A dinosaur
a blog by Jarrett Retz

Recommendations For a Friend

by Jarrett RetzDecember 17th, 2018

I was talking to a friend recently, and he ended up asking me to send him my top five books that I think would be great life-improvement items.

I said I would throw in my favorite talk, and include the podcasts I listen to, or listened to, that really have had a profound impact on me.

Naturally, acknowledging there is a little arrogance here, I decided to make it into a post as well.

The Talk That I Recommended:

One of the favorite talks that I have repeatedly listened to is an excerpt from Jordan Peterson's Maps of Meaning lectures on Youtube. More specifically, hisĀ 2017 Maps of Meaning 12 starting at 2:07:31 and going to the end of the video.

I usually stay very still when I watch that video, waiting to agree once again with what is said.

The Top Books I Would Recommend:

1. For forgiving yourself and healing

The Heart of the Revolution

by Noah Levine

2. For improving your understanding of life

The Happiness Hypothesis

by Jonathan Haidt

For a bonus, read another one of Haidt's books The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics & Religion)

3. For practically dealing with your emotions and focusing on actions

Constructive Living

by David Reynolds

4. More guidelines on how you might live a successful life

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

by Jordan B. Peterson


5. For pushing back against your own self-sabotage

The War of Art

by Steven Pressfield

The Podcasts That Have Helped Positively Shape My Life

The Tim Ferriss Show

One of Tim's favorite phrases to consider is, you are the average of the five people you most associate with.

The Tony Robbins Podcast

Say whatever you want about Tony Robbins, but that guy knows what he's talking about. He's not always the interviewer, but the podcast is fantastic nonetheless.

Related post: Need Help Finding Out What You Want?


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