Stephen Ray

How to Boost Performance From an Expert

Revisado: 02-08-16

After a few listens, I have to say that this is a classic I will review again and again.

Josh Waitzkin's story is a fascinating one. Unusually, he has been world class in two very different pursuits. What he learned during that process is an approach to learning new things.

Each step of those journeys has lessons that anyone can use to improve some aspect of their life. Mindfulness, focus and flow are all attributes that can boost performance, and this book is a tutorial on each of these.

Josh has a great voice for narration. It's a pleasure to listen to him read his own book.

As a bonus, there's an interview conducted by Tim Ferriss at the end as a bonus feature. It, too, is worth listening to.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Could be Life Changing

Revisado: 02-08-16

When I first listened to this, I was new to Zig Ziglar. From the first five minutes, I knew it was going to be fantastic.

It was.

Zig's teachings have changed my mindset. I am in control of the direction of my life. That hasn't always been as obvious as it is now. Even just looking up and realizing how good things are can be a challenge for some people. Zig helped me see that.

Every few months I pop this back in to listen again. It may be the best money I've ever spent.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Are You Ready To Escape Your Job?

Revisado: 02-08-16

Unless you're an experienced entrepreneur or you're happy with the job you have, this book can help you. Whether you're looking to create a side hustle you can do in your spare time, or you're looking for an exit, you should read this book.

The author does a great job explaining an approach that should work for most entrepreneurs. She then backs this up by interviewing several successful people. Each one has made their mark in a different market. App development. Amazon publishing. Blogging. And so on. The lessons she gave earlier are reinforced and added on to by their experience and expertise.

The voice of the interview subjects was narrated by a different person. This made it easy to follow along during the question and answers. The primary narrator was clear and understandable, as was the interview narrator.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Wondering What it Takes to Make it as an Author?

Revisado: 02-07-16

If you've ever wondered how to make a career as an author, wonder no more. If you've assumed it's like winning the lottery, you're wrong. If you're writing, but don't know what to do next, here's the answer.

The Self Publishing Podcast guys all chip in at some point in this book, and explain the strategies that allow an independent author to build a following and make a living. All you need is the ability to write and this book in order to do it.

From writing, to marketing, to getting reviews and on. Everything. It's a huge book. Luckily, they got a fantastic narrator, so you'll be glad to listen again and again.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Could You Be Writing Faster?

Revisado: 02-07-16

If you're an author who hasn't spent a lot of time analyzing your writing practice, this is a must-read. Rachel Aaron takes you through her own process, where she's discovered how to write better and faster.

She talks about her approach, and gives helpful advice on plotting and editing. I know some writers won't agree with everything she says. But this is what works for her, and learning what others do can only be helpful.

I've gotten a lot out of this book, and that's something that will help me for years to come.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Life Altering Information

Revisado: 02-07-16

This book has a lot going for it. Discussion of whether you should even continue with your goals at all. Solid tips on how to proceed if you do. And an in-depth discussion of reasons why you have trouble reaching your goals and how to combat them.

While it's short, the information is valuable and actionable. If you've got anything you're trying to do and getting stuck on, this book is for you. There's even a section at the end where a variety of successful people provide their own advice. That's also a treasure trove of great advice.

The narration and audio quality is excellent. Buy this book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great Book For Levelling Your Nerd

Revisado: 02-07-16

Chris Hardwick is a nerd. If you're a nerd, too, then this book is a perfect match of content and audience.

Knowing nerds and geeks and others of the tribe, Hardwick has written a book that will not only appeal to nerds, but motivate them in a way other books about self improvement won't. He speaks the language and leverages some of the shared culture to do it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with one caveat. In certain sections, especially the exercises, narration wasn't the best way to absorb the material. The content itself, the narration and the production, were all top notch.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

How to Win the War

Revisado: 02-07-16

The struggle to produce your "art" (or whatever it is you do) is real. Steven Pressfield knows. He spent decades fighting the war, and now he reports back after finally achieving significant victory.

If you wonder why you haven't produced any art by the end of the day, Pressfield has the answer. It's something everyone struggles with, not just you. Once you recognize the problem and frame it the right way, you can face it and defeat it.

This book is referred to widely by masters of creativity in many fields. I can see why.

As for the production and narration, it's perfect. The voice and quality of recording are superb. You won't be disappointed if you choose the audio version over another format of this book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Gain Super Powers for Authors

Revisado: 02-05-16

Ever wonder why you're struggling to finish your novel, while others can crank out a dozen books a year? Maybe you've consoled yourself with the thought that you're producing art, while they're putting out crap.

Don't wait any further before buying this book.

Maybe they are putting out crap. But as Monica Leonelle shows us, the correlation between quantity and quality actually goes the other way.

You can write better while writing faster. You can write faster and write more. And the more words you put down, the better you get at putting words down.

The author starts out describing her own path to writing better and faster. Through research, measurement and experimentation, she finds several things that improve her writing speed.

Having solved the writing speed problem, she moves on to the finishing books problem. Eventually, she solves that problem as well.

Every part of her story is analyzed and explained. After reading this book, you'll know what she did, why it worked, and how you can adapt her techniques to your own work.

Maybe you don't want to do everything she did.

You don't have to. You can definitely pick and choose. Even she doesn't write at a 4000 word per hour pace any more, and she explains why she chooses not to. But she can if she wants to.

The book itself is a toolkit for looking at your own tendencies, improving your processes, and even finding flow. The section on getting into flow is itself worth the price of the book.

After you've gone through "the book", there's still an appendix containing the daily posts she made for two months while working on her output. There's also a quick section at the end describing how she was doing at the time of publication.

It's inspiring, and it's daunting. She shows how she went from writing five books in five years to writing dozens. And she provides enough here to allow you to do the same. Get this book now, and start putting it into practice right away.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Learn how to build a productive writing habit

Revisado: 01-29-16

Many struggle with actually writing the book they've always wanted to write. What separates the 80% who want to write one from those who actually do?

This book provides a blueprint to get from wishing to doing. In the first section, you learn about common author blocks and how to beat them. The second section gives you a cheat sheet of the most important productivity tips and habits you can start using.

The third section is where you build the habit of writing. By doing the 8 by 8 challenge, you spend only a few minutes a day proving to yourself that you can do it. In only 8 days, you have actual data, proof that you can do it, and a way to estimate the time needed to finish your project.

If you've been struggling to finish your book, or even to get started, this book is for you. I can't wait to get started on my own 8 by 8 challenge, then join the ranks of those who finished their books.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas