misterfergusson (2025)

01/02/2025

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is one of the most enduring works of American literature, capturing the mischief, adventure, and freedom of boyhood along the banks of the Mississippi River. But reading it in 2025, especially for someone accustomed to modern storytelling, can feel like stepping into a world that requires both patience and adjustment. At its heart, Tom Sawyer is a coming-of-age story about a clever, rebellious boy navigating childhood in a small town during the 19th century....

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) is one of the most enduring works of American literature, capturing the mischief, adventure, and freedom of boyhood along the banks of the Mississippi River. But…

26/12/2024

Ever laughed at caring way too much about a tree? 🌳 'How to Be More Tree' pairs charming illustrations with life lessons: Be authentic, plan ahead, let go, grow back stronger. 🌱 Short, insightful, joyful.

A sweet, little reminder that we are all part of something grander. Let me preface by stating this isn’t a traditional book, but a limited collage of tree species presented as analogues to life le…

24/12/2024

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki taught me that a job is only a short-term solution to a long term problem. A job is an acronym for ‘just over broke’ according to Robert T. Kiyosaki. In Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!...

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki taught me that a job is only a short-term solution to a long term problem. A job is an acronym for ‘just over broke’ according to Robert T. Kiyosaki. In Ric…

13/12/2024

In life, we sometimes make critical and trivial decisions based on our intuition. But how can we be sure our lack of deliberation serves our interests? Are we better off without a lengthy thought-process? Shoot from the hip more often? In 'Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking,' Malcolm Gladwell explores these and other questions, providing insights on the quality, or lack thereof, of these brief yet critical and often trivial decisions....

In life, we sometimes make critical and trivial decisions based on our intuition. But how can we be sure our lack of deliberation serves our interests? Are we better off without a lengthy thought-p…

03/12/2024

Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers explores how we misjudge others and the biases behind it. Eye-opening on trust, culture, and communication. 🧠📚

My folks have an everyday expression that goes ‘assumptions make an ass out of you and me’. I’d get to hear it when I made a spur of the moment decision. Malcolm Gladwell compound…

02/11/2024

The Lean Startup: Build-Measure-Learn to create products customers want. Test assumptions, pivot fast, embrace uncertainty. Essential startup wisdom on 284 pages.

An evergreen almanac for the aspiring entrepreneur. Yet the always up-to-date builder in founder mode won’t learn much. Eric Ries bestseller The Lean Startup was first published in 2011. It is sti…

28/09/2024

Matthew McConaughey's 'Greenlights': A raw, authentic journey through life's ups and downs. Part memoir, part philosophy, this book offers wisdom on embracing challenges, staying present, and living your own story.

Lean your elbow out the window and cruise down story lane with Matthew McConaughey—a father, actor, and walking wisdom whisperer. Greenlights, according to Matthew McConaughey, are an affirmation o…

19/09/2024

Nick Offerman’s Where the Deer and the Antelope Play is a love letter to nature with a side of political debate. Inspiring, but sometimes preachy. If you enjoy hikes, woodworking, and thought-provoking reads, check out my review! 🌲🪵

Nick Offerman takes us on a journey where nature meets unburdened thoughts. Nick Offerman is known for his stoic, anti-government persona Ron Swanson. In the 2021 book “Where the Deer and the…

10/08/2024

A closer look at Objectives and Key Results.

Glimpse into the world of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), a framework that John Doerr—an experienced entrepreneur and venture capitalist—champions as a tool for business success. The book’…

27/07/2024

Robert Alan Iger chronicles his ascend to power from his beginnings in television to running the Disney entertainment conglomerate. The Ride of a Lifetime is partitioned into ‘Learning’ and ‘Leading’. Each part contains seven chapters. While the subtitle implies an autobiography or account of leadership, it is written as a collection of stories that nearly all center around mergers and acquisitions....

Robert Alan Iger chronicles his ascend to power from his beginnings in television to running the Disney entertainment conglomerate. The Ride of a Lifetime is partitioned into ‘Learning’ and ‘Leadin…

08/07/2024

Adam Grant on the value of rethinking and unlearning what we know.

Questioning our beliefs and value systems is hard, but regularly revisiting, reimagining, and reconsidering our established patterns, protocols, and perspectives may help us understand why we do wh…

14/06/2024

Our decisions are flawed due to biases. "Nudge" by Thaler & Sunstein shows how small changes improve choices without limiting freedom. For a quick read, focus on the intro and conclusion.

The premise for our decisions is often influenced by imperfect information. This leads us to make poor decisions. Yet even when we have access to perfect information, we tend to make poor decisions…

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