100 Books Like If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules

I loved this book because the author has such an incredible, authentic voice. Being a professional poker player turned consultant; she helps readers get comfortable with not knowing the outcome, being uncertain, and ultimately getting used to the idea of placing bets.

I loved the book because it helped me relax. Rather than stressing if the countless decisions I made every day were the right ones, it helped me see that I was making bets, running experiments, and constantly testing what worked. It helped me take myself less seriously, and it helped me see that even if an experiment failed, it would provide valuable learning and growth. As she references from her time on the world poker circuit, losing is not the end of it as long as you learn from your losses. 

The Millionaire Mind is a non-fiction book that provides a detailed analysis of the traits and characteristics of millionaires in the United States.

From the outside looking in or from what we are taught you understand that wealth was passed down and most rich people came from money or are extremely smart. Based on reading this book, I understand that it is a false narrative and in fact almost 95% of millionaires are self-made and were B & C students in college.

This book is what helped me actually change my beliefs on becoming a millionaire and made it a reality. Understanding that most millionaires were just like me but looked different and had similar backgrounds, I just followed the steps that they did and achieved the same goal.

This book will actually help you become a millionaire or at least help you understand it’s possible for anyone who applies… show more.

Here is a book that I found to be highly engaging. The Greek philospher Plato was quoted as saying that "you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." If so, he has offered us a valid rationale for taking a stroll with someone whom we've just encountered, versus meeting at, say, a restaurant. The authors discuss one study where up to 90% of 5-year-olds tested as being highly creative. Yet by age 7, this figure declines 10%, and then declines to 2% after age 8. Hence, creativity seemingly declines as structured education begins.

Creativity involves the pressure to 'keep up' along with a bombardment of information. The accelerating pace of environmental damage is symptomatic of damage to the human spirit. One centurion said, “I lived my life" so that I would exceed age 100. For nearly all of his life,… show more.

It is easier to say what the ‘new, new thing’ is not than to say what it is. It is not necessarily a new invention. It is not necessarily a new idea – most everything has been considered by someone, at some point. The author explains that the new, new thing is a notion, poised to be taken seriously in the marketplace. It is an item that is a tiny push away from general acceptance and when it gets that push, will change the world.

In 1921, Thorsted Veblen predicted that engineers would one day rule the U.S. economy. He argued that the economy was premised on technology and that engineers (in today’s terms, ‘computer science majors’) were the only ones who understood how technology worked. So, inevitably they would use their superior knowledge to seize power from the financiers, captains of industry, and other business elites.

New growth theory… show more.

When we come to understand that successful people truly are just ordinary people, just like ourselves, who simply refused to give up on their dreams, it can provide us with the inspiration and motivation to push ourselves that little bit more, to reach higher and succeed too.

Nothing is quite as motivational as reading about the success stories of other people just like you; people who have set out to achieve some big goal, have overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, and have come through against the odds. This book is jam-packed with such stories and is a real pleasure to read.

Brian Tracy was one of my early mentors. He taught me the keys to success and happiness. He changed my life and gave me the personal development bug. He has studied all types of successful people and has written over eighty books. I love this book because charm is a big part of being charismatic. This book gives you more confidence by building trust and using that innate charm to be more likable and win the support of others.

Ellen and I participated in the same self-defense course, Impact Personal Safety, in San Diego County, CA. The course taught me how to deliver a knockout punch against an assailant. That skill gave me confidence that I could protect myself and I finally broke out of the protective shell in which I'd been encased since my attack. Her book reinforced the truth that it's okay and, in fact, life-saving, to fight back.

My 18-month-old and I read this together. She loved saying “roar” whenever she saw the lion. Of course, she made me smile, but I also loved that she was hearing the message. She isn’t old enough to understand it yet, but my older daughter got it. We all have the mouse and the lion inside and that’s okay! Courage isn’t loud and bold; often, it’s found in the small moments. 

A lighter examination of how your friends become family when your family isn’t always as supportive as you need them to be. Though Savvy’s relationship falls apart at the beginning of the book, she has the exact people in her life to help her see her worth isn’t defined by the man who loves her, but how she ultimately learns to love herself. And, not to mention, it’s a fun rom-com where Black love is at the center of the plot! We need so many more of these books on shelves.

This is such a fantastic read. It offers little reminders to reinforce how special and unique each and every one of us are. From thanking your freckles to not being invited to the party—the book will leave you feeling proud of who you are.

This book has been an especially useful tool while raising my two daughters to help teach confidence, individuality, and kindness to yourself and others.