Book Review - The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning by by Scott Galloway
Rating – 3/5
My favorite quote from the book:
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Wrapping up another great book of the year.
"Love and relationships are the ends - everything else is just the means." - A beautiful way to end a mathematical life lesson, as shared by Scott Galloway. It’s a witty, practical and (at times) emotional journey of Happiness, which I found extremely relatable. In this journey, Scott writes about focusing on fundamental things, understanding them and also writes about the importance of being Patient!!
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Wrapping up another great book of the year.
“Algebra Book” is an authentic and sardonic pitch for a life well lived. Recommended for anyone looking to get a rope around self, career and direction.
I've been on a non-fiction binge lately, and this particular book demonstrates you don't need to be a philosopher to have learned (and to pass on) some great life philosophies.
I liked this book, but there's not much algebra in it. Again, the Book Cover/Title attracted me. Which seemed to be misleading. Started with cute algebraic equations about life, followed by a 2nd half in which Prof. Galloway discusses (beautifully) his transformation into a loving family man. But in the end, the author crystallized his idea.
A concise worthwhile book with some useful insights. Most of the content should be obvious to people who have read anything in this genre previously (exercise regularly, increased wealth leads to higher life satisfaction but only up to a certain point, the power of compound interest) however it's the nature of these topics that we need to be reminded of them continuously, which this book does well. There are also a few principles stated through a "business school" framework which I thought was a valuable unique viewpoint, i.e. invest in relationships regularly and often and the results will compound over time, as with financial investments.
A large part of the book consists of the author recounting certain life experiences and drawing lessons from them, which I thought was overall accretive. It’s always helpful to understand how others have dealt with life's obstacles. However, I noticed that there was too much that was spoken about the author’s personal life circumstances. For the first 25 pages or so, there can be found some content that applies to those of us having full time jobs and looking to accomplish a side dream through hard work.
I like the fact that the author considers himself a bit of an asshole, but I can’t recollect the same in rest of the book at all. No wait!!! Just Have kids!!! That's the ultimate note on happiness (which I, myself have been hearing a lot these days). Just have kids. Doesn't matter if you got divorced earlier. Doesn't matter if you are an asshole. Have kids. Delight in kids. At some point, it started to feel like it’s an autobiography and how he feels when he thinks about and spends time with his kids. Even kids the focus of his oatmeal. Just have kids, for God’s sake! What were you thinking?
There is a quote that I enjoyed very much, "the ratio of time you spend sweating to watching others sweat is a forward looking indicator of your success," says Scott Galloway.
This reminds me of what Brian Tracy once said, "Your success in life will be in direct proportion to what you do after you do what you are expected to do." Another thing that Scott Galloway mentions is that, through studies, we have discovered that we are happiest when in motion, meaning some exercise every now and then is good for your being.
Page#97:
Page#118-119:
I've been on a non-fiction binge lately, and this particular book demonstrates you don't need to be a philosopher to have learned (and to pass on) some great life philosophies.
I liked this book, but there's not much algebra in it. Again, the Book Cover/Title attracted me. Which seemed to be misleading. Started with cute algebraic equations about life, followed by a 2nd half in which Prof. Galloway discusses (beautifully) his transformation into a loving family man. But in the end, the author crystallized his idea.
A concise worthwhile book with some useful insights. Most of the content should be obvious to people who have read anything in this genre previously (exercise regularly, increased wealth leads to higher life satisfaction but only up to a certain point, the power of compound interest) however it's the nature of these topics that we need to be reminded of them continuously, which this book does well. There are also a few principles stated through a "business school" framework which I thought was a valuable unique viewpoint, i.e. invest in relationships regularly and often and the results will compound over time, as with financial investments.
A large part of the book consists of the author recounting certain life experiences and drawing lessons from them, which I thought was overall accretive. It’s always helpful to understand how others have dealt with life's obstacles. However, I noticed that there was too much that was spoken about the author’s personal life circumstances. For the first 25 pages or so, there can be found some content that applies to those of us having full time jobs and looking to accomplish a side dream through hard work.
I like the fact that the author considers himself a bit of an asshole, but I can’t recollect the same in rest of the book at all. No wait!!! Just Have kids!!! That's the ultimate note on happiness (which I, myself have been hearing a lot these days). Just have kids. Doesn't matter if you got divorced earlier. Doesn't matter if you are an asshole. Have kids. Delight in kids. At some point, it started to feel like it’s an autobiography and how he feels when he thinks about and spends time with his kids. Even kids the focus of his oatmeal. Just have kids, for God’s sake! What were you thinking?
There is a quote that I enjoyed very much, "the ratio of time you spend sweating to watching others sweat is a forward looking indicator of your success," says Scott Galloway.
This reminds me of what Brian Tracy once said, "Your success in life will be in direct proportion to what you do after you do what you are expected to do." Another thing that Scott Galloway mentions is that, through studies, we have discovered that we are happiest when in motion, meaning some exercise every now and then is good for your being.
Nuggets:
Page#97: 
Idolizing risk-takers: “The truth about 90% of entrepreneurs is that we start companies not because we’re so skilled, but because we don’t have the skills to be an effective employee. On a risk-adjusted basis, being an employee of a good or great firm is more rewarding than being an entrepreneur.”
Page#118-119:
“Studies show that marriage is advantageous economically. Having a partnership, sharing expenses and responsibilities, being able to focus on your careers, and utilizing the wisdom of crowds (couples) generally leads to better decisions (“No, were not buying a boat). There is a streamlining or choices, which lets you allocate your attention capital to things that grow, instead of decline, in value (your career vs your attractiveness to others or being seen at the right places). Once, married, your household worth grows at an average of 14% a year. Married couples, by their fifties, on average have 3x the assets of their single peers. The key? Taking the whole ‘till death do us part’ seriously, as divorce seriously eats into the 3x.”
Looking for the cheat sheet version of the book? @profgalloway (the mastermind) has a 10 minutes video version on YouTube too.
Take Away:
- Hunger is more important than talent. I've often said that I would rather a worker who has incredible drive than one who has little drive and loads of talent. I've seen too many of the latter and have actually played a role in helping a few to get jobs.
- Review the metrics in your life on a regular basis — everything from relationships to your net worth. Assess the "stuff" that really makes you feel valued. Measure what matters.
- Fear of rejection is a bigger obstacle than lack of talent. Train yourself to take some sort of risk each and every day so you get comfy grasping beyond your reach. Learn from rejection.
- Be a role model to someone. Make a major difference in someone's life. "Remarkable men can become irrationally passionate about the well-being of a child who isn't theirs..."
- Most depression isn't feeling sad but feeling nothing.
- The magic box of compounding interest is most valuable to those who least understand it - the young.
- Being rich is spending less than you earn. There are people earning $3M and spending $3.1M. They are not rich.
- Money can buy happiness ... to a point. Then the correlation stops. Work your butt off to get some level of economic security and then focus on investing in the things that bring you joy.
- In the end, relationships are all that matters.
Quick & easy read and plenty to take away
This book is mostly a collection of blog posts by Scott about love, success, and health where he talks about different life lessons he has learned over the years. He also talks about how his perspective has evolved as he gets older. Things that used to matter a lot don't matter at all anymore. I don't agree with all the life lessons mentioned in the book, but it was nice to read what he thought about the many important things, we all go through in our lives.Looking for the cheat sheet version of the book? @profgalloway (the mastermind) has a 10 minutes video version on YouTube too.
Worth a watch. 👍
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Shi"tare"
#thakataregirl
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