Business, Life, Popular
Alex Wieckowski
How To Get An Internship

An internships is a great way to gain professional experience and learn about an industry or company you're interesting in working. Internships allow for networking, skill building and possible full-time job offers. Now, let's get you an internship!

How To Get An Internship

TRJ #19. James Altucher: How To Skip The Line To Success

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My guest today is James Altucher, the author of Skip the Line: The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals.  James is an entrepreneur, angel investor, chess master, comedian, and prolific writer. He’s also the podcast host of "The James Altucher Show" which has had over 30 million downloads.

In our conversation, James shares advice on how to get around the 10,000-hour rule, how to acquire skills quickly, why you want to learn micro-skills, the value of experimenting, and much more.

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:35] - What it means to "Skip The Line"

  • [12:41] - Why people don't like it when you try to skip the line

  • [17:01] - The importance of learning micro-skills

  • [21:50] - Writing tip: Remove the first and last paragraph from your article

  • [23:52] - 6-minute networking tip from Jordan Harbinger

  • [27:20] - Is your network your net worth?

  • [32:20] - How to get around the 10,000-hour rule

  • [39:26] - How coming up with 10 ideas a day changed James's life

  • [49:26] - How James tried to buy Greenland

  • [51:58] - How to monetize your passion

  • [57:36] - Lessons from Nassim Taleb and his books


Resources:

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TRJ #18. Blas Moros: Lessons From Reading 600+ Books & Connecting Big Ideas With The Latticework

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My guest today is Blas Moros, a talented writer and the creator of a very popular blog called The Rabbit Hole, where he's shared 600+ book summaries, along with dozens of essays and other educational resources.

In our conversation, Blass shares advice on how to choose what book to read next, the value of taking notes and writing summaries, how to find time to read more, and more great reading tips.

He also talks about the importance of playing infinite games, explains the opportunity paradox, and shares details about his newest project, The Latticework–a multidisciplinary learning roadmap that curates, organizes, and interconnects valuable ideas.


TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:55] - How Blas discovered his love for reading

  • [05:10] - How Blas chooses what book to read next

  • [06:10] - How to find more time to read

  • [08:48] - Blas's note-taking & book summary process

  • [10:48] - Ebooks vs audiobooks vs print books

  • [11:52] - How Blas uses his book summaries to grow as a person

  • [13:51] - What makes a book worth rereading

  • [16:55] - Helpful reading tips for people just getting into reading

  • [20:00] - Lessons from Blas's essay The Infinite Game

  • [25:50] - Lessons from Blas's essay The Opportunity Paradox

  • [31:30] - Why more discipline equals more freedom

  • [33:24] - Blas's newest project: The Latticework

  • [36:00] - What is first-principle thinking & how did Elon Musk use it to build SpaceX & Tesla

  • [40:10] - Explaining second-order thinking

  • [41:40] - Two books that had a huge impact on Blas


Resources:

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TRJ #17. Scott Young: How To Learn Skills Faster & Retain More Knowledge

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My guest today is Scott Young, the WSJ bestselling author of Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career.

Scott is a prolific writer who writes about learning, productivity, and habits. He is known for documenting learning challenges such as completing 4-years of MIT computer science classes in one year and learning four languages in one year.

In our conversation, Scott talks about how to learn skills faster, the paradox of learning and why sometimes learning strategies that feel that easiest are the least effective, how to remember more from the books you’ve read, how to prevent yourself from forgetting a skill, and much more.

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:44] - What is Ultralearning?

  • [04:02] - How Scott completed 4 years of MIT classes in 12 months

  • [08:37] - How to deal with distraction and procrastination

  • [13:08] - The importance of direct learning

  • [20:20] - The paradox of learning (sometimes learning that feels easy is the least effective)

  • [26:31] - How to remember more of what you’ve learned & prevent yourself from forgetting information

  • [29:25] - Why you want to space your learning and not cram for an exam

  • [31:15] - How to remember more from the books you’ve read

  • [37:55] - Advice to people starting their first ultralearning project

  • [40:26] - How to maintain skills and prevent yourself from losing them

  • [45:40] - How to raise your kids to be ultralearners

  • [50:50] - Two books that changed Scott’s life

Learn more about the author:

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Top 10 Favorite Books of 2020

Summary:

2020 was a crazy year. Fortunately, I was able to find solace in books. I finished a total of 55 books, surpassing my previous reading highs of:

This was also the first year I completed the 52 book challenge (the challenge is flawed and the 25 x 250 challenge is better for readers but that’s a story for another time).

I read a lot of great books this year in a wide range of genres. But a handful of them were truly amazing and had a big impact on my life. Here they are (in no particular order):


10) “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel

This is one of the best books on investing that I’ve read. It’s filled with 19 short stories that will teach you the psychology behind why people spend, save, and invest differently.

Morgan is a fantastic writer who knows how to entertain readers while conveying deeper lessons about personal finance. A few lessons you’ll learn: the difference between rich and wealthy, why freedom is the highest form of wealth, why the lowest-income households buy the most lotto tickets, why half of your investments can go wrong and you can still make a fortune, and so much more.

If you’re looking for a book that will help you understand why people make certain financial decisions and how you can increase your chances of becoming wealthy, read this book.


9) “Ultralearning” by Scott Young

In today’s knowledge economy, having a college degree is becoming less and less valuable while being skilled is becoming more and more valuable. And if you want to accomplish more and stand apart from everyone else, you need to become an ultralearner.

Author Scott Young shares new training methods and research about the most effective learning methods to teach readers how to master any skill faster. Young documents the methods he and others have used to acquire new skills such as earning a degree from MIT in 12 months or learning 4 languages in a year.

If you want an actionable book that will teach you how to learn faster and more effectively, pick up a copy today.

8) "The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg & John David Mann

You’ve heard of the term Go-Getter but have you heard of the Go-Giver?

The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man who yearns for success. He turns to a legendary consultant who mentors him and teaches him the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success:

  • 1) The Law of Value

    • Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

  • 2) The Law of Compensation

    • Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

  • 3) The Law of Influence

    • Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

  • 4) The Law of Authenticity

    • The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

  • 5) The Law of Receptivity

    • The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

This business fable is a fantastic read (I finished it in just a few hours). Many of the business lessons can also be applied to your personal life. If you liked The Alchemist or The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, you’ll like this book.

7) “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon

This book is an inspiring guide to creativity that helps readers discover and free their artistic side. Stealing can have a negative connotation, but Kleon teaches readers that there is an ethical way to steal (study the work of the greats, remix their work, and build what they didn’t).

There’s a lot of pressure to be original, but this book will show you that originality is overrated. The greatest of the greats all “stole” work. It’s okay to do the same, as long as it’s done properly.

In total, Kleon provides 10 short lessons that each present a different principle for developing creativity. The book is both artistic and pragmatic, which makes it an enjoyable read.

Here are a few key lessons from the book:

  • Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.

  • Write the book you want to read.

  • The secret: do good work and share it with people.

  • Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)

If you’re facing a creative block or are afraid to start your creative journey, grab a copy of this book.


6) “How To Read A Book” by Mortimer Alder & Charles Van Doren

We take reading for granted. Most people believe that reading is something you learn in elementary school and that’s all there is to it. Authors Mortimer Alder and Charles Van Doren disagree. They showed the world that reading was a skill and that people could learn different techniques and strategies to become better readers.

For instance, you’ll learn how to x-ray a book, properly critique a book, and the four levels of reading: elementary, inspectional, analytical, and syntopical, along with many more reading tips.

I hope to one day write a sequel to this book and share all the reading tips I’ve learned throughout my reading journey and interaction with thousands of readers.


5) "Tiny Habits” by BJ Fogg

BJ Fogg, has studied behavior for over 20 years and founded the behavior design lab at Stanford. Reading his book is like getting a PhD in habits–it’s the most detailed and practical habit book I’ve read.

If you want to learn a simple, scientifically sound, and reliable way to build new habits, sustain them, and start to make other positive changes in your life, you need to read Fogg’s book. Since he’s both a professor and researcher, he’s able to convey the science behind behavior without making it feel like you’re reading a textbook.

Even if you read a lot of other habit books, this book is filled with original lessons. For instance, the Fogg Behavior Model will teach you how motivation, ability, and prompts play a role in every single behavior you do. You’ll also learn about the importance of celebrating your success after accomplishing a habit, why emotions, not repetition wire habits, the role of identity in building habits, and much more.

If you enjoyed reading The Power of Habit or Atomic Habits, you’ll love this book.


4) “Nobody Wants To Read Your Sh*t” by Steven Pressfield

If you’re a writer, this book is a must-read.

Pressfield has experience in every area of writing (advertising, fiction, self-help, screenplays, and more) and in this book he shares countless of valuable lessons he’s learned from over four decades as a writer.

Here are a few tips I picked up from the book:

  • Streamline your message: Trim it down to the simplest, clearest, and easiest-to-understand form.

  • Understand that no one wants to read your writing unless it’s valuable and the readers feels they’re gaining something from the transaction.

  • Start at the end of the story, then write the climax, and then the beginning.

  • What idea should you write about? The one that scares you the most.

  • Think in multiple drafts: You can’t fix everything in one draft and thinking in multiple drafts helps take the pressure off.

If you enjoyed The War of Art or are looking for a writing book that’s both entertaining and educating, grab a copy today.


3) “Limitless” by Jim Kwik

Our brain is one of the most complex tools in the world and no one really tells us how to use it, until now.

Jim Kwik is a brain coach and has written the owner’s manual for mental expansion and brain fitness. In his book, Kwik reveals science-based practices and field-tested tips to improve your memory, focus, and reading ability.

A few lessons from the book:

  • Healthy brain foods: Avocados, blueberries, broccoli, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon, and walnuts.

  • Sleep is crucial for brain health: It helps remove neurotoxins and distribute components that enhance cellular repairs.

  • IQ may be fixed but intelligence levels aren’t. If you’re constantly learning, you can get smarter.

  • If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.

In the book, Kwik also dispels common brain myths, teaches readers how to study better, and provides strategies to become a speed reader (stay tuned for an article about it). If you want to be a better learner then this is a great book to read.

 

2) “Indistractable” by Nir Eyal

This is a book EVERYONE should read. Why? Because we all experience distraction and can benefit from learning how to deal with them.

Nir explains the psychology behind what causes distractions and shares a ton of practical steps on how to manage it. He also teaches readers how to hack back meetings, smartphones, group chats, and emails.

If you enjoy want to learn how to better use technology and stop spending so much time on your devices, you’ll love this book.

1) “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant” by Eric Jorgenson

This book is a compilation of all of the best advice from entrepreneur, investor, & philosopher Naval Ravikant.

Naval shares tips on how to get rich without getting lucky, why you need to own equity to become wealthy, how to happier, helpful life advice, and much more. If you want to become healthier, wealthier, or wiser, read this book.

If you follow Naval on Twitter or enjoyed reading Poor Charlie’s Almanack or Poor Richard’s Almanack, you’ll love this book.

My 10 favorite books of 2020.

My 10 favorite books of 2020.

TRJ #16. Alex Banayan: How To Achieve Your Dreams, Overcome Rejection, & Network With Anyone

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My guest today is Alex Banayan, the author of the #1 international bestseller The Third Door: The Wild Quest to Uncover How the World's Most Successful People Launched Their Careers.

At 18-years old, Alex won The Price Is Right and sold the grand-prize to fund his journey of tracking down the world’s most successful people to uncover how they launched their careers. He interviewed Bill Gates, Tim Ferriss, Steve Wozniak, Warren Buffett, Larry King, Maya Angelou, and many more incredible individuals.

In our conversation, Alex shares advice on how to pursue your dreams, overcome setbacks and rejection, the books that changed his life, how he met Tim Ferriss and learned his secret cold email technique, an exclusive look into Alex’s new book, and so much more.

This is a podcast you do not want to miss.

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:39] - How the book Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh changed Alex’s life

  • [07:40] - Why Alex Banayan and I love books

  • [09:30] - How to find the courage to pursue your dreams

  • [12:24] - The Third Door analogy explained

  • [16:17] - Alex & Books’ Third Door journey

  • [19:00] - How to deal with setbacks and rejection

  • [27:06] - How Alex used The Third Door method to interview Tim Ferriss

  • [36:00] - Lessons from being over persistent

  • [41:35] - Two books that changed Alex’s life

  • [45:42] - EXCLUSIVE: Alex’s talks a bit about his upcoming book


Learn more about the author:

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Connect with Alex & Books:

Got to meet Alex Banayan on his book tour.

Got to meet Alex Banayan on his book tour.

TRJ #15. Robin Hanson: Understanding The Hidden (& Darker) Motives of Human Behavior

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My guest today is Robin Hanson, the co-author of The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life. Robin is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University.

In his book, Robin explores the hidden (and sometimes darker) motives in everyday life. Robin talks about the hidden meaning of body language, how humans deceive themselves and others, the dark motivation behind charity donations, how sex, status, and politics all play a role in our motives, and much more.

If you’re into evolutionary psychology or ever wondered why humans act the way they do, you’ll find this conversation fascinating.


TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:45] - What is the elephant in the brain?

  • [03:45] - Hidden motives in chimps

  • [05:54] - The 3 main games people play: sex, status, and politics

  • [07:58] - Social norms & hiding our darker intentions

  • [13:20] - Understanding the secret message of body language

  • [18:12] - The hidden motives behind buying luxury items

  • [23:32] - The darker motives of why people give to charities

  • [27:47] - Hidden motives of speaking

  • [31:29] - Why people laugh & how it serves as a signal to others

  • [36:17] - How this book can help you develop a new mental model of the world

  • [41:06] - The hidden motive behind the educational system

  • [44:52] - Two books that had a big impact on Robin


Learn more about the author:

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe & write a positive review.

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Connect with Alex & Books:

TRJ #14. Nir Eyal: How To Become Indistractable & Control Your Attention

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My guest today is Nir Eyal, the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nir Eyal is a bestselling author, former Stanford lecturer, and behavioral design expert.

In Indistractable, Nir explains the hidden psychology behind distractions and shares practical advice on how to get the best out of technology without letting it get the best of us. In our conversation, Nir talks about what really drives human behavior,  what to do when you get distracted, how to prevent distractions such as email and smartphones, how to raise kids to use technology properly, and much more.
 

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:43] - What it means to be Indistractable

  • [03:17] - Why discomfort is the root cause of our distraction

  • [05:33] - The opposite of distraction is traction

  • [10:14] - Why you shouldn't shame or blame yourself when you get distracted

  • [15:17] - The role of willpower and mindset in minimizing distractions

  • [17:46] - How knowing your values & planning ahead helps avoid distractions

  • [22:51] - Greg McKeown & Essentialism

  • [24:11] - How to hack back emails

  • [31:17] - How to hack back your smartphone

  • [36:22] - How to make your kids Indistractable

  • [41:50] - Kids & social media

  • [43:48] - Two books that had a big impact on Nir Eyal

Learn more about the author:


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TRJ #13. Eric Jorgenson: Health, Wealth, & Wisdom from Naval Ravikant

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My guest today is Eric Jorgenson, the author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness.  Naval Ravikant is the co-founder of AngelList, an investor in 200+ companies, and considered by many to be a modern-day philosopher.

This book is a collection of Naval's wisdom and experience shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews, essays, and podcasts. In our conversation, Eric shares Naval's advice on how to build wealth, learn the skill of happiness, become a better reader, and much more.

You can get a free ebook copy of the book here: navalmanack.com

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:41] - The background story of this book  

  • [03:18] - Who is Naval Ravikant?

  • [05:13] - How to get rich without getting lucky

  • [08:12] - If you want to get rich, you have to own equity

  • [11:23] - How you can use leverage to create wealth

  • [16:27] - Why you want to productize yourself

  • [21:27] - Happiness is a skill you can learn

  • [32:03] - The benefits of meditation & how it can make you happier

  • [37:25] - How Naval reads books & reading tips

  • [43:33] - How has Eric evolved after studying Naval

  • [46:12] - How to apply what you read 

  • [49:50] - Books that had a huge influence on Eric & how they changed him

  • [54:50] - Update on Alex & Books 

Learn more about the author:

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Connect with Alex & Books:

TRJ #12. James Altucher: How To Choose Yourself & Live Your Dreams

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My guest today is James Altucher, the author of several books including the WSJ bestseller Choose Yourself! He is an entrepreneur, angel investor, chess master, comedian, and prolific writer. He is also the podcast host of "The James Altucher Show" which has had over 30 million downloads.

In our conversation, James shares advice on how to find your passion, why you should choose yourself and not wait for the approval of others, advice from billionaires, how to be happy, and much more. 
  

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [1:14] About James Altucher & his background  

  • [2:49] The benefits of trying new things

  • [4:54] What it means to Choose Yourself

  • [9:56] We live in a Choose Yourself era

  • [12:52] How to find your passion

  • [23:21] You don't have to quit your day job to be an entrepreneur

  • [25:47] Dealing with failure & how to keep going when things get tough

  • [29:53] Why you should experiment often & share your ideas 

  • [32:13] How to be happy & the role money plays in happiness

  • [35:04] How James was able to overcome depression & rebuild himself from nothing

  • [41:10] Things James learned from interviewing billionaires

  • [46:06] It's never too late to Choose Yourself

  • [49:00] Books that had a huge influence on James & how they changed him

  • [53:38] How James inspired me to choose myself & start this podcast


Learn more about the author:

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TRJ #11. Greg McKeown: How To Master Essentialism & Focus On What Matters

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My guest today is Greg McKeown, the NYT bestselling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. He teaches and lectures about the importance of living and leading as an Essentialist around the world. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review. He also holds an MBA from Stanford University.


In our conversation, Greg teaches us how to be an Essentialist, the importance of trade-offs, why it's important for adults to play and get plenty of sleep, how to say no to opportunities, how you can apply Essentialism to leadership, and much more.
  

TIMESTAMPS:

  • [00:41] Defining Essentialism & why Greg wrote this book   

  • [02:49] Why trade-offs can be a good thing 

  • [06:34] Zoom fatigue & work-life balance

  • [13:00] Why being always busy can be dangerous  

  • [16:28] The benefits of play as an adult

  • [20:55] Greg McKeown & BJ Fogg's conversation 

  • [24:49] The role of sleep in being a high performer

  • [29:28] How to say No & when to pass on opportunities

  • [35:39] How to uncommit from a project or opportunity

  • [40:56] How to apply Essentialism to leadership 

  • [50:31] Books that had a huge influence on Greg & how they changed him


Learn more about the author:

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Connect with Alex & Books: