“What are the books that contributed to shaping Shepard’s world-view?”
This is THE Shepard Humphries Reading List.
I have learned a bunch since beginning the productive stage of life at age 13. I have failed, won, been angry, reinvented wheels, been rich, been poor, been happy, been sad and have read and studied extensively over the last 35 years. I am sometimes asked for mentorship and sometimes I am hired as a consultant by businesses and individuals.
If you are willing to put in some time and work, the following reading / watching / listening list will likely benefit you, probably in different ways than my “Shepard Humphries Reading List” has helped me, and that is a good thing. 🙂 The following represents the top few percent of the books that I have read that I think are most “worthwhile.”
*Many people will read a book title or cruise through a few pages of a book, form an opinion and then say the book is lousy. Other will give it a complete reading, however their minds are closed to new information. I suggest that if you have already found the one and only complete truth about everything, further reading, especially any of the following, is not of much use to you.
** I think that “reading a book” (in common usage terms) no longer means only turning the pages of a physical book. Formats of consumption now include Kindle & audio, and while it is not “reading” a book, much great information can be gathered by listening/watching YouTube videos, so I will include some of them as well.
1. Finding Direction & Purpose in Your Life
It is no secret that Shepard believes that college is a lousy choice for 80% of people, and that there are better ways to prepare for a successful life. “Many people are over-schooled and under-educated.” -Shepard Humphries
This easy-to-read book will help the reader consider possibilities and consider a different type of life: Rich Dad – Poor Dad by Robert Kiyasaki. A great follow-up by the same author is Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki.
Unscripted by MJ Demarco
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson (I disagree with 20% of what Jordan says, but overall he is well worth the investment of time.
- Listen to Jordan B. Peterson on YouTube. I disagree with 20% of what he concludes, however the guy is really smart, politically incorrect and has some solid ideas. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodkb-qBktJI5NrUsPYpf7g
Skip College by Connor Boyack
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
99% of What You Have Been Taught is Wrong by Don Cooper
Take these two tests from Tony Robbins’ site, they will help you learn more about yourself and what will make you happiest in life.
2. Self Employed & Business
I spent many years of my life in the E quadrant (employee). I didn’t like it and was not good at it. Since then, I have been in the S quadrant (Self-Employed) and have recently become more in the B quadrant (Business) and a bit in the I (investor) quadrant.
To be the in the S quadrant, assume 80 to 110 hour work weeks for at least the first 5 years. You will earn less each year than cops, school teachers, librarians etc. This is because you will not be paid with money taken from others against their will. The people who write checks to government employees are not spending their own money, so they are much “looser” with the purse. As a person in the S quadrant, you have to intelligently and peacefully persuade others to exchange value with you. It is a big risk, but if you do it well, in time you can make a lot of money if you are not one of the 90% of businesses that fail in the first 10 years.
Not sure which quadrant is best for you? Read these two books (also mentioned above) in this order to help learn more about yourself:
-
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
- Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki
There is a great YouTube channel that offers 8-minute summaries of more than 75 great business / personal development books. The Productivity Game on YouTube I suggest watching one a day or more. They offer a free 1-page summary in the description of each video and for $10 a pdf book of all 75 1-page summaries. (I had these printed out and 3-hole punched on the right side. I put them in a notebook and then tackled one each day, watching the video, reading the notes and making my own notes to the right (on the back side of the next page)
Books by Michael Gerber. Most of them say roughly the same thing, I have most enjoyed The E-Myth Revisited and several others were also beneficial.
High Trust Selling by Todd Duncan.
EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey.
Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk.
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
In Search of Excellence by Robert Waterman & Thomas Peters
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. As a matter of fact, a great 30 minute video covering one of the topics in this book is offered in the below video, I suggest every business owner watches this!
3. Philosophy & “The Spiritual Side”
I have chosen to live a principled, moral, rational life of intellectual consistency. This is frequently in opposition to the world view of pragmatic, dogmatic, cognitive dissonance that 98% of the world has chosen, sometimes even consciously. When an individual is unlike the majority, life is not as smooth, financially profitable, friendly or welcoming. On the other hand, I sleep very well at night. If you do not have an open mind, skip to the COMMUNICATION section.
If one takes care of the means, the end will take care of itself. -Mahatma Gandhi & Carl Watner
The Most Dangerous Superstition by Larken Rose is perhaps the most important book available in our time. It is a diamond in the rough and will change the open-minded and intelligent reader’s worldview. Buy it on Amazon HERE, or it is available in audio format (free) here:
Why Won’t god Heal Amputees? This line of reasoning is in contrast to Jordan Petersen’s counsel that “belief in the supernatural is good for humanity in the long run because it provides order.”
The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin ★★★★★
Everyday Anarchy by Stefan Molyneux, a former philosopher and now mainstream “talking head.” Much of his old work is still good, and I have spent many hundreds of hours listening to his old podcast lectures searching for holes in his reasoning.
For a New Liberty by Murray Rothbard is not written for dumb people. This is a life-changing book for the literate person of intellect. If all books in the world were going to be burned except for one, this one would be a solid contender.
The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray
The Underground History of the American Educational System by John Taylor Gatto
Behind the Green Mask by Rosa Koire
4. Communication
I have long been interested in persuasion, public relations, NLP, psychology, propaganda, psychological warfare, manipulation tactics, crowd-think, sales tactics and other areas of communication. Some books worth reading on my Shepard Humphries Reading List include:
Propaganda by Edward Bernays
Win Bigly by Scott Adams
Therapeutic Metaphors by David Gordon
Behind the Green Mask by Rosa Koire
How to Argue & Win Every Time by Gerry Spence
Rules For Radicals by Saul Alinsky
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Modern Persuasion Strategies by Moine & Herd
The Crowd by Gustave Le Bon is over 100 years old and many insights remain relevant
5. Life & Being a Smarter Human
The Quotable Contrarian book of quotes by James Joseph
The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin
Territorial Imperative by Robert Ardrey
Equal is Unfair by Don Watkins and Yaron Brook
The Lessons of History by Will & Ariel Durant
Lung Cancer 101 by Lynn Sherwood. If you or anyone you know has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, learn the basic lung cancer facts with this short book. (Yes, my wife wrote this book and yes, it is free!)
Check back for more additions to Shepard Humphries Reading List!
