Rental Property Investor · Valdosta, GA · Member since 2018 · 33 posts · 31 votes
Think of a book youve read in the last 3 months that you gleaned the most knowledge from. Share with the group the title and author and one reason why it was so great!
Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
7y
The book of Ecclesiastes . It’s about the richest man in the world at that time having everything he wants but realizes it’s all in vanity . It’s deep and makes you realize what’s important and how everything is passing away .Many lessons can be found in it about wealth and the pursuit of happiness.
Specialist · Houston, TX · Member since 2012 · 579 posts · 301 votes
7y
Company of One by Paul Jarvis. Great take on staying small. So much hype in the real estate and other industries to scale and grow; but how can you do that without just exchanging one job for another. It really is okay to stay small.
I read a blog post by a very successful Marketing Coach. She detailed just how expensive and how much time it takes to sustain a $1mm a year business. When it was all said and done her take home was about $250k. $750k to make $250k! By staying small you can make the amount you can make the amount you want without the heavy overhead.
Lender · Portland Oregon · Member since 2016 · 15 posts · 10 votes
7y
The Power Of Now! Touches on the fact that so much of our stress and anxiety comes from getting too caught up in the past and future and not living in the NOW! I think a lot of us investors can let the past and future control our attitude and thoughts. Yes we learn from the past and prepare for the future but we must also enjoy the journey now. Great read.
Jeff - Would you kindly ping me when you've posted the XL sheet with the list of all of these books? Hard to track all of these awesome suggestions... They keep rolling in too fast! Thx!
Investor · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
7y
Sigh. My mother, an English teacher who would read two books at a time while surfing the television, once commented I was illiterate (thanks mom). She did appreciate all the bookshelves I built for her when she was unable to drive a screw. Her house had few walls not filled from top to bottom. We filled an entire truck up with them after she passed (I kept all the picture books). Pretty sure Barnes and Noble had her picture posted in the break-room with notice to keep her in the store as long as possible.
...any books out there for how a non-reader, hands-on personality might navigate and succeed in a business where knowledge is power?
But I do love to go on and on...maybe I have found the thread where people can't resist to read???
Here's an interesting tale from my experience (well, to me). When I was young my vocabulary was excellent, much advanced as compared to most people my age, any age really. When I finally went into the world, I found most people had no idea what I was saying (conversely, mom got a kick out of using words people didn't understand). I concluded that an advanced vocabulary was sometimes divisive in terms of forming relationships and communicating with others. So, I've been speaking like a construction worker and dumbing-it-down ever since. It does come in handy with the tenants I've taken on. This always annoyed and disappointed mom, though content I have the ability to turn it on and off at will as the room dictates.
Here's another fun one for the Pink Floyd fans out there (are there any? does this group even know who they are?). I was driving in the car with a couple of friends in high school, cranking Another Brick In The Wall, all singing along. At one point my two friends started laughing hysterically at me. What? What? What? You've been singing, "We don't need any education". I never did pay much attention to the lyrics of songs, I've always thought that sonic communication is the bomb and that lyrics were for jealous poets that felt left out of an obviously superior form of communication. Silly me. If I could write a lyric, I might be a rock star. Then again, I might be dead already too.
That's all I got for you nerdy reader folks, except bravo, big respect, and I need to get reading. Sigh. Thanks so much for all the responses, some great ideas. Seven pages and counting.
In all seriousness, my next books are going to be on enhancing my reading and memory skills. Mom is chuckling.
PS - My daughter is my mother all over again. She reads everything she can get her hands on and has already surpassed her old man's reading skills. She's 11. Her favorite gift is a Barnes and Noble gift card - lol. But to her Dad's delight, she is also a fantastic artist and plays the clarinet too. Maybe there is something to the evolution thing.
Books? I've read a couple I guess. My all-time favorite is To Kill A Mockingbird. Dracula scared the crap out of me - no movie has ever been able to capture the terror. I love the C.S. Lewis Narnia stuff and...what's the other series...its sort of like Narnia, but where the guy from Earth travels to other planets...I dunno. Lewis was a master at taking adult/life concepts and presenting them in kids books. Absolutely brilliant at understanding the audience. I read all the Game Of Thrones junk - at least he stopped going on and on and on and on about what people were wearing, like a pause for the fashion expert to chime in, by the third book or so. Hmm... I read all the Tolkien stuff, but the writing style was not my cup of tea - genre yes. That's right, I'm a Star Wars freak and can boast I have seen each and every movie in the theater at the time of it's release. Take that Pembroke Scholars!!!
For me, if I can't get into the writing style after the first page, I'm done.
Isn't it annoying to read someone who likes to hear themselves talk - LOL - I laugh because I know I fit that bill.
1. Did I miss the announcement when you became BP's official arbiter of which authors are "legit" and fit for inclusion in this thread?
2. Have you read the book in question? Do you know for a fact that it contains nothing "about business that is worth reading"?
3. My response to your post had little to do with the book or its author and much more to do with your rude and derisive comment to a newer user. This community is only as good as those who participate. Provincial and divisive comments like yours do not encourage participation due to the lack of respect they show for others who may have a differing opinion from you and thus harm all members of the community by decreasing participation.
"The proverbial term “biting your tongue” is a way of characterizing how one can use self-control and self-awareness to avoid saying something that will offend or create unwanted distance. As my mom tried to instill in me, not everything that comes to my mind is something I should say out loud. Opinions are just that – opinions."
I think that's good advice, don't you?
I get it. You think it's a good book. Let's just leave it at that, we don't want to carry our personal issue further into this thread.
@Jeffrey Douglas last year I set a goal of reading (or listening to) 60 books, I hit that and am shooting for 75 this year. A lot of the ones on the list already have been great. One I didn’t see is Jen Sincero... You are a badass... great mindset book on perspective and how to look at and change your circumstances.
I actually listened to that book as a free add! I'm totally with you!
Haven't finished reading all of this monster book yet but I'm about halfway done reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. I'm an avid reader with tons of books and this one is one my favorites so far.
I really like this one because there's zero hype or fluff. Just real, practical and actionable methods, ideas and practices from a variety of people that you can put to use right away or order online and begin using within a week.
The sub-headline for this book is The Tactics, Routines, And Habits Of Billionaires, Icons And World-Class Performers. That alone should give you an idea of how powerful this book can be for you.
Read this one too. I think Tribe of Mentors is more polished, but I try to read a chapter from one or the other every day
Jeff - Would you kindly ping me when you've posted the XL sheet with the list of all of these books? Hard to track all of these awesome suggestions... They keep rolling in too fast! Thx!
With all due respect I don't believe Jeffrey agreed to do anything of the sort and I think it's unfair to keep asking him to. He merely started a thread that it appears has been helpful to many. I think the proper thing to do, if you are so interested in such a resource as to try to compel him twice to produce it, is to do so yourself and share it with the group
Homeowner · Boston, MA · Member since 2015 · 21 posts · 4 votes
7y
So many great books listed in this thread, but my recent favorite is The Millionaire Next Door. Undeniable proof that frugality and being financially responsible are key to building true wealth. Set for Life, Miracle Morning, and War of Art are some of the other fantastic books people have already mentioned.
Haven't finished reading all of this monster book yet but I'm about halfway done reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. I'm an avid reader with tons of books and this one is one my favorites so far.
I really like this one because there's zero hype or fluff. Just real, practical and actionable methods, ideas and practices from a variety of people that you can put to use right away or order online and begin using within a week.
The sub-headline for this book is The Tactics, Routines, And Habits Of Billionaires, Icons And World-Class Performers. That alone should give you an idea of how powerful this book can be for you.
Read this one too. I think Tribe of Mentors is more polished, but I try to read a chapter from one or the other every day
Thanks for the heads up @Odie Ayaga I'll have to check that one out too. Tim Ferriss brings a ton of value in his content
Specialist · Member since 2019 · 10 posts · 4 votes
7y
The Sale of a Lifetime: How the Great Bubble Burst of 2017-2019 Can Make You Rich by Harry S. Dent Jr. First, it is really helpful for those who is eager to know some basic economic principles, as the author explains the nature of economic cycles in a pleasant and easy manner.
Secondly, it is really interesting to read from the perspective of how much work was completed before writing this book. Dent conveys information that is both historical and current as this page-turner recaps historical cycles and uses them to project the state of future financial markets.
Personally, I found it really helpful and interesting.
Jeffrey: Did you ever get the chance to compile a Google spreadsheet for us with the Titles, Names of the Authors for all the hundreds of book suggestions you rec'd? (Would be an incredible service to the BP community) Can you share the link?
Investor · Clinton, MS · Member since 2019 · 83 posts · 85 votes
7y
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhig.
This book shows you how habits control nearly everything you do in life. I gained a better understanding of these habits that controlled my day to day and life. Once you identify them, you can then find actionable steps to turn those unsuccessful habits into successful ones. Not directly about real estate, but super life changing anyway.