I went on an Audible binge recently. I signed up for Audible at the beginning of the year and powered through a couple of books, but then let my account sit for a while as I focused my time elsewhere (more on that in a future post).
So, as my account sat idle, I was wracking up new credits each month without a thought of what to do with them. Then one day a friend starts talking about a book he read recently and recommended it to me. As I went searching on Amazon, I discovered my credit balance and went on a little buying spree, grabbing audiobooks by the handful and throwing them in the shopping cart. So here are some notes on what I have been listening to lately.
- No Limits: Blow the CAP off Your Capacity by John C. Maxwell. This latest book by one of my all-time favorite authors on personal growth and leadership. Each chapter explores a different capacity that each of us has (e.g. energy capacity, creativity capacity, leadership capacity, etc.) and in typical Maxwell style helps you to identify your own level and then how to expand and grow yourself in each area to be able to do, have and become more. One of the drawbacks to getting this in audiobook form is that I know Maxwell’s voice, having seen him speak live and on recording several times, and he does not narrate the audiobook himself so it kept sounding just a little bit off hearing someone else’s voice reading his words.
- The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. I normally would not have picked up this book, except that it was strongly recommended to me, so I gave it a shot. With F-bombs sprinkled liberally throughout the book, especially in the first couple of chapters, Manson tries to establish himself and his approach as the anti-Power of Positive Thinking and anti-self-help guru. I’ll agree with him that some parents have gone off the deep end with positivity and flattery of children based on nothing of substance and he spends quite a bit of the book trying to get you to be honest about where you are right now. But that’s not really new. In order to plan how to get where you want to go, you have to know from where you are starting. Be honest with yourself. Manson’s points parallel those of many of the best personal growth authors, but he does so in a more confrontational, some would say more honest, way.
- Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. For my techy friends, these are the guys behind 37Signals, Basecamp, and Ruby on Rails. They write from their own experience in running a successful SMB (small-to-medium sized business). The purpose of this book is to get you to challenge the many beliefs that we grow up with about what it takes to run a business, how to be productive, how to win at work; and instead to rethink (RE-WORK) everything. For example, using modern tools (like Basecamp) to avoid excessive meetings; avoiding venture capital and exit strategies to instead focus on being profitable early and over the long-haul. If you’re self-employed or run a small business, you need to read this book. If you’re a manager in a large company, you really need to read this book. One of my favorite lines from this book is “you can have the Fortune 500, I’m interested in selling to the Fortune 5,000,000.” There is a REWORK podcast, too.
- All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin. Another of my favorite authors, I read Seth’s blog regularly, which is filled with daily reminders to think different and pursue your dreams. I don’t know if the 37Signals guys were inspired by Seth Godin, but there certainly is a common theme in their writing and that theme is that the old rules don’t apply anymore. It’s a brave new world that is wide open to anyone who wishes to participate. In this book, Seth talks about the power of stories to market anything and everything; and most importantly the need for authenticity. Through all of his writing, Seth helps you understand the incredible value to be found in serving a niche market, and how that can grow to be a not-so-small niche after all.
I recommend all of these books, and while I really prefer the tactile experience of reading a book on paper and with a cover, if you find yourself pressed for time like I do, and especially if you have a significant commute, consider giving audiobooks a try.