The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability by Lierre Keith

An impressively researched and cogent  argument against vegetarianism by a former vegan. The book is broken into four parts, each representing four lines of argument: the healthfulness of a vegetarian diet, the financial cost of it compared to eating meat, the environmental impact of grain production, and the ethical issues.

The research is deep. The arguments are strong. And the anecdotes are persuasive.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book was a section at the end where the author bizarrely goes off topic and – without providing a shred of evidence – blames all the evils of the world on white men.

Killing Sacred Cows by Garrett B. Gunderson

Gunderson explodes 9 myths that keep people from achieving wealth. Since I agree and have written on most of these topics, I found the book generally useful and smart.

The writing, though, is second rate. And there are some problems. For example, his arguments in support of cashing in 401 (k)s, taking the 10% penalty and tax hit, and then putting the remaining money into a business or real estate are based on unrealistic expectations of return.

He does make a good point when he says that cash flow is more important than net worth. I’ve said as much many times. And I like what he says about velocity of money. With countries, it is the GDP divided by the money supply. With individuals, it is the output divided by the input. In other words, don’t let your money sit for long periods of time in a 401(k), earning – if you are lucky – 8% and deferring pleasure till you are 65. Use it now to create value (and cash flow) for yourself and the rest of the world.

“The Future of Higher Education: Apprenticeships vs. Business School” by Peter Diamandis

The university system in the USA is a huge business. It thrives on higher-than-inflation tuition increases and big donations from successful alumni.

Some of the smartest people I know believe that college education is outdated. They argue that a motivated person would do better learning on his own, for free.

I’ve argued with them over the years. My view, in a nutshell, is that the value of an intellectual environment and mentorship on the core skills of success – thinking, writing, and speaking – cannot be overestimated.

But it’s becoming more difficult to make that case today. First, because liberal arts programs are increasingly devoted to leftist ideological positions. (The “diversity” provost at the University of Michigan earns $400,00 a year.) But also because technical education, in today’s interconnected world, moves way too fast for academics to keep up.

In this recent essay, Peter Diamandis compares the value of getting an MBA from Harvard or Yale to joining an apprenticeship program where future entrepreneurs get to work on current business challenges in real time. LINK

The 5 AM Club: OwnYour Morning/ Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma.-Deserted gas station. Three in the morning. I said something about virtue to the clerk in the little glass box. She said, “You know what the greatest virtue is?” “Tell me,” I replied. “Getting up early,” she said. And then she shut off her microphone and turned away from me.

A year later, I started Early to Rise, a blog about – among other things – personal productivity. I wrote many essays about the importance of getting up early and getting to work before the rest of the world. Some of my readers weren’t happy with my stance. “Everyone has their own time clock, they argued. Mind your own business.”

I’m still an advocate for getting up early, even for people who, like me, consider themselves to be “night people.” So I was happy to come across The 5 AM Clubby Robin Sharma. I was hoping it would validate my personal experience with lots of science and terrific stories about all the people who attribute their success to early rising.

Alas, it is one of those parabolic books – in this case, a parable in which the guru is a billionaire. Ugh! Why did he have to be a billionaire?

I skimmed the book, looking for something new and/or insightful. Didn’t find it.

A blog entry from a friend of mine that tells an important truth about competition – even when it is unscrupulous…

Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin.- It is generally believed that people’s natural talents are what turn them into world-class performers. But, in fact, as this book shows, talent has virtually nothing to do with performance. True world-class performance is built over a long period of time using deliberate practice – i.e., zeroing in on the critical aspects of a skill with laser-sharp focus, practicing them repeatedly, and getting quality feedback. Colvin argues that, with the proper motivation, you, too, can use deliberate practice to improve in any field.

Bill Bonner on “How the Feds Socialized American Capitalism”

“Reefer Madness” Is Back.- You’ve been hearing and reading so much about CBD and THC medicinals – products from hemp and marijuana plants that have been recently legalized and supposedly provide all sorts of health benefits. Here’s a concise explanation of the two from a colleague I trust.

The latest issue of The Barefoot Writer

Including:

* The “Golden Goose” of Writing* The Secret to My Lucky Life as a Freelance Copywriter

* 3 Penny-Pinching Marketing Tips to Attract Your Dream Clients

The Culture Map; Breaking Through the Invisible Barriers of Global Business by Erin Meyer

There is something that feels contrived about this book. These broad generalizations are fun to talk about, but the reader wonders if they are actually true. Is it really true that Americans prefer candor and even bluntness in most areas of communication but not for criticism?

Also, there is a great deal of variance within any cultural group. My partner Bill is very Japanese in his mode of expression, preferring subtlety and indirectness to my preference to make my point as simply and directly as possible.

That said, the thrust of this book is true: Different cultures have their own styles of communicating – passing along information, giving feedback and criticism, giving compliments, and persuading others of their ideas.

Americans precede anything negative with three nice comments. The French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans get straight to the point. Latin Americans and Asians are steeped in hierarchy. Scandinavians think the best boss is just one of the crowd. It’s no surprise that when these people try to talk to each other, chaos breaks out.

I thought that after more than 40 years of living internationally and doing business in dozens of countries I’d have all of this figured out by now. But I haven’t.