My Books Notes
"What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." -Carl Sagan
My notes from some of my favourite books.
The Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman
Date read: 2020-07-08
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
A powerful framework for viewing human behaviour.
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Amazon
What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz
Date read: 2020-03-11
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
My favourite book on creating culture. Ben does it again. Plus more hip-hop quotes.
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Amazon
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
Date read: 2018-02-02
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
Danny Meyer is the GOAT of hospitality. Simply put. From the principles of surprising and delighting guests with enlightened hospitality and shared ownership, to the necessity of community building, to 51% HQ and the “Can + Will” frameworks, I continue to learn and apply so much from the leadership and generosity of Danny over the years. This book is a classic. And to think Shake Shack started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park. Love it.
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Amazon
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Date read: 2020-03-11
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
So much to do. So little time. A kind reminder of human limitations and how to enjoy the time we do have. A wonderfully thoughtful book about existential philopsophies.
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Amazon
This Is Marketing by Seth Godin
Date read: 2019-03-24
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
Seth Godin is one of my favorite thinkers. I've read all his books, but this is essentail for every entrepreneur. Seth offer a compassionate and story-driven approach to business that will give you a competitive advantage in a world craving holistic and human-centered leadership.
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Amazon
Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Date read: 2021-04-07
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
John Doerr shares his OKR (Objectives and Key Results) methodology he learned from Intel legend Andy Grove. OKRs will help you achieve your business goals, keeps teams aligned, and informs any time you want to do anyting to keep you serving your ultimate objectives. A must read.
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Amazon
Think Again: The Power Of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant
Date read: 2020-04-18
How strongly I recommend it: 8/10
We often form opinions too easily from too little information - while overall evolutionarily adaptive, when we have time to be deliberate this book is an excellent reminder of our self-serving biases. Enhance your leadership skills, improve your relationships, and simply become a better learner.
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Amazon
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Date read: 2023-05-15
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
A music genius? Yes. But I didn't know Rick Rubin was also a poet. Rick so eloquently describes what is means to be an artist, to create, inspire, and lead. So good I read it twice.
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Amazon