July 2024 – Mike’s Reading List
Audio Books
The Comfort Crises – Michael Easter – I love how Michael weaves a major overarching story rich with discomfort into some well-researched drawbacks of modern-day Easy Street. Ironically, I listened to this book while training for a 100-mile Ultra.
Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough – Michael Easter – I couldn’t get enough of Michael’s research and fantastic storytelling, so I purchased and listened to the Scarcity Brain. This book is rich with data on how our brains have evolved over a long time, but in some ways, it hangs on to primitive coding.
Poor Charlie’s Almanac – The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger – Charles T. Munger – Charlie was the famed partner of Warren Buffet and one of the wealthiest humans on the planet before he passed away in November of 2023. This book is, in part, a curation of some of the most famous talks he gave over the years. I’m particularly fascinated by the mental models he used to govern his business and personal life.
The Gospel According to Paul—John MacArthur—I set a goal this year to read one book of the Bible deeply. I’m still in research mode, but I found this book helpful. My heart is leading me toward the Book of Acts. I will keep you posted.
Books
Exactly What to Say: The Magic Words for Influence and Impact- Phil M Jones – I label this a sales book, but I can certainly see the impact it can and will have in your life. Clocking in at 131 pages, several filled with giant font quotes, it packs a simple punch. I highly recommend it if you are in a profession requiring you to pitch goods and services – B2B or B2C. You have likely heard all this before, but Phil puts it in easy-to-read, highly actionable sound bites.
Elon Musk—Walter Isaacson: This is the best book I’ve read this year. Elon is a modern-day icon. Love him or hate him, he has done a lot for humanity.
Articles
Gen AI: A Cognitive Industrial Revolution—Silicon Valley pioneer Reid Hoffman explains why we should view generative AI as a “steam engine of the mind” that promises to alter our professional and personal lives profoundly.
I wouldn’t say I like Reid’s politics, but I enjoy his take on most things in Silicon Valley.
Automation Boosts Maintenance Efficiency, Effectiveness—Ed Finkel—This is a Great article on organizational design. It highlights tech solutions for service (maintenance) teams and provides practical examples from Tropicana Properties, Summit Property Management, Weidner Apartment Homes, and Olympus Property.
Navigating The Future Of Real Estate Investing With AI: Insights For Small-Business Owners – Ellie Perlman
Centralization: Why Property Admin is the Real Story – Dom Beveridge
The Right Kind of Stubborn | Paul Graham – Paul writes some good stuff on various topics. This piece does not disappoint.
Newsletters
Thesis Driven—Substack—Brad Hargreaves | Thesis Driven is a paid subscription newsletter about real estate. It’s worth every dime!
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About Mike Brewer
My mission is to tease out the human potential in the multifamily space.