Adam

The book I wish I'd had to navigate all the stuff that happens after I was done writing. Whether you want to find a publisher or bring it to print on your own, this book has answers. And it provides them in less than 50 pages.

It means even more rereading 13 years later. When the author's Last Lecture went viral, I was a twenty-something computer science graduate. It spoke to me then, perhaps because I was a lot like Pausch's students. Now, as a father of young children, I see it all very differently. I hope I'll know my children into adulthood, but mortality is at the forefront in this memoir that also serves as an advice book and personal legacy for Pausch.

Another thing that's much clearer now are his personal faults. I lapped up his workaholism on the first reading in a way that I actively avoid now. Despite his blanket optimism, there's a cynicism that comes through in parts about people who don't do what he considers the necessary, hard work. These don't bother me, because they remind me he's a complete human—just like all of us who have our own strong opinions that run counter to another's way of life. Plus, through his death he found clarity about the things that really matter. And I hope that's what I take away, as I read this on a Sunday while my kids are playing independently. Maybe it's time we all play a game.

I first read this book in ~2004 and had good memories of it. In some ways it's unfair to judge the outdated references (mostly dot-com era) 16 years later. It's mostly focused on advertising and direct response, both of which have changed a LOT in the more advanced Internet age.

Some of the worthwhile takeaways:
- Don't just throw money at ads without knowing the results
- Don't do the same thing as everyone else, because nobody will notice you
- Look for opportunities to do more with existing customers
- Look for ways to amplify your efforts by doing multiple things at once (versus a little bit spread out over time)

I'm glad I revisited this book, but not sure it will go back on my shelf for another 16 years.

Completely blown away. This had been on my list for a long time. I was never quite ready for the typical, lighthearted book by a comic. This is not your typical humor fare.

For sure, it's funny. The Daily Show host does not disappoint with hilarious stories of growing up in South Africa. I didn't expect his delicate touch on thorny topics, thoughtful prose, nor magnetic storytelling.

If you've thought about reading this one, dive in now. And if you haven't thought about it, you really should.

Fantastic, down to earth guide to why we stay in our comfort zone and some practical steps to moving beyond it.

Short and dense. I took some notes, but it boils down to being gentle to yourself and others. And take time to breathe.

Don't read this book. Listen to it.

I'm not sure this would have been a five star book had I held it in my hand, read each word, and turned pages. I grabbed the audio book so I could read while my wife consumed the hard cover book.

I'm so glad I listened to this book, because the author's came through even benign passages. There were guest readers, including her family, friends, and random famous folk like Patrick Stewart. The Parks and Recreation chapter included co-creator Michael Schur (former SNL writer and friend of Amy Poehler) is a can't miss. It was more like a podcast conversation, with Schur interjecting frequently, as the two bantered about some memories.

As I said, don't read this book. You really must listen to it.

I can tell this book will stick with me for a long time. Most notably, I'll remember the idea that we should reject a world of “definitely will” and “definitely won't.” Probability is all around us and we should acknowledge that we're rarely 100% certain. For that matter, we're also rarely 0%, we often have a guess. Simply making a bet with yourself can be a good way to think about potential outcomes.

There are great lessons on ego and bias. And mistakes and learning and scenario planning. There are plenty of poker stories, but less than I'd have guessed. The writing leaned more academic than I thought it would. Some passages were dense and I found myself skimming.

But there were valuable insights the whole way through. I read a hard copy and kept a document open on my phone to take notes. That's not a habit for me with hard copy books, but there was enough interesting in here that I was compelled to commit it to memory.

The author (a pricing expert) dives into the things that make premium products truly premium. You can't just declare it, you have to signal it through the elements that make up the bulk of the book: Status, Style, and Safety.

There's very little direct pricing tactics (other than don't use tricky $999 type prices), and instead is focused on the high level strategy. I found each section helped make brands I've seen make sense, especially regarding status.

The author sent me a copy of his book, but I'd have enjoyed it as much if I'd paid for it.

A really great collection of stories that weave together naturally, but don't have a firm structure or chronology. Rob Lowe comes across as human, in the best and worst ways. He has an abnormal life and is aware of it. Yet, there's surprisingly little name dropping or tell-all hysteria of your typical Hollywood memoir. It's a solid, fun read.

It reframed my thinking about how much of my thinking could be reframed.

There's plenty of the “just do it” mentality of being able to accomplish anything within this book. It is all about embracing the possible, after all. However, it also acknowledges the hard things that you must overcome in order to find the possibilities. The lessons in this book are about reframing situations and acknowledging that it's not always easy. There are counter forces at play—within us and within others.

It will take many years of practice to make use of these lessons, but I'm grateful to be starting now.

Varied list of interviewees, from accomplished professors to household names. The author asked the same 11 thought-provoking questions to each. The result is a huge tome that somehow makes a quick read.

There were so many things I took from the book (almost everyone meditates?), but perhaps the longest-lasting is a gigantic list of additional books to read (there's a question about book recommendations).

A classic whose concepts are covered more succinctly in the authors' follow up Immutable Laws of Marketing. There are more detailed examples here, but it suffers from even more dated company and trend references (drugs and airlines that haven't existed since the 70s, a positioning plan for a Western Union service, and hailing cable TV as the next great frontier).

I want to applaud the concepts, which I think are timeless. But I keep getting tripped up by the ancient references.

If you've followed Michael Hyatt's work, you've heard much of this before. But importantly, it bears repeating.

This is a short one. It's really not a book, but an 8,000 word essay. My main takeaways are to know whether you're a reader or a listener and, relatedly, know how you learn. Another good nugget of advice is to ask these things of your colleagues, too.

The big takeaways here are the enumeration of the 19 traction channels and the discipline to give each one consideration. Each channel (i.e., content marketing, ads, etc.) has great examples from interviews with people who have used them successfully. The reader is urged to think: if I had to use this channel, how would I?

There are some timeless lessons here, which may be related to me periodically checking the publication date. The tone is old school, though many examples are recent. The best stuff came through the personal stories of the author, whose long career clearly rests on a trustful approach.

As someone who is typically trusting, I've wondered whether a more “hardened” approach would improve my own career. I enjoyed seeing through the 10 Laws that someone can be good–authentic and open–while still doing good for themselves and their companies.

Overall, this book reinforced my ideas of trust, but didn't bring major revelations. That said, I may return to the numbered takeaways from each Law as I need them in the future.

Pure Billy Crystal in this memoir mixed with comedy bits on aging. I'm not in the 65 year-old age group, so I didn't identify as much with the “people our age” angle of some of the chapters. These were interspersed with decade-based chapters chronicling his rise to fame. Everything was conversational and I could imagine Billy Crystal saying it. That made some sections verbose, but it was usually worth the laughs. The approach of the book flowed so well, it didn't have the “slow opening” of some memoirs. It was an easy, delightful read.

Like many memoirs, the early years started a little slowly. It was nice to see where Steve Martin came from, but the real fun came in the second half, and the book became a real page turner.

I wasn't sure how to rate this book. I could probably write an accompanying review for each star rating that would fit. The untruths in this memoir also run the gamut from tiring to hilarious. Norm may be a genius for tearing apart a genre and trolling it. Or maybe not. But the bottom line is if you're a Norm fan you will appreciate his book.