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10 Inspirational Non-Fiction Books Worthy of Digital (or Actual) Bookshelves
Dec 5th
Reading never goes out of style.
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, the malls are getting busier and busier and picking out that perfect gift for someone becomes tougher and tougher. No one likes to get caught up in the holiday rush, so if you haven’t done some advance shopping then you’ll be in for a rough time over the next three weeks.
While I can’t suggest the ideal gift for every single person on your list, I can suggest an ideal gift for the person looking to up their game in the coming year. There are some great non-fiction books out there that can serve to advance someone on your holiday shopping list in terms of inspiration, motivation and overall skill development. Some of these are available in both paper and digital formats, making shipping easier for those across the miles or enabling you to give them something for their bookshelf that they can reference again and again.
Here are 10 great non-fiction books to get you started that you can either give during this time of year – or ask to receive yourself.
1. End Malaria
End Malaria was an initiative spearheaded by Box of Crayons, The Domino Project, and Malaria No More. Featuring essays from the likes of David Allen, Chris Brogan, Gina Trapani, Jonathan Fields, and Gary Vaynerchuk, End Malaria not only delivers some top notch inspiration but it also delivers $20 to Malaria No More. The organization uses that money to send a mosquito net to a family in need and to support life-saving work in the fight against malaria. It’s a book that’s great on so many levels.
2. Lead without Followers
In Lead without Followers, Dave Ursillo has put together a book that pushes the boundaries of what “traditional” leadership has become. He asks his readers to rise to the challenge to do what’s right and lead without having anyone follow them – because that’s how the new leaders of tomorrow will be discovered. A great read from this first-time author.
3. Making Ideas Happen
Scott Belsky has written a productivity book that will resonate with those creatives who are working within the structure of a team or need to find ways to stay on track. Those who read and implement the ideas in Making Ideas Happen certainly will make ideas happen.
4. Keeping it Straight: You Me & Everything Else
The man behind Minimal Mac and its accompanying podcast, Patrick Rhone offers a great read with Keeping it Straight: You Me & Everything Else. For those who really want to get in touch with not just the idea of what really matters in life – but how to be mindful about it in their own life’s process, this is the book to have.
5. Nerd Fitness Guides
For the fitness buffs in your life – or for those wanting to get fit as part of their New Year’s resolutions – Steve Kamb offers a trio of guides at NerdFitness.com. The Rebel Strength, Fitness and Running Guides are great gifts for those who have little to no experience in working out or simply want to level up their training regimen.
6. The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice
Todd Henry has written an easily digestible read for the “accidenatal creative” in everyone. In The Accitdental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice, Henry focuses on how the reader can put themselves in a position to be prolific, brilliant and healthy.
7. Uncertainty: Turning Fear & Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance
Jonathan Fields follow-up to Career Renegade, Uncertainty: Turning Fear & Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance is another rock solid book from the inspiring author and speaker. Fields tells the reader to feed off of the uncertainty that they feel and make the most of it. A great gift idea for someone who wants (or needs) to make a major change in their life.
8. The War of Art
Steven Pressfield’s book is a quick read but one that gets returned to again and again. The War of Art is a must-have for any creative artist and his follow-up, Do The Work, is just as impressive.
9. Ignore Everybody
Hugh MacLeod’s story is inspiring, and he recounts quite a bit of it in Ignore Everybody. He delivered another hit with Evil Plans, but for another quick read for the person willing to take risks and go your own way, this book is a no-brainer.
10. The Promise Doctrine
Father and son team, Craig and Jason Womack have written a book that asks its readers to look at productivity in a totally different way. The Promise Doctrine serves as a reminder that productivity isn’t just about doing stuff – it’s about doing the right stuff. for someone new to productivity, this book is a good one to give.
What inspiring non-fiction books would you consider giving this holiday season? Did I miss any? Let me know you thoughts in the comments.
(Photo credit: Book courtesy of Shutterstock)
Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker, and "productivityist". You can follow him on Twitter, listen to him regularly on his podcast, ProductiVardy, and read more from him at MikeVardy.com and at Vardy.me.
On the Future of Books: A Discussion with Seth Godin
Nov 17th
Post written by Leo Babauta.
The industry of publishing ideas has been undergoing a revolution for more than a decade, and where it’s headed is still an open question.
As a writer, I’m excited by the possibilities. But lots of writers (and publishers) find it all a bit scary.
Today I share a conversation I had with best-selling author, blogger and publisher Seth Godin on the future of books, publishing and blogging. It was fascinating.
First, consider some of the major changes in publishing:
- Amazon has become the world’s top bookseller, without a physical location. That has changed everything.
- Writers can now publish their work online, on blogs and websites, in forums and social networks.
- Writers have no editors. They are in direct contact with their readers. Their readers talk back, so that it’s a two-way conversation now.
- The lines between books, films, magazines, newspapers and websites have disappeared.
- Ebooks are on the rise — read on computers in PDF formats, on Kindles, on iPads, on smartphones, everywhere.
- Writers have no rules, no limits, no need to stick to written words, no pricing limitations, can share their ideas live as readers ask questions, and much more.
And that’s just the start.
Where is it all going? I talked to one of the sharpest minds in the industry to find out.
It was an amazing interview! Listen to me and Seth Godin here (about 26 mins long).
Download the interview (24.9 MB mp3 file).
Some of the topics discussed:
- Whether the new world of publishing is scary or not
- The clear, well-lit path that publishing has been taking for more than a decade
- How lack of scarcity has changed publishing forever
- The new role of publishing in the online world
- How not to wait to be picked
- How Seth’s Domino Project deals with unsolicited requests from authors
- How the Domino Project planned to transform everything about publishing
- How he eliminated cover images, shortened books, eliminated advances, and what he learned
- Whether collectible editions of books work well
- Spreading ideas through books, and how paid works vs. free
- The growing problem of people hating reading
- Whether you should publish how-to or cookbooks at all
- What types of books will sell well in the new landscape
- The problem of getting selected by the masses in the vast sea of millions of published books
- Why you don’t need that many followers/friends as an author
- Why the willingness to fail is so important, with so many options available to authors
- A future where everything that happens is your fault — and whether that’s good or bad
- The horror stories of Pulitzer Prize winning authors
- Amazon’s vastly important information about readers
- Deciding to publish your best ideas on your blog vs. your book
- Why Seth doesn’t have comments on his blog
- Giving up the goal of having everyone in the world like your stuff
- The cycle of productivity, and having nothing next
The Effortless Life: A Manual for Contentment, Mindfulness, & Flow
Oct 20th
Post written by Leo Babauta.
I am very happy to share with you my new ebook, “The Effortless Life: A Concise Manual for Contentment, Mindfulness, & Flow.”
The book was meant to share ways to make life less of a struggle, to help you find contentment in a world where little exists, to instill a bit of mindfulness in an age of distractions.
If you’ve had problems with:
- frustration
- struggle
- distraction
- anger
- impatience
- unhappiness
- relationships
- goals
- work
- being present
… this book was written for you.
A Public Book: And it wasn’t just written by me — I wrote this book publicly, as others watched, and then hundreds of others helped to write and edit the book. It was an amazing collaborative effort, and I was humbled by the contributions.
Pay Anything: As a token of gratitude, I’m selling this book on a pay-as-you-see-fit model. That means you decide what you want to pay, and although I suggest a $15.99 price, you can pay more or less depending on your ability and how much you think it’s worth. If you absolutely can’t pay, you can get it for free (I trust that you’ll be honest and pay even a dollar if you can). If you do get it for free, please pay it forward with kindness to strangers.
And as always, the work is uncopyrighted.
Loaded Value: This book is actually a full digital package that includes 3 ebooks and a couple bonuses:
- The Effortless Life ebook, in three formats: PDF, epub (for the iPad/iPhone and others), and mobi (can be used on the Kindle).
- The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life, another of my ebooks that I think goes really well with this new book, a $9.95 value, PDF format.
- Thriving on Less, an ebook that was a companion to my print book, The Power of Less. PDF format.
- The Simple Method for Creating Habits, a brief bonus PDF that contains my habit-creation method that I teach in The Habit Course.
- The Effortless Life Q&A video, which I’ve recorded to answer common reader questions. It’s 31 minutes, online for buyers of this book only, downloadable to your computer if you wish.
This package could easily be worth $35-50. But you can decide what you see fit to pay. (You can edit the suggested price once you click “Add to cart” … just click “Update Cart” after you’ve changed the price.
Note: iPad and iPhone users … please see the Q&A below!
The book is also available in the Kindle store, but without the other ebooks, bonuses or video.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is an Effortless Life?
- Guidelines for an Effortless Life
- Wu Wei and Doing Nothing
- True Needs, Simple Needs
- Reduce Your Needs
- Cause No Harm & Be Compassionate
- Have No Fixed Goals or Plans
- Have No Expectations
- The Illusion of Control
- Living with Chaos
- Living Daily without Plans
- Why Plans are an Illusion
- Be Open to the Unfolding Moment
- Don’t Create False Needs
- Be Passionate & Do Nothing You Hate Doing
- Don’t Rush, Go Slowly, & Be Present
- Create No Unnecessary Actions
- Find Contentment
- Let Go of Success & the Need for Approval
- Prefer Subtraction
- Changing Your Mindset & Getting Rid of Guilt
- My Experiments with an Effortless Life
- Be Like Water
- Equal Weight to Every Action
- Eating Simply
- Effortless Parenting
- Effortless Relationships
- Effortless Work
- Turning Complaints Into Gratitude
- Letting Go of Struggle
- Dealing with Others
- You’re Already Perfect
- Putting This Book Into Practice
- Effortless Writing & This Very Book
Questions & Answers
Q: I bought the book and downloaded it to my iPad/iPhone but can’t open it!
A: The package comes in a .zip file, which is a compressed file. Download it first to your computer, then unzip it, then you can read it on your computer or read the epub version on the iPad/iPhone in the iBooks app.
Q: How do I read it on my iPad/iPhone?
A: Unzip the package on your computer, then drag the epub version into iTunes on your computer. Then sync the iPad or iPhone with iTunes on your computer, and the book should now appear in the iBooks app on your iPad/iPhone. Detailed instructions.
Q: How do I read it on my Kindle?
A: Unzip the package on your computer, connect the Kindle to your computer, open the Kindle’s drive on your computer, and drag the “mobi” version of the ebook into the documents folder on your Kindle. Simple instructions can be found in this video.
Book Review: Five Laws of Success
Sep 13th
Arnina Nikitina was shocked. “I felt sorry for the time I wasted trying to succeed without knowing the basics,” she recalls. “I was mad because I didn’t discover them before.”
She’s talking about her book Five Laws of Success: “From the beginning of time, there have been laws set in motion that automatically bring their results when we act in relation to them. And success is no exception.”
Law #1: The Law of Desire
“If you want something badly enough you will get it.”
The people who succeed in life are the people who want to. They make the conscious choice to go after their goals no matter what conditions they have to put up with or how many sacrifices they have to make. “If you want something badly enough, then quitting is simply not an option,” Nikitina writes. “You either find a way or make one. You pay the price, whatever it takes.”
You can test and strengthen your desire by getting in touch with all the reasons why you want to achieve your goal. The more benefits you can list and the more often you can review this list (every morning is ideal), the stronger your desire becomes.
Law #2: The Law of Belief
“Anything you believe to be true will be your reality.”
The mind is our greatest asset. And yet many of us constantly put ourselves down with limiting beliefs. “If you don’t believe that you can achieve your goal, you won’t,” Nikitina explains. “In order to achieve anything, you must believe it is possible.” Unless you’re 100% sure, the doubt will prevent your success.
Positive beliefs can be created by practicing visualization exercises every night before bed. Close your eyes and create a clear mental picture of success. See and feel it as though it already exists. Because our subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between dreams and reality, consistently envisioning success will drive actions to create it in real life.
Law #3: The Law of Positive Attitude
“The way we think is the way we perform.”
We all have problems. But what determines success is how we respond to them. Since we can’t control the obstacles we encounter, we must control our attitude about them. “Positive attitude and optimism work like a magnet for success,” Nikitina points out. “If you maintain [a] positive attitude no matter what the situation is, success will come to you AUTOMATICALLY.”
Maintaining a positive attitude is easy if you:
- Listen to yourself – pay attention to your “thoughts, ideas, beliefs and commentaries” so you can replace negative ones with positive ones.
- Get enough sleep – this will boost your energy and enable you to do what needs to be done without feeling tired, overwhelmed, or depressed.
- Put things in perspective – looked at in the grand scheme of things, most stresses aren’t worth the trouble and most problems aren’t that big.
- Take a break – sometimes it’s best to simply step back and relax so you can come back stronger to carry on.
Law #4: The Law of Persistence
“If you keep trying you will succeed.”
Success is never instant, which means we’re bound to go through a certain number of failures along the way. “They are a part of life,” Nikitina writes. Learning the lessons means we don’t have to keep repeating them while adapting our approach makes us stronger in the process.
Ultimately, failure is just a stepping stone that teaches us what doesn’t work and what we should do instead. “Fail or succeed, it doesn’t matter. Both of them will get you where you want to be.”
Law #5: The Law of Goal Setting
“There is no achievement without goals.”
“Goal setting is the most powerful tool you have to achieve success,” Nikitina explains. Goals keep us focused and motivated. They also turn our dreams into reality because they are specific, in writing, have a deadline, and include a clear step-by-step plan.
Conclusion
What do you think? Which of the five do you struggle with most? And what can you do to change that? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
Productivity Lessons From Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Farmer Boy”
May 11th
Laura Ingalls Wilder is known for her series of childrens books depicting life as a pioneer in the American West in the late 19th century. While she wrote 9 books based on her own life, she also wrote one based on her husband’s life called “Farmer Boy”.
The book itself, while educating us about how things used to be done before modern conveniences like refrigeration, electricity and supermarkets, also has some valuable lessons about personal productivity that can be applied to modern life:
Ask For Help
In the beginning of the book, the schoolteacher is faced with being beaten by some thugs that break up the school as a matter of pride. Knowing that one former teacher was beaten almost to death, the teacher asks for help from Almanzo’s father. The help is provided and the teacher maintains his job and life.
Lesson: When something is beyond our abilities and resources, ask for help to get the job done.
Application: Tasks sometimes require expertise beyond what we have. If you don’t have the knowledge to get something done, ask for help. If you don’t have the right piece of equipment, see if you can rent or borrow it. You will get the task done quicker and more thoroughly than if you try to figure it out on your own.
Batch Tasks
Almanzo’s mother has one day a week when she does the churning. All the cream collected during the week is dumped into the churn and Almanzo is set to turning it into butter. She also does baking once a week, producing all of the bread, pies, cakes and cookies in one session in the kitchen.
Lesson: By doing things in large batches, you save yourself the preparation and execution time of doing things in smaller batches.
Application: Answering email all at once will take less time than checking, reading and answering 10 times a day. Having one errand time will save the commuting time to get to the store, and could also cut down on multiple trips when it becomes known that you run errands on one day a week.
Focus on One Thing
Each task on the farm is done singly. Almanzo and his brother clean the cow stalls, then pitch down clean hay, then milk the cows. Shucking the corn is done on winter afternoons on the threshing floor; the wheat is done at a different time.
Lesson: Single tasking prevents accidents and spoilage from happening. By mixing cleaning out the stalls and pitching down new hay, you would risk contaminated food and bedding for the cows. By mixing milking and pitching down hay you risk a fire from the hay hitting the lantern of the milker. By threshing corn and wheat at the same time, you end up with cross-contamination of grains.
Lesson: Focus on one task, finish it and move on to the next task. If a task is too large to be done in one session, keep working at it before starting something else.
Keep Regular Hours
Cows must be milked regularly to give the maximum amount of milk. Almanzo, his father and brother are in the barns before dawn and after dark in the winter.
Lesson: Having a set schedule makes work easier to accomplish.
Application: How many times have you not done a project because you can’t fit it in? This is particularly a problem with big dreams like writing a book, taking a class, or switching careers. Having a set time to work on these items means regular progress toward a bigger goal.
Do What You Can Yourself
Almanzo and his family were almost entirely self-sufficient. They harvested ice from the local river for refrigeration. They grew vegetables and animals for food. They raised sheep, which were shorn and turned into cloth by Almanzo’s mother. They provided as much of what they needed as they could. However, for certain things like shoes and tinware, items were purchased from traveling craftsman who visited once a year.
Lesson: Being able to do most things for yourself decreases your reliance on others and minimizes time spent waiting for others to complete tasks.
Application: By not having to rely on other people things you need frequently, you can get things done quicker. You no longer have to wait on someone to fit you your requests in in order to get your work done. At the same time, for specialized skills that are only needed once a year, you can rely on others to help you out.
Truly Rest Regularly
The Sabbath was taken very seriously in Almanzo’s home; all work was prohibited, except the minimum to keep the farm animals and people fed and clean. It was a day to reflect, read, and put the mind far from the day-to-day cares of life.
Lesson: Regular rest and recreation is necessary to keep us from becoming one-sided and out-of-
balance.
Application: Take some time, every week, to shut down, rest, reflect, and get away from your projects. Make sure it is truly rest and recreation, not just filling the time with fluff, and you will reap the benefits in the rest of your week.
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Farmer Boy” is a tale that can still teach us lessons in productivity, even from the distant past.
Productivity Hints from Booker T. Washington
Apr 28th
When life gets hard, when things don’t go my way, when a project doesn’t quite work out the way I planned, or when I want to sleep but can’t—like right now—I think of thinkers and leaders from the past and I remind myself that things could be much, much worse.
Friedrich Hayek had to flee when the London School of Economics was moved to Cambridge during World War II (his friend and intellectual rival John Maynard Keynes apparently helped him find accommodations).
Ludwig von Mises was chased out of Europe by the Nazis.
The Apostle Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, and all sorts of horrible things.
Millions of people have lived as slaves.
One of those people was Booker T. Washington, who would have been 155 this month.
Washington’s Up From Slavery is one of most inspiring books I’ve ever read ($0 version here). It tells Washington’s story of going from slavery, poverty, and illiteracy to a position of intellectual and moral leadership in the United States and the world.
It includes an interesting chapter entitled “The Secret of Success in Public Speaking.” In it, Washington details the habits that made him a successful educator, public speaker, fundraiser, and leader. Principles of “effective leadership and action”—which is one of the key clauses in my institution’s Vision statement—are evident throughout. Here are a few highlights from a very rich chapter in a very rich book:
1. Do what you believe in, and believe in what you’re doing.
Here’s Washington: “I believe that one always does himself and his audience an injustice when he speaks merely for the sake of speaking. I do not believe that one should speak unless, deep down in his heart, he feels convinced that he has a message to deliver.”
Have you ever been in an audience where it was clear that the speaker wasn’t passionate about his subject matter? Bored speakers create bored audiences; if the speaker doesn’t care about what he or she is saying, why should the audience? Also, your time and energy are very scarce. Devote them only to tasks that deserve them.
2. “The number of people who stand ready to consume one’s time, to no purpose, is almost countless.”
In a series of entertaining examples Washington discusses some of his dealings with people who want to consume his time and attention with schemes for saving the world by closing all the national banks, for example, or by adopting a particular process for cultivation of a particular type of corn.
I’m sure we all have story upon story about how we have wasted others’ time or had our own time wasted. That such a thing would occur should not be surprising. Over time, however, we learn how to install the right filters that increase the signal-to-noise ratio in the information we receive.
3. Success involves inspiration, perspiration, and delegation.
Here’s Washington again: “I am often asked how it is possible for me to superintend the work at Tuskegee and at the same time be so much away from the school. In partial answer to this I would say that I think I have learned, in some degree at least, to disregard the old maxim which says, ‘Do not get others to do that which you can do yourself.’ My motto, on the other hand, is ‘Do not do that which others can do as well.’”
In short, Washington anticipated one of Timothy Ferriss’s most important principles by about 100 years. Washington writes that, at the time, “the organization is so thorough that the daily work of the school is not dependent upon the presence of any one individual.”
In the language of modern-day business books, by surrounding himself with trusted, talented people, and by integrating them into effective workflow processes, Booker T. Washington was able to leverage the talents of those around him and create value for himself, his organization, and his organization’s stakeholders.
4. Staying organized and on top of things.
His is a routine that might work for some people but not for others; the fact of the matter, though, is that he did what needed to be done. Washington also found dignity in his work. In this respect, it’s worth quoting him at length:
“As far as I can, I make it a rule to plan for each day’s work—not merely to go through with the same routine of daily duties, but to get rid of the routine work as early in the day as possible, and then to enter upon some new or advance work. I make it a rule to clear my desk every day, before leaving my office, of all correspondence and memoranda, so that on the morrow I can begin a new day of work. I make it a rule never to let my work drive me, but to so master it, and keep it in such complete control, and to keep so far ahead of it, that I will be the master instead of the servant. There is a physical and mental and spiritual enjoyment that comes from a consciousness of being the absolute master of one’s work, in all its details, that is very satisfactory and inspiring. My experience teaches me that, if one learns to follow this plan, he gets a freshness of body and vigour of mind out of work that goes a long way toward keeping him strong and healthy. I believe that when one can grow to the point where he loves his work, this gives him a kind of strength that is most valuable.”
Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery is an inspiring tour de force from an American hero. Among other things, it shows how someone who started with nothing—not even a right to his own person—was able to change the world. He still has much to teach us, and his lessons on productivity remain relevant even today.
Art Carden is Assistant Professor of Economics and Business at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and an Adjunct Fellow with the Oakland, California-based Independent Institute and the Auburn, Alabama-based Ludwig von Mises Institute. His research papers are available on his SSRN Author Page and at ArtCarden.com. His commentaries appear regularly at Mises.org and Forbes.com, and he is a regular contributor to Division of Labour. His wife Shannon blogs about healthy eating for a young family at No More Nuggets. Their son Jacob is a source of constant joy, and they look forward to the birth of their daughter Taylor Grace in July.
Best Life Hacks from “The Little Black Book of Secrets”
Feb 28th
The little black book, quite literally, fits into the palm of my hand. And despite its small size, it packs quite a whallop. Plainly titled “Book of Secrets”, this micro-book is a treasure trove of life hacks, trivia, quotes, and “secret information”. Compiled by a team of authors (Lloyd Bradley, Thomas Eaton, Emma Hooley, Patrick Humphries, and Charlotte Williamson), this 152 page book is so engrossing, you’ll read it in a single session.
Eaton, co-author and lead editor for the book, studied history at Oxford and Cambridge. He worked on the television program “The Weakest Link”, and has also written trivia quizzes for other TV programs and newspapers in the UK.
Beyond the facts about government conspiracies, underground movie theatres, and lost historical tidbits, there are also plenty of practical secrets and hacks, ranging from food preparation tips to business tips to sneaky tips to manipulate people.
The Look of the Book
I wasn’t kidding before when I was talking about the size: the dimensions of the 2008 edition of the book are 3.375″ x 3.75″. The book is super tiny! And the size is arguably the coolest thing about the book (well, besides the content of course!). It’s tiny enough to fit in the smallest purse, a pocket, or a backpack, meaning you can take it with you to read on the go.
The cover is completely black, emblazoned only with the title “Book of Secrets”. It’s definitely got an air of mystery. The interior includes illustrations, but they are all in black and white. Each section spans between 1/2 and 4 pages, and covers subject material ranging from funeral parlor secrets to “secret lotions and potions” to weight loss tips and secrets.
Apparently, the 2005 edition is slightly larger in size, and is bound in leather. My experience with the book, however, is based entirely on the 2008 edition, which has the dimensions listed above and is bound in a thick, shellacked paper not unlike oaktag.
My Top Picks for Clever Tricks and Advice
The book covers a wide array of topics, and it’s hard to pick among the various tips and sections to determine what parts of the book were the most interesting. That being said, there are a handful of hacks and tricks that were especially interesting to me. Here are six of my favorite hacks, sections, and tricks from the little black book of secrets.
1. Quieting a Crying Baby: Feed the baby a teaspoon of onion water. To make onion water, simply place a coarsely chopped onion in a jar of hot water, and allow it to cool. This infusion can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.
2. A Collection of Tips for Flirting with Women: Among the 10 tips in this section of the book, some of the most important pieces of advice relate to how to dress, how to make her laugh, and the importance of being sincere (but not too sincere).
3. How to Get the Best Deals on Vacation Packages: The experts say that you need to shop around, plan ahead, and consider your destination’s current political and economic climate carefully.
4. Dietary Tricks to Avoid Migraines: If you are prone to headaches or migraines, you should avoid herbal supplements like ginko and ginseng. This is because these herbs stimulate blood flow, which can, for some people, lead to headaches. As a migraine sufferer, this was very important and helpful information for me to have.
5. Drink Green Tea for Perfect Teeth: Green tea not only combats bad breath, but the flavonoids in this type of tea also work in tandem with the active ingredients in toothpaste and mouthwash to provide your teeth with an extra boost of protective power.
6. The Top 20 Secrets of Winning Friends and Influencing People: This section includes tips about the importance of listening, the value of teamwork, and cultivating a personality that people will respond well to.
Conclusion
I could go on about the useful sections that will be of interest to life hackers. The advice on how to master public speaking is excellent, and the four-page section on the secrets of eggs/egg trivia was surprisingly interesting. And if you are a fan of fried chicken, the faux-Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe is definitely worth checking out. The bottom line is that if you are looking to learn some new tricks to help you succeed in life or business, this book will help you achieve that goal, while also providing you with entertaining trivia and historical info.
If you’d like to learn more about this book, you can preview selected pages from “Book of Secrets” at the website of the publisher, Andrews McMeel. Just click the Google Preview button underneath the image of the book cover.
Focus: My new book on simplicity in the age of distractions
Oct 21st
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on twitter.
Today I’m happy to share with you the digital version of my new book, focus.
It’s about finding simplicity in this Age of Distraction.
It’s about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what’s important, to reflect, to find peace.
And it comes in two flavors: free and premium.
The Free Version
The free version is simple: it’s 27 chapters that you can download for free, without having to give an email address or do anything else. It’s uncopyrighted, and you can share it with as many people as you like.
Download free version here (a pdf download).
Read the table of contents.
Again, you can share this ebook freely, so feel free to post it on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or email.
The Premium Version
The full version of focus is basically a self-taught digital course on focus, from a wide range of experts.
It contains:
1. All 27 chapters of the free ebook in digital format. Along with a crapload of extra material …
2. How-to videos
Going into more depth on focus-related topics:
- How to Single-task
- Beating the Fears of Disconnecting
- How to Find Stillness & Disconnect
- Focus & Health, Part 1: eating healthy and getting active
- Focus & Health, Part 2: sleep and stress
3. Audio interviews with experts
- Author Seth Godin
- GTD creator David Allen
- productivity coach Dave Navarro
4. Bonus chapters from Leo
- creativity and practicing deep focus
- finding stillness and reflection
- how to start changes on a broader level
5. Bonus chapters from other writers
- overcome the fears that stop you from focusing, by Gail Brenner
- how to create a minimalist workspace to find focus, by Everett Bogue
- how to take a digital sabbatical, by Gwen Bell
- life lessons from tea rituals, by Jesse Jacobs
- two ways to focus on the stuff that matters, by Michael Bungay Stanier
6. Bonus PDF guides
- How to create new habits
- Quick-start decluttering guide
- Focused email guide
This full version comes at a fairly low price
considering all that’s offered: $34.95.
Buy the book
The Kindle Version
The book is now available in the Kindle Store. The $8.99 price for this version includes the full book, including bonus chapters, but does not include the videos, audio interviews and other bonus files included in the premium version.
Also note that the premium version now includes the book in epub format, which can be uploaded to your Kindle, iPad, or other ebook reader.
The Guarantee
The premium version (that you buy from me) has a 100% money-back guarantee, if you’re not fully happy with the book. No questions asked. Note: This DOESN’T apply to the version you buy in the Kindle store, as you’re buying from Amazon.
I don’t want any unhappy readers — if you want your money back for any reason, you’ll get it, and you don’t need to say why. Here’s how.
No Affiliates
Unlike my other books, there will be no affiliate sales for this book. While I would love for people to review and recommend my book, I want it to come from the heart — because they think it’s a good book for others to read — not out of financial motivation. And while I think that’s mostly true of affiliates of ebooks, there’s always a mixing of the motivations.
However, you’re free to review the book, give away the free version on your blog, or interview me (just email zenhabits at gmail, with “interview leo” in the subject line).
Questions & Answers
Q: Can I get it on Kindle, iBooks, or other ebook format?
A: Yes! You can buy the full book in the Kindle Store for $8.99, although this doesn’t include the video, audio and other bonus files in the premium version. The premium version now includes the book in epub format, so you can upload this file to your iPad, Sony ebook reader, Kindle or other ebook device.
Q: What about a print version?
A: That is also coming soon. It’ll be the full version of the book, but without the bonus digital files. I’m self-publishing it. No date on the release of this, but I’ll let you know.
Q: Can I see the table of contents?
A: Of course! It’s here.
Q: I just bought the book but don’t know what to do next. How do I get it?
A: You should receive an email (the one you used to pay for the book) that contains a download link. You only get 5 attempts to download the file, so don’t click on it until you’re at the computer you want to download the book to. The download should contain the book and several files, including a “readme” file. This readme file has links to the audio interviews and videos.
Q: But I never received an email with a download link … what now?
A: No worries … just email me at zenhabits+refund at gmail, let me know you bought “focus” but didn’t receive the link, and I’ll send it to you.
Q: What about an audiobook?
A: No, no plans for that.
Buy the book