⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey
| Full Title | The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance |
|---|---|
| Authors | W. Timothy Gallwey, Pete Carroll, Zach Kleiman |
| Year Published | 1997 |
| Date Read | February 02, 2022 |
| Rating | 4/5 stars |
Lots of really great insights here, which are applicable far more widely than just to performance in sports. I just wish I had stumbled upon this sooner, and in retrospect I find it crazy that there was absolutely zero focus on the mental side in my own organized sports experience. In particular in basketball, we did basketball-related drills, as well as separate general conditioning work, explosiveness training, and lifting. But I don’t recall ever integrating how our mentality would affect our in-game performance as part of our preparation. Gallwey convinced me this omission was a mistake.
I think my most-competitive days in sport are behind me and so my application of this content will primarily be in the interest of having the most fun while playing. What’s intriguing is that after reading this book, I actually think there’s a ton of headroom in this area for me.
I think this is a worthy read for anyone that plays sports, even if only recreationally. I’d
encourage casual readers not to be put off by the “peak performance” wording in the tagline.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Capitalism without Capital by Haskel
| Full Title | Capitalism without Capital: The Rise of the Intangible Economy |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jonathan Haskel, Stian Westlake |
| Year Published | 2017 |
| Date Read | January 16, 2022 |
| Rating | 5/5 stars |
I found this to be quite a stimulating book that opened many enjoyable avenues of thought for me. The way that it frames intangibles reminded me of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, though this book is far less abstract and focuses more so on the immediate past / near future. I found many of the authors’ arguments compelling and some even pushed my opinions away from where they have been for a few years. In particular, I found their defense of at least some form of intellectual property compelling — similarly to how nations that cannot enforce physical property rights create a disincentive for businesses to acquire physical assets, nations that either do not enforce or irregularly enforce intellectual property rights may discourage investment in intangible assets.
Having been released just before the pandemic, one also considers how some of the things the authors discuss as being current limitations, in particular around the drop-off to innovation when we get
further from a city center, might be changing.
Would highly recommend to readers with an interest in the economy, finance, or government.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mere Christianity by Lewis
| Full Title | Mere Christianity |
|---|---|
| Authors | C.S. Lewis |
| Year Published | 2018 |
| Date Read | January 15, 2022 |
| Rating | 4/5 stars |
Some compelling arguments here. One concept that is explored is that when a man accuses another of doing something bad/wrong, usually the response is a defense as to how that isn’t true or a deflection to focus on something the accuser did wrong; rarely does the response question whether or not the foundation that underpins the accusation — typically, a shared moral understanding — is even valid in the first place. I also appreciate that Lewis also specifically chooses not to talk about subjects where he feels he doesn’t have insights or relevant experience.
In general, I found myself on the same page as many of the arguments presented. What I was partly hoping for and didn’t find, however, was a treatment of the reasoning why Christianity specifically should be believed, rather than another religion that also promotes belief in a higher being.
This feels to me like a great read for Christians and a decent one for those at least casually interested in religious
arguments. Overall I think the ROI on the 6 hour length is quite good.
⭐⭐ Tiny Habits by Fogg
| Full Title | Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything |
|---|---|
| Authors | B.J. Fogg |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Date Read | December 19, 2021 |
| Rating | 2/5 stars |
Really high levels of filler content; I’m surprised I made it over 3 hours in. Ultimately I think the insight is great, but you can basically get the gist of it from the title, and the entire point from a brief summary of the book — start extremely small, make sure to genuinely consider even that small amount a true win, and build on top of it over time. There’s a pdf that comes with the audiobook — you can find it by searching online, and it’s what I would recommend breezing through instead if you want the core insights without spending >10 hours on a book.
I still rate it as 2 stars because tiny habits are honestly a great tool to have in building the person you want to become. The Maui habit is a really simple example that you can start today to see if this approach might work for you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Jorgenson
| Full Title | The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eric Jorgenson |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Date Read | December 18, 2021 |
| Rating | 4/5 stars |
High signal-to-noise ratio on this one. Favorite quote was “desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.”
⭐⭐⭐ Greenlights by McConaughey
| Full Title | Greenlights |
|---|---|
| Authors | Matthew McConaughey |
| Year Published | 2020 |
| Date Read | November 09, 2021 |
| Rating | 3/5 stars |
There were some great sections in here; I thought it was interesting hearing about the author’s (and his brother’s) relationship with his father and his experience when abroad in Australia, and entertaining to find out about getting arrested while naked or the trips out to Africa. The audiobook version also certainly benefits significantly from being read by McConaughey himself. But ultimately I didn’t come away feeling like I got closer to the author, which for me happens in the best of autobiographies (Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, A Promised Land).
Still, probably worth a read for most and certainly worth it for those familiar with the actor’s movies.