More than a million new book titles are published each year. Few people have the time to read even 0.01% of that number each year. Blinkist is a book summary service that has condensed over 3,000 of the most impactful non-fiction books into summaries that take about 15 minutes to read.
I maintain a list of about a thousand books that I want to read. I know I will never read the majority of them. That’s where Blinkist comes in. I use book summary services to “read” the books that I realistically will never find the time to read. These are mostly the longer books that I simply don’t have the enthusiasm to pore through.
Typically when I read a book, I take note of all the helpful and actionable content that I may want to revisit. Here are ten books I’ve read on Blinkist, along with the notes I took from reading the “blinks” (as Blinkist likes to call them). Think of it as a summary of the summary đŸ™‚
The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss: Often, the minimum effective dose is the optimal dose. Follow the slow-carb diet: 1) don’t eat carbohydrates that are white or can be white (like bread, rice, tortillas, potatoes, etc.), 2) eat the same meals every day, 3) don’t drink calories, 4) don’t eat fruits, 5) once a week, take a “cheat day” and eat whatever you want, and 6) eat at least 20 grams of protein within the first hour of waking. Do the kettlebell deadlifts by: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the kettlebell between your legs, 2) bend down and when the kettlebell touches the floor, lift it up quickly, 3) keep your head facing forward and do three sets of five deadlifts. Do kettlebell swings by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and swinging the kettlebell perpendicular to your body and between your legs like a pendulum, keeping your back straight (think of your hips as a hinge). Do kettlebell exercises for 15-20 minutes twice a week. You can increase your libido by eating 800mg of cholesterol (like from hard-boiled eggs) a few hours before bed. Take a cold shower before sleeping. Using the Everyman Method, you can get by on only 4.5 hours of sleep at night if you take two 20-minute naps during the day. Or you can try the most extreme version of polyphasic sleep, the Uberman Method, which involves taking a 20-minute nap every 4 hours throughout each 24-hour day. Run using the Pose Method by leaning forward while you run, making contact with the ground only with the balls of your feet, keeping knees bent at all times, and using your buttocks to move you along instead of pushing with your feet. Run faster by training to walk 100 meters in under 23.8 seconds: 1) three times a week, walk as fast as you can for 7.5 minutes, then walk back within the next 7.5 minutes, 2) with each walk, try to walk out further. Taking up to 1.5 teaspoons of Saigon cinnamon each day (perhaps with coffee) can help you lose weight.
Sleep Smarter, by Shawn Stevenson: Getting good sleep is one of the most important things you can do. Maximize light exposure during the day by taking a short walk every morning. An hour before bed, turn off your screens and read a physical book instead. Sleep in a pitch-black room. Get blackout blinds if you’re going to sleep past sunrise. Go to bed within 30 minutes of the same time every night. Make sure you are sleeping between 10 PM and 2 AM to take advantage of peak hormone production. Caffeine has a half-life of 8 hours, so don’t take any after 4 PM. Also don’t drink alcohol a few hours before you go to bed. If you have to drink alcohol, drink a glass of water with each drink you have. Having an orgasm before bedtime will also help you fall asleep. Exercise will help you sleep better. Supplement with magnesium before bedtime, but use a topical cream instead of less-effective oral supplements. You can take melatonin, but taking it often will hinder your body’s ability to produce it on its own. Meditate before sleep by closing your eyes for at least 10 minutes and focusing on your breathing. Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary and ban all work and screened devices from your bedroom. Put houseplants in your bedroom (The best choices are English Ivy and Mother-in-law’s Tongue). If you want to change your waking time, ease into the change by waking up 15 minutes earlier each day.
Start, by Jon Acuff: The five stages of success are 1) learning new skills, 2) editing to find your passion, 3) mastering an expertise, 4) harvesting the results, and 5) guiding others. List your debts, responsibilities, and assets. Write down every crazy dream you have and next to each one, list the first steps to get you there. Pick one and get going. When you go to work, do it with purpose. Do something to show love for your partner or spouse. Tackle the most difficult tasks in the morning. Focus on one passion at a time; put others in a “later list” or pursue as a hobby. Ignore haters and develop expertise by volunteering. Make a list of people who are already doing what you’d like to do, then follow the path they took. Break up big goals into small finish lines so you can reach a goal each week and keep momentum going.
Choose Yourself!, by James Altucher: With today’s technology, we no longer have to rely on gatekeepers and middlemen to become successful. The first step to choosing yourself is to take care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Take care of your body by getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night, eating only 2 meals a day, and getting regular exercise and fresh air. Take care of your mental health by reading each day then writing down 10 ideas about anything. Distance yourself from negative people and people who make you angry. Live in the now by paying attention to your surroundings at all times. Establish healthy daily routines. Resolve to only do things that make you happy.
The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin: The four tendencies are 1) Upholders (people who excel at meeting both inner and outer expectations), 2) Questioners (meet inner expectations, struggle with outer), 3) Obligers (struggle with inner, meet outer), and 4) Rebels (push back against inner and outer expectations). Take the quiz at quiz.gretchenrubin.com. Upholders need clear instructions. Questioners need clear justification before doing something. Obligers need outside accountability. Rebels may be motivated by making bets so they can prove you wrong.
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, by Chris Hadfield: Astronauts spend most of their time preparing for problems that may never happen, so they prepare for every conceivable problem. It’s important to get criticism from others and learn from them. Astronauts have to spend most of their time away from their families, so they need to make it up to their families by arranging gifts in advance or sending special messages to them.
The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle: Developing skills depends on the production of myelin around neural pathways. To stimulate myelin growth, you need to practice at the edge of your current capabilities and make mistakes. Practice by “chunking up” a task: repeat it and look for difficulties. Find ways to get motivated to practice, such as getting a coach. Focus on finding mistakes and correcting them.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford: Genghis Khan was not the bloodthirsty barbarian warlord that Western society portrayed him as. He established an empire with progressive ideals such as freedom of religion, meritocracy, free trade, and equality that helped shape the modern world.
Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant, by Robert T. Kiyosaki: There are four ways to earn money: as an employee, being self-employed, running a big business, or investing. The easiest and surest way to becoming rich is to run a big business and invest your profits. You should start investing right now.
The State of Affairs, by Esther Perel: Infidelity may not be as clear-cut and black-and-white as people think. Couples should discuss their definitions of infidelity, and what is okay and not okay with them.
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