Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Moderator: Dux
-
- Lifetime IGer
- Posts: 21281
- Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:26 pm
-
- Sergeant Commanding
- Posts: 5038
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:51 am
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
If you feel bad about your life, that's not a bad place to visit.Shafpocalypse Now wrote:http://bruvworld.yuku.com/
WildGorillaMan wrote:Enthusiasm combined with no skill whatsoever can sometimes carry the day.
-
- Lifetime IGer
- Posts: 21281
- Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2005 11:26 pm
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Is bruv still living in genteel poverty in Ibiza?
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Not sure everyone would consider all of these "self-help" genre, but I liked these:
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - a must read
Willpower by Baumeister - pretty good, some fun anecdotes
Mastery by George Leonard - a must read
"On Killing" and "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - must reads (in my unexperienced opinion)
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales - a must read
The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb - Taleb comes off as a huge conceited prick in his books and online, but good.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - a must read
Willpower by Baumeister - pretty good, some fun anecdotes
Mastery by George Leonard - a must read
"On Killing" and "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - must reads (in my unexperienced opinion)
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales - a must read
The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb - Taleb comes off as a huge conceited prick in his books and online, but good.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
How would I know?Shafpocalypse Now wrote:Is bruv still living in genteel poverty in Ibiza?
"Know that! & Know it deep you fucking loser!"


-
- Lifetime IGer
- Posts: 21247
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:54 am
- Location: Upon the eternal throne of the great Republic of Turdistan
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Consider some atypical suggestions as well:
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Night-- Elie Weisel
Up From Slavery-- Booker T Washington
Autobiography-- Malcolm X
Wise Blood-- Flannery O'Connor
Chosen-- Chaim Potok
Worst case-- you'll have read some great literature.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Night-- Elie Weisel
Up From Slavery-- Booker T Washington
Autobiography-- Malcolm X
Wise Blood-- Flannery O'Connor
Chosen-- Chaim Potok
Worst case-- you'll have read some great literature.
"Liberalism is arbitrarily selective in its choice of whose dignity to champion." Adrian Vermeule
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
This book is great. The UK IGXers will probably know Geoff Thompson.
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
davidc wrote:I've found standing on my head to be particularly useful
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Nathan Wagar on Facebook goes off on Grossman in ways that are hilarious."On Killing" and "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - must reads (in my unexperienced opinion)
"There is only one God, and he doesn't dress like that". - - Captain America
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
I'm digging the Antidote. Lesson one learned from audiobooks, though, is that I'm going to have to listen to them twice - I have a tendency get off on my own train of thought and miss multiple paragraphs.
-
- Sergeant Commanding
- Posts: 5038
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:51 am
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Autobiographies safely fall in this category, in my opinion.Turdacious wrote:Consider some atypical suggestions as well:
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Night-- Elie Weisel
Up From Slavery-- Booker T Washington
Autobiography-- Malcolm X
Wise Blood-- Flannery O'Connor
Chosen-- Chaim Potok
Worst case-- you'll have read some great literature.
WildGorillaMan wrote:Enthusiasm combined with no skill whatsoever can sometimes carry the day.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
I looked them up. Funny, yes, and probably fair.TomFurman wrote:Nathan Wagar on Facebook goes off on Grossman in ways that are hilarious."On Killing" and "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - must reads (in my unexperienced opinion)
I thought Grossman was pretty up front about the fact that he had never been in combat or killed though. He makes the comparison to a bunch of virgin scientists talking about sex in "On Killing", I think. When I first read that, I thought "Damn, it's just like the fitness industry! A lot of f---ers that have zero experience being athletic telling everyone else how to become elite..."
-
- Top
- Posts: 1619
- Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:57 am
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
+1 on Man's Search for Meaning and Deep Survival. Both are great.Boris wrote:Not sure everyone would consider all of these "self-help" genre, but I liked these:
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - a must read
Willpower by Baumeister - pretty good, some fun anecdotes
Mastery by George Leonard - a must read
"On Killing" and "On Combat" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman - must reads (in my unexperienced opinion)
Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales - a must read
The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb - Taleb comes off as a huge conceited prick in his books and online, but good.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Practicing the Power of Now- Tolle
-
- Sergeant Commanding
- Posts: 6638
- Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:25 pm
- Location: The Rockies
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Lord God, you have got to be kidding me. Read the Amazon sample and it looks to be the absolute worst tripe of a "help" book. Were you joking, Gav?Gav wrote:This book is great. The UK IGXers will probably know Geoff Thompson.
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
No, I wasn't. Maybe the warrior stuff puts you off but there is a lot of good info in there. There were a few things I'd not come across in most other self help books.buckethead wrote:Lord God, you have got to be kidding me. Read the Amazon sample and it looks to be the absolute worst tripe of a "help" book. Were you joking, Gav?Gav wrote:This book is great. The UK IGXers will probably know Geoff Thompson.
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
davidc wrote:I've found standing on my head to be particularly useful
-
- Sergeant Commanding
- Posts: 6638
- Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 6:25 pm
- Location: The Rockies
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
OK, fair enough. Would you be so kind as to itemize a couple?Gav wrote:No, I wasn't. Maybe the warrior stuff puts you off but there is a lot of good info in there. There were a few things I'd not come across in most other self help books.buckethead wrote:Lord God, you have got to be kidding me. Read the Amazon sample and it looks to be the absolute worst tripe of a "help" book. Were you joking, Gav?Gav wrote:This book is great. The UK IGXers will probably know Geoff Thompson.
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
-
- Staff Sergeant
- Posts: 395
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:37 pm
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
I am a fan of Getting Things Done. The book is over 200 pages but could be distilled down to 40 high quality pages, but who shells out money for a 40 page book? It is an organizational strategy built around lists. If you are big into writing lists it might be good for you. If you think writing lists is the dumbest thing ever it would be a waste of time. I also recommend getting it from the library rather than buying it.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
I haven't read a single self-help book and I'm fine.
"Know that! & Know it deep you fucking loser!"


-
- Top
- Posts: 2194
- Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:57 am
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
T>1200 wrote:I haven't read a single self-help book and I'm fine.

Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
One of the things I liked was what he calls 'control of the palate'. Basically watching what you eat, drink, read, watch and are influenced by. This may seem obvious but I liked the way one rule could have so much influence on many areas in your life.buckethead wrote:OK, fair enough. Would you be so kind as to itemize a couple?Gav wrote:No, I wasn't. Maybe the warrior stuff puts you off but there is a lot of good info in there. There were a few things I'd not come across in most other self help books.buckethead wrote:Lord God, you have got to be kidding me. Read the Amazon sample and it looks to be the absolute worst tripe of a "help" book. Were you joking, Gav?Gav wrote:This book is great. The UK IGXers will probably know Geoff Thompson.
Warrior-Geoff Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Geoff-Tho ... 1906727910
Another was what is below your 'level'. He mentions gossiping, talking badly of others etc and to notice when you are doing it and tell yourself that it is not constructive and to raise your level.
A lot of things you'll find in the book are classic self help/Napoleon Hill type stuff. For someone who hasn't read many of these types of books there is a lot you can use to get your life going in the right direction. The whole warrior thing probably appeals more to those into martial arts.
davidc wrote:I've found standing on my head to be particularly useful
-
- Sergeant Commanding
- Posts: 5038
- Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:51 am
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Agree that it's a good book but disagree that it can be distilled down or that you shouldn't buy it. (Not you) but everybody online I've seen who has "adapted" GTD has left out large portions. I like the whole book better than any particular portion. It's something that I re-read or at least refer to each year.The man in black wrote:I am a fan of Getting Things Done. The book is over 200 pages but could be distilled down to 40 high quality pages, but who shells out money for a 40 page book? It is an organizational strategy built around lists. If you are big into writing lists it might be good for you. If you think writing lists is the dumbest thing ever it would be a waste of time. I also recommend getting it from the library rather than buying it.
WildGorillaMan wrote:Enthusiasm combined with no skill whatsoever can sometimes carry the day.
-
- Supreme Martian Overlord
- Posts: 15563
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:05 pm
- Location: Nice planet. We'll take it.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
You GTD'ers might like TOT or as I like to say, T1T. http://www.the1thing.com/
It's like applying Pareto's Law to GTD.
It's like applying Pareto's Law to GTD.
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
Thought i'd add Geoff Thompson's 'Warrior' as its a free book, but noticed it mentioned above.
Anyhow here's the link to get it for free on his website...
http://geoffthompson.com/_warrior_.pdf
I have spoken with Geoff and he is a great bloke.
Anyhow here's the link to get it for free on his website...
http://geoffthompson.com/_warrior_.pdf
I have spoken with Geoff and he is a great bloke.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
-
- Lifetime IGer
- Posts: 22165
- Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:49 pm
- Location: The Pale Blue Dot
Re: Recommend some self-help/self-improvement books?
This is me right here. That's why I've been trying to find some sort of 'racetam to hep with it. My problem is I get kind of bored doing what I do at work and the internet is right there so I start surfing. It has become kind of a problem and really cut into my productivity. I really started trying to cut it out Friday and have done a decent job so far. It is a problem at home as well. I'll surf for an hour plus after working out and putting the kids to bed. So many better things I could be doing with my time. Instead of surfing at night I need to start reading again.milosz wrote:lack of focus
Damn FB, instagram, tumblr and mountain bike sites!!!
Btw, I really like Constructive Living as well as The Power of Now. I'll take a look at GTD and TOT.