Check out this week’s episode: why and how to find flow state here.
The most incredible thing happens when you’re reading.
For the 6 hours you spend reading, you’re breaking the law of subjectivity.
And you’re breaking the space-time continuum because your mind syncs up with the author’s even if they’re long, long gone.
For those few hours, you’re entering into their mind palace. Walking around in it, touching the curtains, looking out their windows, and sitting on their sofas.
You’re taking a swim in the mind of the author.
Do this enough times, and you’ve lived a thousand years.
Though each passing day brings you closer to your end, there are two things in life which bring you closer to the infinite: love and knowledge.
Here are my top 7 books of 2023:
Confession by Leo Tolstoy — One of my most recommended books of all time. Tolstoy was a literary genius and one of the greatest novelists in history. He was also very wealthy. Owned a sprawling 16,200 acres estate, 300 horses, and more. He had it all. The F*** You Money, beautiful wife, kids, and prestige beyond imagination. And he had all this by the age of 50. But he was missing one thing. The most important thing: Meaning. And this almost led him to suicide. Confession is Tolstoy's confession of how he went from hopelessness to finding meaning. (I did an episode on Confession, listen here.)
The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku — I had this on my list for two years and finally got around to it. ‘Provocative’ is an understatement here. Muraresku explores the possibility that Western civilization as we know it has its roots in the use of psychedelics. He argues that the secret rituals of Eleusis in Ancient Greece involved the use of psychedelic substances. This theory extends into early Christianity where the Eucharist might have been a psychedelic sacrament, at least within certain groups. Murareku uses historical, archaeological, and chemical evidence to support his claims. It’s a decade-long research condensed into 500 pages.
Play Bigger by Al Ramadan, Christopher Lockhead et al — The authors call themselves Category Pirates. One of the most insightful business strategy books out there. Unsurprisingly, Jeff Bezos gifts this book to his friends frequently. No, Bezo didn’t gift this book to me—at least not yet. Anyway, the authors argue that the most successful and recognizable companies today created their own market vs. competing in an existing market. Think Apple creating iPhone when there wasn’t even a market for touchscreen phones. Or Uber creating a ride-hailing service for on-demand transportation. The Category Pirates advocate for companies to innovate market design, product design and business design. Once you see their point, it’s hard to unsee.
Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger — I’ve watched the majority of Arnold movies. And recently watched his docu-series ‘Arnold’ which led me to read his latest book. In Be Useful, he gives seven tools that he’s employed throughout his three acts of life: becoming the greatest bodybuilding champion, becoming the highest-paid movie star, and winning the seat of Governor. At times, reading it felt like Arnold was speaking to me with his Austrian accent, “I.J, the only limits that exist are the ones you place in your mind.” (So I ended up doing an episode on Be Useful. Listen here.)
The Invisible College by Jacques F. Vallée — Okay… This is the second year I’m adding a “spooky” book (last year it was Diana’s book ‘American Cosmic’). Jacques Vallée is a computer scientist, astronomer and venture capitalist. He was one of the guys who worked on the information centre of the early internet, ARPANET. In Invisible College, Vallée explores the UFO/UAP/Non-human intelligence (NHI) phenomenon and its impact on human consciousness. He argues extensively that this phenomenon is part of the human psyche and is deeply entangled with spirituality and mythology (for a deep dive, read his book Passport to Magonia). He suggests that the phenomenon is pushing the limits of human perception and understanding of consciousness. Some stories in there creeped me out right now! So, what do I think of the whole UAP/UFO/NHI situation? I think the study of angelology and demonology is going to erupt soon (a win for the Medievalists). You see almost all major religions talk about spiritual beings that intervene or interrupt human progress. So it shouldn’t be a shocker to us. However, it would be naive to simply think that these UAP/NHI are only angels and demons.
Tribe by Sebastian Junger — “What would you risk dying for—and for whom—is perhaps the most profound question a person can ask themselves. The vast majority of people in modern society can pass their whole lives without ever having to answer that question, which is both an enormous blessing and a significant loss. It is a loss because having to face that question has, for tens of millennia, been one of the ways that we have defined ourselves as people.” This quote from Tribe captures the essence of the book. Junger explores how our modern consumeristic society has failed to give individuals meaning and purpose leading to isolation and depression. Modern society promises liberty and happiness but gives us hedonism and depression pills. (Listen to my episode on Tribe here.)
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz — This is a cult classic in the self-development world. I can’t overstate how influential Maltz’s work is. Some of the biggest names credit Maltz for their success: Zig Ziglar, Opera Winfrey, and Tony Robbins. Maltz reveals the power of the human mind. And how you can create a whole new identity and dramatically improve your performance in any area by leveraging the power of visualization. High-performing athletes like Jon Jones, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and more employ Maltz techniques. (Here’s my episode on Psycho-Cybernetics. Listen here.)
Honorable mentions are: Dhammapada by Buddha, The Manual by Epictetus, Bitcoin Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford, and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Till next week, peace!
P.S. By the way, you can support my work at no extra cost by using the Amazon affiliate links if you decide to read one of the books above!
P.P.S. This week I studied Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi for #010 ‘How To Unlock The Secret To Happiness’. He was a professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago, and the author of the bestselling Flow. In Csikszentmihalyi’s research, he found that people who get into flow states tend to be much happier in life. At the end of the episode, I challenge you with four things to do this week to take action in your own life.
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