One Minute Book Review

A clip from my June monthly podcast on in-depth look at How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Duhigg explores why we do what we do and how to change certain habits that we have. The book explains how our brains form habit usually driven by a Cue, Routine and Reward mechanism known as a ‘habit loop’. Scientific discoveries studying both animals and humans have described the brains flexibility when adapting to new habits. By understanding the causes of habit formation, we are better able to change them to positively affect our lives. Duhigg does a wonderful job writing this book. He gives clear scientific examples, whilst also describing the impact that a single person’s habits can have on the wider community as seen in the Civil Rights movement. The real-life stories that emerge from this book make it a captivating read. It must be noted that towards the end of the book Duhigg briefly mentions how to change our existing habits, its brief but provides value. I rate this book five stars.

Vagabonding is defined as the ‘act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time.’ The book describes how modern society has convinced us that long-term travel is only for the super-rich and students. However, what is evident in this book is that this is not the case. Long-term travel is affordable, accessible and realistic if you want it to be. The book explains how vagabonding is a mind-set to how we see the world, not only during our holidays, but in our day to day lives. This book is a practical guide to planning and preparing your long-term travels, but it also gives the reader an insight into vagabonding that many people miss. Adventure can be experienced anywhere, but the impact an experience has is dependent on the open mindedness of the traveller. This book is designed for those wanting to learn about how to incorporate vagabonding into their lives. I rate this book five stars.

This book is an exploration into why EQ or emotional intelligence can be a greater indicator of intelligence than IQ. I have read many articles around this topic from top CEO’s and Entrepreneurs who believe this to be true and recommended this book as an introduction into the topic. What struck me most about this book is how detailed Goleman explains how our experiences, especially in infancy, creates our tendencies and habits as we get older. The book explains details of our emotions, how they are created and are managed on a day-to-day basis. What I took away from the book is that everyone strives to become more intelligent, therefore they read and learn, but by self-analysing how you form relationships and interact with people you gain a competitive advantage in any field. This is a great introductory read and I rate it four stars.

Based on the popular video and podcast series, the book gives an insight into one of the world's most talked about entrepreneurs. The show enables listeners to ask Gary questions on anything whether business, entrepreneurship, consumerism or life to understand how they can apply it to their lives. This book has a different format than a usual business book. Based on questions and answers, the reader feels as if the author is directly answering them similar to listening to or watching the show. One caveat will be that the book was written in 2016 so some of the tactics and strategies might have changed since its publication. If you listen to the audiobook, there are updated answers to that in the book, which some may prefer. If you're in business and more specifically brand development, then there is tremendous value in you getting this book. I rate this book four stars.

Under the ancient philosophical teachings of stoicism, obstacles are the foundation to all eventual success. Holiday aims to describe why the Stoics believed obstacles are so necessary for us all the achieve our best. Stoic philosophers such as Seneca, Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus all wrote about the importance of embracing failure and obstacles in the pursuit of what is right. In this book, Holiday clearly articulates the teachings of some of the greatest stoic thinkers, while describing it's application in today's world. I have been fascinated by the Stoic philosophy, and I believe no better author can clearly articulate its teachings than Holiday. The reasons for getting this book are twofold: one, to understand more clearly the instructions of stoicism and two to understand the application of these principles so you can benefit from them. If you fall into that category, then I recommend you get this book. I rate this book five stars.

As a prominent author, TV host and all-round science guy. Neil De Tyson in this book explores the inner workings of our universe from tricky topics such as dark matter to delving deeper into Einstein’s theories of relativity and how his work continues to shape modern science. As a fan of Tyson’s work, I believe this is the perfect book for those who want to know a little more about how our universe came into existence from a physics perspective. The book has a perfect mix between introducing new concepts whilst also expanding on generally known concepts such as Newton’s law. As the reader, you are able appreciate how Tyson explains a complex topic in such a vivid way. This is a book for everyone who is interested about our universe whether you’re a beginner or an expert this book has something for you. A highly recommended 5 stars.

This book is a practical guide to executing on your passion in the digital social media age. As a successful entrepreneur, Gary predicates his brand on bringing the most value to his followers, he does this exceptionally well in Crush it, the first of five best-selling books. The key message that derives from the book is that passion is everything. Regardless of race, gender or background, if your passion has a deeper personal meaning then the chances are you will be able to monetize it in some way. Even though the book is written in 2009, the concepts and actions that are described in this book still hold true. The reason why I like this book so much is unlike most practical business books it doesn’t leave the reader asking questions, Gary tell you what you need and must do for your dreams to become reality. For these reasons, I give this book a five-star rating.

Tim Ferriss is a renowned author, investor, entrepreneur and self-improvement master. In this book he explains the tactics, routines and habits of the world’s best performers whether in business, music, sport and everything in between. Feriss is able to convey what it takes for high-performers to deliver when they need it most.This is not a self-help book, but more an introduction into the minds of the individuals that are to deliver their best on a consistent basis. I have found this book useful as a source of inspiration to try new things and to test what preconceptions I may have about a certain topic.

This the perfect read for someone who wants to find inspiration in performing better by finding out about certain routines, exercises and habits to take them to the next level. I highly recommend this book if you fit into that category. For these reasons I rate this book four stars.

Welcome to the monthly One Minute Book Review podcast, where I break down in more detail the books that I have read and reviewed in the previous month.

In this months episode, the month of June, I will be discussing 'How To Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie (5*), 'Key Person of Influence' by Daniel Priestley (4*), 'Ego Is The Enemy' by Ryan Holiday (5*) and 'Why We Sleep' by Matthew Walker (5*).