YOU GOTTA HAVE BALLS by Brandon Steiner

This book is about how a kid from Brooklyn started from scratch and ended up buying Yankee Stadium and creating a sports memorabilia empire.

Brandon Steiner grew up poor in a broken family. His mom raised the family in a nice neighborhood. As a consequence, they grew up having less stuff but were surrounded by better people. I recently watched the movie "Freakonomics." The authors of Freakonomics argue that where you grow up significantly affects how you turn out later in life. As demonstrated by Brandon Steiner, nice neighborhoods make nice people. 

Some of the key points from the book:

-Commitment is more important than passion. If you are committed, you'll develope passion.
-Always ask "What else?" By doing a little more, a little extra, you differentiate yourself with your customers/employers/community.
-It's what you can do for who you know.

The page of the book is the part worth re-reading over and over. Listed are some of my favorite Steinerisms the author listed:

-Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character
-You can learn on the job, but that's no replacement for studying. If you want to be a great manager, study books on managing. If you want to do sales, do likewise.
-Vision without action is hallucination

Great book. It's an easy read. If you want to be successful, study successful people. Nuff said.

The BIG SHORT by Michael Lewis

MUST READ!!!!

The big short by Michael Lewis delves into the year before the housing crash of 2008. The entire country was drunk on easy money and a market that fueled itself. 
People with no business owning a house were given loans and more loans keep this market alive.
Wall Street repackaged this mortgages and deceitfully sold people junk as risk free commodities.
Wall Street got too good at its own game and lost big time.

The book kept you on your feet. Michael Lewis paints this picture of a rigged wall street yet follows the story of a small time hedge fund against the big banks. With millions of dollars on the line, I kept reading and wanting to know, even though these guys should win, can they beat a rigged system?

The story also discusses the collapse and the drama that proceeded once the party was over.

The part of Wall Street that erks me is that even when people fail, they get rich. CEO's run their businesses into the ground and fly out on golden parachutes. That's a load of trash.

A must read for a broad and dark look into the financial markets in America.

John Adams by David McCullough

John Adams single handedly pushed through the concept of a declaration of independance. Through the strength of his character alone, he started the 13 colonies on a path which influenced and has shaped the United States of America today as we know it. 

John Adams is a must read. John was a man of dignity and respect. This biography discusses his early days as an jovial and awkward youth. A reader can watch how John Adams developed into a statesman.
 Sacrificing financial greatness, out of duty, John Adams spent a life time serving his country. He was the perfect patriot.

John Adams was the perfect statesman. This book should be read to child in their craddles.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors because he offers a unique and well articulated viewpoint, which inspires original thought. 

Tipping Point identifies three types of people who are required to start an epidemic or trend listed in the following:

1. Connectors- the people who seem to know everybody. This is a trait not everybody has, however, its a skill that can be acquired. The lesson from this book for connectors is that the more industries and jobs an individual has worked in, the more connections he or she will have. Staying loosely is a skill. Once upon a time this skill was for the natural born connectors. Now a days, this type of connection can be easily kept with facebook, LinkedIN and other social media. 

2. Mavens- the people who know everything about a subject and help everybody shop smart

3. Salespeople- the people take the radical ideas and trends and convert them into something normal and everyday people can understand.


For small start ups, this is a must-read.

KPMG 10 Attributes for Success

The following advice was written for accounting students looking to work in public accounting.



#10. On day one, you are not expected to know everything
          a. Questions are expected
          b. Questions do not indicate a lack of knowledge
          c. If you ask questions, take notes

#9. Understand and accept office policies and procedures
           a. dress code
           b. use of telephones
           c. expected working hours
           d. ethics and core values
           e. rewards and recognition

ALWAYS DRESS LIKE A MILLION BUCKS
BE ON TIME

#8 Quality Counts
          a. Efficiency but quality
          b. self review
          c. check the small things
          d. take pride in anything that bears your name

#7 Demonstrate superior written and oral communication skills
            a. business lingo-no room for chat room lingo
            b. respond to e-mails regularly
            c. keep practicing oral communication
            d. FAX-always use a coversheet

#6 Professional Conduct
           a. be congnizant of surrounds
           b. learn to deal with different personalities
           c. keep personal viewpoints to yourself
           d. try not to play politics
           e. feedback isn't personal, it's helpful
           f. always communicate

#5 Be a team player
          a. be trustworthy
          b. always tie up your loose ends
          c. always seek more knowledge
          d. know your rank

#4 Set Personal Goals
          a. Have a vision
          b. stretch yourself
          c. do whatever it takes

#3 Undersell and Overdeliver
          a. only promise what you can deliver
          b. meet deadlines
          c. prioritize assignments

#2 Take time to listen
          a. practice good listening skills
          b. paraphrase
          c. rewording
          d. acknowledging (headnod)

#1 ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING!!!!!
         a. good and bad attitudes are contagious, which one do you want to catch?
         b. people want to work with people with good attitudes
         c. positive thinkers attract success

Blog Life of a Dude

I started this blog for my mexico trip. The trip was great. The end.