Wow, we were all March's bitch. Life has definitely flipped upside down for all of us. COVID-19 just shot up from out of nowhere and ruined all of our plans. In the span of a few short weeks my classes were cancelled, I couldn't to go to the gym anymore, and last but not least I was laid off from my job. I can't even buy the things I want from the mall anymore. But hey, you know what I like more than materialistic things? Knowledge.

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This month I read 4 books.‍

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Without Their Permission - Alexis Ohanian

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5/5

If you were to ask anyone close to me "What is Luke's favorite website?" Nine out of ten times they'll respond with Reddit.com. Reddit is a website where I waste more time than I'm personally willing to admit, and that is all thanks to this books author; Alexis Ohanian. Alexis and his partner Steve Huffman created the site back in 2005 just after graduating, and in just a few short years it became what we all now know as "The front-page of the internet". I picked this up with the expectation of a book about the growth of Alexis and Reddit. However, after reading it I quickly realized that it is so much more than that. This book is about the importance of ideas, taking chances, and how to succeed without their permission.

This book absolutely blew me away. One of my major goals for 2020 is to "make more stuff". This mindset is what eventually lead me to creating this website and blog. During the "development" process, I was reading this book and all I can say is; holy shit it was the perfect companion piece for this project. This book definitely motivated me to finish my website, and also gave valuable insight on how to execute creative ideas. It also talks about how in reality, no one really knows what they're doing. An excerpt related to this belief that really resonated with me was a quote that came from Reid Hoffman, founder of Linkedin.

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"If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you have launched too late."

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I've been following Alexis Ohanian online for a couple years now. I've just always loved his progressive attitude towards business and the always-evolving internet. When I found out that he had written a book, I knew I had to read it. I ended up reaching out and letting him know I'd be reading "Without Their Permission". Below, I have the response from the man himself. Thank you Alexis.

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The Mastermind - Evan Ratliff

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3/5

Next for the month of March was 'The Mastermind' by Evan Ratliff. This book is about Paul Le Roux - the creator of a frighteningly powerful Internet-enabled cartel who merged the ruthlessness of a drug lord with the technological savvy of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. This book explores the integrity of big-pharma, the ruthlessness of the drug cartel, and the value of our privacy.

I've had an interest in true crime for quite some time. I could never really get into the podcast genre, so I started with traditional investigative books written by journalists. As much as I love reading true crime, it's always very hit or miss in regards to my expectations. I finished this book with mixed feelings.

Objectively, this is a good book with excellent reporting, but it just wasn't for me. As crazy as the plot was, I just couldn't keep up with the pace of the writing. 'The Mastermind' feels like a collection of individual articles on a subject mixed into one book. Unfortunately, that's what lost me.

That being said, I still feel that it is worth a read/recommendation. Ratliff's reporting skills mixed with the descriptive account of an online drug lord still makes for a riveting and unprecedented ride of a story.

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Fight Club -Chuck Palahniuk

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5/5

With all of the craziness in the world happening full swing, I decided to distract myself by coming back to one of my favorite books of all time. This 1996 novel follows the experiences of an unnamed protagonist struggling with insomnia. In order to escape the anguish of restlessness, he decides that the only chance of regaining any freedom, was to lose all hope to begin with.

There isn't much I can say about 'Fight Club' that hasn't already been said. One thing I can agree on though, is that you'll either love it or you'll hate it. On the surface level, this book is definitely written for men. Palahniuk has even said that a big motivation for writing this book was due to the fact that at the time there wasn't enough books written specifically for the male demographic. That being said, the consumption of this book shouldn't be limited to just men. I think there is a lot of contextual information in 'Fight Club' that can apply to just about anyone. This novel delves into vulnerability, rebellion, and sacrifice. As much as this book is about blood, guts and action, there are still deeper meanings hidden in all the violence. Just like in real life.

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After re-reading this, I've realized how timeless 'Fight Club' really is. If you don't believe me, just read these excerpts and try to tell me that they don't parallel with how we're all feeling right now.

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“Today is the sort of day where the sun only comes up to humiliate you.”

“Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart.”

“Without pain, without sacrifice we would have nothing. Like the first monkey shot into space.”

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Well...maybe not the last one.

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During my visit to New York City in January, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to meet the legend himself. I have never seen an author spend more time showing appreciation for his readers than Chuck Palahniuk.

above: chuck and myself breaking the first rule of fight club.

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I'm sure that most of you have already seen the movie that was based on this story. If you enjoyed it at all, I guarantee you will love this book. I have yet to see any modern author come even close to matching Palahniuk's writing style. It truly is that unique.

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All the Rave - Joseph Menn

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4/5

If you've read any of my previous book blogs, you already knew that I had to squeeze in a tech-startup themed story for this month. 'All the Rave' takes a deep dive into the creation of the legendary file sharing website 'Napster'. For those of you who don't remember this wonderful piece of software, let me give you the rundown.

Founded in 1999 by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, Napster was a pioneering peer-to-peer piece of file sharing software that emphasized on sharing digital audio files that were encoded in the brand new MP3 format. As the software became popular, the company ran into legal difficulties over copyright infringement. The story of Napster is a wild one, it goes much deeper than a feud with Metallica and the likes. Before reading this book, I had no idea that Napster's main business model was just to completely sell out to the music industry. So wild.

This one took me a while to get through, but I enjoyed every page. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Joseph Menn. He'll absolutely be on my radar for the remainder of the year. Strong recommend.

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