Where to start?

[Smooth]

Hey all,

I've come across a couple of books recently and I really don't know where to start?!
I have the following books:
- 7 habits for highly effective people
- 7 habits for highly effective teens
- The 48 laws of power
- Getting things done
- Think and grow rich
- Accelerated learning (Audiobook)

I've read about them on Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more and started skimming through all of them. It just seems like so much information is being given by each book that it's hard to decide by which to start with .

I'm also writing it here because I thought maybe by writing it out I'd get more clarity hehe.

I guess the question is :
Should these books be read in a specified order?

Thanks in advance.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by Smooth

Should these books be read in a specified order?

You should not read these books... you should study them... assimilate them... and have them imprinted into the wiring of your brain...

You would be better off by going over anyone of these books six times then reading everyone of them only once... It's not what you read that matters... it's what you get out of reading it...

I would personally chose: Think and Grow Rich... because it's the grand-daddy of them all...

The best of luck to you...
.

[Zukin]

The choice to me seems obvious: Accelerated Learning.

Once you learn how to learn effectively, you will have mastered a skill that will serve you well for life.

[lizthefair]

These books are a good start, and once you begin to be interested in this area, you may find that other good reads "present" themselves to you for lack of a better term.

My advice is to read books from a wide range of authors and points of view--the ideas you see cross-referenced from many perspectives are the ones to pay the most attention to.

I also recommend journaling as a way of reflecting on what you read. It achieves some of the results Shamou references in his advice to really dig into one book, but also leaves you time to read a wide range of perspectives.

(I recommend a wide range of perspectives because while there is an occasional genius in the wilderness out there who has profound things to say that are not repeated elsewhere, much more common is the crackpot trying to take your money. In between are smart people with good experience who have written valuable books with important guidance. In the beginning you should shoot for the middle ground as you are likely not able to tell the genius from the crack-pot.)

[Smooth]

Thanks a lot Shamou, Zukin and lizthefair!

I completely agree with Shamou, I should not just read the books for the sake of reading them but really apply the advice given by the authors to my life.

Zukin, thanks for the suggestion. It does seem obvious to learn how to learn effectively so that I can then retain more and more info every time I read these books.

lizthefair, yes I'm still quite inexperienced in the field of knowing who's out to help and who's out to make money. I'm sure with the help of the boards, myself and others like me will steer clear of the 'crackpots'. As for journaling, it is a great tool (I'm sure you know that already ) and I will stop procrastinating and do it regularly.

[ticktockclok]

I've read all of those except for "Accelerated Learning" and "7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens", which is just a toned down version of 7 Habits for Highly Effective People. Of the ones I did read, none of them helped me do anything. My favorite self-help item is a book called "Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life". I got it in audiobook format. I listen to it as I work out, and working out suddenly gets much more enjoyable. The speaker makes the audiobook even more enjoyable; I'm literally laughing at loud at some points.

This guy isn't nice, and he doesn't give you the usual motivational rah-rah. He even calls himself an irritational speaker. He makes you angry at what you've been doing and spurs you to action.

Check it out.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by ticktockclok

I got it in audiobook format.

Maybe that book worked better for you because you got the audiobook format...

Some people are auditory... that is, they perceive and understand information better by listening to it... others are visual... and they perceive and understand info better by seeing or reading information...

My wife is extremely visual... she can look at a text and repeat it verbatim in a flash... I'm auditory... I can look up the proper way of spelling a word in the dictionary... close the book... and could not spell it to save my life... however, if I spell it out loud... I will not forget the way it is spelled for the rest of my life...

Finding out what channel works best for you is of primal importance... you will then know what channel works best for you... and take advantage of it...
.

[ticktockclok]

Hmm.... I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip.

[Smooth]

Originally Posted by ticktockclok

My favorite self-help item is a book called "Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life". I got it in audiobook format.

Thanks for your insight ticktockclok, I'll see if I can find this audiobook at my library and check it out.

[Buddy]

For help in applying your reading, check out Maxwell Maltz's Psychocybernetics.

[Jason S]

As for the books on this list, I would second Think and Grow Rich as a great place to start... with the caveat that if you read it and it doesn't hit you, put it aside and come back to it at a later date. Not everyone "gets it" the first time through.

The other thing I would suggest is reading stories, biographies, and history at the same time. The Killer Angels, Founding Brothers, and The Count of Monte Cristo, amongst others, become fantastic teachers if, when you read them, you keep the question "What can I learn from this?" in mind. Personally, I retain lessons from stories better than from how-to books...

[lizthefair]

Speaking of stories, I also recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's a great book about the difference between what society tells you to do and what your heart or God or the Universe knows you are capable of and how to find that path.

If you like that one, you may check out the link below about "relationship advice that doesn't suck" as that page is mostly about finding your own true path before trying to fix your life with a relationship.

Good Luck!

[Smooth]

Jason S, thanks for the advice, I agree with you about reading more than how-to books to learn how to live a better life. I will make it a priority to read consistently.

A friend of mine has 'The alchemist'. I'll be sure to take a look at it.
Thanks for the link lizthefair, it has been bookmarked

Buddy, is psychocybernetics in the same style of accelerated learning(don't know if you're familiar with it)?

[Smooth]

Well I've finally decided to start with Accelerated Learning as of tomorrow (which is my birthday )
I have been slacking off lately, but there's something about turning 21 that makes me want to get off my butt and work really hard (and smart of course )
It's 3:00 a.m as I write this and I LOVE to sleep but the procrastination stops now.
I will:
- Wake up at 7:00 a.m tomorrow and bring my sister to school. I'm sure my mom will appreciate it.
- Come home and paint what I was supposed to paint right before summer started .
- Do 8 push-ups. I'm going to start slow and build from there, no more trying to do 2 sets of 25 push-ups two weeks after starting with 1 set of 10 .
- Listen to the first track of Accelerated Learning (Finally)

Without writing a book here, I'm going to do what I feel I'm supposed to be doing, slowly but very surely. What better day to start than your own birthday, right?

I'll post my progress as I go, if any hehe.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, I'm really grateful.