Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

by Timothy Ferriss

Advice to your 25-year-old self? “Don’t be so fucking shy. . . . Dude, I can still think of instances within the last 24 months where I think, ‘Man, Richard, I wish you had been more forward. I wish you had asked for X instead of being so subtle and implying it.’ I try to go for that subtle, elegant thing, which sounds really nice. I think part of that is actually being shy. Sometimes, the clues that you put outwardly are too subtle to be heard, or someone is just talking louder than you.”

“Love yourself . . . You’ve got to love yourself before you can love others. Without it, nothing productive is going to happen, and we can all bang our heads on the wall.”

“Art is socialism but life is capitalism,”

One of his favorites is just three words from Ezra Pound, which Mike considers one of the best quotes for writing: “Only emotion endures.”