Latest Book Read:
Visualization, manifesting, priming, affirmations. It's something I feel more and more attracted. Spirituality+Science. Can you shape reality using your mind?. According to the author and many athletes, professionals and people who simply want to improve their life or even cure illness, you can use the power of your mind, your imagination, to accomplish what you want by using the Law of Attraction. Easier said that done, this book explains the why and the how in an easy to read and entertaining format.
My Favourite Books (see all @ Goodreads):
In (somewhat) order. From best to good:
Naval is one of my favourite person, a modern philosopher, investor and probably the greatest living thinker for me. I consume everything he produces. It's also the book I gifted the most.
Read once and about to start the second read more than a year later.
It's a great book about investing and about how to live life. William Green interviews and distills knowledge from the greatest investors of all time. I truly think the book has the potential to become an "investing classic".
I read it on kindle which allows me re-read chapters know and then.
Wow, what a great read, exceptional character and beautiful edition by Stripe Press.
It was one of those books that many people recommended to me but never felt the urge to read it. What a mistake on my side. It's packed with wisdom from one of the most important characters of the last centurym the recently passed away Charlie Munger.
100% recommended to read the physical version.
Some summaries of chapters of the book here and here. Book summary by Blas.com
Great book by Morgan Housel where he explains very easily what is money, how we think and act about it and more importantly: some lessons, fundamentals and takeaways.
Another book to re-read from time to time. I already did it twice.
To date I delved into ‘The Lessons of History’ by Will and Ariel Durant in physical form three times — October 2019, April 2021, and most recently in April 2024 — I find new insights with each read. Each session resonates shedding light on the current dynamics of my life, my city, and even on a global scale.
As Mark Twain famously said about history: ‘it doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes’ Indeed, these rhymes echo loudly through the Durant’s distillation of 5,000 years of human history compressed into a mere 100 pages. This book remains a staple on my shelf, demanding to be read and re-read, continually revealing itself as one of my perennial favorites.
I always complain about the lack of education about money, but there are more important things like food, water, and what we do the most: breath. Were you tuaght about how to properly breathe? or about the different techniques for different outcomes?.
There's a lot to gain on this magnificient book about the science, practice and if you want art of breathing.
Breathe, mother f*ck*r!!!.
The new and expanded version of one of the classics. A must-read book by the master of influence: Cialdini. This was on my Goodreads To Read list for quite a while, and I wish I had picked it way before.
It's one of those so full of wisdom (and applications) to my (and your) life that I'll have to re-read it often. I also plan to apply some of the knowledge to my business and daily life. Lots of real-life examples through the book.
Another great book to read from time to time and another recommendation from Tim Ferriss podcast.
I don't know if it's age or wisdom, but I embrace more and more the essentialism approach and I wish I would have started earlier. I think I started with the famous "Hell Yes, or No" by Derek Sivers several years ago (another classic from the Tim Ferriss Show). A very easy to read and interesting book that I plan on re-reading from time to time.
This is one of those books so dense in knowledge and wisdom that I'll have to re-read it from time to time. Everytime you re-read a book you discover new things, partially because you're a new person on that particular moment and you're living through a particular moment. In the case of this book it will be more extreme as it's full of quotes and wisdom. It's so dense that it's impossible to capture everything during the first read.
Another book to re-read from time to time.
The title doesn’t make it justice as it’s far from a productivity book, it’s more like a philosophical one. I think it’s also a celebration of “We gonna die” one my lifetime key lessons. “We gonna die” has two very different meanings: Life is finite, so live it to the maximum (whatever it means for you and for your moment in life). And don’t take things too seriously, as anyway you’re gonna die. In some sense it reminds me to Derek Sivers book “How to Live”. There many ways on how to live, and all of them are valid.
Not an easy book to read. Far from it. It's packed with scientific concepts that can be a bit heavy, but I stuck with it because I kept hearing it was a classic for understanding human behaviour and it's part of the Charlie Munger's Big Ideas worth pursuit in all disciplines.
Fascinating book where Bobby Hundreds, one of the leading characters on the NFT scene analyzes the (yet early) years of NFTs. What I loved the most about the book is the deep knowledge Bobby has about branding, collaborations and street culture which are driven my the same game mechanics, allure of exclusivity and forming part of a community as NFTs are.
Great book to understand not only NFTs but brading in the year we live in.
As a reader who loves books about value investing and life this is a must-read. This book provides a unique perspective on how to navigate life and investing through the transformative quest for wealth, wisdom, and enlightenment. With its compelling lessons and thought-provoking insights, it’s no surprise that this book continues to be a favourite among investors and readers alike.
Another book to re-read from time to time.
One of the best books I’ve ever read on product, product marketing and new companies, and I plan to read and re-read my notes time and time and time again.
It's a classic. And another book which title can held you back ... at your own cost. I recall it as the book that made me tick and initiated my escape from the corporate world. From there, I consume most of Tim content and he's one of my favourite persons on the internet and I can consider him my coach (without him knowing it)
Great book where Tony Fadell shares his knowledge and advice on everything from product, marketing, management and business in general in parallel to his career evolution. Lots of good knowledge and advice.
Loving more and more reading about Quality Investing and Long Term Investing. And it's not about the lessons I get for my investing which are very helpful, but about how to live life. Pulak Prasad intertwines principles from evolutionary theory with investment strategies to offer a fresh perspective on successful long-term investing. Embrace the wisdom of nature's time-tested strategies and discover a fresh perspective on building wealth through sound investment decisions
A classic about spirituality and philosophy of life which I discovered from Naval and which I read already twice.
Travel, adventure, wilderness ... Loved every moment of this book. A non-fiction novel narrating the adventures of Chris McCandless who left everything behind and got into the wild ... to never return.
One of the very few non-knowledge based books on my list and something it resonates in me. Dissapear into the wild? Hell Yes!!!
I picked this book after reading Naval’s Alamanack by Eric Jorgenson. Naval puts a lot of emphasis on reading and learning about the basics, about mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and economics because those rule the world. Understanding the basics makes it easier to understand the complex world we live in.
After enjoying Vol. 2 I had to read volume 3, which made me think why I never read volume 1. Is this a mental model, Shane?. I love mathematics, I think learning the basics of mathematics puts you in the 1-2% percentile and they're everywhere so having mental models around mathematics and systems in general is a must.
My second book from Donal Miller, the Master of Story. An introspective journey into the art of storytelling and its application in our daily lives. It conveys the importance of intentionality and purpose in creating meaningful narratives and a fulfilling life.
From the author of one thousand true fans, Kevin Kelly, or KK, he writes about the 12 technologies shaping our world. I discovered Kevin from Tim Ferriss and became a fan since. I still read his weekly newsletter.
Peter Diamandis is a radical optimist. A futurist. In this book with Steven Kotler they outline how lucky we're to live in the best moment of history and how it will only improve. As they say: the future is better than you think.
Seth Godin is a brilliant and sharp and this is probably his best book about marketing where he works on the idea of what is powerful marketing and how to practice it.
Altered Traits. Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard J.Davidson
The science behind meditation, and mindfulness, its curative and transformative potential and how it can alter our minds (and even physics) for the good. If you do it well enough (and long enough) it can lead to lasting changes, which authors describe as "altered traits”
As always with Balaji … be prepared to be blown away. I get this is direction the World is moving towards. Not sure it is where we will end. Balaji is an optimist, a sentiment I mostly agree with but I think he’s overly optimistic in the network states future. We are already living on the precursors of Network States but I don’t think we will see a recognized Network State on the next 20 years.
Check my (very short) book summary
I discovered this book after listening to a podcast interview of "my amigo" Noah Kagan to the UGG founder Brian Smith. The story resonated with me. Maybe because of the surfing background, I don't know, so next thing I was reading the book which I summarised in 15 takeaways and a couple a bonus points.
Tony is a polarising character and he's difficult to differentiate from a charlatan, but man, he delivers. Everything he does, he's 100% in and I was super surprised by the quality and insights of this book. 100% recommended for personal finances with lessons and practical advice from the very best in the business.
I think I heard about it from Tim Ferriss. It's a short book that I truly enjoyed. A story about tracking lions as lessons for navigating life. It’s not a book to highlight and analyze, but a book to enjoy. Nevertheless I took these notes:
A beautiful and illustrated book about how the pair understand business: far from the traditional build a business plan, raise capital, attacking the competition and so on.
I've read it a couple of times.
Ryan is an expert on stoicism and I have read and listen great things about his books and this one in particular. The book is great (and looks fabulous) but as always with the stoic philosophy ... it's hard for me to read it keeping the concentration. My mind races everywhere but the book. I don't know. Maybe it's the language or that english is not my mother tongue.
A very actionable framework on how to better clarify your brand. It’s a marketing framework based on what the movie industry uses to tell stories. We are busy animals, with busy minds and only stories, good stories catch our attention. Following this framework you can clarify your brand and make it clear and more compelling for your customers.
Check my book summary It's long. Lots of information and actionable content
Follow up from Abundance focused on exponential technologies. The authors describe it as a manifesto and manual on the future.
The World is made of Systems, very complex and interconnected ad infinitum. How we simplify and define the border of each system to better understand the problems, defines very much how we understand the World. Systems are easy and complex at the same time and governed by a set of rules.
While interesting I have to be frank tell you I found it boring and hard to read with difficult to apply lessons which would improve my life or the lives of those around me. But read it a take your own conclusion.
As you'd imagine it's not one of those books you read out of pure pleasure. I was in pain. I was not able to properly ride my bike and I was expecting what doctors would say, so I investigated who is the best in spine health and read the book cover to cover, summed up for me (and for you) and started to apply the knowledge.
A very good and easy to read guide on the "easy" path to Financial Independece or F-You Money as the author calls it. As someone very well versed on this subject of interest of mine I was bit deceived by the book, but it was something I should have expected.
If you're interested in the subject and starting to plan for it, it's a very good book. If you want to get into it a bit deeper, I prefer Money, Master the Game by Tony Robbins.
The story of humans understanding of risk evolved through the ages until today. Without risk there's no progress, so understanding risk is key to progress. The initial chapters were a little bit hard to read, but the final ones are better, specially chapter 16.
The author describes the book as a means “to reliably turn advertising dollars into (enormous) profits using a combination of pricing , value , guarantees , and naming strategies”. A book on value, price, offers, scarcity, guarantees, bonuses and more based on the simple philosophy of “We are not trying to get the most customers. We are trying to make the most money”
Check my book summary It's long. Lots of information and actionable content
Man, I love Tim Ferriss. He is probably the person that influenced my life the most without knowing him in person. I love his work and his podcast, so we he decided to launch this "encyclopedia" with the tools, tactics or routines from many of his guests ... it was a no brainer. It's a book to check from time to time.
Why going big when you can be great?. Why looking for investing when you can bootstrap and keep full control?. Why looking for an exit when you can be happy in your own company forever? Why being famous when you can be successful and anonymous? Questions that we must ask ourselves and that can lead to a different happier place.
A biography of the most influential figure of the XXI century. An innovator, inventor, disruptor, futurist and billionaire. Who doesn't know Musk? Even if it's the distorted image portrayed by the media. Will be the man to make humans an multiplanetary species? or to deliver the first mass production full autonomous cars? or build an army of robots to helps us on boring, repetitive or dangerous tasks?.
He's a legend.
What do high achievers share in common?. What differentiates them from us mere mortals?.
They say history doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. So I thought it would be useful to learn from it.
A very short book, think of it as a very long blog post, in e-book format only and to the point. You'll learn what is VO2 Max, why it is important beyond athletic performance and endurance, why it's a good longevity predictor, how to measure it and how to improve it.
I'll add some modifications to my routine after reading the book.
I hate self improvement, guru-type books, and Robin Sharma books quite fill into that category, but I was changing my morning routines, finding more value on getting up as early as possible and when the book came out I thought to myself that it won't hurt me. In fact I enjoyed the story.
I joined the "5 AM" club for a brief period bur now I get up between 6:05 and 6:30 depending on the time I went to bed. On the weekends I wake p a little bit later, between 7 and 8 AM.
Autobiography of the adventurer and businessman Steve Fossett who was the first to circumnavigate the world non-stop, non-refuel. He disappeared on one of his adventures.
I reckoned that it was hard for me to pick this book. The title is so ... freak. It's classic from the 50's. All the lessons are so evident and common sense yet at the same time so difficult to apply and to interiorise that it ends being a very good book.
Bon Hoffman always provocative on his take on advertising and branding.
After reading many recommendations and feeling tempted but passing to read the classic “Healing Back Pain” by Sarno while I was struggling with back pain, I finally decided to give it a read and opted for the latest Sarno book “The Divided Mind”, looking to access to his most updated knowledge. All in all an interesting take and interesting self-reflection to do. I truly believe in the mind and the main driver for everything and thus its power to create and destroy. With great power, comes great responsibility.
A very particular and personal guide to Japan from Kirai, a Spanish geek living in Japan for years.
Perfect to better understand such a different country and culture before visiting.
A classic from 1926 about money and wealth which I bought for my 14 year old son to learn about the fundamentals of money and wealth which I ended reading it myself as he was not finishing it.
It's one of those books that would fit a blog post more than a book. Most of it is unnecessary as it repeats the 3 fundamentals of wealth. Don't take me wrong: nothing bad reading it in full, because it's short and fast to read. But unnecessary.
As an engineer who loves physics, I was surprised to find this acclaimed book a bit of a drag. It's a reminder that not every popular book clicks, even in your favorite subjects!
As soon as I learned Tony Robbins was launching a new book about investing after loving Money, Master the Game I pre-booked it and oh man, what a deception.
It's a self-promotion 300+ pages pamphlet about Caz Investments (where he's a minority passive shareholder). The second part, where he interviews titans has the potential to be great but fails at execution. It's repetitive and over structured which makes it boring. If you like to learn from investment titans read Richer, Wiser, Happier by William Green.
All in all, a bad book from Tony Robbins.