Ethan
The book is way too long and often buried in the weeds of this acronym versus that acronym, and you should track this and that so you can feel potentially one percent better for two extra years at the end of your life. And then there was the oddly deeply heartfelt last few chapters that didn't fit in with the scientifically analytical voice of the whole rest of the book. That said, I really liked how at the end of the day, the key points were that you should ONE get 8hrs of sleep TWO eat a normal (non-processed) diet, THREE spend time light-jogging in nature FOUR lift weights and FIVE avoid depressive modes of thought. I don't recall any chapter where it said that you should drink eight glasses of water per day, but I'm assuming that was implied.
I like the author's gift for storytelling, especially stories about his own life, and his own internal struggles. And I really appreciate that he read the audiobook himself because his voice is so crystal clear I could mostly blast through the book at 3.5x and skip over the acronym sections, thereby reducing 17hrs to a much more appropriate 6 hours or so.
It's an important book because I am going through some of these issues, and I can see it in people around me. I'm not sure it really gave me any answers but maybe it motivated me too try to be a better person to recognize everyone's struggles, and that different people deal with these struggles in ways that are counterproductive, but I should not hold it against them, including myself.
I had NO IDEA how badass the Walmart founder and his story and his philosophy were. I had no idea how interesting one can make the retail industry seem. Such a passionate book. It could have been even longer I wouldn't mind, and I rarely say that about books. No BS, no fluff; straight wisdom within this one. Unfortunately I can only find one video on YouTube of this guy actually saying anything and it's not very good.
Only made it 40% through. The narrator on audible's accent was such that I couldn't speed it up much. The story was pretty interesting but with ~4hrs of listening left there's no way I have the patience to find out what happens next. It's pretty bleak and very well written. I don't read fiction much and this book reveals why: I often feel there is way way way too much irrelevant detail, and then half way through I can't bear to continue because I'm tired of the overall scenario.
Very clear writing, luxurious print layout/design, solid advice, nothing extraordinary in it and generally the same advice given in other books in the genre. The mental model they refer continuously to in here (a bathtub of your wealth being drained and filled at the same time at independent rates) was very easy to grasp.
It's basically just a motivational speech but it's a really good one.
At times it's pretty cheesy, summarized as: “just go on and DO it man, don't let FEAR hold you back from your DREAMS” lol.
But then there's his stories about he actually exemplified pushing past fear and insecurity and taking on roles larger than he was used to, like getting his own TV show, or quitting his drug addiction. Those stories are really entertaining and profoundly introspective.
Instantly easily one of my 5 favorite books of all time. I liked it even more than Atlas Shrugged, since I found it more relatable.
This is one of those books so powerful that it changed something very deep within me, and caused me to begin to see the world differently. Mostly due to the triangle between Roark, Toohey, and Keating. One can see these 3 archetypes in any person in different proportions. It begs me to make many ethical judgements: which of these characters do/should I aspire to be? Is there anything unethical about these characters' actions?
Yes it is pretty long, but it was a good length for the point that it tries to get across. And the story is compelling enough that it doesn't drag on or go into irrelevant details like lots of fiction writing does. That is because this book is an amazing example of “show don't tell”. Mrs. Rand uses the book as a tool to convince you about her philosophy. Not in a subversive subliminal way; she is quite open about it. But she never references the principles of her philosophy within the book. It is a book of political philosophy even though for some reason many modern academics don't believe it belongs in the canon of such works. Instead of being a collection of dense one-liners that take forever to digest like many philosophy books, it is a story full of life, relationships, and career.
