Late May Reading Roundup

At this point, I'm only really posting these reading roundups as a way to better remember what I've read.  I read a lot and it feels like robbery not to at least try to share some of the information that I'm learning. This post is somewhat of a follow-up to the previous reading roundup, where I talked about Dating Essentials for Men, the Four Agreements, Atomic Habits, and The Book of Five Rings. This time I'm going to be talking about some other books that I've started reading in the past few weeks. 

So let's get into it -

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I read all day and have a Stem degree and countless academic accolades, yet I just taught myself how to ride a bike in March. Hell, I just figured out what sunburn is three weeks ago. 

My point is that it doesn't matter how much academic knowledge you have, you don't know what you've never been taught. Period.

And that's one of the big ideas of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. You can be the world's smartest scientist or sexiest model and still struggle financially because no one has taught you anything about money (or they taught you the wrong things)l. I'm only in the first chapter, but I'm looking forward to reading further and applying what I've read. 

And speaking of applying what you read -

The Book of Five Rings

For clarity, this book is divided into four different sections (which the book refers to as scrolls) that explain separate aspects of strategy. I'm currently reading the Fire Scroll, which talks about the intricacies of combat and outlines different tactics. Obviously, in this century, and in a noncombatant position of life you can't literally practice these strategies. 

[insert Luke Rockhold "I'm a samurai" clip] 

I've been using the strategies in different areas of my life. The tactic of letting go of four hands (which is when you change your approach to a problem after a period of little progress) has been invaluable in figuring things out. The biggest lesson I've learned from this book is to know what your tools are for and to use them for what they are for in seriousness. Musashi was the best at what he did because he practiced excellence and understood every little aspect of what he was doing. This is the Way that the book endorses  in all things.

The 6 Pillars of Self-esteem

I talked about this book during my last post. Currently, I've reached a section in this book that espouses self-responsibility as an integral part of self-esteem. Last time, I mentioned that this book is difficult to read because it makes me feel irresponsible and immature. I'm realizing that it's harder to read because it forces me to accept that many people have horrific self-esteem and try to drag down other people without knowing it. This book says that self-esteem is built through building consciousness and awareness. Sometimes becoming aware is very painful. Reading this book sometimes makes me cry because it highlights the errors in thinking that led to many of the mistakes I've made. And it also makes me feel hopeful, because I'm coming to understand that I'm the only person responsible for fixing any kind of errors I've made. 

As an aside, the author of this book was one of Ayn Rand's lovers. The guy mentions her in the book occasionally, and his romance with had a very observable impact on his life and career. Call me an ass, but every time I hear that Ayn Rand was out here breaking hearts, it makes me laugh my head off. It also highlights that my understanding of love and attraction is kinda naive but that's another story.

Anyways, tune in next time when hopefully I'll have finished one of these books and can give my complete thoughts on what I've learned.