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Matt Karamazov | Book Reviews πŸ“š

@themattkaramazov

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🧠 Book Reviews/Recommendations (All Genres)
πŸ“– I’ve Read 1,518 Books So Far | Goal: 10,000
πŸ“• Education is the Path to Freedom
πŸ“š My Reading List + MoreπŸ‘‡
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"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." -Frederick Douglass, anti-slavery hero and major bibliophile πŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈ Around ten years ago, I started keeping track of all the books I read (and taking notes on the things I found in those books that I never, ever wanted to forget), and today, that list has grown to more than 1,100+ books. I've also been working out since I was about 16, but I really only started taking it seriously about four years ago. Then, about two years ago, I became OBSESSED with training, and that's when my results really started to accelerate. It is BOOKS, and READING, however, that have given me the life I enjoy now. I can't even describe in words what those 1,100+ books have done for me (ironic, given how much I read haha), but I know that books contain magic and power that you really can't find anywhere else. I'm always at risk of rambling, but I'll just say that reading and lifting are pretty much the two keys to life, and I will be here for a long time spreading that message to as many people like you as I possibly can. You can find my full Reading List at my website (link in bio), as well as all my notes from those 1,100+ books on my Patreon, but here are a few people I want to give credit to here in this caption: Photo Credit: @shauntheshooter Tan: @alltan_everything Gym: @worldgymdartmouth My Training Inspirations: @tomplatz for showing me why I can never, EVER allow myself to leave the gym a loser. @makaveli_motivation for their WILDLY motivating YouTube videos that I've been watching and listening to every single day for the last 3 years, especially during my workouts. @brandonanthonyflihan for setting the standard for personal trainers everywhere. @merkelfitness for his training programs that I used in preparation for getting cut for this shoot. @gregogallagher for his programs that I used to build muscle mass over the last few years. And a Special Mention: @firstbookorg for giving kids everywhere the opportunity to experience the magic of reading - the same magic that has fundamentally transformed my entire life and opened up my future πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š Follow me @themattkaramazov for more! taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia by @themattkaramazov
109
4 years ago
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β€œA room without books is like a body without a soul.” -Cicero, ancient Roman statesman and philosopher πŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈπŸ“šοΈ Will Smith - a very wise man - once said that the two keys to life are running and reading. I'd probably say that the two keys to life are LIFTING and reading, but reading is definitely one of them! He's certainly right about that! Seriously: I can't even IMAGINE what my life would look like without books, and I can't imagine where I'd be without the gym. The gym and the library can transform your entire life before your eyes, and I know this because that's EXACTLY what I experienced when I began to get serious about reading great books and lifting heavy weights. I LOVE inspiring others to pick up a great book and some challenging weights every so often (hopefully every day!), and that's what I write about at The Competitive Advantage, my Substack publication that you can find at the link in my bio. In short, I believe in helping others win. So that's what I try to do here on Instagram. Life is just BETTER when we all support each other instead of trying to tear each other down, and making other people's lives better is one of the things that make life worth living. Speaking of being helpful and giving to others, here are a few people I want to give credit to here in this caption: Photo Credit: @shauntheshooter Tan: @alltan_everything Gym: @worldgymdartmouth My Training Inspirations: @tomplatz for showing me why I can never, EVER allow myself to leave the gym a loser. @makaveli_motivation for their WILDLY motivating YouTube videos that I've been watching and listening to every single day for the last 3 years, especially during my workouts. @brandonanthonyflihan for setting the standard for personal trainers everywhere. @merkelfitness for his training programs that I used in preparation for getting cut for this shoot. @gregogallagher for his programs that I used to build muscle mass over the last few years. And a Special Mention: @firstbookorg for giving kids everywhere the opportunity to experience the magic of reading - the same magic that has fundamentally transformed my entire life and opened up my future πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia by @themattkaramazov
43
4 years ago
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β€œIn my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time – none, zero.” -Charlie Munger πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š If you don't love to read, you just haven't found the right book! My life's work is connecting the right people with the right books, and a GREAT way to do that is to survey book summaries and sample LOTS of books, so you can then make the decision about whether or not you want to read the whole thing. The problem? Well, the problem is that most book summaries are sooo boooring! Reading the worst book summaries, you're thinking to yourself, "Did this person even READ it?" Well, at the Stairway to Wisdom (my library of book "breakdowns"), I take AIM at all the cheap, useless, boring book summaries out there and strive to give you something BETTER. After reading more than 1,100+ books, I've selected the very BEST ones, and written about them more in-depth, but also in a much more fun, interesting, and engaging way. There are breakdowns of The Philosophy of Money, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Can't Hurt Me, Atomic Habits, yes, but there are also breakdowns of AMAZING books that most people have NEVER heard of. Anyway, if you think that's something you may be interested in, you can find a link to Stairway in my bio! Lastly, here are a few people I want to give credit to here in this caption: Photo Credit: @shauntheshooter Tan: @alltan_everything Gym: @worldgymdartmouth My Training Inspirations: @tomplatz for showing me why I can never, EVER allow myself to leave the gym a loser. @makaveli_motivation for their WILDLY motivating YouTube videos that I've been watching and listening to every single day for the last 3 years, especially during my workouts. @brandonanthonyflihan for setting the standard for personal trainers everywhere. @merkelfitness for his training programs that I used in preparation for getting cut for this shoot. @gregogallagher for his programs that I used to build muscle mass over the last few years. Special Mention: @firstbookorg for giving kids everywhere the opportunity to experience the magic of reading - the same magic that has fundamentally transformed my entire life and opened up my future πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š taken in Halifax Novia Scotia, Canada by @themattkaramazov
33
4 years ago
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The Brothers Karamazov was a "Before/After" book for me. My life (and the rest of the world) looked one way BEFORE I read it, and after I looked up from the final page, everything was TOTALLY different. And maybe it wasn't that the world had changed...but I had. In fact, I can VIVIDLY remember being just...completely astonished throughout the whole book. Floored by what Dostoyevsky had done to me. Anyway, don't just take my word for it! Check out these fantastic books for yourself: πŸ“– The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky πŸ“– War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy πŸ“– Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky πŸ“– The Insulted and Humiliated, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky πŸ“– White Nights, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky And there are sooo many other GIANTS of Russian literature besides these two heavyweights! Here are just a few of the others that I've read, and can recommend to you too: πŸ“– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn πŸ“– Anna Akhmatova πŸ“– Anton Chekhov πŸ“– Mikhail Bulgakov πŸ“– Vladimir Nabokov πŸ“– Yevgeny Zamyatin ....and sooo many others!! Russia really does have a supremely rich literary tradition, with sooo many incredible writers, poets, novelists, and more. I hope this post encouraged you to check a few of them out for yourself! Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
8
5 days ago
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Most self-help books won't change your life. But a handful genuinely can. Okay, so 90 books are more than a handful haha. BUT... After reading 1,500+ books, these are the self-help titles I think deserve a place on your bookshelf. πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š Comment "100" and I'll send you my personal list of 100 books that will greatly improve your life. πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š From the list of 1,500+ books I've read, I'd say about a third of them could be classified under "self-help." Maybe more or less depending on your definition (there are MANY classic novels that are absolutely self-help books too, fight me lol). But a few common themes stand out among all of them. In no particular order... πŸ“– You are CAPABLE of changing, growing, and improving. Today, and every day for the rest of your life. It's never too late. πŸ“– Small, seemingly insignificant actions lead to MASSIVE results over time. The compound effect is real. πŸ“– Who you surround yourself with matters to an INSANE degree. If someone's not helping you get bigger, they're keeping you small. πŸ“– Changing your life, getting better, improving yourself, etc. is a noble pursuit. That's what self-help books are designed to help you do, so don't let ANYONE make fun of you for reading them. πŸ“– We all tend to overestimate what we can do in a day or a year, but massively UNDER-estimate what we can do in a decade. THINK BIGGER. I could keep going, but those are just a few of the important lessons that came to mind first that I wanted to pass on. Because I've learned a TON of incredible stuff from these awesome books! I owe it to you to pass them along :) Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
20
9 days ago
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I went through the list of 1,532 books I've read since 2014, found 413 that would be classified under "philosophy," and then selected the 90 BEST philosophy books from that list. πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š Comment "100" and I'll send you my personal list of 100 books that will greatly improve your life. πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š What's crazy though is how many CANONICAL philosophy books aren't here! What I've read is insane, but what I HAVEN'T read is insane too! I mean, I still haven't read... πŸ“– Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle πŸ“– Politics, by Aristotle πŸ“– Ethics, by Baruch Spinoza πŸ“– The Social Contract, by Jean-Jacques Rousseau πŸ“– The World as Will and Representation, by Arthur Schopenhauer πŸ“– Either/Or, by SΓΈren Kierkegaard πŸ“– Fear and Trembling, by SΓΈren Kierkegaard πŸ“– Twilight of the Idols, by Friedrich Nietzsche πŸ“– The Birth of Tragedy, by Friedrich Nietzsche πŸ“– On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill πŸ“– Being and Nothingness, by Jean-Paul Sartre πŸ“– The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvoir πŸ“– The Ethics of Ambiguity, by Simone de Beauvoir πŸ“– The Human Condition, by Hannah Arendt πŸ“– The Origins of Totalitarianism, by Hannah Arendt πŸ“– A Theory of Justice, by John Rawls πŸ“– After Virtue, by Alasdair MacIntyre πŸ“– The Sovereignty of Good, by Iris Murdoch πŸ“– The Analects, by Confucius And about a thousand others! Craziness. Guess I'll never run out of great books to read then! Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
16
9 days ago
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The book on the last slide is one that I'll keep coming back to over and over again. He was (and is) SUCH an inspiration. And will be missed! πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š Some other fantastic books here on this list: πŸ“– A High-Performing Mind, by Andrew D. Thompson: This book grew out of Andrew's decades of experience working with top performers in various fields and lays out the 12 key traits and characteristics they each shared. πŸ“– Nine-Figure Mindset, by Brandon Dawson: This one of those business books I recommend ALL the time now, after being completely floored by it when I read it a few years ago. I wasn't it expecting to be this good, and it helped me tremendously when it came to growing my business and enlarging my mindset too. πŸ“– Passion Struck, by John R. Miles This multi-, multi-, MULTI-award-winning leadership book details 12 powerful principles to unlock a life of purpose, impact, and contribution. πŸ“– Win Your Next Hour, by Danny Lehr Time management, leadership, personal excellence, entrepreneurship - this book has EVERYTHING, and it was one of those pleasant discoveries in the course of my reading last year. Learning and applying the acronym "WIN" will help you step up to that next level. Just to name a few! And of course, The Art of Focus was THE BEST book I read back in 2024 - out of exactly 100 books. It's incredible! Dan Koe also has a second book out that not nearly enough people know about, called Purpose & Profit! Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
15
25 days ago
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What if the point of life isn't to "optimize" yourself just so that you can race off to the next "very important thing"? These books stopped me from wasting time, helped me get much clearer on my priorities, and helped me better use and appreciate the time I DO have: πŸ“– The 5 Types of Wealth, by Sahil Bloom πŸ“– Big Time, by Laura Vanderkam πŸ“– Buy Back Your Time, by Dan Martell πŸ“– 80/20 Daily, by Richard Koch πŸ“– The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer Time is what your life is MADE OF. So don't waste time. Because it really is the same thing as wasting your life. Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
7
13 days ago
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Would you rather spend $250,000 and 30 years of your life going to therapy, or $250 and 50 hours reading these great books instead? Here's the list of books: πŸ“– Inner Excellence, by Jim Murphy πŸ“– Time Anxiety, by Chris Guillebeau πŸ“– Invincible, by Howard Falco πŸ“– Beyond Belief, by Nir Eyal πŸ“– Wild Courage, by Jenny Wood πŸ“– The Mattering Effect, by John R. Miles πŸ“– The Upside of Down, by John Ulsh πŸ“– You Only Die Once, by Jodi Wellman πŸ“– Holy Sh!t, We're Alive!, by Doug Cartwright πŸ“– Chill Out and Cheer Up, by Grace Grossman πŸ“– How to Try Again, by Steve Kamb Therapy certainly has its place, and it can be a GREAT idea for the right person. BUT... It's not for everybody. And honestly? You'll probably make MUCH faster progress, and be prouder of yourself on top of that, if you just read these books, take their lessons to heart, and bring their hard-won wisdom into your own life. Happy reading, and follow for more book recommendations! Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
58
14 days ago
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The Count of Monte Cristo is insanely popular these days (and for good reason, it's awesome!), but did you know... That Edmond Dantes is actually based on the author's FATHER? And that his father was literally a GENERAL in Napoleon's imperial army? The Black Count is the WILD true story of the REAL Count of Monte Cristo. It was EASILY one of the best books I read in 2024 (out of 100+ books), and therefore I can HIGHLY recommend it. So, if you liked... πŸ“– The Count of Monte Cristo πŸ“– The Black Count πŸ“– Cosmos πŸ“– The Law of the Sublime πŸ“– Crime and Punishment πŸ“– The Brothers Karamazov πŸ“– Fahrenheit 451 πŸ“– The Memory Police πŸ“– Can't Hurt Me πŸ“– The Upside of Down πŸ“– Relentless πŸ“– Above the Shoulders πŸ“– Leonardo da Vinci πŸ“– Benjamin Franklin Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
10
21 days ago
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These 5 books completely BROKE the 5-star rating system, and I don't even know what system to use now: πŸ“– The Count of Monte Cristo πŸ“– Don Quixote πŸ“– Hamlet πŸ“– Pale Blue Dot πŸ“– Cloud Atlas Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
33
18 days ago
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You don't have to disappear for an entire year. Just long enough to read these five GREAT books: βœ… Save This Post So You Don't Lose Track of These Books! πŸ“š The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey: A perennial personal development classic that’s helped TENS of millions of people install the following success habits: Habit 1: Be Proactive Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Habit 3: Put First Things First Habit 4: Think Win/Win Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Habit 6: Synergize Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw πŸ“š Psycho-Cybernetics, by Dr. Maxwell Maltz: Another absolutely transformational book about the self-concept, and how we can literally NEVER out-perform the self-image we hold about ourselves. Simply put: If you believe that you're destined for success, and you see yourself as a successful person, you're more likely to take the kinds of actions (consistently, over time) that will MAKE YOU successful. Not enough people understand this truth...πŸ‘‡ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š Comment "100" and I'll send you my personal list of 100 books that will greatly improve your life. πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š πŸ“š The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz: An INCREDIBLY inspiring book, beloved by millions, about how to get the absolute MOST out of life, and about how going for the smaller goal automatically puts larger ones out of reach. πŸ“š The Wealth Money Can’t Buy, by Robin Sharma: A deep, wonderful, and best of all conversational book about the 8 forms of wealth and how we can expand the presence of each one of them in our lives. I highly recommend this one! πŸ“š Be Your Future Self Now, by Dr. Benjamin Hardy: The world’s foremost expert in the β€œfuture self” concept shows how to make your Future You more REAL to yourself, thereby increasing your compassion for them and your motivation to improve your own future self’s life. Like ❀️ Share 🌏 Save πŸ”’ πŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“šπŸ“š And hey, if you haven't done so already... πŸ‘‰ Follow for Excellent Book Recs πŸ“– Link in Bio for My Reading List πŸ”„ Share with a Fellow Book Lover by @themattkaramazov
19
19 days ago
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