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Read the summaries of the books I have read over the last 5 years. I haven’t been consuming as much as I used to, but currently reading “From the Ground Up” by Howard Schultz, founder of Startbucks. Have you read it? I’d like to hear back from you on what you thought - maxg@gurus-consulting.com
February 14, 2016: Happy Valentine's Day to all those celebrating. I hope this holiday brings you closer to your loved ones if attached, and that you find someone to share wonderful moments of your life if you are single :-). I've read 2 more books, The Thin Green Line by Paul Sullivan and The Total Money Makover by Dave Ramsey. I now sort of went back into books about businesses, startups and going it alone if you looking for creating another stream of passive income, because I want to build another business, or multiple business with various sources of passive income. This other book that I just started reading is $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau. Summaries of the newly read books are below.
"The Thin Green Line" by Paul Sullivan
Paul Sullivan is a columnist for The New York Times. Throughout his career as a journalist he interviews thousands of millionaires, and just rich people. He wrote about how they all make money, what kind of business they have, how they spend their money, how they save and what it all means to each one. Wealth and being rich mean different things to different people: from keeping up with the Joneses and living beyond your means thinking you can afford a house in one of the affluent neighbourhoods. Perhaps it's saving enough for your kids' education? While everyone has their own definition of being rich or wealthy, after reading this book I've come to realize that being really wealthy means that you don't just live below your means, but you also help others. To wealthy people money is just a medium, and so what really makes them happy is being able to donate a sizeable portion of their income or savings to help others. That's exactly what defines the thin green line, which separate the rich that only spend on themselves, from those that sacrifice.
"The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey is an author, he wrote a number of books that made the "New York Times Best Sellers" list. In this book Dave argues that most families' lives are not equipped should a disaster strike, but not importantly that we all live beyond our means, getting deeper into debt. Our sense of financial knowledge sucks and in order to succeed, we need to have a financial makeover. In my view, the makeover is an imaginary line, sort of like the X axis, where most of the people before the makeover are on in the negative territory. Mortgages for the houses, credit card debt that paid for things that we couldn't afford with cash, because at the time of purchase we had no cash. The list goes on. When you start to get out of debt, which is the first thing that should be on your list during the money makeover, you start to drift toward the 0 which still isn't great but better than being in debt. When you are able to put money away, save for retirement, pay off all your debts, have enought savings to put your kids through education, and finally pay off your mortgage - that's when you makeover is over. Bottom line is that Dave recommends living without credit cards and paying for everything with cash. If you cannot pay for it with cash then you cannot afford it. What do you think of this method? I'd love to hear from you at maxg (at) gurus-consulting.com.
January 29, 2016:The month of January has almost gone by, 2 more days and we'll be in February. I noticed that time started to go by faster as you grow older. Have you noticed the same thing? I've been quite busy with work and family, yet still somehow managed to read more books - no more excuses I guess :-). Summaries for 3 more books are below:
"Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker
Our past experience around people whom we spent most of our time with, determine what Harv Eker calls a "blueprint". It's imprinted as a program code, just like a computer would execute a detailed set of instructions. That's the reason why a lot of fail at mastering the game of money, accumulating wealth and just living a healthy financial life. Good news is that it can all be changed, you just have to analyze your past behaviours that are overshadowing how to really succeed. I found this book to be in a way linked to Napoleon Hill's "Think And Grow Rich" - our actions, our behaviour and our thoughts can benefit if they chanelled the right away. We cannot blame others for things that happen to us. Read through Harv's declaration that will alter the way you think and make an impactful committment with yourself that you will succeed - there is no other way. There are a number of seminars that are conducted by Peak Potential Training, just Google it and you will find their schedules.
"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi
Although this book is written and I think geared primarely for the younger generation, yes I'm calling myself old :-), there are quite a few good tips on how to get hold of your financial wellbeing. As a student I was guilty of all those things that Ramit explains are toxic to your financial health: credit card debt, uncontrollable spending to name a few. His easy to follow step by step instructions and sample scripts on how to talk to your banks to lower your bank fees or other companies (part of the strategy to pay less for services, products, etc.), is easy to implement, and isn't rocket science. Your long term goal should be to save so you can live well when you retire. Initial steps include getting rid of your debt and paying yourself first. When you live pay cheque to pay cheque how do you pay down debt or pay yourself first or even save a few bucks? Well it all starts with small steps: the day you can put aside even a few bucks into an account that you don't have easy access to, you are already better off than the day before. You just have to get into that practice and habit, and you'll be on your way to shape your better financial future for yourself, family, kids and others close to you.
"The Richest Man in Babylon" by George S. Clason
Regardless of the times, back when Babylon existed 4000 years ago or fast forward to our times, the concept of wealth and money doesn't change. The author of this book explains what it took to be wealthy back in Babylon's times, how to accumulate wealth, how to keep it safe and protect it from external factors, and let it grow. Same principles should be applied nowadays in my opinion. You have to pay yourself first before you pay your bills. You have to keep a budget and not spend money on things you don't really need, take control of your spending. But most important explore avenues how to create more income for yourself.
January 23, 2016:I think I've started reading books faster than I can write these summaries for them :-) I've read another book in the last 2 weeks, I Will Teach you to be reach by Ramit Sethi and will provide a summary in the next few days.
"The Millionaire Fastlane" by MJ DeMarco
There are a basically 3 lanes to getting to a wealthy point. The slowlane, the medium lane and the fast lane. Which lane are you going to choose? In his book, MJ DeMarco writes what brought him from being not well off and how one single encounter with a millionaire driving a Lamborghini enspired him to get off his ass and do something that he carries on forward to this time. I think one of the biggest points he tries to get across in his book is that the majority of us are willing to work hard to get become millionaires but the methods that are used to attain that wealth are outdated. Nobody wants to enjoy the money they saved/worked for/won/inherited (and many other ways), at an age when they don't have the health to enjoy. Read the book, figure out a way that will make you obtain the higher status of wellbeing AND still enjoy it in your prime years.
January 13, 2016:Happy New Year to all new readers and those that are returning. Another year had gone by in a flash, and it's time to jot down your new year's resolutions. What are your resolutions for this? I would love to hear from you: maxg(at)gurus-consulting.com. I've finished reading yet another book, and without hesitation started reading another. I have a feeling that this will be an excellent year for transformational changes you are seeking in your life, personal well being, understanding more about human psychology, being an entrepreneur and really taking back your life and having more control over it.
December 30, 2015:Yet another book finished. I think as I go through the list of these books, they keep getting better and better, more captivating and resonating with my thoughts and plans. I will be updating my website in the next few weeks with information on my resume consulting services that I will be offering pretty shortly. This includes help on how to write a perfect resume so that you stand out from the rest, how succeed when you are job hunting, job interview tips and how to succeed throughout this process and come out a winner by landing the job of your dreams.
"The One Minute Millionaire" by Mark Victor Hansen & Robert G. Allen
Having read through both sides of the book (left and right, more on this further down), I've been captivated yet again by this powerful bestseller. It's actually really neat how the book has been structured: left pages are for those that are logical in nature (engineers), and the right side pages are for those that are visual learners (artists). I would considered myself more of an engineer than an artist, I did read both sides of the book just for comparison and because I was curious. Originally I wanted to read only the left side. In short, it's a book about a women named Michelle and what she had to go through in order to get her children back from the monstrous in-laws. A story of perseverence, courage, team, mentorship and human values that will elevate you above anything imaginable.
"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill
A book written in 1937, contemporary of Dale Carnegie? Ok, you've got my attention, and I definitely hope that it will get your attention as well. An extremely well written book how to master success, and obtain exactly what you want in life. In it's first chapters, Napoleon Hill tells the reader that I won't openly tell you what the secret is, but given the fact you are already reading this book you're very close to finding between the lines of every single chapter or closer to the end of the book. Think and Grow Rich isn't just a book, it's a whole tool box that helps one to develop character, excercise will power in order to become successful. One of the best books I've read in a long long time.
"The Wealthy Barber Returns" by David Chilton
I started to like David when I was watching the TV show "Dragon's Den" where he appeared. I think he has a face of someone that I would trust - yes that's one of the main reasons I wanted to reach his book. One of the main points that he's trying to get across in his book is that you have to start saving, investing and putting your money to good use. In some ways similar to what Robert Kiyosaki is talking about, David's humour adds a funny tone to a serious conversation. Definitely recommended to read, the book is light and won't put you to sleep - I promise.
"The 4-hour work week" By Tim Ferriss
Another book that I have already finished a while back, I believe back in November. Tim Ferriss talks about how to build up any business, how you would get involved from the ground up, build the foundation and then lift yourself higher above by having employees. More so, he's talking about automation - things that are done numerous times throughout a day, week, month a year and can be automated. This is a true definition of a successfully automated business, because once you finished with one, you move on to the next one, and so on.
December 24, 2015: First of all, as I write this update on the Christmas eve, I'd like to wish all my friends and those of you that are reading this blog and are celebrating, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May all your lives be filled with joy, happiness and fulfillment during this vestive season and the New Year to come. I wish that you will succeed with everything that you start in the new year.
It has been a while since I have updated the blog, but I did make progress with more books. I've updated my list and you can view it below. The original list of 67 (I think there are 67?) books got altered a bit, some books made it to the top and some got rearranged down. I felt that with every new book that I read, I'm "discovering" the next that I should be reading, hence the list adjustments. In the past 2.5 months I have finished
"The Choose Yoursef Guide To Wealth" by James Altucher
After a certain amount of time gone by, you (well I) for that matter tend to not remember the certain details or phrases, but you vividly remember things that resonated with you while reading the book. James Altucher's journey to the riches isn't a simple one, at some point he was a drunk, thinking that "he hit rock bottom", yet he was able to pick himself up, dust himself off and build his way up to where he is right now. In his book his main point, in my opinion, is that there is no longer such thing as job security, the industries are changing by disraptive companies like Uber, Airbnb, Tesla to name a few. You cannot realy on anyone or anything but youself - so choose yourself for well being, only you can save yourself.
"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki
"Pay yourself first" - that is Robert's motto. What he means by that is that you should keep a certain portion of the salary/income. Others call it saving for a rainy day, but I think it's more than just the rainy day. This is what becomes part of your savings for later, for retirement, for opening a business - whatever it is that you are planning to do later in life. You will have to pay the mortgage, credit cards, grocery bills - but before you do that, make that deposit into your own savings account (or whatever other account you have). It's also about getting into that habit of keep doing the same thing over and over again, month in and month out.
October 10, 2015: So after numerous consideration to start this, I finally caved in to my own instincts and decided to do this. Welcome to my blog. I'm Max Gorouvein. Who am I - A project manager, an entrepreneur and for the most part a curious mind. Those of you that know me and are reading this, wouldn't think of me as an avid reader, however over the last 2 months I have become one. I have compiled a list of 67 books, names of which I picked out from a number of articles from Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Inc and many other online journals, magazines and articles. So far I have read 3 of them and I think that's an accomplishment for me, considering that in the last 5 years after passing my PMP exam which required me to read a large book called PMBOK, I have only been reading news. Here are the names of the books I have read so far: "From Zero to 1" by Peter Thiel, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki, "The Choose Yoursef Guide To Wealth" by James Altucher. So what good is it when you read a book and you cannot share your opinion, summary and thoughts on the book? That's why I've decided to start this blog so I can do exactly that!
"From Zero to 1" by Peter Thiel
In this book Peter (@peterthiel) talks about competition. As a company, in order to survive in today's business world you cannot just do incremental improvements, you have to innovate 10 fold and beyond in order to outdo your competition. Businesses are simply used to up by 1 the guy next door, only to find out the next day that they were outdone again by 1. Back to "innovation" they go and the vicious cycle never ends. Eliminate your competition by having a totally unique product.
List of books that I’m planning on reading:
List of my books, in no particular order after the 10th book. The top 5-10 are the one I'm planning on reading next, but the list may change at any time so visit frequently.
How to license your million dollar idea by Harvey Reese
Secrets of the Millionaire mind by T. Harv Eker
Millionaire within by E. Brian Rose
I will teach you to be reach by Ramit Sethi
How rich people think by Steve Seibold
Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals,' by Thomas Covey
The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco
The richest man in Babylon by George clason
The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy,' by Paul Sullivan
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing,' by John C. Bogle
If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly,' by William Bernstein
The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to be Smart About Your Money,' by Carl Richards
The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich,' by David Bach
MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom,' by Tony Robbins
One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market,' by Peter Lynch
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing,' by Burton Malkiel
The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America,' by Warren Buffett and Lawrence Cunningham
Elements of Investing: Easy Lessons for Every Investor,' by Burton Malkiel and Charles Ellis
The Investment Answer,' by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray
Awaken the Giant Within - Tony Robbins
The $100 Startup By Chris Guillebeau
The Lean Startup By Eric Reis
Ask by Ryan Levesque
'The Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women, and Money: 50 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them,' by Kevin O'Leary
Email Marketing Rules: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Best Practices That Power Email Marketing Success by Chad White
Zag by Marty Neumeier
Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Innovation by Larry Downes and Paul Nunes
Rework by Jason Fried
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
The total money makeover by Dave Ramsey
As a man thinketh by James Allen
Who moved my cheese by Spencer Johnson
the elements of style by William strunk Jr and e. B. White
How to lie with statistics by Darrell Huff
The one minute manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
The greatest salesman in the world by Og Mandino
The simple action no one does that will make you a millionaire
"The Wall Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing," by Kenneth M. Morris and Virginia B. Morris
"The Millionaire Next Door," by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
A Random Walk Down Wall Street," by Burton G. Malkiel
"The Essays of Warren Buffett," by Warren E. Buffett and Lawrence A. Cunningham
"Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits," by Philip A. Fisher
The Intelligent Investor," by Benjamin Graham and Jason Zweig
"Devil Take the Hindmost," by Edward Chancellor
"Why Genius Fails," by Roger Lowenstein
"Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk," by Peter L. Bernstein
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
Life Is a Series of Presentations: Eight Ways to Inspire, Inform, and Influence Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime
The Little Book that Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb
The Most Important Thing by Howard Marks
Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charlie Munger
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip Fisher
The Dao of Capital by Mark Spitznagel
Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William N. Thorndike
The Misbehavior of Markets: A Fractal View of Financial Turbulence by Benoit Mandelbrot
Why Stocks Go Up and Down by William Pike
Bull: A History of the Boom and Bust, 1982-2004 by Maggie Mahar
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
The One Minute Manager
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Good To Great by Jim Collins
The Compound Effect by Daren Hardy
The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
ReWork by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
This Book Will Teach you how to write better by Neville Medhora
To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink
Pitch Anything by Oren Klaf
Rework: Change the Way You Work Forever' by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
8 Lessons in Military Leadership for Entrepreneurs' by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter' by Liz Wiseman
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business' by Charles Duhigg