by Aseem Gupta | Feb 13, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Neil Strauss’s The Game begins with an irresistible proposition: perhaps charisma is not something a man either possesses or lacks. Perhaps attraction can be studied, practised, and mastered like any other skill. Strauss seems like the perfect person to test that...
by Aseem Gupta | Feb 9, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Jordan Belfort presents an unusual problem for anyone trying to learn from him. He is undeniably skilled at explaining sales. He can break a conversation into teachable components, show how confidence affects delivery, and demonstrate why many salespeople lose control...
by Aseem Gupta | Feb 5, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
A pilot once drew a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. Every adult who saw the picture thought it was a hat. That small misunderstanding contains the central problem of The Little Prince. Adults see surfaces, measurements, professions, prices and practical...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 31, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
When Gary Vaynerchuk published Crushing It! in 2018, its platform advice appeared immediate and practical. Musical.ly was presented as an emerging opportunity. Twitter was still Twitter. Facebook business pages occupied a more central place in social-media strategy....
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 24, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Two workplaces in Seattle could hardly feel more different. On the third floor of a financial-services company, employees move through the day with little enthusiasm. The department is important, but its reputation is terrible. People expect delays, poor service, and...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 18, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Most books about communication offer advice that is easy to admire and difficult to use. Be confident. Listen carefully. Show interest. Make a strong first impression. These principles sound sensible, but they rarely tell you what to do with your face, hands, voice or...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 13, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
When Gary Vaynerchuk published Crush It! in 2009, building a business around online content still sounded unconventional. Facebook was young, Twitter had not yet become part of everyday political and cultural life, and YouTube was widely treated as a home for amateur...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 10, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is short enough to read in a few sittings and simple enough to resemble a folktale. Yet few modern novels inspire such sharply divided reactions. Admirers see an uplifting story about courage, purpose, and learning to recognise the...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 6, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
Few books are quoted more often and understood less completely than The Art of War. Its most famous lines are usually presented as instructions for overpowering rivals, deceiving competitors, or treating every disagreement as a battle. This has given the book a...
by Aseem Gupta | Jan 3, 2019 | Book Summaries and Analysis
A story about four characters searching for cheese should not have become one of the world’s most recognisable books about change. The plot is deliberately simple, the characters are closer to symbols than psychologically complex individuals, and most of its lessons...
