Books Are Great

Cliches, turns of phrase and common expressions can all be poked fun at. We are happy to use them in lieu of finding our own, original words; but do they actually get the job done? Benno Nelson joins this special guest-hosted episode to discuss words, phrases and their purposes in the context of this lovely little work from the turn of the 20th century.

The path to mastery includes many plateaus, short bursts of improvement and requires a lifetime of vision. George Leonard teaches us to love the plateaus. He teaches us to develop the vision. We concentrate on steady improvement, understanding that there will be setbacks and frustrations. By enjoying the process, enjoying each practice, loving the minute details that are involved, we become masters. Masters stay on the mat longer than anyone else. Masters enjoy drilling the fundamentals. Masters keep moving forward even without seeing the outward effects of improvement.

1. Lead from the inside out 2. Bench the Ego 3. Let each player discover his own destiny 4. The road to freedom 5. Turn the mundane into the sacred 6. One breath = One Mind 7. The key to success is compassion 8. Keep your eye on the spirit, not the scoreboard 9. Sometimes you have to pull out the big stick 10. When in doubt, do nothing 11. Forget the ring   

Seneca was born in Spain, lived much of his life in Rome, and was the advisor to several emperors. He was exiled, fell deathly ill, brought back to advise again, and eventually died under Nero. As one of the original stoic thinkers, his wisdom is timeless. His advice hasn't gone stale in the 2,000 years since it was written. Seneca spent a lifetime working out the best ways to think, to live and to get meaning from life. This episode deals with life, death, illness, boredom and acceptance.

Exhibit a ferocious and intelligently applied work ethic directed at continual improvement Demonstrate respect for each person in the organization Be deeply committed to learning and teaching Be fair Demonstrate character Honor the direct connection between details and improvement, relentlessly seek the latter Show self-control, especially under pressure Demonstrate and prize loyalty Use positive language and have a positive attitude Take pride in my effort as an entity separate from the result of that effort Be willing to go the extra distance for the organization Deal appropriately with victory and defeat, adulation and humiliation Promote internal communication that is both open and substantive Seek poise in myself and those I lead Put the team’s welfare and priorities ahead of my own Maintain an ongoing level of concentration and focus that is abnormally high Make sacrifice and commitment the organization’s trademark  

Awaken the Giant Within is a step-by-step guide to changing your life for the better. We're all guilty of leaving our best inside of ourselves. So, what can we do to be better every day? Tony lays out the fundamentals to progress, the tactics that will help you get there and the identifiers to look for when deciding whether or not you're headed in the right direction.

Emotional awareness is something we are not taught in school. We enter the workforce knowing how to read, write, and report on bodies of knowledge; but too often we lack the skills to manage our emotions in the heat of the problems we face. Good decisions require fare more than factual knowledge. They are made using self-knowledge and emotional mastery when they're needed most.    What is more important to a individual success? According to studies, 90% of high performers are also high in EQ. On the flip side, just 20% of low performers are high in EQ.   The best part of EQ and why it is so impactful is that IQ is your ability to learn, but it will be the same at 15 as it will be at 50. EQ is something you can develop and grow over time. 

Be Proactive Begin With the End in Mind Put First Things First Think Win Win Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood Synergize Sharpen the Saw     Focus on increasing Production. Focus much more closely on increasing Production Capability.

Edward Bernays, the nephew of famed Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, was the first pioneer of the profession of Public Relations. He changed the minds of millions of people, without them even knowing. Bernays convinced the American public to eat a breakfast of bacon and eggs. He helped change the minds of thousands of women towards the habit of cigarette smoking while working for a tobacco company. He was in the business of changing minds, and he was an expert. To understand the crowd, one must understand the individual. Once you know your people, you're better able to influence their thinking and actions. This episode is a high-level discussion about changing many minds at once.

Michael E. Gerber wrote this small business classic in the mid 90's, and popularized the idea of systematizing one's enterprise. The trick lies not in working as hard as possible to make widgets 15 hours a day, according to Gerber, but instead the goal should be to hire and facilitate someone else's ability to make those amazing widgets. Doing that allows the owner to strategize from the business level instead of being immediately buried under a mountain of WORK.  

Ed Catmull basically invented the concept of an attractive and successful "Company Culture." He very carefully cultivated the attitude and culture of creativity within the walls of his businesses; but he wasn't always a rousing success.   What most people aren't aware of, is that Toy Story almost didn't exist. If it weren't for Ed's strong understanding of himself and his business, the team at Pixar would never have had the meetings that led to the revitalization of what is now known as a wonderful, classic film about Woody and Buzz.   Joe and Jeff talk through the ideas and systems that helped Ed thrive through tough times, and keep the team whole and thriving after being purchased by the behemoth known as Disney.

Napoleon Hill wrote his bestselling book in 1937, and the years have been kind to the work. It's sold more than 15,000,000 copies worldwide since then. This episode is about what it takes to turn an idea into a burning desire, how to develop a keen sense of faith in yourself and what to do once you have those two foundational elements in place to TAKE ACTION towards the life you deserve. Joe and Jeff also dig into the details about Napoleon's odd life, the veracity of his claims and whether he was who he claimed to be... It's difficult to fully come to terms with his complex life, but it's not difficult to understand that his writing and his advice are sound principles on which everyone can build a rich life.    

What separates the good from the great? Are there consistent things we can look to as identifying the truly high-performers from their peers? Brendon Burchard has dedicated his life to answering those questions. As more parallels are drawn between world-class performers, it becomes more and more simple to find out how they've done it. Brendon's book lays out all of those habits in very clear language. By the time you're done with the book it's almost difficult NOT to adhere to these quite straight-forward ideas.

Dr. Peterson lays out his method for living the best life possible in this entertaining book. He uses mostly anecdotes and personal stories, along with mythology and religious understanding to illustrate where most people make mistakes in the way they go about their days.   This episode focuses on four of Dr. Peterson's 12 rules: Treat Yourself Like Someone You're Responsible For Helping Do Not Let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World Be Precise in Your Speech

Do you feel as if your life is going sideways?   Well, Tim Sanders principles are good place to help you gain control. Tim Sanders is a bestselling author, leadership coach, and former Yahoo! executive. He was no different then you and I. He has struggled to get his footing on his life and career many times in his life.    In his book, Tim shares his personal story of moving back home to live with his grandmother while he was going through some hardships. While back home, he learns from his grandmother the 7 principles of “confident living.” He shares personal stories about each principal and how they can be used step-by-step to overcome obstacles to become more confident and achieve your full potential.

2,000 years ago there lived a man named Epictetus, who was born into slavery in Greece. He was highly educated and throughout his life he learned to discern between the things he CAN control and the things he CANNOT. He is one of the founders of stoic philosophy, which has taught hundreds of thousands of people to live calmly and usefully. This episode is full of inspiration, understanding and some serious insight into how to live the best life. Start Living Your Ideals - "Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. Once you have determined the spiritual principles you wish to exemplify, abide by these rules as if they were laws. Put your principles into practice - now. Stop the excuses and procrastination. This is your life! You aren't a child anymore. From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do - now."  

Why do some people and companies fail and succeed? According to Ryan Holiday, the difference lies in how you handle your ego.    He explains that in life we typically find ourselves in three stages: Aspire, Success, and Failure.  No matter, whether you are early in your career, a super successful professional, or finding yourself failing at the moment, your ego, will be there. How you manage it will either help you reach your goals or ultimately destroy you.  “Training is like sweeping the floor. Just because we ‘ve done it once, doesn’t mean the floor is clean forever. Every day the dust comes back. Every day we must sweep."

A life of balance is useful to everyone. The stories of Miyamoto Musashi is recorded in history for all of us to lear from, even those of us who don't regularly engage in sword duals....   This episode is full of battle stories, life lessons, confused Americans trying to decode and understand 17th century Japanese literature, and a genuine attempt to understand the meaning of life and battle.   From his book of ground, Musashi lays out the basics of his strategy and the way of the warrior: Do not think dishonestly The way is in training Become acquainted with every art Know the ways of all professions Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters Perceive those things which cannot be seen Pay attention even to trifles Do nothing which is of no use

Years ago Tim Grover got the unique opportunity to become MJ's trainer. He went on to not just train MJ his whole career but he trained other athletes like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade to name a few. He claims that what makes MJ, Kobe, and Dwade different is that they are cleaners. What made these three athletes go from good to great to unstoppable throughout their career is the relentless exercising of their mental fitness.     In today's show, Jeff shares Tim Grover's definition of a cleaner and the Relentless 13 which are the specific traits of a cleaner   #1. You keep pushing yourself harder when everyone else has had enough. #1. When you're in the Zone, you shut out everything and control the uncontrollable. #1. You know exactly who you are. #1. You have a dark side that refuses to be taught to be good. #1. You're not intimidated by pressure, you thrive on it. #1. When everyone is hitting the "In Case of Emergency" button, they're all looking for you. #1. You don't compete with anyone, you find your opponent's weakness and you attack. #1. You make decisions, not suggestions; you know the answer while everyone is still asking questions. #1. You don't have to love the work, but you're addicted to the results. #1. You'd rather be feared than liked. #1. You trust very few people, and those you trust better never let you down. #1. You don't recognize failure; you know there's more than one way to get what you want. #1. You don't celebrate your achievements because you always want more.  

Man literally becomes what he thinks. His character is the complete sum of all his thoughts. James Allen wrote this useful little pamphlet in 1903. These words have served as inspiration to millions of readers, spawned generations of self-help literature and pushed people around the world to improve themselves and through their thoughts. Allen links thought to achievement, circumstances, vision, ideals and serenity.

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business.  One sends back a telegram saying, SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES The other write backs triumphantly, GLORIOUS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STOP THEY HAVE NO SHOES Would you see the opportunity like the first or second scout? In the Art of Possibility Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander give us 12 practices that can help you change the way you view the world and allow you to see all the opportunities in front of you.  Benjamin is a conductor for the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rosamund is a psychotherapist. Together they share with us their experiences leading children and adults to achieve things they never thought possible. Along the way they developed their own set of practices that they believe can help you transform the way you look at the world. In today's episode, we cover the seven central practices that Jeff found to be most helpful.  Practice 1: It's All Invented Practice 2: Step into the world of Possibility Practice 3: Giving an A Practice 4: Being a contribution Practice 5: Lead from any chair Practice 6: Rule Number 6 Practice 7: The way things are Practice 8: Giving way to passion Practice 9: Lighting a Spark Practice 10: Being the Board Practice 11: Creating a Framework of possibility Practice 12: Telling the WE story

Ferriss dropped out of Princeton after what he describes as close to a mental breakdown, and decided the best thing for him to do was to travel the world. He spent years trying to build his online business, BrainQuicken LLC, only to discover that his new creation was more of a prison than a liberator.   The 4 Hour Workweek is a book about re-thinking the links between one's time and their income. Tim explores the boundaries between working to live and living to work. His years of experience led him to create infrastructures within his business that allow him to profit while not being on the hook for every aspect of fulfillment.   He describes tactics to be more effective, means to find a profitable business idea and how to ship an order without ever interacting with the customer or the product.

What is better: competing or winning? This question was asked to Pete Carroll on his first day as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. His answer was easy Competing. Why? Because it lasts longer.    Pete Caroll is a super bowl winning head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and legendary college football coach of the USC Trojans.  Ever since he was a little kid he always competed hard for everything he wanted. Early on in his coaching career, he used this attitude to help him rise in the coaching ranks, and he started to realize that if he was truly going to reach his potential as a coach he needed to stop worrying about winning or losing, and focus on just competing every day. He first implemented his newly found philosophy at USC and went on to win multiple championships, and later went on to the NFL where he led the Seattle Seahawks to a super bowl victory. All these experiences led him to create his own leadership philosophy.   "If you want to win forever, always compete"

What is the best way to get along with coworkers, make new friends, imbue your employees with a sense of pride or win an argument? How to Win Friends and Influence People is a seminal work on improving one's life and ability to deal with others. In the 80 years since its publication, How to Win Friends has become a classic, referred to by thousands of copycat works. The advice Carnegie offers is not nuanced, it's not ground breaking and it did not win any pulitzer prizes. However, this simple-to-enact advice is timeless. Dale breaks down the work into four major (overlapping) pieces: Fundamentals Techniques of Handling People Six Ways to Make People Like You How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking How To Lead People There are many redundant ideas throughout, for which Dale offers interesting stories and anecdotes. His writing is dated at times, reading it with 21st century eyes, but is always simple and entertaining. The book reads very quickly, and the reader leaves with a ton of good ideas as well as a number of adverse actions to be avoided.

Miracle Morning is a book about a morning routine created by Hal Elrod. Hal believes that the key to reaching your potential starts with how you choose to wake up every single morning.    In this show, Jeff discusses with Joe two of his main takeaways from the book and discusses each one in detail throughout the show.  95% Reality Check: The challenge for most people is that they don’t want to take ownership of anything. They do not realize that to accomplish anything in life, it starts with themselves. Instead of looking at people you admire and saying, “I can’t be like them”, you need to start realizing that you can. And you need to realize YOU are in control. No one is responsible for your success, only YOU. Hals Morning Routine ("Savers"): S – Silence Meditate A – Affirmations Write down how you want to live each day. Check out my affirmations here: www.wakeupitsdayone.com/day-one-ritual/ V – Visualize See your day ahead and visualize the success you’re going to have E – Exercise Run, do sit-ups, do push-ups, running in place, lifting weights, treadmill, running outside, lifting a 5-pound dumbbell. Just do something to get your body moving. R – Reading Read a book, article, blog, or anything that interests you. S – Scribing Write your thoughts about anything. It is an excellent way to see your progress, capture ideas, gain clarity  

How To Read A Book is a work that sets out to answer that specific question. Mostly in regards to nonfiction. How can we as readers open up that piece of literature, quickly come to terms with the author, understand and think through the arguments being laid out and make a decision as to how that information should be used. Joe and Jeff discuss the details of how we can best go about this process. In reading Adler's work they learned techniques that will help them read more books, and get more out of the ones they get through. This show will prove integral to understanding their thought processes and lines of questioning throughout the life of Books Are Great. Shownotes: www.booksaregreat.com/how-to-read

Shownotes: www.booksaregreat.com/Hard-goals What is this book about? Mark and his team studied 5,000 workers from all different type of industries to understand what makes people and businesses extraordinary. He also shares stories from people like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and many of our past presidents to discover what made them achieve things most dream of doing. What he learned was that they didn’t set easy or “SMART” goals, they set HARD goals. In his book, Mark walks us through what HARD goals are and how we can achieve them.  How is the argument laid out? The research studies conducted laid out with each chapter breaking down the specifics of how and what HARD goals can do for you Key Ideas and terms: HARD goals stands for Heartfelt, Animated, Required, and Difficult  

Shownotes: www.booksaregreat.com/mastery-greene   In as few words as possible. What is the book about?   The lives of many past masters can be analyzed and parallels can be drawn throughout certain periods in their development. We can take repeating patterns as a hint that those steps are crucial to success, especially when shown to repeat consistently over large spans of time. The best masters learned deeply, usually from a skilled individual, surpassed that person and engaged themselves wholly in the creative task throughout their career.   How is the argument laid out?   Greene tells tons of interesting anecdotes that give credence to his claims and give the reader nice stories to hook the main ideas onto.   Key ideas and terms   Apprenticeship - Absorb the master’s power. Technical skill and observation. Social Intelligence - See people as they are, no more and no less. Creative-Active - Engage playfulness and a sense of childlike wonder to breed creativity.

What is the book about:   The view we adopt of ourselves determines how we live our lives. The author Carol Dweck shares with us research that shows humans have two types of mindsets: Fixed and Growth. People who believe their abilities are fixed are less likely to succeed while people with a growth mindset believe learning from failure and hardwork is the key to reaching your potential. Carol shares with us stories of athletes, coaches, parents and business leaders to help us understand how we can shift our mindset to help us achieve our goals.    How is the argument laid out?   Dweck shares with clinical studies she conducted along with stories of athletes, business leaders, and coaches that show examples of both fixed and growth mindsets   Key Ideas and terms: The belief of Fixed Mindset individuals: We were born a certain way, and we remain that way forever. Our personality traits, IQ, and skills cannot change. When something gets hard, they quit. When someone gives them feedback, they deny it. The belief of Growth Mindset individuals: They view them themselves as always able to learn more and grow. A growth-minded person has an intense desire to learn and looks at challenges as opportunities to grow. They want as much feedback as possible and are always looking for ways to learn. They believe the harder they work, the better they will become.