Barking Up the Wrong Tree

High-Level Thoughts

Super insightful book that debunks countless of myths and questions you've had when it comes to what makes up a successful person. Topics range from work-life balance, networking, learning when to quit and a lot more. Barker is also an incredibly talented writer so reading the book becomes fun rather than a chore. If you like books like such as Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell your gonna love this.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree Summary

Chapter 1: Do Nice Guys Finish Last?

• the unfair advantage
• 700 hundred american millionaires: average gpa 2.9
• Following the rules doesnt create success, it just elimates the extremes both good and bad.
• No bad gene vs good gene instead "differential susceptibility hypothesis"
• "The same genes that lead to bad stuff can actually lead to great stuff in a different situation.
• Context makes the difference (Tipping point)
• To be great we must be different. Being the best version of you. Haon
• Know Thyself
• Givers are at the top of succesful people, but there also at the bottom.

Chapter 2: Do Quitters Never Win? and Winners Never Quit?

• Dr.Q - immigrant from mexico who was dirt poor and became the best brain surgeon in the world and also couldn't even speak a lick of English.
• Navy seals - positive self talk
• Optimists are more lucky because they see opportunity where others may not have seen it.
• Grit = shifting view from pessimissim to optimism
• Stories we tell ourselves
• Page 76 quote "Studies show that when we relate to characters in fictional stories we are more likely to overcome obstacles to achieve our goals.
• Suicides = lives werent matching with their story in their head.
• Resume values - things that bring external sucess, like money and power.
• Eulogy values are about character: Am I kind, trustworthy, or courageous?
• Fate is something we can't avoid, destiny is something we must bring to fruition.
• Willpower gets depleted if its a struggle, games change it to something else. If you are immune to boredom, there is nothing you cannot acoomplish. David Foster Wallace
• Feelings of control kill stress.
• Strategic quitting
• Matt Polly at 19 moved to china to do kung fu, after his life became a success became a writer.
• Lucky people maximize opportunity
• Kindargeteners winning competition against engineers because they tried more. Fail fast and fail cheap.

Ch 4 It's not what you know, it's who you know

• CEO's, top execs are extroverts
• Extroversion leads to success, promotion, MBA's
• Paul Erdos genius mathematician who was weird, who produced more papers then anyone else, who traveled around the world doing math with others.
• Extroverts are luckier
• "It's the quiet ones, you have to watch" Issac Newton ex
• Extraversion was negatively related to individual profciency..
• Top performers in sports, music, chess are introverts
• Being an introvert is more predictive of good grades then IQ
• Top sales people are ambieverts
• Depending on the situation flip the switch of personality to become succesful
• Healthy rivalry between MIT and Harvard created a radar that won the war
• Networking = focus on becoming a friend, what challenges are they facing, ask them for advice, compliment them (better than sex or money) , Whom do you know that I should meet (superconnectors)
• Judd Apatow, comedian with the mamba mentality, asked comedians to get interviewed for radio station for a hs (comedians werent that popular back then)
• Need a Mentor, pg 151 entrepreneurs with mentors raise seven times as much money and their business experience three and a half times growth. - Smartcuts
• Get noticed, get success and mentor will come, get multiple mentors
• Hostage negotiators, empathy,Walter greene thanking the 44 most influential people in his life.

Ch 5 Believe in Yourself...Sometimes

• Sometimes the mere appearance of confidence can be the difference between winning and losing.
• Martial arts master who fooled himself thinking he can no touch knock people out
• Confidence is powerful but its also dangerous
• Letter I in share holder letter = downfall
• Tomas Premuaiz said "Low self-confidence may turn you into a pessimist, but when pessimism teams-up with ambition it ofren produces outstanding performace.
• Pessimistic entrepreneurs are more succesful, prob less happy tho
• Throw out self confidence instead use self-compassion,
• Norton the self proclaimed emperor
• Increasing confidence = focus on the small wins, and your skill improvement = get better goals
• Self compassion correlated with being wise

Ch 6 Work, Work, Work.. or Balance?

• Ted Williams, mamba mentality, "I only lived for my next time at bat", virgin until his second year in the major leagues, it wasnt just how that he spend a lot of hours practicing, he was a perfectionist during the hours. Studied the game.
• Price law 10 people out of 100 pros will make up 50% of the awards
• Ambition alone is predictive of success, and motivation predicts career success better than intelligence, ability and salary.
• Losing a job can affect happiness forever.
• Einstein's horrible family life
• Teamate asked Ted why he was so mad all the time. He responded: "You know why? I've got to be good every day. You don't have to be."
• This guy got mad after he hit a .home run. Mozart was composing while his wife was giving birth.
• Libri aut liberi = "if your very serious about creating things, you sacrafice family"
• burnout occurs when were not passionate about the job were in, thats why passionate people might pass out from exhaustion but not burn out
• Burnout is the opposite of grit (pessimism)
• Sakubara defeated the Gracie family, playful attitude linked toward better grades.
• Energy not time is the fundamental currency of high performance
• Satisficing > Maximizing in terms of happiness
• What do I want? If you don't decide the world will decide for you
• Gengis Khan didnt react all the time to his surroundings , he always had a plan
• Extra profit of surveyed entrepreneurs were planned schedule activities with employees