Every month we’ll show what’s on our reading table.

  1. “Rivers of Time” by L. Sprague de Camp.
  2. “The Encyclopedia of Commercial Real Estate Advice” by Terry Painter.
  3. “The Razor’s Edge” by W. Somerset Maugham.
  4. “Daily Bible Readings” with help from the “Lutheran Study Bible”.

When I first started getting involved in angel investing, I ran into a super smart guy by the name of Greg Hansen who is the Founder and CEO of Hansandcompany. He had the habit, initially disturbing to me, of asking, “What are you reading these days?”. Now I have come to understand the wisdom of Greg. Lots of people agree with this sentiment.

In our last ‘Floating Book Review’ “TMP Floating Book Reviews – ‘The Almanack of Naval Ravikant’ – Leads to Jesus And the Agency Problem” Naval says:

Reading is faster than listening. Doing is faster than watching. (p36)

Reading science, math, and philosophy one hour per day will likely put you at the upper echelon of human success within seven years. (p113)

If you had to pass down to your kids one or two principles, what would they be?

Number one: read. Read everything you can. And not just the stuff that society tells you is good or even books that I tell you to read. Just read for its own sake. Develop a love for it. Even if you have to read romance novels or paperbacks or comic books. There’s no such thing as junk. Just read it all. Eventually, you’ll guide yourself to the things that you should and want to be reading. (p186)

Comments on current reads:

  1. “Rivers of Time” by L. Sprague de Camp: 1950s science fiction short stories on a time traveling dinosaur hunter: a bygone era in both senses, dinosaurs and the 1950s: DONE. I read the first three short stories and that is enough. Basically, the same plot for all three. I wouldn’t recommend unless you’re really into 1950’s science fiction.
  2. “The Encyclopedia of Commercial Real Estate Advice” by Terry Painter: just started skimming it but seems well worth the $49 price.
  3. “The Razor’s Edge” by W. Somerset Maugham: 1944 novel that now has become a series of clichés (e.g., going to India to find enlightenment from a guru and spending months alone on a mountaintop). Reading a rereading a page of Maugham’s’ is more satisfying that reading everything I have ever written. And watch the 1946 movie version with Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney. I recommend both. And the movie version is in some ways better than the book. We will discuss this further in the next “Floating Book Review”. Here is a free, online version but “Put play back speed at 0.75 and it sounds fine.”:

I’ll further discuss this in next week’s ‘Floating Book Review’.

4. “Daily Bible Readings” with help from the “Lutheran Study Bible”. First thing in the morning to start the day. Not just recommended, required.

And done:

1. “Why We Get Fat” by Gary Taubes: excellent rewrite/summary of his previous books and articles. Hint: avoid sugar and carbs. Recommended, read all his articles and books.