10 Books That Helped Me — Chris Studer
“Books have been my friends.” This popped into my head the other day and I decided to finally write this blog. I constantly share what I’m reading with friends and people I cross paths with, so I may as well write it in a more accessible and organized format. I have taken inspiration, advice, and — I think most importantly — companionship, from the books and authors I’ve listed below. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, but these books have been there for me, and have helped me navigate so much. I hope that if you’re reading this, you will benefit from them too — whether that be to learn, to think, or just to be entertained. And to all those who write, and document other people’s challenges (or your own), please don’t stop. You’ve helped me more than you know!
To begin, I should say that I am blessed with an incredible job (and a beautiful life, but these books have helped mostly in my professional realm so I’ll stick to that). Being the Exec Director of Get REAL is fulfilling, exciting, and packed with amazing people and moments. It’s taken me to 5 provinces and 2 states, and out of necessity forced me to develop countless skills from videography to damage control PR. I‘ve spoken to more than 50,000 youth since we began, and have had a vast number of people tell me Get REAL open their eyes to ideas about acceptance and empathy, or gave them the courage to be themselves, leaving a lasting impact on their life and the lives of their friends and family. Those are the moments that will stay with me forever. As for myself, I learn new things and meet new people just about every day, and have way too much fun doing so. All of this means a lot to me, and I am grateful every day to be able to do this with my life.
That being said, it’s a tough gig. Entrepreneur-style hours and stress beyond anything I have ever experienced have shown me just how far I am able to push myself, and that has taken a toll. Mentally I feel drained, physically, I feel exhausted, and emotionally — to put it simply — I have often felt quite lonely. A lot of that comes from trying to insulate the people I love and care for and work with from my stresses (something I am actively working on). But as so many of us know, not talking about stress can make that journey even tougher. However, these challenges have also helped shape who I am. They’ve helped me grow, appreciate what I have, and define what happiness and success mean to me. And I have had a ton of help. Family, friends, significant others, co-workers, mentors — wonderful, loving, patient rocks of support, encouragement, excellent brain cells and generous wisdom. You know who you are, and I hope you know how grateful I am.
The loneliness I mentioned before, therefore, isn’t for a lack of great people in my life. It’s just a reality — a product of feeling trapped by my stresses. As I mentioned, I’m trying more and more to talk about this phenomenon with my supports. Funnily enough, the more I open up to others, especially in the entrepreneurial sector, the more I’ve listened to struggles I had no idea were occurring. So that direction is excellent. But still, in those toughest moments, it’s just myself, the seemingly insurmountable task or series of tasks, and that loneliness. That is how books have come to be my friends! I look back fondly on all the moments when it felt like I was reading a certain book, at a certain time, for a reason. Arriving at a certain passage, right when I needed it the most. These companions have ridden countless buses and subways with me, making me laugh and think and learn through their great stories. Here are 10 of the books that have helped me the most.
- “Elon Musk — Telsa, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future” — Ashlee Vance
This is hands down the most important book that I have ever read. Aside from being an urgent call for more ideas that will help our planet, this is a story about determination in the face of incredible adversity. The biggest lessons I took from this book were keeping your focus when simultaneous shit-shows are occurring, and staying determined after failure. I have found that often, tough life hurtles and tough work hurtles pile on at the same time. This book was amazing inspiration for dealing with that. Some of the passages are incredible, like the nail-biting period when the future of both Tesla and Space X hung in the balance: morale was low, finances were strained, and success seemed basically impossible. But Musk’s incredible drive and focus ensured the success of both ventures. Life isn’t a batting cage; fast balls aren’t lobbed at you one at a time in organized fashion. Life is curve balls, that can be whipped at you from all different directions. But if you can keep your focus, there’s a chance to manage multiple onslaughts of stress. Staying determined after failure was the other motivating theme of this book: admitting to setbacks, learning from mistakes, rolling up your sleeves, and diving back in with renewed determination, energy reserves, and a good attitude for your team. Musk is the definition of this, especially following the many failed rocket launches at Space X that in an instant destroy astronomical amounts of time, money, and morale. Re-reading these passages has brought me inspiration and motivation, time and time again.
2. “My Life” — Bill Clinton
A mountain of a book, this was one of the most fascinating stories I have ever read. I always take autobiographies with a grain of salt, and politics with a heaping spoonful, and this is still a must-read. What was most amazing about this story were the many moments when human flaws were laid bare for the world to see, alongside — simultaneously — the unbelievable demands of a head of state (and not just any head of state, the head of the U.S. in the 90s). This book made me reflect on my own challenges, and my own flaws. So much of this book is about grappling with what it means to be a better person, a better adult, a better partner, a better leader, etc. I’ve read a lot of autobiographies, and very few have gone so deep and so often into self-reflection, which makes for a great read — for anyone interested in a glimpse of what it’s like to run America, and for anyone striving to better themselves. By that I don’t mean “striving to better themselves and be more like Bill Clinton”, by any means; I mean a book of consistent, thoughtful articulations of recognizing personal flaws, short-comings, failures, the times we should have listened to our gut, and the times we should have learned from those around us. “My Life” also gives some insight into how much Hillary has endured, and how smart and how tough she is, for all of her flaws as well. This book was so human in this way, and offered a lot of motivation for my own life.
“It’s a saga worthy of Cecil B. DeMille, a rags-to-riches tale full of the stuff of human frailty, with a cast of hundreds, complete with low-life villains and high-minded heores…” this excerpt from The Star Ledger is also one of the best book reviews I’ve ever read, so I wanted to include it here as well.
3. “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed” — Jon Ronson
This was a gift from my cousin and one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. Excellent writing and research by Jon Ronson. For 2017, this is a must-read. Navigating a public shaming was one of the most challenging moments of my life. I wish I’d owned this book then, although those first 3 days took 120% of my energy and focus. What was amazing to me was the intense will to shame and the lack of will for any conversation from most people involved, much of which stemmed from a disconnect created by social media, which doesn’t exactly humanize targets of outrage. When I did speak to people (not through facebook or twitter, but in person or over the phone), they either immediately became more reasonable, and willing to engage in a productive conversation about steps forward, or they completely shut themselves off. I have had the latter group often say something to the effect of: “Well, fine, I didn’t know that… but it doesn’t change how I feel, or how you/they should have acted”, upon hearing that the basis for their anger was information that was lacking a major set of facts (or was completely untrue). It can be frustrating, exhausting, overwhelming, and all-consuming when in the thick of it, but fascinating as a phenomenon when observed at a distance. Ronson’s book examines public shaming as a mechanism of punishment through the ages, the will (and thrill) to engage in it en masse, the damage that can occur to the shamed (and shamer, at times), and so many interesting and bizarre cases of people who got caught in the public shaming machine and where their lives went afterwards. There is a blurring of reality, always: what is real and what is broken telephone; who deserves a measure of punishment for proven transgressions and who is guilty from the first headline, and beyond all hope of redemption, compassion, or further proof. Like me, you will likely agree with some points more than others in this book; but either way, the case studies alone are worth the read — especially if find yourself there one day.
4. “Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money” — Nathaniel Popper
The story of Bitcoin is amazing, and will be a riveting film one day. To be honest, this book mainly helped take my mind off of stresses, because it was so much fun to read. It has a cast of characters who are intelligent, brave, tragic, and ridiculously entertaining. From the mysterious creator of the block chain Satoshi, to the “return” of the Winklevoss twins, to the paranoid-turned-murderous founder of Silk Road Ross Ulbricht, Bitcoin swept up economists, venture capitalists, and criminally inclined opportunists from around the world. The result is a book of non-stop action that is hard to put down. Popper has also provided fantastic conversations about economics (it doubles as a crash course in economic theories, the growing global marketplace, and the history of currency), and wonderful logic games. It’s extremely analytical, and various debates rage throughout the book between legislators and proponents, with the former accusing the latter of being irresponsible, dangerous renegades, with no business trying their hand at creating a new currency; and the latter despairing at the former’s apparent lack of vision, and defending the value, usefulness, and security of a system so complex that the average person needs it explained to them at least twice. Because of so much backlash and controversy about the system itself, this book naturally contains great thinkers — risk takers and survivors who have managed to remain both out of jail and profitable. One example is Blockchain.info, which avoided legal crackdowns related to accusations of currency-trading with a simple, brilliant move: offering a service to only hold onto the private keys of their customers’ Bitcoins, rather than any actual Bitcoins themselves. Food for the brain, a wild, surreal and entertaining story, this book was everything I wanted in small, quiet moments on the streetcar, going between stressful meetings.
5. “A Big Life in Advertising” — Mary Wells Lawrence
This book is a wonderful account of advertising, leadership, and proving people wrong. Mary Wells Lawrence was the first woman to own her own ad agency, and the first female CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. She has a wonderful mind and is a great story-teller. From writing one sentence pitches selling jeans, to joining Bill Bernbach’s groundbreaking creative agency DDB, to branching out and starting her own firm, this is an inspiring tale of someone who was destined for greatness, willing to work hard for it, and who also saw the joy and laughter and beauty in life wherever possible. This book is also a great pick for anybody interested in management and leadership. Mary was beloved, admired, and respected by employees, peers, and clients alike. She was as generous as she was demanding of her employees, and she had a gift in maintaining and nurturing relationships. I loved reading about how she would devour literature about the subjects her clients found interesting, and then astound everybody at a meeting or a dinner — especially in a male dominated field such as advertising. Talk about seeing no obstacle too big to tackle. I re-read this book on an international flight last year (a long one, to Japan), and the stories are as inspiring as ever.
6. “Losing My Virginity” — Richard Branson
All I have to say here is, what a story. This guy is the definition of “let’s do it”, and has a ton of guts (literally — he has attempted some of the most astounding feats of physical and mental endurance I’ve ever heard of, often in boats and hot air balloons around the world). Branson has been a bold entrepreneur in a million fields, including student politics, music, aviation, telecom, finance, and space travel. He’s got incredible instincts, and wicked powers of observation (especially in the Virgin Records / Music days), and has stayed the course in the face of smear campaigns, near-financial ruin, and the hordes of people trying to bet against him. A few of the tales — writing letters from high up in a damaged hot air balloon to beg heads of state not to shoot them down over China; and flying into a war-zone in an empty plane to rescue hostages in Iraq — are honestly nothing short of astonishing. This book helped me with a lot of tough decisions and was also very refreshing in the “being able to laugh at one’s self” department.
7. “An Empire of Their Own” — Neal Gabler
Following — primarily — the lives of Adolf Zukor (Paramount Pictures), William Fox (Twentieth Century Fox), Harry Cohn (Columbia Pictures), Louis B. Mayer (Metro Goldwyn Mayer), Carl Lamaelle (Universal Studios), and the Warner Brothers, this is a tale of visionaries, unsung heroes, inventors and brilliant marketers. This book is amazing. These guys were almost all punching up — tough young upstarts who wanted not only to create a business (and ended up creating an entire industry), but who also strived to influence politics, instil values, and create a brand new life for themselves through their medium of film. These people dreamt big. As a lover of movies, this book contains so many historical moments — the origins of the Hollywood spotlight, the movie premiere, the trailer, the studio logos, the film actor’s guild, the Hollywood McCarthy trials, the list goes on and on. As for the main characters, you don’t create what they created without being thoroughly entertaining yourself. A few moments I love are Jack Warner watching his script writers through binoculars, and phoning management if a writer paused from his type writer even for a moment, and Harry Cohn’s response to why his desk was placed so far away from the entrance of his huge, foreboding office: “Because by the time they reach me, they are already broken.” There are many, many lessons in this book but mostly what I took out of it was vision. It takes guts, hustle, and a fair share of good luck to make that vision a reality, and this book has been pure inspiration to me, for getting out there, rolling up my sleeves, and diving right into an idea, big or small.
8. “Decoded” — Jay-Z
From the man himself, Decoded is a non-chronological series of anecdotes and observations about music, business, fame, money, and values, strung together and told alongside a library of amazing songs. Jay-Z is a huge proponent of never making the same mistake twice, getting what is owed to you, and going your own way against people who don’t believe you have anything to give — lessons I find myself remembering daily. While there’s little to no mention of Beyonce, Kanye, or starting a family, the memories are colourful, and the observations reveal the way Jay-Z’s mind works and how he views the world. My favourite anecdotes are about being careful, and realizing that one of your richest assets is you — your mind, body, instincts, decision-making, courage, and your stamina. Look out for you, and take care; to quote the Godfather, “I’ve worked my whole life not to be careless.” A ton of fun for any fan of hiphop and music history, it’s brilliant just to look back on someone who was at a time snubbed by the industry he came to first influence, and eventually dominate. He just kept quiet, took care, worked hard, and kept his eye on the prize. That’s Jay-Z. Retiring on top, returning with a vengeance, mentoring some of today’s biggest stars, and with a song anthology anyone would be proud of — quite a feat, and very inspiring. “I’m not a business man, I’m a BUSINESS, man”. Preach.
9. “The Smartest Guys In The Room” — Bethany McLean & Peter Elkind
This book blew my mind, mostly because I was young and wasn’t paying much attention during the Enron crisis. It’s a surreal saga of greed, arrogance, and kidding yourself that everything’s fine. The title is quite ironic — I spent the entire book wondering how all of these wickedly smart people created schemes that were so spectacularly stupid. Skilling and Lay (and even Fastow to an extent), had enough brains and work ethic to make it (read: become very, very wealthy) in the legitimate business world. Instead, they took the quick and easy route (you can picture Yoda shaking his head) to become fantastically wealthy, but through complicated, illegal schemes that were inevitably going to fail. But, as Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong once said: “When you start thinking that you can create something out of nothing, it’s very difficult to resist.” The lessons I took from this book were the importance of integrity, of not taking short cuts, and of tackling problems and challenges head on, no matter how anxious they may make me. Not knowing, or knowing in the back of your mind that something is wrong, is always more damaging, more anxious, and more hindering in the long run.
10. “The Beatles” — Bob Spitz
Last but not least is my favorite music biography of all time — Bob Spitz’s “The Beatles”. This is a great book about music, but I love it because it’s also about fate, and all the work that goes into making sure fateful meetings amount to something. Two visionaries from Liverpool who were truly meant to meet; a band that was meant to be managed by the tragically manic Brian Epstein who hustled and believed in them more than just about anyone would have at that time; and all of whom were meant to be assigned to a brilliant pariah of a producer (Sir George Martin) by EMI (who, in doing so, were actually hoping to set him up for failure so they could fire him once and for all). It’s an amazing story — the Beatles may have had the necessary talent to be destined for greatness, but it was their work ethic, Brian’s hustle, and Martin’s vision that tipped the scales from what could have been to what was meant to be. And that’s a great way to look at life, in my view. You may have all the talents to have a successful career, but will you put in the work? You may have all the people to have a happy family and meaningful friendships — but will you put in the time? You may have the right, wonderful person to have a amazing relationship — but will you put in the heart? Amazing, once-in-a-lifetime people and opportunities have entered my life. I’ve come to realize that whether it’s fate or random doesn’t matter unless I act on it to find out. I can’t pursue everything, and probably shouldn’t, in the best interest of my own mental health. But some things are worth it, and I’ve begun to realize it’s about recognizing the difference. Certain things are too important to pass up, to let float by me without hard work, to miss being there for with my full attention. There are certain people who need me now, not later; and certain life decisions that I look back on and say “Thank God I showed up for that; for them; in spite of whatever was going on in my life at the time.” This book is full of such moments, and that is why this is last on this list. So many of the things that land in our path, fate or not, are truly worth rolling the dice for.
So — that’s my full list. The overarching themes from all of the above were determination, learning, and courage. Determination to grow, to build, to make it, to create something, to build bridges, to prove people wrong, to be good to others, and to try again at any and all of these things, no matter how hard they seem. Learning from everyone, everything, every experience good, bad, and ugly, and retaining a constant thirst for knowledge and curiosity about the world. And the courage to follow your gut, pursue a crazy dream, stand up to those who want you to fail, or for what is right, or for what you believe in. The courage to admit to failure or problems or to be vulnerable. The courage to be unapologetically yourself, and also the courage to know when you need to work on yourself for the sake of those you love, those who count on you, or both.
I also wanted to put this out there — if you are struggling, stressed, overwhelmed, or need someone to bounce something off of, don’t just hold it in. Try and talk about it. Check out the array of amazing mental health organizations or support groups out there (CAMH, Jack.org, the Jed Foundation, Kid’s Help Phone). Talk to a therapist or a counsellor: a confidential, expert sound-board can do wonders, I know from experience. Or honestly… just message me. I might not be able to relate to exactly what you are going through, but I do know that keeping things bottled up is unhealthy for most, if not everyone. And I am 100% willing to listen. While we’re on the topic, a good friend recently floated the idea of an entrepreneurial support group — to meet up, share failures, fears, strategies, struggles, and open minds. I loved this idea, and am going to help however I can.
Lastly, of course, please message me about books. There is so much inspiration and knowledge out there — books, podcasts, movies, documentaries, videos. I try to share as much as I can (without boring loved ones to death talking about bitcoin) and I love finding out what has helped other people. I feel it’s in that spirit of sharing to end off with a video I listen to just about every morning to start my day. I’ll close with a few of my favourite lines:
“You will never, ever be successful, until you turn your pain into greatness. Until you allow your pain to push you from where you are, to push you to where you need to be. Stop running from your pain, and embrace your pain; your pain will be part of your prize, a part of your product. I challenge you to push yourself.”
“When everybody is against you, or don’t believe in you anymore, let me tell you something, that’s a lonely feeling.”
“When things don’t work out for you, when things happen that you could not anticipate, what are the reasons you can think of, that can keep you strong?”
“When you have some goal out here that you are stretching for and reaching for, that takes you out of your comfort zone, you will find out talents and abilities you have, that you didn’t know you had.”
“If you’re waiting on your next door neighbor to make it happen for you, it may not happen. If you’re waiting on your mother, or your father, they may be so ancient in their thinking, that they don’t understand this oportunity that you have, and if you’re waiting on them it may never get done.”
“There will never be a point in your life, where it’s the right time to do a great thing. If you’re waiting for that perfect, perfect moment, that perfect timing, it’s not going to happen; you know what you have to do, you have to create the perfect timing, the perfect moment, and the perfect situation.”
Keep learning. Keep building. Keep hustling. Keep dreaming we can have a real part in improving our world. Keep trying to be better. Just don’t keep silent. It helps to talk, and share what you’ve been through. Who knows, you might inspire someone to pursue their own dream, or to open up and ask for help. And I couldn’t think of two things more meaningful than that.
Chris Studer
Exec Director, Get REAL
