Book Review By K.S.Loganathan
Eric Jorgenson has compiled the reflections of American Angel Philosopher Naval Ravikant on wealth and happiness in the form of an executive summary in this self- help book.
Ravikant asserts that in the modern technological world, the democratization of technology allows anyone to be a creator , entrepreneur, or scientist. It is important for an individual to build specific knowledge on the bleeding edge of trends in technology, design, and art and to leverage this expertise with money in your own name, people and assets like code and media that work for you when you sleep. One must become an expert in a brand- new field in nine to twelve months and put it to use in three- four years. It is not enough to have studied the “right” thing a long time ago or to depend on decrees or degrees; the best work is in the creative expression of continuous learners in free markets. You are never going to get rich renting out your time: you must own equity , assets, and apply the compound interest principle to multiply your wealth.
Become the best in the in the world in what you do in the fields which cannot be easily replicated, he says. But if you simply network and do not do business, it is a complete waste of time.
The second part of the book is on being yourself in the moment and being happy . It draws heavily from ancient Buddhist and Stoic philosophy .Recommendations are given on the books to read on micro- economics, game theory ,psychology, persuasion, ethics , mathematics, and computers, to build foundational skills.
Overall, the book presents an interesting point of view on building startup wealth: however the presentation is repetitive and lacks specific details or examples of how to choose a field or business. It will be of interest to those who are graduating and entering the job market in a free economy.
