READ IT - The 50th Law
Title : The 50th Law
Author : 50 cent and Robert Greene
Format : Audiobook
Summary : In The 50th Law, hip hop and pop culture icon 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) joins forces with Robert Greene, best-selling author of The 48 Laws of Power, to write a "bible" for success in life and work, based on a single principle: fear nothing.
With intimate stories from 50 Cent's life on the streets and in the boardroom as he rose to fame after the release of his album Get Rich or Die Tryin', as well as examples of others who have overcome adversity through understanding and practicing the 50th Law, this deeply inspirational book is perfect for entrepreneurs as well as anyone interested in the extraordinary life of Curtis Jackson.
Why this book ? : I've been a fan of Curtis Jackson for a while now. I keep picking up subtle personality traits that most don't see but that I really admire. So ever since I learned about his book with Robert Greene in the media, I put it on my must read list.
My Review : 50 cent and Robert Greene delivered. I loved it! In fact, I'm going to have to buy a copy of the actual book and keep it as a reference. It's that good. I've been recommending it left and right and those who listened so far love it too.
The main topic of the book is fearlessness, which Greene calls 50's "power center of gravity" or his gift. The book is divided in the following ten chapters, explaining and illustrating the concepts of fearlessness :
The main topic of the book is fearlessness, which Greene calls 50's "power center of gravity" or his gift. The book is divided in the following ten chapters, explaining and illustrating the concepts of fearlessness :
- See Things For What They Are (Intense Realism)
- Make Everything Your Own (Self-Reliance)
- Turn Shit Into Sugar (Opportunism)
- Keep Moving (Calculated Momentum)
- Know When To Be Bad (Aggression)
- Lead From The Front (Authority)
- Know Your Environment From The Inside Out (Connection)
- Respect The Process (Mastery)
- Push Beyond Your Limits (Self-Belief)
- Confront Your Mortality (The Sublime)
These concepts are brilliantly defined and illustrated through many personal stories from Curtis' life as well as the life of various important historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Malcom X, Miles Davis, James Baldwin, Montesquieu, and Amelia Mary Earhart . There are also great tips on how to utilise these concepts for yourself.
I learned a lot of from this book, from understanding what fear is all about and where it comes from, to learning about many great people I knew little to nothing about prior to reading this, as well as getting new valuable tools to improve myself and the way I react in various situations by better understanding my environment, myself, the people around me and what motivates people to act a certain way. Basically, it's given me the tools to also become fearless in my own way. If that was the intent of the book : mission accomplished. Now I just need to put in the work.
I learned a lot of from this book, from understanding what fear is all about and where it comes from, to learning about many great people I knew little to nothing about prior to reading this, as well as getting new valuable tools to improve myself and the way I react in various situations by better understanding my environment, myself, the people around me and what motivates people to act a certain way. Basically, it's given me the tools to also become fearless in my own way. If that was the intent of the book : mission accomplished. Now I just need to put in the work.
Favorite paraphrases and notes from the book:
The greatest fear of people have is being themselves. They are running away from the one thing the actually own.
Being conservative can force you into a corner in which you are more likely to loose what you own in the long run because you also loose the capacity to adapt to change.
"Realism is my drug. The more I have of it, the more power I get and the higher I feel" - 50 Cent
Judge people by results. See them as who they are and not what you think they should be. Focus on reality.
"Most people can't stand boredom. That means that the can't stay on one thing until they get good at it and they wonder why they're unhappy" - 50 Cent
Things that come easy and fast will leave you just as fast.