I just finished reading Atlas Shrugged. It comprised of 1,168 pages, many of them filled with tedious details and repetitive, preachy dialogues (it even included a 70-page monologue!). While I highly recommend a full read of this epic novel, I understand that people don’t want to commit 2-4 months to read a single book, especially one of this nature. So I decided to share my super-short takeaways from Atlas Shrugged, along with my takeaways from several other books I have thoroughly enjoyed, engaged with, and continue to think about.

Atlas Shrugged: Money is NOT the root of all evil. If you become really successful and make a lot of money, don’t feel guilty about it- the chances are you will have significantly contributed value to mankind. Having your own best interests in mind — even as your top priority— is NOT an act of selfishness. Man’s #1 goal in life is happiness, and happiness stems directly from achieving your values through your own productivity. Your ‘virtues’ are the ways you go about achieving those values.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Happiness can result from the connections and relationships we form. It involves a combination of doing things for others and doing things for yourself. Happiness also largely stems from genetics.

Delivering Happiness: In business, go to extreme measures to make sure that your customers AND your employees are extremely happy. Be a real human being and have fun doing it.

Shantaram: Life is beautiful. People have gigantic hearts. Love is powerful.

Steve Jobs Biography: Follow your intuition. Defend your beliefs. The attention to detail on the inside is just as important as the outside.

The Art of Fielding: Life is about the relationships you form. The most important people in your life will help you get through the tough times.

Reality is Broken: Gaming is not a waste. If we adopted gaming mechanics — scoring, consistent feedback, achievable goals, leveling up— into real-world activities (such as our jobs), we would all live far happier and more satisfying lives.