What I'm Reading

If you’re like many of the people who visit this blog, you’re probably curious about the books I’m reading. Here are seven current ones I’m in the middle of enjoying:

Trump: Never Give Up. Love him or hate him, you have to admit Donald Trump is a courageous and relentless self-promoter. This new book reminds you that it wasn’t so long ago that Trump was considered a failure and on the verge of bankruptcy. But look at him today. This easy-reading book is packed with lessons worth knowing about never giving up. It’s a gem. (I hope Trump gives Meredith McIver a raise, as she’s the person writing his books.)

Atomic Fitness. I’m still collecting body building and muscle building books. This new one is by Steve Michalik, who won Mr. USA, Mr. America, and Mr. Universe awards. I love the clarity of Steve’s concepts. He has a basic formula for success: natural body chemistry (he’s dead-set against steroids), nutrition, exercise and mindset. His book is an alternative to drugs, steroids and wacky diets. I’m so impressed with this book that I contacted Steve and will probably bring him into my gym for private lessons. (He told me he needs marketing help and that when it comes to self-promotion, he is “a 98-pound weakling”.)

Charlatan. This is the unbelievable but true story of “Doctor” John Brinkley, a 1920s former patent remedies rogue who helped men restore their sexual prowess by giving them an operation where he exchanged their testicles for those of a goat. I kid you not. Brinkley went on to run for governer of Kansas, became an early radio broadcaster and introduced the nation to blues country music. This book by Pope Brock reads like a fast-paced novel. It demonstrates the gullibility of all of us. (Not you or me, of course.)

Scripting Magic. I’m a lifetime member of the Society of American Magicians, a group founded by Houdini. I love magic but am usually disappointed by magic books. They aren’t written well, which makes the tricks hard to understand. This new one by Pete McCabe is astonishingly good. It proves that real magic isn’t in the trick, but in the presentation of the trick. I love this one so much I bought signed copies for my conjuring friends. (I’d tell you what’s in it, but, you know, it’s a secret.)

A Thousand Names For Joy.  A while back I mentioned Byron Katie on this blog. Someone passed the word to Byron and she and her husband, Stephen Mitchell, sent me a signed copy of their recent book. This is the kind of soul nourishment you want in your life. I just flip the book open and read whatever I find. It’s also thought-provoking, which is interesting because it’s trying to get you to the point beyond thought. (Byron, if you’re reading this, I love you.)

American Transcendentalism. I started calling myself a Transcendentalist around 1972, when I was in college at Kent State University and discovered the brilliant writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.  This new book by Gura brings those characters to life once again for me, which of course I love. I visited Walden Pond and Emerson’s home in the mid-1970s. I could have lived there with those members of the spiritual literati. (When will time travel be real, anyway?)

Psychological Foundations of Success. This is an older book (2002) but very relevant today. The subtitle says, “A Harvard trained scientist separates the science of success from self-help snake oil.” That’s what it is, too. The book is well written, packed with case studies, but treated as a how-to manual for success. Contains some startling facts, too. The famous Yale University study about goal setting turns out to be an urban legend. Yet almost all success speakers quote it. Wild. It’s interesting to me that even after all the talk of “self-help snake oil”, the principles he says work for success are exactly the ones some critics might still call “snake oil.” This is a quick but important read.  (So read it.)

I’m reading many other books, but that’s enough of a list for today. You can get any or all of them from Amazon.

Happy reading!

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — I can’t resist telling you about yet another book: How To Be Financially Successful: A Spiritual Perspective.  Joshua David Stone has written more than twenty-five books in his “Easy-to-Read Encyclopedia of the Spiritual Path.” This is volume fifteen. It’s a belief-stretching blend of practical tips (keep a list of to-dos) and spiritual advice (pray to the angels and archangels and even “christed extraterrestrials” with your preferences not attachments). (!) Some of this book is brilliant; some of it is odd, even for me. Worth a look, though. His focus is on spirit and service, so you can’t go wrong there. (And he’s written over forty books, not twenty-five. And you thought I was prolific.)