I don’t fear the man who knows 10,000 kicks. I fear the man who has practiced one kick, 10,000 times.

Bruce Lee

At some point in every ambitious person’s life, myself included, you channel your ambition towards knowledge acquisition. You read everything you can get your hands on. You challenge yourself to see how many you can read in a year.

Only after going down this road for several years do you realize there is value in slowing down. You start retaining more. Then you start coming back to the same books you read 2 years ago, and you’re shocked by how much you learn. You reread the fundamentals.

You’re a different person now, so the stories hit you in a different way.

That is where I am now. I take my time. I reread great books.

In particular, I’m committing myself to only listening to two audiobooks for the next 6 months, rotating back and forth, trying to really get the principles into my subconscious.

Those two are:

1. Influence
2. Never Split the difference.

Whether you are an executive or an entry-level employee, a salesperson or a doctor; single or with 3 kids – you can always benefit from understanding human psychology and negotiation more thoroughly.

I’ll share one practical takeaway from each with you:

1. Reciprocity – in “influence” the author shares how servers who leave mints with the check get a noticeable increase in tips, or how retail stores that give a free glass of water have a better chance of closing a sale. Here is a good summary of “influence”.
2. Tactical Empathy – is a way of showing someone that you a) are listening and b) understand where they are coming from by putting a label on the emotion someone is feeling. Watch this clip of the author breaking this down.

What is a book that is important enough to you that you have reread it?

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