A few years back I was into magic in a big way.
I had a lot of free time as I wasn’t into studying and didn’t have time to play sports, but I did want to put my time to good use.
It so happened that magic filled that void.
So I started studying.
First, I went out and bought lots of cool looking tricks. They were clever, but most of them were gimmicks. Anyone could pick them up and do them within 3 minutes.
That didn’t interest me. While a few clever gimmick tricks are nice. it’s more impressive to people if you can just perform a trick at the drop of a hat.
So I changed tactics.
I started gathering magic DVDs by some of the best names in the business; Sankey, Banachek, Ammar, Osterlind, and Green.
It was tough going. I can’t tell you how many times I dropped cards or forgot tricks. But the more I practiced, the better I got.
I got more DVDs, and learnt more tricks. I lost track of how many I learnt.
I got as good as many street artists and then made the conscious decision to stop and challenge myself in other areas namely investing and success.
It wasn’t until recently that I noticed something.
When we get into something we tend to keep buying more and more material on the subject.
I have read over 300 books on the topics of business, self-development and marketing and I enjoyed most of them.
I have listened to over 150 audio sessions on pretty much the same topics.
I have watched over 5000 DVDs (estimated) from all different genres as well as another 150 DVDs on the topics I just mentioned as well as another 100 DVDs on magic.
But is more better?
My answer – no.
But you only find that out from reading, listening or watching a lot. Ironic, huh?!
It is far better to find the best material and simply study that over and over again.
So how do you find out what the best material is?
Two ways:
- You study a ton of material and decide
- You listen to the recommendations of people who are in the know
I vote going for number 2. The problem is that most experts out there don’t come out and tell you what the best material is.
Many authors drop a few names of books they like in their books, but it’s rare to find a suggestion of 20 or more books that are their must-reads.
In my book, iSucceed, I mention three men that I feel are the best of the best – Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn and Robert Kiyosaki.
To save space I supplied a link for people to check in order to find which of their materials I found to be the powerful.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many fantastic books, audio lectures and DVDs out there. So today I thought I’d share with you a few more of my favorites.
First off, novels (might as well start off with something fun):
- The Harry Potter Series
- Animal Farm (the best short novel)
- Atlas Shrugged (a towering novel, but simply amazing)
- Master of the Game
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
- Rage of Angels
- Jurassic Park
- If Tomorrow Comes
- The Shack
- The Name of the Rose
- The Ultimate Gift
- The Alchemist
Second, business books:
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad
- Conversations with Millionaires
- Influence
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Crush it
- The Success Principles
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- He Who Thinks He Can
- The Tao of Warren Buffet
- See You at the Top
- Rich Woman
- The 12 Pillars
Third, audio series:
- Choose To Be Rich
- Live an Exceptional Life
- Top Performance
- The Psychology of Selling
- The Strangest Secret
- Keys to the Vault
- The Psychology of Achievement and Success
- Get the Edge
- Presentation Power
Fourth, business/self-development DVDs:
- Bob Proctor’s The Science of Getting Rich
- Brendon Burchard’s Expert’s Academy
- Jim Rohn’s Leadership Event 2004
- Tony Robbins’ Ultimate Business Mastery
- Brian Tracy’s Effective Manager Series
- Robert Kiyosaki’s How to Predict the Future
And fifth, good old-fashioned movies (my favorite pastime):
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Gladiator
- Remember the Titans
- Aliens
- Die Hard
- Saw
- Groundhog Day
- Love Actually
- Inception
- Cool Runnings
- Backdraft
- Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
- My Cousin Vinny
- Brewster’s Millions
- Bridesmaids
- Taken
- Shall We Dance (Japanese version)
- The Abyss
- Stripes
- Transformers
- Frailty
- Speed
- Overboard
Keep in mind that time is your enemy. These days we don’t have enough time to go through all the good, so do yourself a favor and go through the best stuff first.
If you have a chance to check any of these out do let me know what you think.
Adrian Shepherd