Haha this was just an excellent way to round off the year. I had lessons in history on my list, but now I will gladly strike it off. People should do more of these lists - would save us all some time 😂
P.s. your writing style was really entertaining with this post too!
Thank you Zan. When I first read the Taleb line at the beginning of the post it sparked the idea. I hope you dont read lessons of history but if you do let me know how bad you thought it was :)
I appreciate you. A compliment like that coming from you is an honor :)
HAHA well then definitely dont read it because its just going to help get you there quicker. What can you recommend that I definitely dont need to read?
I had "die with zero" on my reading list, but now get to cross it off that long list thanks to your very convincing argument to skip it. Since I know I will not die having completed my stack of books to read in the future, this lightens the burden a little bit.
Hello Arman, Reading this list sparks a question, especially since you mentioned “The magic of believing” - Is the “The Secret” book in the list of your not-to-read?
I read DIE WITH ZERO and felt like there were some nuggets of good advice in there. I think it most definitely is appealing when you have no children or anyone to pass your money to to build generational wealth or gift your remaining assets to. Funny enough, I gifted this book to my dad because he always mentions that when it's his time to "go" that we will be better off financially, which I've always found morbid.
I agree. I love books that have unconventional nuggets of wisdom. That's why I included it here. Yeah that was one of the most eye opening takes I had never considered. Gifting money to your children when they're younger and actually need the money instead of waiting till you die and giving it to them when they don't need it as much.
A few travel friends live by the Die with Zero motto, but haven’t read the book. Personally, I believe we need to live a life full of experiences with less material things, but ending with zero sounds pretty hard to accomplish. Thanks for the heads-up to avoid reading the book! I trust your input Arman.
Haha well I was being slightly facetious. I actually think it makes a lot of great points that go against the grain. But yes, I agree with you. I stumbled upon this travel quote years ago and its always stuck with me: "I'd rather have a passport full of stamps than a household full of things."
So true! I’m fighting allergies at the moment and my head feels like a vice. But I am sure I can come up with a few titles if my head were clearer.
One that does come to mind (that everyone else touts as a stroke of genius) is that War of Art book. Sorry, I know the answer is “do the work and sometimes it’s hard.” I think too many people look for “secrets” when the secret is to rest and rejuvenate.
Oh that's a good one. I've read it a few times and think you're spot on. Most of the time, we already know what the "secret" is for us at any given time and just need to trust ourselves.
"A Whack" : really creative people say things that normies don't like. They face constant ridicule and ostracism. That's why most people won't do it. It's as simple as that.
As for Will & Arial: I've read tons of history, but I've never read them. Thanks for giving me another reason.
Walden by Henry David Thoreau is highly overrated. A long tedious tome where a crotchety curmudgeon complains about culture, lives as a minimalist (SO unoriginal) in the woods, doesn't do drugs even ONCE? Come on, this is embarrassing.
Excellent addition Liesl. I unfortunately read that book many years ago but thanks for the reminder to never reread it! Seriously if he wasn't doing drugs in the woods why did he need all that privacy? Sounds like there could be more to this story...
The Durants weren't so much historians as they were speculative philosophers. So having "History" in the title of the book is misleading and demeaning to actual historians.
Haha this was just an excellent way to round off the year. I had lessons in history on my list, but now I will gladly strike it off. People should do more of these lists - would save us all some time 😂
P.s. your writing style was really entertaining with this post too!
Agreed Zan.
Most people should stop reading what others read, if they want to have more original thoughts.
when i first heard that idea it shook me to my core. thanks for the reminder!
Arman!
Glad to help :)
Very true - the best inspiration comes from the world, not from pages!
Thank you Zan. When I first read the Taleb line at the beginning of the post it sparked the idea. I hope you dont read lessons of history but if you do let me know how bad you thought it was :)
I appreciate you. A compliment like that coming from you is an honor :)
The only one I had heard off is die with zero. But I don't need to read that one because I'm well on my way to achieve that anyway. 😅
HAHA well then definitely dont read it because its just going to help get you there quicker. What can you recommend that I definitely dont need to read?
"It’s hard to hate on an old married couple who spent the better part of seven decades distilling the entirety of our known history.
But allow me the honors."
Amazing line.
Haha thank you Ved. I chucked to myself after writing that so I knew it had to stay. Any books you could recommend I dont read?
Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy is my favorite anti-recommendation I'd make to someone's eyeballs to suffer.
It's Victorian dry with a dash of 'why did I read this?' existentialism.
Wonderful. Thank you. I've never heard of it. I think I was a brit in a past life because I love a dash of british dryness :)
I had "die with zero" on my reading list, but now get to cross it off that long list thanks to your very convincing argument to skip it. Since I know I will not die having completed my stack of books to read in the future, this lightens the burden a little bit.
Knowing I saved you from reading one less book means I can die happy.
Hello Arman, Reading this list sparks a question, especially since you mentioned “The magic of believing” - Is the “The Secret” book in the list of your not-to-read?
I've read both and would definitely recommend the magic of believing over the secret 10/10.
I read DIE WITH ZERO and felt like there were some nuggets of good advice in there. I think it most definitely is appealing when you have no children or anyone to pass your money to to build generational wealth or gift your remaining assets to. Funny enough, I gifted this book to my dad because he always mentions that when it's his time to "go" that we will be better off financially, which I've always found morbid.
I agree. I love books that have unconventional nuggets of wisdom. That's why I included it here. Yeah that was one of the most eye opening takes I had never considered. Gifting money to your children when they're younger and actually need the money instead of waiting till you die and giving it to them when they don't need it as much.
A few travel friends live by the Die with Zero motto, but haven’t read the book. Personally, I believe we need to live a life full of experiences with less material things, but ending with zero sounds pretty hard to accomplish. Thanks for the heads-up to avoid reading the book! I trust your input Arman.
Haha well I was being slightly facetious. I actually think it makes a lot of great points that go against the grain. But yes, I agree with you. I stumbled upon this travel quote years ago and its always stuck with me: "I'd rather have a passport full of stamps than a household full of things."
I understood haha. Great travel quote and I agree!
Love this list of overrated book! Thanks!!!!
You're welcome Anna. Glad you enjoyed it. Do you have any that I can add to my "do not read" list?
Don’t have any in mind right now, but I’ll let you know if I come across any bad ones
Sounds good. I'm anxiously awaiting :)
This is hilarious. 😆 And I’m so glad to hear your summary of that creativity book. Honestly, most biz books should have stopped at blog posts.
Amen. And the blog posts could have been an email. And the emails could have been a text. And the text didn't even need to be sent in the first place.
Do you have any recommendations I can add to my DO NOT READ list?
That is the truth!
So true! I’m fighting allergies at the moment and my head feels like a vice. But I am sure I can come up with a few titles if my head were clearer.
One that does come to mind (that everyone else touts as a stroke of genius) is that War of Art book. Sorry, I know the answer is “do the work and sometimes it’s hard.” I think too many people look for “secrets” when the secret is to rest and rejuvenate.
Oh that's a good one. I've read it a few times and think you're spot on. Most of the time, we already know what the "secret" is for us at any given time and just need to trust ourselves.
"A Whack" : really creative people say things that normies don't like. They face constant ridicule and ostracism. That's why most people won't do it. It's as simple as that.
As for Will & Arial: I've read tons of history, but I've never read them. Thanks for giving me another reason.
Good point about creatives Albert. I agree. And no book is going to magically transform a normie to a creative.
Yeah don't bother checking them out if you haven't already...
Walden by Henry David Thoreau is highly overrated. A long tedious tome where a crotchety curmudgeon complains about culture, lives as a minimalist (SO unoriginal) in the woods, doesn't do drugs even ONCE? Come on, this is embarrassing.
Excellent addition Liesl. I unfortunately read that book many years ago but thanks for the reminder to never reread it! Seriously if he wasn't doing drugs in the woods why did he need all that privacy? Sounds like there could be more to this story...
The Durants weren't so much historians as they were speculative philosophers. So having "History" in the title of the book is misleading and demeaning to actual historians.
Great point. Yet another reason to not waste your time with it.