Grant Baldwin's Blog » Books

What I’m Reading Right Now

Grant — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:12:47 +0000

I always enjoy a good book and am continually trying to learn and better myself as a person. Here’s a few books I’ve read recently and a few that are in the on deck circle to be read…

Drive by Daniel Pink – The subtitle is “the surprising truth about what motivates us,” which is a good summary. For the longest time, people have been motivated by what Pink describes as carrots and sticks. Do something good, you get a carrot (i.e. money). Do something bad, you get a stick (i.e. written up at work). But in today’s world, we’re motivated less by carrots and sticks and more by doing work that matters, working autonomously, and achieving mastery in our work. Great read. Also pick up A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation by Pink.

Linchpin by Seth Godin – I’ve read most of the books Godin has put out and am a big fan of his blog. This book was basically about how to become indispensable in what you do and focusing on work that’s important. I thought it was a solid read, but I think it was a little wordy and repetitive at times, which is unusual because his blog posts do an extremely good job of cutting the fluff and getting right to the point in a short, simple way. Nonetheless, I still thought it was a good read.

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller – Donald Miller is a unique writer that really can cause people to think. This was an interesting book because of how it was written. It’s the story of Miller working with a couple of film guys to develop a screenplay for his life. So it’s basically a reflective book of the author evaluating and examining his own life and challenging the reader to the do the same.

On the soon-to-be-read pile…

Buyology by Martin Lindstrom – I’ve had this book recommended to me by a couple of different people. It’s basically answering the question “why we buy?” Looking forward to it.

Switch by Chip & Dan Heath – I read the Heath brothers first book Made To Stick and like most others who’ve read it, I would rank it in the top 10 books I own. So naturally, anything else they put out I’m assuming will be good.

Just Don’t Fall by Josh Sundquist - Josh is a good friend and a fellow youth speaker and has an amazing story. The nutshell is he found out he had cancer in his left leg when he was nine, had to have his leg amputated, and eventually went on to compete four years ago as a downhill ski racer in the 2006 Paralympic Olympics in Italy. The book shares his journey and story throughout all this. I’ve known Josh personally for a few years now and while I know his story is powerful, I know the guy is the real deal. Super cool, down-to-earth dude who wants to make a difference.

Anything you’ve read or are reading that you’d recommend?

Gary Vaynerchuk VS Tim Ferriss

Grant — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:17:14 +0000

I read a lot of books and two of my favorite business books are Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk and The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. While they both talk about business and being successful, they also talk about (to steal a phrase from Tim Ferriss): “Lifestyle Design.” They talk about what you want your life to look like and shaping how you personally define success. But the interesting thing to me is these are two completely opposite books.

In The Four-Hour Work Week, Ferriss is advocating working less and enjoying life more (as the title might indicate). He’s not promoting laziness but rather stating that life is too short to work and work and work and fall over and die one day.

Crush It is just the opposite. Gary states multiple times that in order to crush it, you better expect to outwork your competition and do whatever you need to do to make your goals happen. For him, that means working 18 hour days everyday.

(On a side note, ironically, although these are polar opposites of one another, Tim Ferriss has an endorsement quote on the cover of Gary’s book Crush It!)

As I read each of these I found myself drawn to thoughts from both. I agree with Gary that success comes from hard work. Period! But I have no desire to work 18 hour days. I also agree with Tim that I would rather enjoy my life than just work constantly, but if I just worked four hours (although again, that’s not necessarily what he’s teaching), I would be bored and go crazy.

The point is that each one of us have to decide what success looks like for ourselves. For you it may be working 18 hours a day and being the best in the world at what you do. For you it may be traveling the world gathering experiences. For you it may be quality time with your friends, family, or significant other. For you it may be a big bank account or owning a fancy car. Everyone is different, but you have to define what success looks like for you.

For me…I love what I do. I love being my own boss. I love working hard and making things happen. I love having freedom and flexibility. And although you could argue that the more you work, the more you earn, I love my family more. I love my wife. I love my daughters. I love my life. So working 18 hours a day has zero appeal to me. But working 4 hours a week also does nothing for me. I have to find a healthy balance between doing what I love and am passionate about and also being committed to experiencing life with those I love most.

Books I’ve Read Recently

Grant — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:46:17 +0000

I enjoy reading and usually have a few books on the nightstand at any given time. I thought I’d share a few of the ones I’ve finished recently…

Crush It (by Gary Vaynerchuk) – Gary is a social media wizard and is all over the place. He built his name with a website called Wine Library TV but has expanded into other business arenas. He can come across as abrasive and in-your-face, but he’s clearly doing something right. The book was easy to read and had some practical, step-by-step tips for building your business online. He’s big into people doing what they love, so I’m definitely in huge agreement there.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich (by Ramit Sethi) – I’ve been a reader of Ramit’s blog for a while and generally enjoy his work. I don’t agree with all his ideas on personal finance, but he has definitely helped thousands of his readers (primarily 20-somethings) begin to pay attention to their money. The book was well laid out and was very practical and applicable for both newbies and veterans of personal finance.

Consent to Kill AND Act of Treason (both by Vince Flynn) – I try to mix in some fiction to my reading to give my brain a rest. A few years ago I came across Vince Flynn and became hooked. If you’re a fan of the show 24, you’ll love his books. They are in a series and are based around a character similar to a Jack Bauer (for all you 24 fans). I’ve read all the books in his series except for two of them. Great stuff.

Here are some others I’m currently wrapping up…

The Power of Less (by Leo Babauta) – I read Leo’s blog ZenHabits and enjoy his work. I’m a big fan of working less (not to be lazy but to be more strategic) and enjoying life more. I have the benefit of working for myself and working from home, so I’m able to spend a lot of time with my wife and daughters. I’m about halfway through this and the advice is good but pretty basic so far. I’m looking forward to the 2nd half of the book which seems to be a lot more of the application side of things.

Getting Real (by 37Signals) – I’m a fan of 37Signals and use their product HighRise for my business. Although this book is written around the idea of building a web application, the thoughts apply to a lot of areas of business. I’ve just got a few chapters left, but I’ve really enjoyed it.

Stone Cold (by David Baldacci) – This is another fiction change of scenery from the normal personal development/business books I usually read. I’m only a few chapters in, but so far so good.

What are you reading? What do you recommend?

New FREE E-Book: “How To Go To College For FREE!”

Grant — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:52 +0000

Really excited about a project I’ve recently completed that I wanted to share with you. It is a new e-book called “How To Go To College For FREE!”

It is a 21-page e-book with 15 different tips for not only finding extra money to help pay for college, but also tips to decrease the cost of your education.

It’s extremely practical with “now what” steps included with each tip. In addition, there are several websites and valuable links to help with the process.

Here are a few of the items covered in “How To Go To College For FREE!”:

Why submitting the FAFSA early gets you more money (page 5)

How to earn $50 per hour through scholarships (page 7)

3 websites you can use to get family and friends help pay for your education (page 11)

How to save $20k+ per year by starting at a community college (page 15)

The story of how one student earned 72 college credits through AP & CLEP tests…while still in high school! (page 16)

How one student earned an additional $10,000 in scholarships with a few simple phone calls (page 19)

You can read the entire e-book online or download a FREE copy at http://www.brokepiggy.com/resources-tools/how-to-go-to-college-for-free/.

You Make Stupid Decisions

Grant — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:25:28 +0000

I figured you already knew that, but I felt it was my place to point it out.

Now when I say you make “stupid decisions,” I’m not talking about those horrible mistakes that you have major regret over.

I’m talking about on a regular, consistent basis…you make stupid decisions.

I started reading a fascinating book called “Predictably Irrational” which looks at why we make the decisions that we do. It starts off with a really interesting scenario that illustrates this idea that we make stupid decisions.

Let’s say you had two errands to run. One to buy a fancy pen and the other to buy a suit. You go to an office supply store and find a nice pen for $25. Then you remember you saw that same pen at a different store for only $18. Would you make a 15-minute drive to save $7?

Most of us would. I know I would.

Now onto your second errand. You’re at a store buying a suit and find a great deal on one for $175. Then another customer whispers to you that a different store has the same suit on sale for $168. Would you make a 15-minute drive to save $7 now?

As you would imagine, most people wouldn’t. I doubt I would.

But $7 is $7, isn’t it? Sure it’s a bigger percentage discount with one purchase over another but it’s still $7.

This seems stupid. And yet we make decisions like this everyday.

I’m not trying to rip you for your decisions (cause I make stupid ones too), but rather challenge you to think about why you make the decisions that you do.

Why do you order the same thing for lunch everyday? Why do you shop at that store? Why do you watch that show?

Just something to think about…

The Last Lecture…What Would YOU Say?

Grant — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:53:51 +0000

On my trip last week to Utah, I read the book “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. I’m sure most of you are familiar with it, but in case you haven’t heard of the story, the book is basically about a college professor in his mid-40s who finds out that he has cancer and only 3-6 months left to live. With a limited amount of time left, he decides to give his last lecture, which is essentially a summary of many of the life lessons he’s learned that he wanted to pass on to others, especially his children.

It’s a very sobering book but is also very inspirational considering what this man and his family battled through and how he continued to remain so positive in life.

But as I finished it on the flight back from Utah (and tried to casually brush away a few tears!), it definitely got me thinking…

What would I say if I had a Last Lecture?

Better yet, what would you say? If something tragic happened, and you had a limited amount of time left, what would you teach others? If you had 1 hour in front of a group of people, what would you tell them? And on top of that, would your life match up with what you were telling others to do?

YOUR TURN: If you had a Last Lecture, what would you say?

In Case You’re Bored This Weekend…Episode 10

Grant — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:53:54 +0000

Here’s your weekly dose of interesting websites, blog posts, and articles for you to check out…

Websites:

Unfortunately, I don’t have any new or exciting websites that have come across my radar lately. Got any you would recommend?

Blog Posts/Articles:

A Visual Guide To Inflation – Great look at how inflation works from Mint and how it can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
When Should You Do It Yourself? – If you’re not a handy man/woman, then it’s tough to know when you should do something yourself versus paying for someone to do it. Is your time or money more valuable?
Student Discounts – A list of places where students can find discounts on their usual purchases.
Finding Balance Between Time & Money – An interesting story from the writer about an old friend he ran into and an eye-opening experience regarding which is more important: money or time.
Why I’m Trying To Be A Quitter – Some things in life you need to pull the plug on…read this article to help you decide what those things are.
The Art of Negotiating: A Crucial Skill For A Frugal Lifestyle – Great thoughts from SimpleMom reminding us that everything is negotiable and how to negotiate for what you want.
6 Ways To Simplify Your Life – We’re all busy and have a lot going on, so when are you going to step back and reevaluate your life?

How To Be The Best In The World

Grant — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:25:14 +0000

I’m in the process of reading Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers (you should also get The Tipping Point and Blink by Gladwell). It is a fascinating look at why certain people are successful and others are not. Often times we think people just got lucky or had a series of big breaks or were simply in the right place at the right time. And while all those may be individual factors, they are not what ultimately causes someone to be successful.

A key idea he presents early in the book is that in order to achieve a certain level of mastery of a skill that would qualify you as a world-class expert, it requires at least 10,000 hours of practice. He uses various case studies to back up that figure and while there are certainly exceptions to the rule (if you can call the “10,000 hour” idea a rule), it’s interesting to think about.

10,000 hours of practice at anything is an insane amount of time. Let’s put it into perspective with some examples…

If you practiced 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, it would take you about 19 years to reach 10,000 hours.

If you practiced 5 hours a day, 7 days a week, it would take you about 5 1/2 years to reach 10,000 hours.

If you practiced 12 hours a day, 365 days per year, it would still take you about 27 months to reach 10,000 hours.

If you…ok, you get the idea.

10,000 hours doesn’t happen overnight. It takes literally years and years of practice.

In the book, Gladwell writes this about practice: “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s what you do that makes you good.”

While that seems very commonsense, it stood out to me. So often we try to short cut our way to success and the fact is that it doesn’t work like that.

You don’t become the best in the world by waiting for your big breakthrough. You don’t become world-class by being lucky. You don’t arrive at success by chance or accident.

You become the best in the world by working your butt off…when no one is watching…when you don’t feel like it…when there are other things you would rather be doing…when others aren’t practicing.

That’s how you become the best in the world.

The Top 10 Books I Own

Grant — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:35:19 +0000

I’m an avid reader and am always looking for new and interesting material to peruse.

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word ‘peruse’. That was fun.
So in case you’re looking for something new to read, I thought I would share with you the top 10 books that I own (In no particular order. Note: I didn’t include the Bible because I assume most people have one and it would be on your list anyway. Don’t raise a stink about this.)

What would be on your list?

Notes from “Tribes” by Seth Godin

Grant — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:37:24 +0000

I’ve been reading a few books lately, but I thought I would share some thoughts that I underlined and circled from one I finished over the weekend – Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us by Seth Godin. Here were a few of the thoughts that jumped out at me:

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
“You can’t have a tribe without a leader – and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”
“We want to belong not to just one tribe, it turns out, but to many. And if you give us tools and make it easy, we’ll keep joining.”
“The real power of tribes has nothing to do with the Internet and everything to do with people.”
“Leaders lead when they take positions, when they connect with their tribes, and when they help the tribe connect to itself.”
“There’s a difference between telling people what to do and inciting a movement. The movement happens when people talk to one another, when ideas spread within the community, and most of all, when peer support leads people to do what they always knew was the right thing. Great leaders create movements by empowering the tribe to communicate.”
“Ordinary folks can dream up remarkable stuff fairly easily. What’s missing is the will to make the ideas happen.”
“Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.”
“Great leaders don’t try to please everyone. Great leaders don’t water down their message in order to make the tribe a bit bigger. Instead, they realize that a motivated, connected tribe in the midst of a movement is far more powerful than a larger group could ever be.”
“Leadership almost always involves thinking and acting like the underdog. That’s because leaders work to change things, and the people who are winning rarely do.”
I loved this story – “It’s four a.m. and I can’t sleep. So I’m sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Jamaica, checking my email. A couple walks by, obviously on their way to bed, having pushed the idea of vacation a little too hard. The woman looks over to me and, in a harsh whisper a little quieter than a yell, says to her friend, ‘Isn’t that sad? That guy comes here on vacation and he’s stuck checking his email. He can’t even enjoy his two weeks off.’ I think the real question – the one they probably wouldn’t want to answer – was, ‘Isn’t it sad that we have a job where we spend two weeks avoiding the stuff we have to do fifty weeks a year?’”
“The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.”
“Leadership is the art of giving people a platform for spreading ideas that work.”
“You can’t manage without knowledge. You can’t lead without imagination.”

Good book. Quick read. Lots of nuggets. Go get it.