A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; likewise, the limitless knowledge that can be obtained from books starts with a single page. There are vast amounts of great books in the world, old and new, spanning every subject imaginable. Whether your interests lie in starting a business, increasing your wealth, improving your golf swing, or getting a six-pack, there are likely hundreds, if not thousands of books on each of these topics. I believe that in order to increase motivation, maximize the amount of knowledge one can consume, and have an upgraded mindset for success, there are certain books that should be consumed first to accelerate learning. You may consider these to be personal development, motivation, or self-help books. However, I view them as the Foundation to my journey as a reader.
Read moreMotivation and Information for New Entrepreneurs: 'Just Startup'
Many of us are infatuated with the idea of being an entrepreneur and the potential to be your own boss, pursue your passions, and achieve financial freedom. Most people don't want to take the huge risk that is involved with starting a business or they don't know where to begin. Others take the plunge and invest their time, money, and energy into their dreams. Some of these people achieve success, others are lucky to breakeven, and even more crash and burn because of one or more of a number of reasons...
Read moreThe Worst Films of 2015
First, the good news: 2015 was a fantastic year at the movies. There were great original stories, sequels done right, adaptations that match their source material, and more. But for every great movie, there are a ton of bad ones too. For those of you with short memories, 2015 was also when we watched Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) bathe in raw sewage, the Entourage crew prove their alpha-douche toxicity could not be contained to the small screen, and a recent Oscar winner giving such an over the top, hammy performance while at the same time wearing such a sparkly costume, that I reckon he’s been taking wardrobe inspiration from Jareth the Goblin King (if you haven’t seen Labyrinth, you really should).
Read moreChange Your Life and the World with a Book (AlphaNerd Book Club Introduction)
Increasing the amount I read has had an incredibly profound impact on virtually every aspect of my life. From entrepreneurship and leadership to motivation and personal development to health and science, I have gained invaluable knowledge and years worth of wisdom through a relatively small investment of my time in these books. Furthermore, works of fiction and biographies stimulate the imagination and expand creativity and problem-solving skills. I wrote in my article on Implementing Small Habits to Create Big Change that the habit of reading daily has added more to my life and moved me closer towards reaching my goals than any other of the habits and routines I have. I generally strive to make the most out of my time by eliminating bad habits, minimizing frivolous activities, and maximizing the number of productive events in my schedule. Consuming books - either through reading or listening to an audiobook - is an extremely productive and rewarding activity that I find myself making more and more time for and continue to reap the benefits. I want to share this with you by not only providing motivation and strategies to read more, but also by distilling the information I have learned from my favorite, most life-changing books in a new series of AlphaNerd Book Club articles
Read moreThe 15 Best Films of 2015
I'm often able to squeeze in a dozen or more films in the last couple weeks of December - mostly stuff that others have told me is worth checking out that I either missed when it came out in Chicago or titles that simply never came out locally. I hope you dig the list and that it gives you some ideas for purchases, streaming, rentals, and most importantly, going to the theater and checking them out on the big screen (a few of these are still in theaters). I saw a lot of good movies this year, so condensing this to 15 was not easy...
Read moreThe Hateful Eight Movie Review
Quentin Tarantino's unrequited love for 60s era spaghetti westerns is again on full bloody display in The Hateful Eight. It is a gruesomely violent, garrulous, and protracted homage to a style of filmmaking the director fervently adores. Shot in 70mm with an overture, intermission, and score by the legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone; The Hateful Eight clocks in at a staggering three hours and seven minutes. The film is an ugly, yet fascinating discourse on race relations and loyalty.
Read moreThe Revenant Movie Review
Years from now when people look back at “The Revenant,” one thing is really going to stand out – the brutality of this film. This movie depicts both man and nature at their worst and it absolutely glues you to the screen. The movie is part survival story, part revenge tale and it depicts both unflinchingly.
Read moreHow Star Wars has Influenced Modern Computer Science
In honor of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this Thursday, December 17th, the New Jersey Institute of Technology computer science program wanted to commemorate the event with a video that looked at how Star Wars and other bedrocks of the science fiction canon influenced and predicted the future of computer science.
Read more