Golden Books™

2022-04-08 22:02:01 6. The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott Maxwell

The daily notes of a strong but dying woman (born 1883, written in 1968) watching her life slowly leave her and wind to a close. The wisdom in this thing is amazing and the fact that most people have no idea exists—and basically wait until the end of their life to start thinking about all this is very sad. This is a short book but full of timeless wisdom on living well and aging with dignity and grace.

7. The Strategemata by Frontinus

This forgotten book is a collection of examples of military stratagems from Greek and Roman history put together by Frontinus, who himself had a renowned military career. According to one military historian, The Strategemata was one of the most popular military texts circulating in medieval times but has since been forgotten by history. These are short and to the point teaching you strategic lessons with each and every anecdote.
Remember: Strategy is something that is critically relevant to all of us – not just those with careers in the military. We all have goals, we all have obstacles to those goals and we all live in a world we do not control. Those things combine to create the necessity of strategy. The better we are at it—the better we are at doing what we want and need to do. Consider this anecdote from the book and ask whether there are any decisions in your life right now for which you need to make retreat impossible: “Fabius Maximus, fearing that his troops would fight less resolutely in consequence of their reliance on their ships, to which it was possible to retreat, ordered the ships to be set on fire before the battle began.”

8. Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed The Art of War by Robert Coram

Boyd was a world class fighter pilot who changed warfare and strategy not just in the air, but on the ground and by sea. His concepts pioneered the modern concept of maneuver warfare (and were used for the First Gulf War, for which one general called him the “architect of that victory.”) His method of problem solving and problem analysis – known as the OODA Loop – is now used in the military, Silicon Valley and is a required tool you need to adopt in your decision-making process. Boyd also perfected the art of “Getting Things Done” whether that was in war or in the bureaucracy of the Pentagon. You need to know and understand John Boyd’s lessons. Although this book has become a cult classic, Boyd is still unknown to far too many people. Study him and learn from him.

9. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler

Duddy is the ultimate Jewish hustler, always working, always scheming, always looking for a deal, and looked down upon by everyone for his limitless ambition. Duddy never stops in his pursuit to acquire real estate in order to “be somebody” — never forgetting his grandfather’s maxim that “a man without land is nobody.” Except it doesn’t work out like he planned. From this book, you learn that the hustler — the striver — if he cannot prioritize and if he does not have principles, loses everything in the end. Even the 1974 movie based on the book has slipped from view for decades, and after originally rejected by the Cannes festival, it was only recently invited and earned its place as part of the Cannes Classics series.

10. The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus: A Roman Slave by Publius Syrus

The best philosophy comes from people who were not “philosophers.” Syrus was a slave and his moral maxims are far better than perhaps the most famous book in this category, those of Duc de la Rochefoucauld. Some favorites: “The mightiest rivers are easy to cross at their source.” “Avarice is the source of its owns sorrows.” Despite being mostly unknown, you can trace his influence in Seneca, Shakespeare, The Rolling Stones, and others. In his short maxims you find lessons that will stay with you for years. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-04-06 09:40:02 2. Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son by George Horace Lorimer

This book is the fictional correspondence between Old Gorgon Graham, a self-made millionaire in Chicago, and his son who is coming of age and entering the family business. The letters date back to the 1890s but feel like they could have been written in any era. Honest. Genuine. Packed with good advice. Consider it an incisive and edifying tutorial in entrepreneurship, responsibility, and leadership. The book was a 1900's bestseller that has since disappeared from view, but the no-nonsense advice it offers is timeless. One example: “Always appoint an hour at which you'll see a man, and if he's late a minute don't bother with him.”

3. What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars by Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan

Most books are about success—here’s a good one about failure. With each and every successful move that he made, Jim Paul, who made it to the top of Chicago Mercantile Exchange, was convinced that he was special, different, and exempt from the rules. Once the markets turned against his trades, he lost it all — his fortune, job, and reputation. This book will teach you how letting arrogance and pride get to your head is the beginning of your unraveling. Learn from stories like this instead of by your own trial and error. Think about that next time you believe you have it all figured out. The great philosopher and investor Nassim Taleb called it “one of the rare non-charlatanic books in finance,” and bestselling author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss credits half of his net worth to this book’s influence. The lessons here will completely change how you think about investing and become indispensible tools the next time you approach any major decision in your life.

4. The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh’s best and most unknown book is actually Finding the Winning Edge. He took the 49ers from the worst team in football to the Super Bowl in less than 3 years. I suggest you start with The Score Takes Care of Itself because it’s slightly more affordable. Both teach you Walsh’s brand of genius and what he called the Standard of Performance. That is: How to practice. How to dress. How to hold the ball. Where to be on a play down the very inch. Which skills mattered for each position. How much effort to give. By upholding these standards—whatever they happen to be for your chosen craft—success will take care of itself. Even if you’ve never watched a down of football, you’ll get something out of his books. After all, sports embody the best and the worst of life—our competitive urges, teamwork, grace under pressure, realizing our potential, the agony of defeat. It’s why books written by great coaches have so much to teach us, not only about the game but about life itself.

5. 12 Against the Gods: The Story of Adventure by William Bolitho

This old and out of print book shows 12 of history’s greats and their hubris-driven failures. Just like What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars above, it teaches that the only cure to ego is humility. Elon Musk recommended this book and it quickly sold out on Amazon. My copy cost me $139 but the rule smart readers tend to follow—which I urge you to adopt—is: If you want a book, you buy it—cost be damned. A better starting point might be Plutarch's Lives or Vasari's Painters, which are also some of the best ‘moral biographies,’ or short biographical sketches about great men and women in history, written with an eye towards practical application and life advice. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-04-05 10:20:01 1. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

This is not only one of greatest books ever written but perhaps the only book of its kind. Just wrap your head around this: At some point around 170 AD, the single most powerful man in the world sat down and wrote a private book of lessons and admonishments to himself on how to be better, more just, more immune to temptation, wiser. It is the definitive text on self-discipline, personal ethics, humility, self-actualization and strength. And it survives and you have access to it today. It has been for decades the secret weapon of many leaders—Teddy Roosevelt took it with him on his dangerous ‘River of Doubt’ adventure, Bill Clinton re-reads it every year, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis carried it with him on all of his deployments. Sadly, even today, still too few people have read it. Many philosophy students get degrees without picking it up. Why? “Too practical.” [Note, I strongly suggest the Gregory Hays translation from the Modern Library]. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-04-05 10:17:42 15 Books That Will Change Your Life
BY RYAN HOLIDAY

If you’re only reading the books that other people are reading, you aren’t getting ahead—you’re just keeping up. Smart readers and ambitious people know that the real edge is in seeking out knowledge that other people don’t have, that you need to read the other books that most people aren’t lucky to know about or too lazy to read. Below are 15 of those kinds of books—cult classics, secret weapons of the powerful and successful, hits from decades ago that have slipped from view. Each one will teach you something—about yourself, about life, about your career, about business—and each will will turn you onto to new ways of thinking and living. Read them as soon as you can and absorb them. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-29 22:11:12 ‘People, like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.’ - Geralt the Witcher ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-23 11:36:04 With one eye on explaining the current conflicts and complications in Eastern Europe, Longworth examines the region through, well, prehistory to post-communism! Necessarily sweeping in tone, but very illuminating, this is a marvelous example of why too narrow a focus can damage real understanding. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-22 10:10:05 The Making of Eastern Europe: From Prehistory to Postcommunism by Philip Longworth
#History
Why has the collapse of Communism resulted in so much disappointment for the hopeful millions of Eastern Europe? In the revised edition of this thoughtful and provocative book Philip Longworth argues that their predicament is only partly due to the imposition of the Soviet system but rather that they are the heirs of misfortune which dates back centuries. In exploring the origins of current problems, this sweeping history ranges from the present day to the time of Constantine the Great, the Urals to the Mediterranean and the Baltic, and emphasises culture and society, as well as politics and economics. In an additional new chapter Philip Longworth analyses the collapse of Communism and the advent of post-communism. This book will be of immense value to all who want to understand Eastern Europe's past and present.
3.71 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 | 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-14 08:30:32 5. ‘No state shall forcibly interfere in the constitution and government of another state.’ For what could justify such interference? Surely not any sense of scandal or offence which a state arouses in the subjects of another state. It should rather serve… ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-13 20:50:21 5. ‘No state shall forcibly interfere in the constitution and government of another state.’

For what could justify such interference? Surely not any sense of scandal or offence which a state arouses in the subjects of another state. It should rather serve as a warning to others, as an example of the great evils which a people has incurred by its lawlessness. And a bad example which one free person gives to another (as a scandalum acceptum) is not the same as an injury to the latter.

But it would be a different matter if a state, through internal discord, were to split into two parts, each of which set itself up as a separate state and claimed authority over the whole. For it could not be reckoned as interference in another state’s constitution if an external state were to lend support to one of them, because their condition is one of anarchy. But as long as this internal conflict is not yet decided, the interference of external powers would be a violation of the rights of an independent people which is merely struggling with its internal ills. Such interference would be an active offence and would make the autonomy of all other states insecure.

Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch
An Answer to the Question: What Is Enlightenment? - Immanuel Kant ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ

2022-03-10 23:05:09 1 - Assess Your Mental Focus
Before you start working toward improving your mental focus, you might want to begin by assessing just how strong your mental focus is at the present moment.

2 - Eliminate Distractions
While it may sound obvious, people often underestimate just how many distractions prevent them from concentrating on the task at hand. Such intrusions might come in the form of a radio blaring in the background or perhaps an obnoxious co-worker who constantly drops by your cubicle to chat.
Minimizing these sources of distraction isn't always as easy as it sounds. While it might be as simple as turning off the television or radio, you might find it much more challenging to deal with an interrupting co-worker, spouse, child, or roommate.

3 - Limit Your Focus
While multitasking may seem like a great way to get a lot done quickly, it turns out that people are actually rather bad at it. Juggling multiple tasks at once can dramatically cut down on productivity and makes it much harder to hone in on the details that are truly important.
Attentional resources are limited so it is important to budget them wisely.

4 - Live in the Moment
It's tough to stay mentally focused when you are ruminating about the past, worrying about the future, or tuned out of the present moment for some other reason.
You have probably heard people talk about the importance of "being present." It's all about putting away distractions, whether they are physical (your mobile phone) or psychological (your anxieties) and being fully mentally engaged in the current moment.

5 - Practice Mindfulness
In one study, researchers had human resources professionals engage in simulations of the sort of complex multitasking they engaged in each day at work.
These tasks had to be completed in 20 minutes and included answering phones, scheduling meetings, and writing memos with sources of information pouring in from multiple sources including by phone calls, emails, and text messages.
Some of the participants received 8 weeks of training in the use of mindfulness meditation, and the results found that only those who had received this training showed improvement in concentration and focus.
Members of the meditation group were able to stay on task longer, switched between tasks less frequently, and performed the work more efficiently than the other groups of participants.

6 - Take a Short Break
Have you ever tried to focus on the same thing for a long period of time? After a while, your focus starts to break down and it becomes more and more difficult to devote your mental resources to the task. Not only that, but your performance ultimately suffers as a result.
Traditional explanations in psychology have suggested that this is due to attentional resources being depleted, but some researchers believe that it has more to do with the brain's tendency to ignore sources of constant stimulation.

7 - Keep Practicing
Building your mental focus is not something that will happen overnight. Even professional athletes require plenty of time and practice in order to strengthen their concentration skills.
One of the first steps is to recognize the impact that being distracted is having on your life. If you are struggling to accomplish your goals and find yourself getting sidetracked by unimportant details, it is time to start placing a higher value on your time. ክፈት / አስተያየት ይስጡ