Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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exIFRS
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Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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A friend of mine has been asking people to recommend one book she should read during this "downtime". I think it is a nice approach, there are always lots of books you could recommend, but being asked to distil it down to one book only has a way of focusing your thinking. Me, I recommended Deep Focus by Cal Newport (link below). I would be interested to know the one book others would recommend.

I have always been good at capturing what needs to be done (I was pretty proficient at GTD for those who know the system). And often I could deliver on a lot of it, but frequently it felt like I was working on a just in time basis. And sometimes it meant I just had a lot of things I wasn't doing. Deep Work is about finding focus to do what needs to be done. I am pleased I read it, especially now. This time (of intense lock down where I am) is both an opportunity to focus on deep work, but also a time when distraction can be even more, ummm, distracting.

"Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep—spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there’s a better way."

https://www.calnewport.com/books/deep-work/
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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That sounds interesting, I also believe that the ability to focus became even more crucial these days.
A non-fiction book that I'd recommend: Thinking, Fast and Slow
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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I aim to finish at least one book every month. Few good ones that I have read over past few months are:

The Four: Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google by Scott Galloway
Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft's Soul and Image a Better Future for Everyone by Satya Nadella
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
Street Smarts: Adventure on Roads and in the Markets by Jim Rogers
Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers by Jim Rogers
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

Post by Marek Muc »

So you're a fan of 'business' books, I must say that I prefer shorter forms when it comes to business reading. I recently read The Ride of a Lifetime by Bob Iger, which was recommended by a few bloggers/authors that I follow. I was highly disappointed though.

re. Scott Galloway, I read his blog regularly (https://www.profgalloway.com/) and this is something I would recommend as his articles are often thought provoking and contentious
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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I don't really "read" these books, only do that if there is a really good one. My modus operandi is audio books. I have audible subscription and you get one credit per month and listen to audio books whenever I get a chance. Before the lock down, it used to be during my gym workouts, drive to work, evening walk etc. Since the lock down, since I am home all the time, I have reverted back to reading the books (a lot slower than listening though). I have the Bob Iger book in my library (both audio and physical) but have not had a chance to read/listen it yet.
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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12 Rules for Life Jordan Peterson
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Re: Thoughts on a book to read during this time

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Read that last year and to be honest it didn’t really click with me. I found Mr. Jordan to be too self righteous and over the top with the biblical stuff. The book could have easily been 1/10th its size but he just went on and on and on.

Started David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell today.
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