I did quite a bit of "reading" this year primarily (all) through the wonderful world of audio-books (audible is actually a great service!). For one reason or another I can never find time to sit and read, but audio-books have allowed me to really dive into to a lot of interesting things this year while walking, working-out, driving, and pretending to be engaged in a conversation.
I've narrowed down my list to five of my favorites and quick reasons why I found them inspiring and worthwhile.
Reason I found it inspiring? - Jim Henson is probably my biggest hero. It's also a fantastic study into sticking to doing what you love and having others follow it.
Major Takeaway? - It is possible to make money doing what you love (in fact you probably should). I found it even more inspiring that Jim Henson was essentially an ad-man for almost 20 years before the Muppet Show as we know it even existed. A lot of his beloved projects were failures at the time (Dark Crystal, The Jim Henson Hour) but eventually people caught up to where he was at. This is also a great study of Jim Hensons vision and dedication to his art-form. Much like Walt Disney, Henson was deeply interested in utilizing cutting edge technology to tell stories. For those that aren't familiar this book also touches on some of his more experimental works that helped pave the way for the Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock later on.
Console Wars
Reason I found it inspiring? - This era (mid-80s through the early 90s) has quite possibly shaped our industry more than any other. The men and women that worked during this era blazed quite a few trails against some very harsh odds.
Major Takeaway? If you want a mostly true novel like history of what was going on behind the scenes while we were all just children playing these games this is the book for you. I found this book to be more interesting than anything. As far as a personal take-away goes I found it comforting and inspiring to make bigger gambles in life and to always try and be a part of something new and maybe even dangerous. A sneak peek into how Sega marketed the Genesis is also fascinating in and of itself. I had always wondered about the back story to the old screaming "Sega!!" ads
The Nerdist Way
Reason I found it inspiring? - This book is all about getting on your grind. It encourages you to set goals and use your interests as a way to make a mark on the world. I've actually listened to this book a few times and find that while I'm listening I feel less trapped in life and more able to take control to make great things happen.
Major Takeaway? Learning how to look at yourself through a different lens can help you become the person you want to be. It's SO easy to get caught up in whatever situation we are in and think that this is all there is. This book helps to dispel that myth and puts the control back in your hands. It's a self-help book for sure (I secretly love those) but advice such as "exercise, be honest with yourself, and GET THE FUCK OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING" can't be argued with.
Marvel Comics The Untold Story
Reason I found it inspiring? - Well for one, because I'm a huge nerd. The second and probably more inspiring aspect to this book is the age of Stan Lee when Marvel Comics started to take off (his mid-30s). Wait I'm in my mid-30s! WHAT Maybe there is still time.
Major Takeaway? Marvel Comics (at the time anyway) really never pushed the "Comic Book Artist as Star" that we see today. They really built their empire on the backs of quite a few unsung heroes. Bigger takeaway though???? The seventies Marvel Comics (some of the more out there ideas and concepts), were fueled by a lot of drug use. THESE GUYS DID ACID. It makes so much more sense now. If I was a comic writer when I used to do acid I'd be a lot further along. In retrospect I should have become a writer for comics before I did acid. If your a fan of comics or want perspective on pop-culture media in general this is a great read. The people that laid the groundwork for this industry dealt with all of the negative trappings of the games industry about 40 years before we had to.
The 4 Hour Work Week
Reason I found it inspiring? - I saved the best for last. This book is one I recommend to almost everyone. If you are unable to implement some of the teachings in this book it is at least inspiring to know that some of these things are possible. This book is not a book about being lazy (which is why I avoided it for a number of years). Instead it's really a hard look at why we work, who we work for, and most importantly how we can take back our time through automation and avoidance. This book has inspired me to trust my staff at GL33k more and has allowed me to focus on what I'm actually good at.
Major Takeaway? - The biggest takeaway form this book was the concept of deferred retirement. We scrimp and save for retirement so that one day (supposedly) we can drive an RV around, or travel the world, or play golf or whatever. I personally don't want to wait to travel the world until I'm 65. I'd rather do it now while I'm in the best shape of my life. After reading this book I've decided to start living abroad for at least one month out of each year. Why not? I can work remotely (when I was in France last year my output was almost triple). I'm glad I waited to read this book honestly, my work ethic has been completely fear driven and I've lost a lot of time in life working to simply work. It's finally time to work to live and not live to work.