Mastery

There is no living writer (or person) who has been more influential to me than Robert Greene. I met him when I was 19 years old and he’s shaped me as a person, as a writer, as a thinker. You MUST read his books. His work on power and strategy are critical for anyone trying to accomplish anything. In life, power is force we are constantly bumping up against. People have power of over us, we seek power ourselves that we might be free enough and influential enough to accomplish our goals—so we must understand where power comes from, how it works and how to get it. But pure power is meaningless. It must be joined to mastery and purpose. So read his book Mastery so that you can figure your life’s task and how to dedicate yourself to it.

A close friend of mine gifted me a book called Mastery by Robert Greene a couple years ago, and I started reading that book a few months into starting my own business. I had just quit my well-paying job and nothing was working out as I had expected. This book was highly impactful in helping me persevere and build a stronger character. I personally think this book is a must read in our new culture where we’ve come to expect instant gratification.

What better way to learn about success then the minute paths taken by 100s or 1000s of successful people.
It feels like Robert takes everyone in history and dissects the exact moments and decisions that led to their great success.

It's not a business book per-se but it dissects the approaches and practices of people who are exceptionally talented in their fields, typically far better than any of their peers. I found this book to be really reassuring about the amount of practice and time it takes to become great at things. He covers the various steps towards mastery starting with apprenticeship all the way till breaking out on your own and challenging the fundamental ideas of your field.

I first learned about Robert's work from reading the book, "Mastery," which to my mind is a brilliant exploration and a practical tool for how to think about and pursue one's purpose. Whenever I'm asked for book suggestions, I always include "Mastery" in my top three recommendations.