If there is one thing the great men of history have in common it’s this: books. They read, a lot. Theodore Roosevelt carried a dozen books with him on his perilous exploration of the River of Doubt (including the Stoics). Lincoln read everything he could get his hands on (often recording passages he liked on spare boards because he didn’t have paper). Napoleon had a library of some 3,500 books with him at St. Helena, and before that had a traveling library he took on campaigns. The writer Ambrose Bierce, the Civil War veteran and an underrated contemporary of Mark Twain once remarked, “I owe more to my father’s books than to any other educational and directive influence.” The point is: Successful people read. A lot. And what about us young, wildly ambitious people who want to follow in their footsteps? We have that hunger, that drive, and desire. The question is: What should we read? What will help us on the path laid out for us — and all that it entails? Now a lot of the right recommendations are domain specific. If you want to be a writer, there are certain books you should read. If you want to be an economist, well, there are genres you need to deep dive into. If you want to be a soldier, there are others too. Still, there are many books that every person who aspires to leadership, mastery, influence, power, and success should read. These are the books that prepare you for the top, and also warn against its dangers. Some are historical. Some are fiction. Some are epics and classics. These are the books that everyone must have in his library. Good luck and good reading. Biographies The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro. It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this monstrosity that chronicles the rise of Robert Moses. I was 20 years old. It was one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever read. Moses built just about every other major modern construction project in New York City. The public couldn’t stop him, the mayor couldn’t stop him, the governor couldn’t stop him, and only once could the President of the United States stop him. But ultimately, you know where the cliché must take us. Robert Moses was an asshole. He may have had more brain, more drive, more strategy than other men, but he did not have more compassion. And ultimately power turned him into something monstrous. Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller Sr. by Ron Chernow. I found Rockefeller to be strangely stoic, incredibly resilient, and, despite his reputation as a robber baron, humble and compassionate. Most people get worse as they get successful, many more get worse as they age. In fact, Rockefeller began tithing his money with his first job and gave more of it away as he became successful. He grew more open-minded the older he became, more generous, more pious, more dedicated to making a difference. And what made Rockefeller stand apart as a young man was his ability to remain cool-headed in adversity and grounded in success, always on an even keel, never letting excessive passion and emotion hold sway over him. The Kid Stays in the Picture: A Notorious Life by Robert Evans. If you’re specifically looking to make your way in showbiz, this is the book you have to read. It’s the rags-to-riches, rise and fall and rise of Robert Evans, one of the most notorious figures in Hollywood. From pants salesman to running Paramount Pictures (and producing The Godfather), his story is the one that everyone who heads to L.A. hopes to have. It was one of the first books I read when I started working in the business. I think it shows you how far hustle and hype and heat contribute to success. And how they can also lead to your downfall and exile. Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office by Zack O’Malley Greenburg. This is a biography that also functions as a business book. It shows how as a young man in Brooklyn, Jay applied hustling techniques to the music business and eventually built his empire. A true hustler, he never did only one thing — from music to fashion to sports, Jay dominated each field, always operating on the same principles. As he puts it, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” And related to that, I also recommend The 50th Law, which tells the stories of many such individuals and will stick with you just as long. The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich Cohen. This book tells the incredible story of Sam Zemurray, the penniless Russian immigrant who, through pure hustle and drive, became the CEO of United Fruit, the biggest fruit company in the world. The greatness of Zemurray, as author Rich Cohen puts it, “lies in the fact that he never lost faith in his ability to salvage a situation.” For Zemurray, there was always a countermove, always a way through an obstacle, no matter how dire the situation. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X. I forget who said it but I heard someone say that Catcher in the Rye was to young white boys what The Autobiography of Malcolm X was to young black boys. Personally, I prefer that latter over the former. I would much rather read about and emulate a man who is born into adversity and pain, struggles with criminality, does prison time, teaches himself to read through the dictionary, finds religion, and then becomes an activist for Civil Rights before being gunned down by his former supporters when he tempers the hate and anger that had long defined parts of his message. Booker T. Washington’s memoir Up from Slavery and Frederick Douglass’s epic narrative are both incredibly moving and inspiring as well. Personal History by [...]
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Are you ready to start and launch a new business and need a printable and fillable planner? I’m Gail Oliver, a long-time professional marketing & small business consultant and I run the popular blog, Attention-Getting.com. Special low price, just for January so you can start the new year off as a small business owner! Since 2018 (but updated yearly), my How to Start a New Business Planner has been a Best Seller, offering a comprehensive, printable & fillable PDF planner will help you easily and flawlessly plan and launch your new business step-by-step – EVERY detail is covered! DETAILS ⚬ 35-page digital download. ⚬ Printable & fillable PDF. ⚬ For both brick and mortar & online businesses. ⚬ Step-by-step, easy to follow instructions to launch your new biz. ⚬ Detailed hyperlinked pages (including to all the places to sell online). ⚬ Includes worksheets to determine out your market size and price points. ⚬ Created by a long-time marketing & small business consultant & blogger (me!). ⚬ Every page is my original work, content and design. ⚬ Be sure to read my popular post, "54 Business Ideas for 2024" at https://cutt.ly/nPi3fCB ⚬ ⚠️This is NOT editable in Canva nor is it a web form. 35 DETAILED PLANNING PAGES: ⚬ Determining the Business Idea ⚬ What to Sell ⚬ Who to Sell It To ⚬ Who is Already Selling It ⚬ Customer Analysis ⚬ Market Analysis ⚬ SWOT Analysis ⚬ Products Research ⚬ Services Research ⚬ Testing the Idea ⚬ Where to Sell ⚬ Where to Sell Online (hyperlinked list) ⚬ Brick and Mortar Comparison ⚬ Where to Sell Online Comparison ⚬ What’s Needed (sample list) ⚬ Equipment Needed (your specific needs) ⚬ Supplies Needed (your specific needs) ⚬ Products to Source ⚬ Insurance, Permits & Licenses ⚬ How to Market ⚬ What to Charge ⚬ How to Staff ⚬ Possible Start Up Costs ⚬ How to Finance ⚬ Final Product Specification ⚬ Final Service Specification ⚬ Final Product List ⚬ Final Service List ⚬ First Year Sales Goals ⚬ Choosing a Business Name ⚬ Start Up Checklist ⚬ Ecommerce Setup Checklist ⚬ Etsy Store Setup Checklist ⚬ Start-Up to Do List MORE NEW BUSINESS HELP ⚬ 196 Product Ideas for 2024: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1367832654/ ⚬ What to Sell on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1514423766/ ⚬ Etsy 30-Day Success Plan: https://www.etsy.com/listing/530079489/ ⚬ Marketing & Social Media Planner: https://www.etsy.com/listing/635054797/ TO OTHER SELLERS It is sad that I have to say this, but DO NOT STEAL my material, content, designs or product names, not even one page. I have a copyright lawyer in the family, so I know I know my rights. I have successfully shut down over 25 businesses in the last 10 years that tried to steal from me. You cannot hide, your products will show up in my Etsy feed and my customers will also turn you in to me when they see repetitive material of mine. I have been doing this a long time, everything in my shop is my own original work. DO YOUR OWN WORK! BLOGGING SINCE 2012 The best way to see the type of advice I give is to check out my blog at www.attention-getting.com QUESTIONS? Just use the "Message Gail" button below and I’ll be happy to help! © 2024 Gail Oliver. All rights reserved. This includes the content, product titles, branding, cover image design, concept, interior design, layout, product taglines and descriptions.
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