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Druid's Book Club
Quick Take: Some cool advice from 130 “successful” people. I devoured this book.
Longer Take:
I just finished reading “Tribe of Mentors” by Timothy Ferris.
This book isn’t going to be for everyone, but I loved it.
In Tribe of Mentors, Tim Ferris asks a specific set of 11 questions to 130 people he calls them his “dream interviewees.”
He then gives the answers these people gave with some occasional commentary.
I loved this for so many reasons:
(1) Each interview is only 1-3 pages. So, it was easy to read and digest in small chunks.
(2) Many of the interviewees were people I look up to, and the many questions were ones I would probably have asked. I wish I could ask some of these people follow-up questions. But, I guess I’ll have to wait until I get as famous as Tim Ferris.
(3) The list of those interviewed spanned so many areas of “success.” Athletes, Actors, Entertainers, Authors, Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Thought Leaders, and everything in between. In a society where celebrities often have the loudest voice, it was nice to read about many outside of that defined realm of success.
(4) Everyone in this book has achieved great success in their field, but there was not ONE path to this success. There were some similarities, but it is evident that there are many paths to success and fulfillment. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. So, take what you like and discard what you don’t. Again, what’s refreshing about this book is that at no point does Ferris say “this is the way.”
One more observation. I was intrigued by how many of the interviewees recommended meditation, journaling and walking. Maybe there’s something to that?
Again, this is a fantastic read. There are so many potential takeaways that could help you in your life and business.
Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Some of My Favorite Quotes:
Max Levchkin: “Barnacles of the good life tend to slow you down, if you don’t get used to risk-taking early in your career.”
Linda Rottenberg: “…if you’re not called crazy when you start something new, then you’re not thinking big enough!”
Rick Rubin: “When you start something new, it’s okay to do it in an unsustainable way. Once you achieve it, then you can devote your time to figuring out how to sustain it. They’re two different playbooks.”
Janna Levin: “We discourage failure, and by so doing we subtly discourage success.”
Maria Sharapova: “Losing sets you up for winning. Losing makes you think in ways victories can't. You begin asking questions instead of feeling like you have all the answers.”
Mike Maples Jr: “I'm thankful every day that I didn't get what I wanted.”
Amelia Boone: "I now take fear and discomfort as a sign that I should be doing something. That's where the magic happens."
Bear Grylls: “Hold tight, focus the effort, dig deeper, and never give up. It isn’t rocket science but it is hard, as most people, when it gets tough, start to look around for an excuse or a different tactic. Often, though, when it starts to get tough, all it requires is for you to get tougher and hold on. The magic bit is that when it gets like this, it often means you are near the end goal! One big heave of focus, dedication, and grit, and you often pop out the other end. Look around you, though, and you see that most people are gone—they gave up in that final bit of hurting.”
Druid’s Top Entrepreneurship Lesson: Learn from those who achieved what you want to achieve.
