READING
Books are a major component of my life and I contribute a large part of my success in life to reading. I’m apart of an amazing book club, and carry a book with me at all times. I believe books are more than just letters on pages; Books are a gateway to new ideas, expanded creativity, a more complex vocabulary, and a direct route of accessing the author’s mind. Reading has made me so much more intelligent, and I want to share this interest with the world in the hopes that will inspire someone else to start reading. I believe that if you don’t like reading, it just means that you haven’t found anything you like yet.
Books read in 2019Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Together Tea by Marjan Kamali
Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing by Richard Kiyosaki
Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro
Conspiracy by Ryan Holiday
From Pieces to Weight by 50 Cent
Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell
The Last Pirate of New York: A Ghost Ship, a Killer,
and the Birth of a Gangster Nation by Rich Cohen
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Retire Inspired by Chris Hogan
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
The Codex by Douglas Preston
Freshman Quarterback by Clair Bee
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Ghost In the Wires by Kevin Mitnick
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Hansson
Defectors by Joseph Kanon
Permanent Record by Edward Snowden
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey
City of God by Paulo Lins
The Mastermind by Evan Ratliff
Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
Deep Work by Cal Newport
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel by Tom Wainwright
Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Gray Work: Confessions of An American Paramilitary Spy by Jamie Smith
Man vs. Markets: Economics Explained by Paddy Hirsch
Consecration to St. Joseph by Donald H. Calloway
White Fang by Jack London
Playing with FIRE by Scott Rieckens
The Rule of Saint Benedict by Saint Benedict
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Plan of Life by Roger J. Landry
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Courage is Calling by Ryan Holliday
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Set for Life by Scott Trench
Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey
Sharpe’s Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
Sharpe’s Triumph by Bernard Cornwell
Sharpe’s Eagle by Bernard Cornwell
Sharpe’s Gold by Bernard Cornwell
Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell
Bug Bounty Bootcamp by Vickie Li
Baby Steps Millionaires by Dave Ramsey
Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
Your Brain on Porn by Gary Wilson
The Cuckoo’s Egg by Cliff Stoll
Leave Only Footprints by Conor Knighton
S Street Rising: Crack, Murder, and Redemption in DC by Ruben Castaneda
Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
Star Wars: Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn
Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno
CISSP – Official Study Guide by Mike Chapple, James Stewart, Darril Gibson
The Premonition by Michael Lewis
Star Wars: The Last Command by Timothy Zahn
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Deep Work by Cal Newport
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre
Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Wisdom of the Bullfrog by William H. McRaven
How to Hack like a Legend by Sparc Flow
A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab
A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab
A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab
5 Things with Father Bill by William Byrne
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
Sickening by John Abramson
George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis
Trader by Charles de Lint
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Financial Independence
I enjoy the aspects of finance. I like talking about it, but I like practicing it even more. As a result, I am financially independent and loving every minute of it. What does being financially independent mean? It means having an emergency fund, no debt, and six months of expenses saved. The two main resources used to achieve this are
- Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
- Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Simply reading these books and following the steps can get anyone to financial independence. Following these steps is easy; having the discipline to stick with it is the hard part. Being financially independent is good for your health, your life, your family, and your community. There are no downsides to being financially independent.
Adventuring
I like participating in sporting events, traveling, and taking interesting trips. Below are some interesting things I have done over the years.
Spartan Racing
RAGBRAI
Appalachian Trail Thru-hike
I am painfully slow at putting together the documentation from this adventure, but it is slowly getting done.
– Georgia
– North Carolina
– Tennessee
– Virginia and West Virginia
– Maryland