One Minute Book Review

This book is a revolutionary insight into how we see our own working lives. Ferriss explains that in order to live the life of what he terms the ‘New Rich’ we need to create a structure around us that allows us to be absent from our work yet reap the financial benefits. Ferriss suggests that we make the best use of automated services such as outsourcing personal assistants to reduce costs when initially establishing a business. Focus on increasing productivity during the work day by prioritising and reducing unnecessary tasks can lessen the one's working hours. This book is not directed solely at business owners, but can also provide value for anyone wanting to increase productivity inside and outside work. Following steps such as Pareto's 80/20 rule can really help workers to focus on the tasks that matter the most. I rate this book five stars.

In this months episode, the month of July, I will be discussing 'The Obstacle Is The Way' by Ryan Holiday (5*), 'The Ask GaryVee Book' by Gary Vaynerchuk (4*), 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck' by Mark Manson (5*), 'Blockchain Revolution' by Don and Alex Tapscott (4*) and 'Tribe of Mentors' by Tim Ferriss (5*).

Learning from the world's best is a smart thing to do but finding condensed resources to acquire this information is hard. Ferriss, like in his previous bestseller 'Tools of Titans', details interviews with extraordinary people to find out what makes them so. Unlike his previous book, Tribe of Mentors focusses mainly on five questions that the interviewees answer. The specificity allows the guest to go into a bit more depth than a standard interview, giving the reader more value. The result is a book that is full of wisdom, insights, tips and most importantly lots of book recommendations! What emerges are patterns from the book that we as the reader can highlight and apply to our own lives. These patterns become the driving force behind the book which allows it to become so valuable to anyone who reads it. This book like all of his others is timeless and full of power. I rate this book five stars.

Understanding how Blockchain can revolutionise the world we live in is a topical argument at the moment. This book addresses the origin story as well as its potential strengths and weaknesses. A new phenomenon, Blockchain caused a storm from the successes of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, by peeling back the curtain, you can see that this is only the tip of the iceberg. This book aims to assess all the potential uses for Blockchain technology as the platforms develop into the future. I will admit it's complicated to understand at first, yet this book does an excellent job of introducing the principles behind the technology. From disrupting the financial services to enabling billions of individuals to join the western ideals of democracy, the technology behind Blockchain can disrupt the world either way. For anyone wanting to know more about Blockchain, this book is a must-read. I rate this book four stars.

The world we live in demands much from us, leading many to care too much about the things that surround them. How do we care less? Simple, Don't! Manson describes principles that we can all use to create a life on our terms, not beholden to others' influence or demands. The philosophical nature of his arguments is similar to reading academic literature on philosophy but told amusingly and provocatively. Do not be put off by the title. The arguments and thoughts of the author are profound, suggesting ways for us all to find the things that we care about the most and focussing solely on these. I enjoyed the storytelling ability of the author when analysing topics that could be quite dry otherwise. This all culminates into a book that inspires to create a mindset that cannot be influenced by anyone or anything. I rate this book five stars.

An in-depth look at Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker from June's Book Review Recap

A follow up to Yuval's previous bestseller 'Sapiens', Homo Deus seeks to theorise how humans will evolve in the 21st century surrounded by new technologies. The book describes how humans who had once conquered and were in control of the world, are reaching a point in our evolution where machines and more specifically algorithms run our lives. The agricultural and industrial revolution has now become the humanist revolution where humans facilitate and dictate their divine nature. The book also explores new concepts in algorithmic mathematics where computers and smart devices will know us better than ourselves as they start to become more integrated in our way of living. Personally, I preferred this book to Sapiens for two reasons. Firstly, it was forward-looking and not directed at blaming a specific race or religion. Secondly, it was exciting to hear theories to our future existence as human beings written in an engaging and informative way. I rate this book five stars.

An in-depth look into Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday from the June Book Review Recap.

An in-depth look from June's podcast on Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley

An in depth look from June's podcast on Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley