s population that does not ski, snowboard, own a Subaru or own a Epic/Ikon pass. During the winters, I started reading books about things I knew nothing about but was always curious about. Things like investing, real estate, the effect of habits; self-help books mainly. The way I think about it, this is the only way to fill in the intellectual gaps that college never covered without going back to school. I always wanted to learn, but was never a great student (ironic right?). These books taught me about things that directly effected me: how to better myself in any way I could and how to make more money so that some day I can support a family.
The habit adds up quickly. On average I would pay $15 for a book, but now I have 23 books on my shelf. That is $345 in paper books! To sustain my knowledge consuming habit on a budget, I looked at alternative methods and the one I found most useful is an app called Libby. This app connects to your local library and offers both audiobooks and “printed” books that you can send straight to your tablet for free. It works like a library shelf, so the checkout time is limited and you have to put a hold on an audiobook and the app will notify you when you can borrow it.
This is the list of books I have read or listened to in May 2022, what I learned from them and if I would recommend them to others or not.
Financial Freedom - Grant Sabatier
Not all books about financial freedom are created equal, but this one set a fire inside me that has not yet died out. This didn’t tell me to invest my life savings in crypto, to not spend money at all or to become a workaholic at a job I don’t like but rather to be truly smart with your money and make it work for you. This is a primary example of a guide for things I didn’t learn in college that can make you a stream of income. This outlines how it is possible to retire in the next 5-10 years. For those of us in our twenties, this is very appealing. It talks about generating multiple streams of income, how to save money , what to do with the money you do save and how it can work for you while you sleep.
Recommend? Biggest yes.
2. The Richest Man in Babylon - George S. Clason
Set in Medieval times, it simplifies the lessons everyone needs to learn without all of the vernacular. Nothing about the stock market, CDs, house hacking or crypto - just bare bones knowledge. The one takeaway is save 1 piece of silver for every 10 you earn. Am I paid in silver at my current job? No, but the lesson still stands. The others like it in the book are easier to digest in this format.
Recommend? Yes
3. Elon Musk - Ashlee Vance
Our modern day, real life Iron Man has done a lot for this planet and is not slowing down. I am an admirer of his wit, intelligence and wanted to learn how his brain worked. This gives us laypeople a good insight in to why he is the way he is and what his past looks like. His struggles as a boy all the way to sending humans to other planets and creating a car that he says will save the planet.
Recommend? Yes
4. 10% Happier - Dan Harris
This book makes you get very introspective very quickly. Why do we do the things that we do if they do not make us happy? Are you happy? Are you better than you were a year ago? This can make you think critically or become existential, or both over the course of the book.
Recommend? Yes
5. Greenlights - Matthew McConaughey
Women love him, men want to be him. How did he come to be? We know him as an actor but after this book, you will see how well a story can be told. This gives a powerful insight in to the journey to fame in Hollywood, what it means to be cool, calm and collected and how to just be cool and have style. I would highly recommend listening to this book on either Libby or Audible because the intonation makes a huge difference in the book. Not to mention McConaughey narrates the book himself; you will be reading things in his voice for a while. Green light.
Recommend? Yes
6. The Side Hustle - Nick Loper
Life is no longer just the 9-5. Most people today have some sort of side hustle, mine is photography, and we all know about driving Uber or Doordash. However, this will show you how truly creative people can be to earn money on the side to allow themselves a life to focus on doing what they love rather than trading time for money their whole lives.
Recommend? Yes
7. I Don’t Want to Grow Up - Scott Stillman
Want to play more than you work? Go ahead and judge this book by it’s cover because it’s written by someone who doesn’t want to grow old in the corporate world and would rather play in the dirt in his old age. It may seem too good to be true but it can be done if you set your priorities right and remain determined to do what you love while figuring out how to get paid for it.
Recommend? No - does not lay out a plan to achieve this
8. Atomic Habits - James Clear
What are your habits? The good, the bad and the ones you wish you had. What we do on the daily is what shapes us in to who we are tomorrow. This will outline how to break the bad habits and break in the new ones. On my shelf, this was the first book I read and I have many other books about habit but this remains the best one
Recommend? Yes
9. How to Talk to Anyone - Leil Lowndes
“Have you ever admired those successful people who seem to have it all? They chat confidently at parties, speak well in business meetings, and have the best jobs, nicest parties, and most interesting friends.” Lowndes presents 92 tricks to execute in conversation to master your communication skills and become that person at work that you so admire for the same reason. More importantly, to never let a conversation die out. It is easy to let the momentum of a conversation slow down, effectively ending the conversation (or worse, it gets awkwardly silent). Learn to master your communication in your professional life and your personal life.
Recommend? Strongly