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Tools of Titans is a book I read snippets of when needing motivation.
Some sections I haven't read yet, some I have read multiple times - it's that kind of book. I relate to some of the sections, and some are completely over my head (think, super excercisey-macro-counting kJ discussions and weights). Endurance exercise and mental toughness I love, but the peak physical condition stuff challenges me.
I love reading about the backgrounds, successes, learning and development suggestions provided in this book. It's a book to hang on to forever. It will be interesting to look back on some of these attitudes and ideas in ten years.
Some sections I haven't read yet, some I have read multiple times - it's that kind of book. I relate to some of the sections, and some are completely over my head (think, super excercisey-macro-counting kJ discussions and weights). Endurance exercise and mental toughness I love, but the peak physical condition stuff challenges me.
I love reading about the backgrounds, successes, learning and development suggestions provided in this book. It's a book to hang on to forever. It will be interesting to look back on some of these attitudes and ideas in ten years.
I don't give many books only one star, so let me explain my rating system. I reserve the one star rating for books which could or will actually hurt somebody. I know, I know, there's a disclaimer in the front of the book; but there's more that's harmful in here than the things some of the individuals recommend.
I also would like to start with the disclaimer that I tend to be relatively immune to self-help books. I'm very happy with my life, I'm a top performer in my hobbies and at work, and I have a very detailed system for how I do things already.
I started this book reading the intro and enjoying it, and looking forward to the nuggets of wisdom. This book was recommended to me by a trusted friend and mentor, and it seems to me that I like Ferriss' writing style and have some things in common with him regarding how we approach life.
That said, let me tell you what this book is. It is summarized blurbs from episodes of Ferriss' podcast. Normally that would sound like a great bathroom book or a daily journaling guide. In this case, it took me about 10 hours to read this book, and I only felt about 10 minutes of that gave me actionable information. The author's stated target is that he wants 50% to be useful to you, 25% to be taken to heart and 10% to be unforgettable and life-changing. Sorry, Tim, I'm sitting at about 1% useful.
I'll take a brief moment to list out the things I felt were harmful. This book is overwhelmingly full of perspective from white, male, cis, and het people, and it shows. The author asked every guest what their spirit animal was. At best, this won't age well since it is very insensitive to indigenous cultures. One guest said the person with the most punchable face was President Obama. Addressing content; nearly every person in this book was a huge proponent of the keto diet (or other low-carb diets) which can be deadly to some. Many claims were made about the keto diet potentially reducing cancer risk. Use of halluncinogens was also highly recommended. This book is definitely coming from an ableist and fatphobic perspective so CW for that.
I found that most chapters that weren't explicitly harmful fell into one of two categories.
1. Duh
2. Why do I care about what this person has to say?
In the case of item 2, this book has perspective from a lot of celebrities that often do not share my values, do not seem happy to me, or both. I don't feel the author makes a good case for why we should listen to the person he's about to quote. He lists the credentials but many of these people seem like they lead fear-driven, miserable lives. It isn't until the "Wise" section of this book that you get perspective on that, and I would say "Wise" directly contradicts the previous two sections "Healthy" and "Wealthy."
All in all, this book did not have a unified voice and I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone.
I also would like to start with the disclaimer that I tend to be relatively immune to self-help books. I'm very happy with my life, I'm a top performer in my hobbies and at work, and I have a very detailed system for how I do things already.
I started this book reading the intro and enjoying it, and looking forward to the nuggets of wisdom. This book was recommended to me by a trusted friend and mentor, and it seems to me that I like Ferriss' writing style and have some things in common with him regarding how we approach life.
That said, let me tell you what this book is. It is summarized blurbs from episodes of Ferriss' podcast. Normally that would sound like a great bathroom book or a daily journaling guide. In this case, it took me about 10 hours to read this book, and I only felt about 10 minutes of that gave me actionable information. The author's stated target is that he wants 50% to be useful to you, 25% to be taken to heart and 10% to be unforgettable and life-changing. Sorry, Tim, I'm sitting at about 1% useful.
I'll take a brief moment to list out the things I felt were harmful. This book is overwhelmingly full of perspective from white, male, cis, and het people, and it shows. The author asked every guest what their spirit animal was. At best, this won't age well since it is very insensitive to indigenous cultures. One guest said the person with the most punchable face was President Obama. Addressing content; nearly every person in this book was a huge proponent of the keto diet (or other low-carb diets) which can be deadly to some. Many claims were made about the keto diet potentially reducing cancer risk. Use of halluncinogens was also highly recommended. This book is definitely coming from an ableist and fatphobic perspective so CW for that.
I found that most chapters that weren't explicitly harmful fell into one of two categories.
1. Duh
2. Why do I care about what this person has to say?
In the case of item 2, this book has perspective from a lot of celebrities that often do not share my values, do not seem happy to me, or both. I don't feel the author makes a good case for why we should listen to the person he's about to quote. He lists the credentials but many of these people seem like they lead fear-driven, miserable lives. It isn't until the "Wise" section of this book that you get perspective on that, and I would say "Wise" directly contradicts the previous two sections "Healthy" and "Wealthy."
All in all, this book did not have a unified voice and I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone.
It is difficult to be exceptional.
When I say "exceptional," I don't mean many of other adjectives people often use as synonyms: "gifted" or "genius." I mean quite simply, it is difficult to be an exception. A person who does not prove the rule. A person who experiences any part of the world differently than the majority. Everyone is exceptional in some department of their life. They have more or less aptitude for a skill. They have more or less eye sight, more or less focus, more or less physical strength, more or less attraction to Star Wars facts.
At every step of life there are exceptions. Children who mature faster than their peers, children who cannot pick up the alphabet as easily. Women who get tall, men who stay short. Artists and anti-social personalities, leaders and insomniacs. "Exceptional" is neither good nor bad. It simply means that in that department, this person does not match. And when you don't match, it means that the world has probably not be set up for you in that area. It's been built around the majority. A lecture hall is set up to assume you have average hearing. School is structured to accommodate average learning styles. Cars are set up for people of average height. Society is set up to assume an average amount of extroversion, average sexuality, etc. etc. etc.
When that lines up with how you experience the world, it means it's easier to travel through the world. You can either use the systems already in place, or you can watch how other people have succeeded and follow their paths.
It becomes more complicated in each place that you are an exception, because you have to forge an exceptional road with fewer role models.
This is a long-winded introduction for why I enjoyed this book. Ferriss has interviewed exceptional people from many corners of industry to find out their strategies for success. Many are celebrities folks will have heard of; others are successes who do their work out of the public eye. Athletes, actors, businesspeople. I found myself newly impressed by some of the humans inside this book and newly appalled by others. Regardless, they are all exceptions, and this book is about the different paths exceptional people have taken to cope, improve, and advance with the ways they are exceptional. Do I agree with all of them? No. Can I use all of them? No. Did many of them spur me to think about my habits differently and provide me with a fresh blueprint for new habits? Yes.
Bonus: each interview is quite short, so one can skip around and read a few minutes here and there.
We're all exceptional in some way, and this is a book that reminds one that exceptional journeys require exceptional solutions. Nice.
When I say "exceptional," I don't mean many of other adjectives people often use as synonyms: "gifted" or "genius." I mean quite simply, it is difficult to be an exception. A person who does not prove the rule. A person who experiences any part of the world differently than the majority. Everyone is exceptional in some department of their life. They have more or less aptitude for a skill. They have more or less eye sight, more or less focus, more or less physical strength, more or less attraction to Star Wars facts.
At every step of life there are exceptions. Children who mature faster than their peers, children who cannot pick up the alphabet as easily. Women who get tall, men who stay short. Artists and anti-social personalities, leaders and insomniacs. "Exceptional" is neither good nor bad. It simply means that in that department, this person does not match. And when you don't match, it means that the world has probably not be set up for you in that area. It's been built around the majority. A lecture hall is set up to assume you have average hearing. School is structured to accommodate average learning styles. Cars are set up for people of average height. Society is set up to assume an average amount of extroversion, average sexuality, etc. etc. etc.
When that lines up with how you experience the world, it means it's easier to travel through the world. You can either use the systems already in place, or you can watch how other people have succeeded and follow their paths.
It becomes more complicated in each place that you are an exception, because you have to forge an exceptional road with fewer role models.
This is a long-winded introduction for why I enjoyed this book. Ferriss has interviewed exceptional people from many corners of industry to find out their strategies for success. Many are celebrities folks will have heard of; others are successes who do their work out of the public eye. Athletes, actors, businesspeople. I found myself newly impressed by some of the humans inside this book and newly appalled by others. Regardless, they are all exceptions, and this book is about the different paths exceptional people have taken to cope, improve, and advance with the ways they are exceptional. Do I agree with all of them? No. Can I use all of them? No. Did many of them spur me to think about my habits differently and provide me with a fresh blueprint for new habits? Yes.
Bonus: each interview is quite short, so one can skip around and read a few minutes here and there.
We're all exceptional in some way, and this is a book that reminds one that exceptional journeys require exceptional solutions. Nice.
DNF at 10%. This book was just a major nope from me.
Maybe the audio book format is what made this book so awful for me. Took Tim's advice and skipped liberally - almost the entire book that is
The epitome of a plethora of information. Packed full of stuffs.
Good for referencing, but not exactly the best for reading straight through, even though I did.
Two stand out thoughts:
Annoying, but true: Lack of time is a lack of priorities.
One of my favorite rules of thumb: If it's not a "HELL, YES!" it's a "NO."
Good for referencing, but not exactly the best for reading straight through, even though I did.
Two stand out thoughts:
Annoying, but true: Lack of time is a lack of priorities.
One of my favorite rules of thumb: If it's not a "HELL, YES!" it's a "NO."
When I started this mammoth sized book I was very hungry for advice, guidance, ideas, an inspiration to achieve and get going. I've finished a few months later feeling uninspired (except for Brene Brown popping in at the end) and wanting to run away from this kind of fast action, fast success. For the people that want/need to go for it, all the best, but I've been left wondering where the heart is. This book has inspired me to stick to my guns, feet on the ground, questioning my wants and desires.
There is no time to rush.
There is no time to rush.
Wacky in spots but completely, amazingly interesting and useful in others.
informative
medium-paced
Love the concept, super cool book to have around. Distilled podcast advice from many a smart person, some wisdom for every part of life. This seems like a fantastic book to leaf through when facing any number of issues throughout life and receive some applicable and solid advice from morning routines to finding out what to do with our lives.
I enjoyed some things from Alain De Botton - he might be interesting. "to blame someone for not understanding you fully is deeply unfair because, first of all, we don't understand ourselves, and even if we do understand ourselves we have such a hard time communicating ourselves to other people. Therefore, to be furious and enraged and bitter that people don't get all of who we are is a really cruel piece of immaturity." p. 487
I took photos of the pages that most stood out, go check em out. Solid stuff.
I enjoyed some things from Alain De Botton - he might be interesting. "to blame someone for not understanding you fully is deeply unfair because, first of all, we don't understand ourselves, and even if we do understand ourselves we have such a hard time communicating ourselves to other people. Therefore, to be furious and enraged and bitter that people don't get all of who we are is a really cruel piece of immaturity." p. 487
I took photos of the pages that most stood out, go check em out. Solid stuff.