Fedor Holz had one of the sickest years in the short history of professional poker players with $16.4 million won in 2016 alone. With over $20 million in winnings since 2015, Holz became one of the Masters of the Universe in the poker realm. He credits a shift in his mental preparation, which he also attributed to reading a slew of books that helped make him sharper and mentally tougher. Holz has been posting his book recommendations on Twitter the last couple of weeks by authors such as the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz and Timothy Ferriss. On November 24, 2016, Holz tweeted a challenge to his followers to read 40 influential books in the last 5 weeks of the year.
Want to play poker like Fedor Holz? Just read a lot of books. Okay, maybe that won't work exactly. You have to be pretty good at poker to win $20 million in less than 18 months. Then again, Holz credits reading certain books helped get him a much better headspace, so he didn't have any extra mental baggage before he sat down at the tables.
After looking at some of the books on his list, it makes sense that Holz treats the mental side of poker very seriously. That seems to be his little secret on how he got ahead in the poker world. And now he's sharing the books that he enjoyed. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Then again, there's a lot to be said about having the proper mindset and headspace when you play poker. If your inner life is in turmoil, then you're doomed to fail…eventually. If you have found inner calm and tranquility in your life, then you can be in much better mental shape to handle the massive swings and bad beats. Heck, even if you don't play poker…you should read some of these books to help cultivate a more meaningful life.
If you follow Fedor Holz on Twitter at @CrownUpGuy, then you already know that he has been sharing some of the books he read. And Holz reads a lot. I have read some of the same books already and I even picked up one or two of his suggestions. These books will make a great addition to your
“poker” library. And if you looking for a last-minute Christmas gift suggestion, then check out some of the books he recommended.
I read the 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss many years ago and it sincerely changed my life as a small business owner that struggled to find time. I'm an avid fan of the Dalai Lama and enjoyed his book The Art of Happiness. I also think that The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is the perfect stocking stuffer for friends, family, and work colleagues.
Challenge:
— Fedor Holz (@CrownUpGuy) November 24, 2016
Read/listen to 40 useful books till the end of the year. #booksforweeks #speedreading
Fedor Holz's Book Recommendations
- 1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- 2. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- 3. 10 Days to Faster Reading by Abby Marks-Beale
- 4. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
- 5. Daily Rituals - How Artists Work by Mason Currey
- 6. Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, and Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior by Richard O'Connor
- 7. The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
- 8. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- 9. The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
- 10. Elon Musk: Telsa, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashelee Vance
