Instagram story viewer> @readwithpinto> Posts

JP Sykes

@readwithpinto

24

followers

34

following

Books - Thoughts - Dialogues

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Tao Te Ching offers ancient wisdom that feels surprisingly modern. Lao Tzu teaches restraint over force, simplicity over excess, and alignment with reality rather than resistance to it. At its core, the book reminds us that lasting strength comes from self-mastery, humility, and knowing when not to act.

In a world obsessed with control, speed, and noise, the Tao Te Ching is a guide for clarity—showing how calm, balance, and disciplined simplicity lead to better decisions and a steadier life.

#TaoTeChing #AncientWisdom #PhilosophyBooks #StoicReading #wisdomforlife by @readwithpinto

3

0

8 months ago

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog — Admiral William H. McRaven

This is a book I’ve returned to multiple times, and each read offers something new. McRaven distills decades of leadership from Navy SEAL training to senior command into short, practical lessons about discipline, humility, accountability, and decision-making under pressure. The wisdom isn’t abstract or theoretical, it’s earned, tested, and meant to be applied.

What makes this book stand out is how well it aligns with the broader themes of preparation, self-mastery, and responsibility found in Stoic philosophy and modern leadership thinking. Like the best books, it doesn’t just inform, it sharpens judgment. Every revisit reinforces something essential, depending on where you are in life or leadership.

#leadership
#instaread
#williammcraven
#navyseals
#stoic by @readwithpinto

4

1

8 months ago

A Short Guide to a Long Life — Dr. David B. Agus

A modern guide to living longer without the pseudoscience. Practical habits, preventative thinking, and choices that compound over time. Don’t wait for a crisis to start caring about the body that carries you through life.

Longevity is a strategy, not luck.

#health #healthfood #stoicism #health2026 #instaread by @readwithpinto

3

1

9 months ago

#stoic #stoics #stoicism #lead #truth by @readwithpinto

4

0

9 months ago

The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins is a playbook for stepping into a new role and getting up to speed fast. Watkins breaks down how to diagnose the situation you’re entering, build early credibility, shape strategy, and form the right alliances before mistakes compound. The core idea is simple: transitions are make-or-break moments, and leaders who learn quickly in the first three months dramatically increase their odds of long-term success.

Whether you’re taking over a team, changing careers, or stepping into a bigger leadership seat, this book turns a stressful period into an opportunity to accelerate instead of stall.

#leadership
#instaread
#readmore
#first90days
#leadershipskills by @readwithpinto

3

2

9 months ago

“Thanks to my reading, I have never been caught flat-footed by any situation, never at a loss for how any problem has been addressed successfully—or unsuccessfully—before.” James Mattis

Mattis spent more than four decades in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to four-star general. He led troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, later commanded U.S. Central Command, and went on to serve as Secretary of Defense. Throughout his career, he was known not just for battlefield experience, but for preparation, judgment, and a deep commitment to learning.

Known as the “Warrior Monk,” Mattis was a relentless reader of history, philosophy, and military theory, believing that books gave him access to centuries of hard-earned lessons before he ever faced them in combat. Reading sharpened his judgment, expanded his perspective, and ensured he was never making decisions in isolation. For Mattis, books weren’t academic—they were preparation for responsibility.

#read #stoic #military #instread #warrior by @readwithpinto

4

0

9 months ago

These titles explore the art of persuasion in different ways. They show how people decide emotionally, then frame it (justify it) logically. Persuasion isn’t just about selling products. It’s about leadership, negotiation, parenting, politics, media, and everyday conversations or activities in life.

The Way of the Wolf, The Like Switch, and Influence are all about how trust is built, decisions are shaped, and behavior is guided—often before people realize it’s happening.

They approach the same problem from different domains:

• sales
• social intelligence and human behavior
• academic psychology

The Way of the Wolf — Jordan Belfort (Wolf of Wall Street)
Focuses on structured persuasion: tone, certainty, language patterns, and emotional control. It’s about closing, but underneath that is something deeper—how confidence and clarity reduce resistance and move people to act. These skills don’t just apply to business and sales, but any job as well as day-to-day life.

The Like Switch — Jack Schafer
Written by a former FBI behavioral analyst, this book is about rapport before persuasion. It explains how people decide whether someone is friend or foe, trustworthy or suspicious, often in seconds. Influence starts with likability, safety, and alignment.

Influence — Robert Cialdini
Cialdini explains the psychological principles (reciprocity, social proof, authority, scarcity, etc.) that govern compliance and decision-making across cultures and contexts.

What are your recommendations?

#jordanbelfort #wolfofwallstreet #psychology #bookinfluencerscom #readmore by @readwithpinto

1

1

9 months ago

What’s your favorite work of fiction?
One of mine is Animal Farm. 🐷

It’s a short, brutal study of how ideals collapse when power goes unchecked.

The story endures because it isn’t just political; it’s human.

What’s yours?

#bookstagram #bookcommunity #readingcommunity #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations by @readwithpinto

4

1

10 months ago

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

(The Enchiridion & Discourses) How to Live: A Handbook of Stoic Philosophy by Epictetus

Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman

Courage Under Fire: Testing Epictetus’s Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior by James Stockdale

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

#ınstabooks #stoicism #stoic #ryanholiday #readmorebooks by @readwithpinto

3

0

10 months ago

TOP 5 BOOKS OF 2025

1. The Creative Act: A Way of Being — Rick Rubin
Distraction, ego, and over-control interfere with meaningful work.

2. Keep Going — Austin Kleon
Reframes the creative life as a daily practice, not a race toward recognition. Sustainability matters more than intensity.

3. Working - Robert Caro
Years of research, obsessive attention to detail, and moral responsibility to accuracy and truth. There is no shortcut, no productivity trick just standards, patience, and persistence.

4. Stillness is the Key - Ryan Holiday
Without inner stillness, talent and ambition turn destructive. Silence allows clearer judgment, and overall restraint.

5. Be Useful — Arnold Schwarzenegger
Make yourself valuable to others. Practice responsibility, effort, service, and accountability over entitlement.

#AustinKleon #RyanHoliday #RickRubin #ArnoldSchwarzenegger #bookstagram by @readwithpinto

3

3

10 months ago