Charlie Munger said that reading was the main reason for his success in life.

As a generalist, he reads about all kinds of topics.

I’m sure a List of Charlie Munger’s Book Recommendations is among the top 1% of lists you can get.

So here it is👇🏼

Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Charlie Munger probably read enough on human psychology to become a professor himself.

His legendary talk at Harvard showcased this.

Robert Cialdini’s “Influence” was one of the books he learned from.

The Outsiders by William N. Thorndike Jr.

The Outsiders is about extraordinary CEOs who outperformed their peers by being radically different.

It’s an industry classic and recommended by Munger and many greats of the industry.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychologist and Auschwitz (concentration camp) survivor.

Man’s Search for Meaning is Frankl’s autobiography and deals with his theory of “Logotherapy.”

A theory about finding meaning and purpose.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, scientist, writer and political philosopher.

Oh, he’s also kind of known for being one of the United States' founding fathers.

Franklin is one of the eminent dead teachers of Charlie Munger.

39 habits you can start today (that will teach you more than a 231 page self help book):

Brain dumping

A pen and a paper will change your life.

Each day, take 5 minutes to write down everything on your mind.

This helps you process what's on your mind so you can think clearer.

Focusing on one thing at a time

Multitasking reduces your productivity.

Your brain can't productively focus on more than one thing at a time.

Trying to multitask is why you have those "busy" days where you're exhausted but got nothing done.

Meditating

Regular meditation can:

• strengthen your focus
• increase self-awareness
• improve impulse control
• make you more creative
• reduce your stress response reactivity

Shutting off your screens 60 minutes before bed

The blue light from screens disrupts melatonin production.

(Melatonin is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.)

Staring at a screen up until you go to bed will make it hard to fall asleep.

Try reading by lamplight before bed.

11 books that will change your life:

1. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Lessons:

- Your thoughts are more powerful than you think
- Your why is powerful

2. Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Lessons:

- You are capable of much more than you think
- Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional

3. The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris

Lessons:

- It’s possible to work less but earn more
- The goal isn’t necessarily more money

4. Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Lessons:

- How you talk to yourself is everything
- Change happens in an instant

The Ladders of Wealth Creation—a step-by-step roadmap to building wealth:

Making money is a skill—like playing the drums or piano—that you can get better at over time.

I wouldn’t expect to be able to sit down at a piano for the first time and play a concerto. The same is true for making money.

This is why most first companies fail.

The Ladders of Wealth Creation breaks an insanely complicated topic of building wealth into the component parts and skills to give you a roadmap of what to do first.

Look at this graphic, then we’ll break down each step.

Ladder 1: Time for Money

The first ladder is trading time for money. This is how most people you know earn a living.

It may start with an hourly job working for Starbucks, but then transition into a salaried position working at a company.

The skills for success are simple, but critical:

1. Show up consistently
2. Being reliable
3. Eager to learn

Every job requires those three things.

To climb the ladder to a salaried position you need to specialize in certain skills (design, copywriting, legal, nursing, etc).

15 books you should read every year:

Think Again by Adam Grant

Lessons:
• We are most confident when we lack competence (Dunning-Kruger effect)
• Admitting that you don’t know something is a superpower

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Lessons:
• Build trust through mirroring and tone of voice
• Take things slowly

1984 by George Orwell

Lessons:
• We are shaped by our circumstances
• Our past is controlled by our present

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Lessons:
• Our attention span is 8-seconds
• Stop working at the same time each day and shut everything off

Books every entrepreneur should read in 2022 (and why):

1/ Thinking Fast and Slow

Lessons:

• Probably the best book written on human behavior

• You will learn how to be aware of your own bias

• Make better decisions by understanding your blind spots

2/ The Innovator’s Dilemma

Lessons:

• Why big companies miss disruptive innovations

• Big companies demand quantification of market size

• Disruptive markets in their infancy can’t be quantified

3/ Zero to One

Lessons:

• Competition is for losers

• Monopolies are actually good

• Large TAM’s are overrated

4/ How to Win Friends and Influence People

Lessons:

• Business is about people

• You’re selling to people (customers) or hiring people (employees)

• This book helps you get better at both

“There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.”

🧵 Framework for generating high-impact ideas:

Cultivating ideas is a process.

You have to build a system to cultivate impactful ideas consistently.

I will share a 4-part framework that you can use to cultivate ideas.

1. Idea generation
2. Idea selection
3. Idea validation
4. Idea implementation

In this thread, I'll dive into "Idea Generation" & describe a simple framework that you can implement right away!

The following threads will cover the remaining 3 parts to cultivate ideas.

Lateral thinking is key - first, diverge & then converge.

Overview:

1/ PROBLEM - a question proposed for a solution, a matter stated for examination or proof.

Reframe problems into well-defined & clear "How might we.." statements.
This prioritises intention over tech/process.

But 1st, it is very important to be at the right problem level.

Example problem:
Our customers don't order pizza.

GO NARROW:
Ask "what's stopping you?" to get to the real problem.

What's stopping customers from ordering pizza?
- stale toppings?
- bad sauce?

Problem statement:
How might we ensure that the pizza toppings are fresh?

I asked, "What book created the biggest mental shift in your life?"

I received 275+ responses.

Here are 20 books that might just change your life forever:

1/

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

by @naval

2/

The Choice

by @DrEdithEger1

3/

Atomic Habits

by @JamesClear

4/

The 48 Laws of Power

@RobertGreene

How to create a successful SaaS from scratch.

Steal the process I've used to build 5 $10k+ MRR SaaS's.

🧵 THREAD 🧵

#1 Find a problem

Problems are everywhere.

Everyone has one:

>> Agency Owners
>> Coaches
>> Freelancers

All you have to do is Investigate, ask Qs and deep dive into a niche.

Then find a painful problem that people wouldn't mind paying money to get rid of.

#2 Find an existing solution

This one is the easiest part of the process.

Here's what to do instead:

Go to Google and search for "[Problem] + software".

Compare the available solutions.

Pick the best one.

#3 Reverse engineer how it works

Break down the solution in it's core components.

Most SaaS are structured this way:

>> Database
>> Back-end
>> API
>> Front-end

This is easier if you already know programming.

But if you don't, you can pay someone to break it down for you.

#4 Make it better

Think of ways to make it better.

See what the current solution is lacking and fix it:

>> Is it too slow? Make it faster
>> Is it too ambiguous? Make it simpler
>> Does it lack features? Add them

The thing is to add VALUE to your solution.

Top 10 Personal Finance Books

⚡️Book Thread⚡️

+ Best quotes

These ten books have ten different and powerful approaches to accumulating personal wealth.

1. Think and Grow Rich

”The object is to want money, and to be so determined to have it that you convince yourself that you will have it.”

2. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

"The vast majority of people simply do not have the internal capacity to create and hold on to large amounts of money and the increased challenges that go with more money and success."

3. The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

"You picked up this book because you are broke. Keep reading and you will discover what you need to know--and do--so you will not be broke forever."

21 lessons learned in 2021:

Engineered Serendipity

I believe that some of what we call "luck" is actually the macro result of 1,000s of micro actions.

Your daily habits can put you in a position where "luck" is more likely to strike.

Increase your serendipity surface area.

Engineer your own serendipity.

Pessimists Sound Smart, Optimists Get Rich

Pessimists look at the future and see the doors that are closed.

Optimists look at the future and see the doors that are open—and probably kick down the closed doors, too.

Surround yourself with optimists. The future is bright.

The Exponential Growth Challenge

Human brains cannot fathom the insane power of exponential growth. We consistently underestimate its impact.

When you're on an exponential growth curve—stop trying to set specific goals.

Strap in, keep your head back, and enjoy the ride.

Work Like a Lion

Most people are not wired to work 9-5.

Modern work culture is a remnant of the Industrial Age—long periods of steady, monotonous work.

If your goal is to do inspired, creative work, you have to work like a lion.

Sprint when inspired. Rest. Repeat.

7 Books that Changed My Life:

- Winning
- Atomic Habits
- The Behavior Gap
- The Millionaire Mind
- How to Become a Rainmaker
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

What books changed your life?

I recently found out I'm going to be a father.

Here are the principles I want to teach my child to live by:

Be Interested

Talent is overrated—interest is not.

Interested people are prone to giving their deep attention to something to discover more about it.

They ask questions, listen, & observe. They open up to the world around them.

Being interested is a key to a fulfilling life.

Different is Beautiful

Growing up, I feared being different—I desperately wanted to fit in.

I made bad decisions grounded in insecurity.

I only realized later: being different is your edge—your ultimate competitive advantage.

No one can compete with you, at being you.

Work Hard

If you want to accomplish anything in life, you have to work hard.

Don't believe the hype. Hard work isn't the sexy, flashy Instagram posts saying "rise & grind”—it's the ugly, painful effort in the dark, when no one is watching.

If you want something, go get it.

Show Up in the Darkest Hour

It's easy to be there for people to celebrate their wins.

It takes character to show up for them in their darkest hour.

People never forget who supported them when the chips were down.

Be the friend who is always there—in good times and bad.

The most powerful paradoxes of life:

The Persuasion Paradox

Have you noticed that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone?

The most persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.

Argue less, persuade more.

Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

The Effort Paradox

You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice.

Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.

The Wisdom Paradox

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” — Albert Einstein

The more you learn, the more you are exposed to the immense unknown.

This should be empowering, not frightening.

Embrace your own ignorance. Embrace lifelong learning.

The Growth Paradox

Growth takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you ever would have thought.

Growth happens gradually, then suddenly.

When you realize this, you start to do things differently.