Titlu: Tribe of Mentors. Short life advice from the best in the world
Autor: Timothy Ferriss
Rating:
Editura: Penguin Random House UK
Anul aparitiei: 2017
Numar pagini: 509
ISBN: 9781785041853

I must admit I spent a significant amount of time reading Timothy Ferriss’s book the Tribe of Mentors. Not necessarily because it is a difficult read but I have felt the need to make notes, to do some highlights and to reflect on the advice mentioned in the book. And this is a good exercise for everyone reading the book.

Through short, action-packed profiles, the author made 100 “mentors” share their secrets for success, happiness, meaning, and more. These mentors come from a variety of sectors and professional and personal backgrounds, from tech entrepreneurs to actors, authors and sports stars. People like legendary investor Ray Dalio, Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, Jimmy Fallon, Debbie Millman, Ethereum’s founder, Steven Pressfield, Yuval Noah Harari, Drew Houston, Neil Gaiman, Ashton Kutcher, Dita Von Teese, Marc Benioff, Evan Williams, Brandon Stanton, Esther Perel, Darren Aronofsky, Steve Aoki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Maria Sharapova and other elite athletes like Kelly Slater, Tony Hawk… this list is long and the advice extremely valuable although you may not agree with all of it.

I suspect that one element that makes the book so enjoyable is the art of questioning that is artfully mastered by Timothy Ferriss. Another proof that great questions can trigger a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

The author sent 11 questions by email to various people and he truthfully recorded even the negative answers he had received. A creative way to show the readers different ways of saying No. The book has a huge learning potential and it is hard to summarize highlights without feeling sorry for missing out on some great advice. The answers are a veritable mix of actionable advice, philosophical wisdom, and abundant wit. I will let you the pleasure of discovering them.

In the meantime, I would like to copy here Timothy Ferriss’s great questions and invite you to reflect on your personal answers:

1 What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

2 What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? My readers love specifics like brand and model, where you found it etc.

3 How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?

4 If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it—metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions or billions—what would it say and why? It could be a few words or a paragraph. (If helpful, it can be someone else’s quote: Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?)

5 What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (This could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)

6 What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?

7 In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

8 What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?

9 What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

10 In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? What new realizations and/or approaches helped? Any other tips?

11 When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? (If helpful: What questions do you ask yourself?)

Enjoy seeking the answers ! 😊