The corporate world turns most of us into fixed-mindset drones; people with a fixed mindset believe talent is everything. People with a growth mindset believe that whatever they want to achieve is theirs for the taking, as long as they work hard for it. Carol Dweck’s book Mindset helps you discern between two attitudes: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Michael Jordan, Lee Iacocca, and Lou Gerstner are all examples of people with a fixed and growth mindset. A fixed mindset tries to avoid difficult situations while a growth mindset seeks to learn from them.
Michael Jordan became the first billionaire basketball player in history because he never let a mistake stop him. Had Christopher Reeve adopted a fixed mindset, he probably would have died soon after his motorcycle accident. Between the ages of 1 to 3, a mindset can already be determined. Babies with a growth mindset tend to try and help other crying babies, while it disturbs and annoys fixed mindset babies. Our teachers also play a significant role in how our mindset turns out.
For starters, try this: The next time you spill your coffee, don’t say: “I’m clumsy!” and associate the failure with your identity. Instead, resolve to do better the next time.
Screw It, Let’s Do It is a short book that outlines Richard Branson’s business philosophy. The millionaire founder of Virgin Group offers his thoughts and the keys to his success in the book. Read this short book if you’re presently dealing with skepticism and fear of failure in your entrepreneurial endeavor.
On Writing is half autobiography, part master lesson in writing technique. He’s been dubbed the “King of Horror,” and his works include horror classics such as Carrie, Misery, and It. Even if you’re not a Stephen King fan, you’ll find the suggestions and advice in this book quite beneficial.
Jim Collins and his research team conducted a five-year study to address one intriguing question: “Can a good firm become a great company, and if so, how?” The book is a goldmine of ideas and concepts that can help business executives make good-to-great changes for their organizations.
Clayton Christensen’s business book The Innovator’s Dilemma focuses on the notion of disruptive technology. Christensen illustrates how successful businesses may do everything properly and still lose market share or fail entirely. Christensen outlines a set of principles that organizations must follow to ride the wave of innovation, using lessons from the successes and failures of successful enterprises.
Jessica Livingston describes what happened in the early days of over 30 important businesses in Founders at Work. The book includes interviews with the founders of firms including Apple, PayPal, Flickr, and others. These entrepreneurs describe the numerous problems they faced and the enormous obstacles they surmounted in order to make their ideas a reality.
The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau is an intriguing book that acts as a beneficial guide for individuals who are weary of their typical nine-to-five work. Several instances and case studies of “solopreneurs” who launched their own firm (or microbusiness) on a shoestring budget are included in the book. It highlights how easy an idea can be turned into a profitable business.
Console Wars provides a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most heated rivalries of the 1990s. The book tells the story of Sega, a modest gaming firm established by Tom Kalinske that took on Nintendo and altered the video game industry. Over 200 interviews with former Sega and Nintendo personnel were conducted for Console Wars.
Masters of Doom chronicles the story of John Carmack and John Romero, co-creators of two of the most legendary video games in history, Doom and Quake. The book also briefly discusses the aftermath of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and its influence on the game industry. Masters of Doom, like Console Wars, chronicles the history and evolution of PC games in the 1980s and 1990s.
Lee Iacocca is most known for developing the Ford Mustang and Pinto automobiles while at Ford in the 1960s, and subsequently for revitalizing Chrysler Corporation as its CEO in the 1980s. He narrates his ascension through the ranks of Ford Motor Company to become president, only to be sacked by Henry Ford II. A life catastrophe that would have broken most people in his situation instead made him stronger and more determined to salvage Chrysler from bankruptcy.
Total Recall tells the incredible biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his own words. Lee Iacocca is most known for developing the Ford Mustang and Pinto automobiles while at Ford in the 1960s, and subsequently for revitalizing Chrysler Corporation as its CEO in the 1980s. There are also some crucial takeaways and lessons for entrepreneurs in the book.
Nathalie Molina Nio, a serial digital entrepreneur and investor, presents fifty tried-and-true techniques for female entrepreneurs in her book Leapfrog. Women receive about 2.5 percent of venture capital financing, with only around 0.2 percent being women of color. This is a must-read for any woman who has a fantastic idea but is plagued by the nagging feeling that all doors are closed to her.
Reddit is the world’s sixth most-visited website, but millions of people have no understanding what it is or how it works. We Are the Nerds tells the story of Reddit’s inception and ascent. The book demonstrates Reddit’s essential position in the 21st century transmission of culture and knowledge.
Conspiracy tells the story of how billionaire investor Peter Thiel surreptitiously took down the controversial media company Gawker Media with the aid of Terry Bollea, better known as wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. Author Ryan Holiday delves into how Thiel orchestrated the entire plan, his motivations, and the events that led to Gawker’s demise. Though the book is perhaps slanted in favor of Thiel, it is an engaging read that is difficult to put down.
Trust Me, I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday is an eye-opening look at media manipulation. Holiday discusses his personal experience as a media manipulator before providing real-life instances of media manipulation involving famous media brands such as Huffington Post, Gawker (now defunct), Buzzfeed, HARO, and many more.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work is more of a straight follow-up to Fried and Hansson’s great book Rework (see #10). I was a little unimpressed by the book, but that might be because Rework is one of my favorite business books. It’s jam-packed with ideas and advice for entrepreneurs looking to create and maintain a great work culture.
The Winning Way by Anita and Harsha Bhogle was a delight to read. I feel he knows and analyzes the game better than any other cricket analyst in the world. It was fascinating to watch him blend his cricket expertise with business and leadership. The book is chock-full of entertaining tales and sports analogies (mostly cricket).
Steve Wozniack, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs, wrote the book iWoz. iWoz provides a unique viewpoint on Apple’s intriguing path and how they got to be considered as the world’s most successful tech firm. Woz was commonly referred to as the “Other Steve” during Apple’s early years, and his reputation has been mostly eclipsed by Steve Jobs’.
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is based on Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field. The plot follows Forrest Gump (Hanks) across several decades as he watches and unknowingly impacts various key historical events. Winston Groom’s 1986 novel Forrest Gump inspired the 1993 film, Forrest Gump. Some details from Gump’s life that do not appear in the novel are also included in the film.
It was conceivable to portray Gump meeting and shaking hands with deceased people using CGI technology. To blend Tom Hanks into archive videos with diverse historical individuals and events, special effects were applied. On April 27, 1995, Forrest Gump was released on VHS for the first time. With over 12 million purchases, it became the best-selling adult sell-through DVD. The picture took first place at the US box office in its first weekend, just defeating The Lion King, which was in its fourth week of distribution.
It was the highest-grossing picture starring Tom Hanks for 12 years until 2006 when it was eclipsed by The Da Vinci Code. The film’s 32-song soundtrack was released on July 6, 1994, and sold twelve million copies. In 2015, Academy members suggested that they would give The Shawshank Redemption the 1994 Oscar for Best Picture instead of Forrest Gump. Conservative interpretations of the film, according to some reviewers, indicate the death of irony in American culture.
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl tells his story of surviving a concentration camp and how this experience led to his theory on the importance of meaning in one’s life (Logotherapy). You can find meaning in work (by doing something significant), in love (by caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Logotherapy focuses on the meaning of human existence as well as on man’s search for such a meaning. According to logotherapy, this striving to find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man. When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task.
The existential vacuum is a widespread phenomenon of the twentieth century. It may be due to the loss of some of the basic animal instincts in a truly human being. What matters is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment. Logotherapy sees in responsibility the very essence of human existence. Being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself.
The more one forgets himself, the more human he becomes and he actualizes himself. Love is not understood as a mere side-effect of sex; rather, sex is a way of expressing the experience of that ultimate togetherness which is called love.
Tom Shadyac directed the 2003 American fantasy comedy picture Bruce Almighty, which was written by Steve Koren, Mark O’Keefe, and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a downtrodden television reporter who laments to God (played by Morgan Freeman) about not performing his job properly. Bruce Almighty was released in American theaters on May 23, 2003, to mixed reviews from critics but was a box office triumph. Bruce receives a pager message that transports him to an empty warehouse where he encounters God. God provides Bruce abilities to demonstrate that he is performing his job right.
Bruce exploits his abilities for selfish advantages, such as regaining his job and inflicting vengeance on a street gang. He also uses them to make extraordinary happenings happen in otherwise commonplace situations. He gets hit by a truck and awakens in a white nothingness, where he discovers that God is nursing him back to health. Bruce Almighty grossed $67.9 million in its first weekend, breaking the record set by How the Grinch Stole Christmas until the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 2022. It earned $86.4 million in its first four days, making it the second-highest Memorial Day weekend debut after The Lost World: Jurassic Park. It grossed $242 million in the United States and $484 million globally, making it Carrey’s highest-grossing picture.
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