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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-04-2016, 03:47 PM
I know there are plenty of book threads, but I'd like to make one on the topic of must-read books.
I'm not talking about the entertainment kind. Though that could be secondary. Primarily, let's talk about books that alter your mindset significantly or change your viewpoint on life in a positive way.
Whenever I have downtime, I'd like to spend it reading something that enhances my life in some way.
Here's two I read recently, with some quick points that come to mind.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big - Scott Adams
- Systems over goals is a great idea
- Develop plenty of skills, even if only moderately, and you'll be set for the future
- Wake up at 4 AM to get ahead
A Guide to the Good Life: Stoic Joy - William Irvine
- Consider everything you have temporary - from material possessions to people - for when you inevitably lose them in life the pain won't sting as much. Added bonus is that you'll cherish that which you'll lose much more while you have it
- Negative visualization--imagine losing what you already have so that you can stop endlessly lusting for more
- Take pride in having the simplest pleasures
- It's not about living with less or being frugal. Rather it's about being able to live with less so that your well-being is not shattered when the going gets rough
What about you guys. What are your must-read books? It would be helpful if you could include a couple of quick pointers as to why you see it as a worthwhile read.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-05-2016, 09:17 AM
Thanks for these books, I will include them in my list.
Here are the books that changed my attitude in life:
Jeff Colwin - Talent is overrated.
Takes away one big excuse in your life to not do things. Describes that talent is not real. And all is possible.
Dreiser's Trilogy.
Makes you associate with the main character and feel like he feels, changes the perspective of live. I satisfy myself was his attitude, well I believe it is mostly a correct one. And definitely red pill.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-05-2016, 09:59 AM
Good thread. Must read for me
Origin of species.
Blind watchmaker.
Descent of man.
Animal farm.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-05-2016, 11:59 AM
Lots of book shaped how I think, hands down the most relevant to this forum is Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate.
If civilization had been left in female hands we would still be living in grass huts. - Camille Paglia
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-05-2016, 10:11 PM
The Law by Frederic Bastiat -- a rumination on justice and the state
Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt -- a defence of the free market against things like regulations
Both are short enough that you could finish them in one or two sittings. Both have dropped many collective scales from many collective eyes.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-06-2016, 03:25 AM
Quote: (02-05-2016 10:11 PM)TooFineAPoint Wrote:
The Law by Frederic Bastiat -- a rumination on justice and the state
Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt -- a defence of the free market against things like regulations
Both are short enough that you could finish them in one or two sittings. Both have dropped many collective scales from many collective eyes.
Was actually also thinking to include this one
Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
A must read
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-06-2016, 05:38 AM
Art of the deal -Donald Trump
LOTS of "red-pill" realities, and plenty of solid wisdom as well.
Picked it up because he's running, recommending it because it's a great read.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-06-2016, 01:37 PM
A Guide to Rational Living, Albert Ellis
-- A potentially life-changing book if you take the REBT philosophy to heart. The gist of it is: Our beliefs about events, and not the events themselves, are what cause us to experience negative emotions. The Stoics had a profound influence on the conception of REBT so you'll see a overlap (somewhat) between the two philosophies.
The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russell
-- I'm still reading this one but so far it's good. The first half of the book talks about the things that cause us to be unhappy (the chapter on fear of public opinion alone is worth the price of the book) and the second half talks about the causes of happiness.
Essentials of Economics, Faustino Ballve
-- A good, short introduction to the fundamentals of economics. I recommend this before you read H.H's Economics in One Lesson.
Sex and The Single Man, Albert Ellis
-- It's hard to find a copy in good condition but it's a good read. Ellis was one of the pioneers of the sexual revolution in the 60s and he was also a sex therapist before he started doing REBT. He actually received a lot of flak when this book was first published because it had a lot of red pill advice.
Time Will Run Back, Henry Hazlitt
-- Similar to George Orwell's 1984, but more economics-focused. It's a novel about the rediscovery of capitalism in a totalitarian world. It's surprisingly a decent introduction to economics as well.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-06-2016, 05:35 PM
The Way to Will-Power , Henry Hazlitt
Make it Stick, Peter Brown, et Al.
Problem Solving 101 Ken Watabe
Personally these books were the ones i got the most out of. Other than specialized Business and programming books.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-06-2016, 06:42 PM
Quote: (02-06-2016 08:46 AM)Nascimento Wrote:
Quote: (02-06-2016 05:38 AM)whateverfuckit Wrote:
Art of the deal -Donald Trump
LOTS of "red-pill" realities, and plenty of solid wisdom as well.
Picked it up because he's running, recommending it because it's a great read.
Is the Art of the Deal just as good as Think Big?
I've been reading the latter recently. Maybe I should pick up the former as well.
I'm not sure, I've only read the first 3 chapters so far, but I already plan on getting the rest of his books (minus "Crippled America" and other "POTUS" books....I support him, no need to learn more about his plans)
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-07-2016, 12:39 AM
I know most will disagree but Jesu Did Not Exist by Kenneth Humpries is a must read.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-07-2016, 11:06 AM
I read Heart of Darkness. It was aiight, but what was so great about it?
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 02:27 AM
Not a book but a must read anyways. Schopenhauers On Women.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 12:51 PM
The Republic by Plato
Proverbs by Solomon
1984 or Animal Farm
Any accurate biography of Julius Caesar ( I recommend Phillip Freeman's novel paced bio)
Undaunted Courage - the story of Lewis and Clark, another novel paced history book
currently reading The New Penguin History of the World, which I suspect I would consider must reading.
David Deida's writings
- One planet orbiting a star. Billions of stars in the galaxy. Billions of galaxies in the universe. Approach.
#BallsWin
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 01:40 PM
Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker. This book definitely challenged my views on finance. Basic math time here, if you never want to work another day in your life, you can either make 4 times as much money for five years or spend 1/4 as much for five years and then invest the difference. For most people, the latter option is actually achievable. If you can get used to it, it beats the hell out of a lifetime of wage slavery.
The Millionaire Fastlane. This book is the converse of ERE, it illustrates how to "make it big" and gives you a framework to work with. Very basic rundown of the book is that you work your ass off on a business model, the best ones have leverage (as in worldwide reach), don't depend on human labor, and over time use up less of your time. There are commandments but I don't remember them exactly.
The guy made his millions on a limousine driver referral website where he would find clients to refer to limousine businesses and basically take a finders fee. Over time he figured out how to program the website to run on it's own, at which point a company bought him out for a large sum of money. There's more to the story but that's a pretty good outline.
“I have a very simple rule when it comes to management: hire the best people from your competitors, pay them more than they were earning, and give them bonuses and incentives based on their performance. That’s how you build a first-class operation.”
― Donald J. Trump
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 02:59 PM
48 laws of power, possibly the most read pill book excising. Not an easy read though quite complicated English.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 06:19 PM
Gladiator by Philip Wylie -
It's speculative fiction, it's pretty old, and was inarguably the basis for Superman. I don't know much about the author but it's clear to me that he was part of the old intelligentsia who favored eugenics. It's not some kind of gay superhero book either, the main character is actually compelling, he has incredible gifts that could have benefitted the world but is unable to find his place within it. A lot of the book is a rant against the frailty and pretentiousness of humanity coupled with an immense loathing towards the average.
1984 - most of us haven't read it since 8th grade. It's worth a revisit. Take a few minutes and leaf through the glossary too, mine has a 'newspeak dictionary' in it.
I was wrong to think it was a pedestrian novel at the time. Orwell might have been stabbing in the dark for some of the novel but a lot of the shit going down in that particular dystopia are going on now. Poisoning relationships between men, women, and children (even the kids squeal on their parents in 1984), destruction of language, thoughtcrime, duckspeak (read Jezebel for examples), 'Big Brother's' omni-oppressive society, women being the most fanatical proselytizers of fascism. You can draw any number of parallels between the shitty government in the book and cultural marxists, globalists, and feminists today.
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Must-read Books (a definitive list)
02-08-2016, 11:06 PM
The Mystery Method by Erik von Markovik.
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