Mere Mortals Book Reviews

<p>&nbsp;Welcome back to the Mere Mortals Book Reviews. Today I’m reviewing Habits of High Performance by James Laughlin, a practical, activity-driven book built around foundational principles like getting radically clear, strengthening belief systems, leading life on purpose, multiplying motivation, doing the work, focusing priorities, and taking no shortcuts.<br /><br />(00:00) — Welcome + What We’re Reviewing<br />(00:23) — Who is James Laughlin? (Author background)<br />(01:51) — What the Book Covers (Core sections)<br />(02:50) — The Structure: Short Chapters + Practical Activities<br />(03:29) — QR Codes + Guided Exercises (How it’s meant to be used)<br />(05:05) — My Experience: Entertaining, but Surface-Level<br />(07:02) — Example Principle: Purpose + ‘When your why is clear…’<br />(10:25) — Comparison: Atomic Habits vs This Book<br />(11:08) — Final Verdict: Easy Read, Not a Re-read<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;Welcome back to another edition of the Mere Mortals Book Reviews — and this time it’s the final instalment of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.<br /><br />(00:00) Welcome back + final instalment setup<br />(00:47) I literally ripped the book in half (and why it fits the story)<br />(02:30) The split storylines: battles vs Frodo &amp; Sam<br />(03:51) Sam as the real hero (stronger in the book)<br />(04:32) Book vs movie: the extra Shire material<br />(06:52) Writing mastery: descriptions that put you there<br />(07:11) Suffering, sacrifice, and carrying Frodo<br />(08:11) Appendices: deep lore (and why I skipped them)<br />(10:29) Why Tolkien is considered one of the greatest<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;This is the book learnings companion to my Mastery book review: I pulled 17 personal takeaways (from ~70 notes) and unpack what they mean in real life. We go from vocation and apprenticeship, to why “not even enlightenment is enough”, to the prepared mind, the dimensional mind, and why tech (especially AI) is collapsing the walls between fields.<br /><br />(00:00) Book learnings (and why you should watch the review first)<br />(00:19) Pen-in-hand reading + 70 notes → 17 key lessons<br />(01:23) Lesson 1: “Mind under the lights of the world” (focus beats distraction)<br />(02:32) Lesson 2: Vocation — the well-employed life<br />(03:55) Lesson 3: “Seed/uniqueness” — and my pushback (life can change you)<br />(05:14) Lesson 4: Ask “how did you get there?” (the invisible chrysalis years)<br />(06:26) Lesson 5: Value over money in apprenticeship (Accenture crucible)<br />(07:30) Lesson 6: Trust the process (and don’t mentally quit)<br />(08:12) Lesson 7: Not even enlightenment is enough — pushed to the abyss<br />(09:52) Lesson 8: The “seven deadly realities” + social intelligence undertow<br />(10:14) Lesson 9: The mask vs authenticity (effective… until it breaks)<br />(10:51) Lesson 10: Dimensional mind — creating instead of consuming<br />(11:35) Lesson 11: Serendipity, but with a prepared mind (Pasteur)<br />(12:48) Lesson 12: Think away from the obvious (out-of-the-box production)<br />(13:43) Lesson 13: Manufacture pressure (Edison / Elon-style)<br />(14:33) Lesson 14: Prolonged immersion → creative abstraction (the real crux)<br />(14:57) Lesson 15: Fuse intuition + rationality (higher-level intuition)<br />(15:44) Lesson 16: Mastery equation: time + intense focus + self-awareness<br />(16:25) Lesson 17: Tech/AI connecting fields — become part of it<br />(17:36) Wrap: key favourites + what hit hardest<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;Mastery is not a gift handed to the “talented", it’s a ruthless process: time, patience, humility, apprenticeship, and the emotional control to not quit when it gets boring. In this review, I break down Greene’s core ideas, why social intelligence matters as much as skill, and how intuition gets forged through long exposure to the craft.<br /><br />(00:00) — Go against the tide: develop mastery<br />(00:11) — Why this book, why now<br />(00:38) — Context: comparing to 48 Laws of Power<br />(00:57) — Reading experience: chunky, dense, “Greene” style<br />(02:42) — Power vs Mastery: maturity and intent<br />(03:24) — Who this book is (and isn’t) for<br />(04:32) — The myth of talent: process beats “genius”<br />(06:16) — Core point: mastery is a process<br />(07:31) — Time, patience, humility IQ (and people quit early)<br />(08:17) — Freddie Roach: mastery through endurance<br />(09:52) — The book’s structure: life task → apprenticeship → mastery<br />(10:37) — “Life task”: curiosity vs passion<br />(12:18) — Apprenticeship: long, boring, necessary<br />(13:50) — Mental dynamic: emotional regulation<br />(14:24) — Social intelligence: skill alone won’t save you<br />(15:48) — Dimensional mind: intuition + rational<br />(18:18) — AI analogy + building a “bigger matrix” of insight<br />(20:44) — Closing: the six steps and the seduction of mastery<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;Ever looked at the art world and thought: how does any of this actually work?<br />I read How to Collect Art (2024) by Magnus Resch to figure out whether a normal person can buy a single great piece… and whether art is actually a good investment.<br /><br />Resch approaches the art market like an economist: data, power structures, and the brutal reality of gatekeepers. The big theme? The art world isn’t a free market, it’s a pyramid. A tiny number of fairs, galleries, curators, and institutions sit at the top… and they decide what becomes valuable.<br /><br />In this review, I cover:<br /><br />Why the “mysterious” art market feels so closed-off<br /><br />The alpha / beta / gamma / delta pyramid Resch uses to explain status and access<br /><br />Why “art as an investment” is mostly a trap (unless you’re playing at the top end)<br /><br />Why the book made me want to buy art for meaning, not resale<br /><br />00:00 – Intro: why I picked this book<br />00:21 – The empty wall problem (why I want art)<br />00:58 – What I hoped the book would solve<br />02:12 – The book’s style: blue quotes + companion “artist” book<br />03:22 – Resch’s economist approach to art<br />04:09 – The real driver of value: representation &amp; institutions<br />05:11 – The “35-year-old” cliff edge for artists<br />06:12 – The harsh truth: most art has near-zero resale value<br />06:52 – Art index vs S&amp;P 500 (and what happens with broader data)<br />09:11 – When art can be an investment (and the price floor)<br />10:24 – The better frame: be a patron, not an investor<br />10:52 – The parts I skipped: emails, CVs, auction house logistics<br />12:22 – “Networking and Instagram” (useful but irritating)<br />13:26 – The collector mantra: buy what you love<br />14:13 – The pyramid: alpha / beta / gamma / delta<br />18:35 – NFTs + digital art gets a mention<br />19:11 – Did it help me buy art? What I’m taking away<br />21:11 – Final verdict + what I’ll do instead<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>