Over the years I’ve come across what I consider life changing or just straight up thrilling to read books.
Here they are and in no particular order:
Sphere
Author: Michael Crichton
What I love about this book:
This book reminded me of the Abyss made back in 1989 by James Cameron. But actually this book is way better in my opinion. It starts like the mentioned movie but is revealed to be a psychological thriller with ancient space ships, aliens and then an even bigger twist I could not have seen coming.
And yes there is actually a sphere in the book 😉
Set during present day, the US Navy finds a large space ship at the bottom of the pacific ocean. Larger than anything humans have ever built. It is nearly 300 years old and is mostly covered in coral growth.
Something comes out of the space craft. What exactly? Hard to describe. But it is terrifying to say the least. Down deep under lots of pressure. Large creatures swimming in the dark. A psychological thriller for sure 🙂
Start with Why
A team of scientists is sent down to investigate. What they find inside the space craft is mind blowing. What happens outside the space craft is equally thrilling.
Author: Simon Sinek
What I love about this book
The author has managed to codify why people are motivated to buy from or to follow others. People don’t buy what you do or even how you do it. They buy WHY you do it.
This is super powerful, because if you start with WHY you do something, then it gets easier to figure out how to do it and what to do.
The applications for this model are endless and highly effective. Could apply to people dating, to crafting a business strategy, to civil rights movements.
I think folks like Apple are highly successful at selling their products because they use this approach (e.g. “we think differently in everything we do”). And is why for example Tivo never really took off because didn’t start with WHY.
The Bankers Code
Author: George Antonne
Why I love this book
An eye opening journey into the world of finance. Why do you think there is a bank on every (most) street corner? It’s because the business model works.
Banks are at the very root of the world economy. And they generate money out of thin air. No really, they do. They are able to take the savings that people place in them and lend those same savings out as loans multiple times over with only a small fraction needed to be kept for reserves.
This all equals massive profits, even when lending on 30 year fixed home loans at 3% – because they just keep lending the same money and stacking 3% on top of 3% on top of 3% – are you getting it yet?
And, the book does not explicitly reveal the identify but I am pretty sure it is Albert Einstein that had a secret passion for how finance worked and then shared his ideas with a close group of people including, indirectly, the author of this book. And that’s was how the book was conceived. But again, just my hunch.