Tag: books

Finding Good Mentors

You already know the value of having a mentor, so I won’t get into that.  Your first mentor was probably your mother or father, as was mine.  That caring person set you on the course you are on today. As I moved ahead in my career I had some great bosses and associates that really helped steer me right.  But now, the older I get, the harder it is to find a mentor.  As I’ve aged there are fewer older people I know that are on the road ahead of me and younger associates hesitate to advise me, even when they are a lot smarter than me.  These smart young folks erroneously assume I already know it all.  How silly is that!?

A few years ago, I stumbled upon some great mentors from an unlikely source, the Tim Ferriss books and podcasts.  Back when I was learning to do real estate investing, I read Tim’s book “The Four-Hour Work Week”.  As an engineer, the book resonated with me in presenting a systems-based process for setting up and operating a business efficiently.  I liked Tim’s style, so I read his other great books:

Reading “Tools of Titans” and “Tribe of Mentors” opened my eyes to the lives of some of the most successful people in the world.  Especially enlightening is the way Tim would deep dive into their daily personal routines –- things they did to control stress, stay healthy, and be productive –- while running some very successful projects.  I got an awareness of how these high-profile folks were not much different than us “ordinary” folks.  Their main difference is their skill set, but their daily life is not much different than anyone else.

I have continued to find more excellent mentors in Tim’s podcasts.  I have listened to a lot of podcasts and Tim’s stands out due to his exceptional interviewing skills and the wide variety of folks he has on.  No matter what field you’re pursuing, you are bound to find someone Tim has interviewed that is a leader in that field. 

I’ve applied a lot of the gleaned advice in my own life. If you’re interested, you can find a lot of it here Simple Stuff That Changed my life.

Tim also writes a good blog.  Go look for yourself: https://tim.blog/ and pull down the pod cast “The Tim Ferris Show” from your favorite podcast site.  Learn more about Tim Ferris here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ferriss. I encourage you to give Mr. Ferriss a try if you’re having trouble finding good folks to bounce your questions and ideas off of.

Plus, the guy has a great name! All the best,

On Jack London

Should be required reading as part of any good education. But not in the grade, middle, or even high school level, but in college or trade school. While the young readers will certainly enjoy his creative stories, they do not yet possess the wisdom and life experience to fully appreciate the nuances.
London understands human nature, deeply. And animal nature, deeply. And all other nature from dirt to sky, deeply.
In his writing, London paints a picture of the thought processes of characters, both animal and human, as the story evolves. These are the exact same internal dialogues we all have as humans and is probably true for the animals.
He puts the reader inside the mind of humans and animals with vastly different perspectives on life. A better understanding of how other beings think can only expand the readers’ own perspectives and improve their living philosophies. The attentive reader is exposed to the minds of aboriginal peoples of the south pacific and the Baltic Sea northern lands, the captains and crew of schooners, the gold prospectors who came to the north countries, slaves and freedmen, the colonial businessmen, the privileged, and the adventurer. He takes you inside the mind of the dog, the wolf, and the whale to explore the animals’ view on life.
Yes, London’s writing is dated, most stories occurring in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. But people have not changed much. And those were times of great change – the industrial revolution and the height of colonialism. Much like today with political unrest, the Internet, AI, and such. Lots of parallels to learn from, I think.

I’ve read everything Jack London has written that I could get my hands on. His perspective on life has opened my eyes wider to better enjoy our natural world. This includes a better understanding of the people I meet that love the land, oceans, and animal life that is all around us. I now believe there is a common bond between us all that a lot of folks never learn to appreciate. Most of us will never go on an exploration where death is highly probable. Stories of those who did make us grateful for the accessible wilderness areas we have today.

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