It may seem like I've done a lot of reading recently. In reality, I've just finished a lot of reading recently. I've had a lot of books (especially non-fiction) spinning all at once, and they've all kind of wrapped up.
Last week I finally finished reading Gorilla Mindset by Mike Cernovich. This is one that I've been reading since the beginning of the year. That's pretty odd, because one of the great things about this book is how quick and easy of a read it is.
"Wait a sec," you say. "How does that work?"
This book took me a long time to finish because I was too busy implementing it. Even before I was halfway done, I knew there were things in the book that I wanted - that I needed to do. For myself, I decided to focus on a few things at a time rather than trying to make every change all at once. I've had good results with that.
Let me get this out of the way: I detest self-help books. Most of them are completely full of s*** and aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Most of them give you advice that isn't all that helpful. Which is fine, because most of them are written for people who don't actually want to change. This book isn't like that. Mr. Cernovich actually wants to help you. For the typical self-help reader, that will make this a book they don't actually want. But for those looking to actually improve their lives, this is the rare self-help book that's actually worth a damn.
The frustrating thing about reading this book is how many of Mr. Cernovich's suggestions are ways that I used to live my life. I've let many of them slip. I had good reason to. I had some specific life circumstances that I had to react to. But those circumstances are long over, and it's well past time that I returned to my old mindsets. This book gave me the boot to the ass that I needed to do that. It also brought some excellent new ideas that have proven to be very helpful.
One other thing that's truly great about this book is that it's not wasting space on filler. A great many non-fiction books have a single great idea, cover that idea thoroughly in the first few chapters, and then spend the rest of the book repeating that same idea over and over and over. It's the reason why I have shelves full of non-fiction books that I've never finished. Once I got the concept, the rest of the book just wasn't worth reading. This book isn't like that at all. Each chapter is actually covering something different. Each chapter covers the basic concept, gives some examples, and then gives a checklist and some "homework" at the end. A few of them also have some interviews with experts. That's it - there's no wasted filler.
As Mr. Cernovich himself points out, not every piece of advice in here is for everybody. There are a few things in the book that I don't think will actually work very well with my own base personality. Take what works for you and apply it. As for the rest... see if you can apply the concept in another way. But if you can get through this entire book without finding two or three changes that will help your life in a major way, then congratulations on the amazing life you already lead. Keep living that life. For the rest of us, this book is a gold mine.
Gorilla Mindset gets five out of five stars. This book is an absolute must read.
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Reviews with images
It seemed like a re-hashing of select danger and play articles
I've known about Mike for a while. I posted on the same internet forum he used to frequent and was a regular visitor to danger and play. I originally was going to give this book a 3 star review. After my first quick read through, I didn't find anything remarkably new or revolutionary. It seemed like a re-hashing of select danger and play articles. I stowed the book away and continued down my reading list. However, I had several respected friends that wouldn't stop talking about how much of an impact Gorilla Mindset was making on their lives. I decided to give it another try. I read it a second time and then a third. It started to sink in. I realized Mike's content wasn't the issue, it was me. If you're an aware type A person, it's very easy to fall down the rabbit hole of reading self-improvement books but never changing your behavior. Your evaluation shifts from one of finding quality actionable advice to collecting and hoarding novelties, theories, and hacks. You have to be receptive and action-oriented to squeeze the most utility out of Gorilla Mindset.Below are some of the practices I've implemented because of Gorilla Mindset:-Morning routine of contrast shower, abundance stretches, and 5 minutes of visualizing my future immediate goals using all 5 sense if possible-Longer visualization sessions about my perfect day/perfect life. This is a great way to have a dialogue with yourself about want you actually want. It's shocking but I often get so lost in the rat race that I neglect to ask myself what I want, which leads you to make decisions for others and not yourself.-Being aware of self-talk. I self-talk, either vocally or in my head, every day and I rarely ever label it as self-talk. Without labeling it you can't control it. Once you realize you're self-talking you can guide it down a different path or change the conversation.-Having a mantra. Mine personally is "leap, and the net will appear". Repeating this to myself at stressful times has led to action over procrastination.There are a lot more but I encourage you to buy the book and find out for yourself!
Top reviews from other countries
Glauber Cardoso de Oliveira
Pragmatic and concise book
Reviewed in Brazil on January 27, 2020RENE FAJER CRUZ
El libro que me faltaba leer
Reviewed in Mexico on November 14, 2017
