7 Books That Could Change Your Life

Whether you’re a student or making your way in the professional world, never underestimate the power of a great read or two.  Whether it’s about organization hacks and work habits or motivation and goal setting, we always encourage you to keep up with some solid reading.

We’re both big believers in the improvements that great books can make in your life so we thought we’d share some of our favorite, life-changing reads with our picks for 7 books that could change your life!

 

The Last Lecture

Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. He died in 2008 but before he died he gave an incredibly moving lecture called “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. “The Last Lecture” is an addendum to the commencement speech he gave after he learned that he was dying, and it’s the perfect ready for those feeling overwhelmed by it all.  It’s an especially great must-read for any students who want to take some time to pull back and think about the big picture in life.

 

Bullet Journal Method

We’ve raved about this one before, this  NY Times bestseller and one of Dorian’s favorite organizational books, we’re both now converts of this goal setting and organizational process.  No matter if you’re working in a business job or in school, the tools and tips in this book are incredibly useful for maximizing your time, organizational habits, and overall work/school performance.

 

Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation)

A super quick, impactful read, this philosophy book is sort of like a very practical operating system for living your life.  Written by an ancient philosopher, it just goes to show how universal good advice and practical wisdom can be.  Just make sure you get the translation by Stephen Mitchell linked above, it’s universally regarded as the best one among many, many options.

 

4 Hour Work Week

Another one of our favorites that we have talked about before, this book is all about thinking about smart work versus hard work. This book is packed with solid tips and an excellent framework for creating success in work, school, and life in general.

 

Catch-22

An absolutely classic work of fiction, Catch-22 focuses on the absurdity of war, but just like in war, college life is absolutely absurd if you step back and look at it.  It was recently made into a tv series as well.

 

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

We all know how good habits and positively affect our lives, both with school and work and this excellent book is a great deep dive that not only explains how habits are formed but also how to kick bad ones and hang on to the good.  Essential reading if you’re embarking on a new school year or a new job.

 

How To Win Friends and Influence People

Al all-time classic, this book about personal and professional relationships is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published way back in 1936 (seriously!).

 

A Few More Of Our Favorites

Thinking, Fast and Slow
An international bestseller, this book by a renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, is a fascinating dive into our minds and explains the two systems that drive the way we think.  An essential for someone who’s working on developing better habits and efficiencies, both in school or work decision making.

Do You Do It, Or Does It Do You?
An incredibly insightful lecture by Alan Watts, this piece is a must-listen.

Wisdom of Insecurity
The perfect antidote for those struggling with anxiety, stress, and an uncertain future.

Rework
A great look at what it really takes to grow a business on your own as an entrepreneur from the founders of Basecamp.

Sherlock Holmes Collection
The classic detective series isn’t just entertaining, it can teach out a lot about how critical thinking, reasoning, and introspection can play a part in day-to-day life.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Another absolute classic-for-a-reason, 7 Habits is one of the best and most successful business and self-help books because of it’s no-nonsense approach to building great habits.

We Sold The Company!

In this week’s 2 Minute Tuesday, we’re changing it up a bit and covering a question for Dorian! As a successful entrepreneur himself, Dorian has a lot of experience in the business world and starting and building companies.  So, in this episode, he’s going to answer a question about some of his favorite business and entrepreneurship tips and what it takes to build and sell a successful company.

Don’t forget to check out his business book recommendations below!

 

Read The 4-Hour Work Week

A classic book by Tim Ferriss, this book is packed with solid tips and an excellent framework for creating successful businesses in the modern entrepreneurship world.  Check it out here: The 4-Hour Workweek

Use Ignorance / Youth as a Strength

Part being humble and part being resourceful, your ignorance and inexperience can actually be an incredible tool when starting or growing a business.  People will often offer help, insight, or advice if you approach your interactions and, more importantly, mistakes, the right way.  If you approach business in a cocky or overly-confident way it can often work against you and you’ll miss out on valuable growth and insight.

Try and Test Everything

One of the mantras Dorian loves in the 4-Hour Workweek revolves around constant testing and experimentation.  You always want to use feedback, data, and trial and error to constantly evaluate where you’re at.  You can’t be afraid to try new things, adjust, and re-evaluate both success and failure (more on that in a second).

Fail Quickly and Often

Part of the trying and testing is failing.  It’s a huge part of not just starting businesses and being an entrepreneur but also success in general. You can’t be afraid to fail, start over, or abandon things that aren’t working.  It’s called “trial and error” for a reason, and often times your failures and what you learn from failures are the most important part of future success.  From Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos, no successful entrepreneur or business owner has ever gotten anywhere without failure, so embrace it, get better, and move on.

Cut Expenses / Mitigate Risk

As you get into starting a new business or work on a new idea you never want to bet your current financial future too heavily.  So, it’s important to consider the risk and mitigate potential loss at the beginning with thoughtful planning.  Look at approaching your life and business with low overhead and you’ll have more flexibility and less overall risk as you develop your business or company

 

Dorian’s Favorite Business Books

The 4-Hour Work Week

How To Win Friends and Influence People

Rework

Do You Do It Or Does It Do You – Lecture by Alan Watts

The Best Men’s Weekender Bags of 2019

Whether you’re taking a weekend getaway or packing up for a shorter business trip, a stylish, functional weekender bag is the perfect travel companion. We’ve discussed some of our favorite weekender-style bags before, but these bags are so useful and versatile that we decided it was time for an update. All of these bags meet carry-on requirements and are ideal for 1-3 days of travel. Here are our picks for the best weekender bags of 2019.

Check out all our picks below plus a few extra bags that we added for good measure!

 

Stuart & Lau -$385

A truly excellent bag, we love the mix of waterproof nylon and full grain leather, as well as the simple, lined interior and clean design. An added bonus, this bag comes in multiple sharp color options and also comes with a matching, full-grain leather strap. It may seem like a small detail but the two exterior pockets on each end are a really handy design detail that gives you some extra storage flexibility. The navy and tan colorway we tested was great, but we also really like the olive and black combo.

 

Herschel – $90

We’re big fans of Hershel’s backpacks, briefcases, and wallets, so it makes sense that their weekender bag would be excellent as well. This bag boasts a very nice price point that belies it’s sturdy, high-quality construction and materials. It’s constructed with heavy-duty nylon and has an integrated shoe compartment that we thought was a nice feature. While we preferred the basic, monochromatic black and grey colors, the huge range of colors and patterns is a nice bonus if you prefer more colorful options.

 

Everlane – $98

As with all things Everlane, this bag has a great price point and super simple, classy design. In our previous weekender video, we chose this one as well, but it had a rubber bottom. In this newer version, they’ve done away with that and added metal feet instead, which we feel is a downgrade. But overall, it’s still a great bag at a great price.

 

Combatant Gentlemen – $110

We loved the price point and mix of leather and canvas with the shoe handy shoe compartments and this bag is a really excellent value. The bag has a unique garment bag design to it but in the end, we weren’t a fan of this aspect because it could potentially affect the clothes you normally put in a garment bag as they can get smashed on the sides and bottom. But, other than this small part, this bag was really great.

 

Frost River – $215

The Frost River bag is made in the USA and boasts a great mix of affordability and quality.  It’s constructed with heavy-duty materials that will age beautifully and last a long time. The leather accents are very nice and the hardware is sturdy. The top zipper design opens up very wide to make packing easier and the exterior pockets are perfect for stashing books, magazines or an iPad, both nice design touches.

 

Filson – $395

Another made in the USA, heritage brand, Filson builds extremely durable, handsome bags that will literally last you a lifetime.  If you favor the more rugged, woodsy look, this is the bag for you.  It’s constructed of very sturdy canvas, outstanding leather accents, and strong hardware.  It has a very large capacity and features a beautiful all-leather shoulder strap. This bag takes some time to break in but will only get better over time.

 

Want Les Essentials – $450

This stylish weekender bag boasts a sleek, monochromatic design that we really loved. There’s minimal branding and it features very nice cotton canvas accented with Italian leather details. We loved that the entire base was leather, a very nice touch. While the shoulder strap wasn’t all leather, overall this bag is very nice and has exceptional design.

 

Billykirk – $550

Another outstanding American-made bag, Billykirk is known for their leather goods and excellent quality.  This handsome bag is made from heavy waxed canvas and very nice leather accents (including an all-leather shoulder strap!) that will age beautifully. The style is clean and simple but with a bit of a rugged vibe that’s not too over-the-top. It’s really a great mix of modern classic styles. It comes in two great colorways but we especially love the all-black version, it’s really sharp.  This bag also comes in smaller and larger versions, so if you’re looking for more or less space but love the looks you’ve got some options here.

 

Frank Clegg – $925

Dorian has owned this bag personally for 4 years now and it looks brand new. This bag has it all: clean, classic design, buttery soft tumbled leather that just gets softer with age, an all-leather shoulder strap, lined interior and no metal feet on the bottom. Plus the design features just the right amount of structure to it. It’s a pleasure to own and use this bag, it’s the best of the best.

Should Men Match Clothing To Their Hair and Eye Color?

We get asked a ton of questions about how to match clothing and what colors to wear, and more specifically, how to match with one’s hair and eye color. So, in this week’s 2 Minute Tuesday, we’re giving you the real truth about how men should match clothing to hair and eye color, and the answer might surprise you.

Don’t forget, if you’ve got questions for us, make sure to drop them in the comments section of the video, we’d love to hear from you and we’ll try to answer them in a future episode!

 

The Truth

To sum it up, the answer is, no you don’t need to worry about matching your clothing to your hair and eye color.

Why Not?

This is a common case of overthinking things a bit too much. In the past, we’ve given you a few tips on how your skin color should relate to specific wardrobe color choices, but after that, you really don’t need to worry about it. Honestly, we believe this is just a falsehood that’s out there, whether it’s coming from other content creators or sites, who knows, but it’s taking it too far. Obviously thinking about how you’re dressing and putting colors together is really important. But, there’s a line between worrying about doing things the right way and wasting time focusing on things that don’t really matter.  So, give yourself a break, focus on building the right essential wardrobe, and don’t overthink matching your clothes too much!

Why Is Dorian Taking Over The Channel?

As you know by now, outside of being my husband, Dorian is my business partner, and now a fixture on our site and channel. We get a lot of questions about Dorian’s involvement in all of our content, so, while we swear he’s not “taking over the channel”, in this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday, we wanted to answer this question and give you some more insight!

 

He’s Around All The Time

Dorian’s a fixture in our business life and helps with a lot of aspects, so it seemed natural to include him as our business grew and evolved. Obviously we’re partners in life, so having him around is all the more wonderful as we get busier and busier in our professional lives.

He’s Knowledgeable On All Things

Because we collaborate so often and have been working together for awhile, Dorian has a ton of knowledge and smart opinions on all things style and accessories that I really value. He also is very passionate and knowledgeable about all things EDC, tech, and lifestyle, so we thought it would be a shame not to share with our readers and viewers of all the insight he brings to the table. Plus, as a regular guy just like you, he brings thoughtful opinions to the table, even when he disagrees, and we feel it’s important to bring this point of view to you as well.

It Helps Us Be More Efficient

It’s more of a technical production thing, but having him participate and assist in the filming of videos really is a huge help and time saver.  With our wallet update video, for example, having him involved made the process much more efficient and productive.

Best Men’s Wallets Of 2019

Just like the right briefcase, a stylish and functional wallet is a smart way to keep your life organized and looking good. We’ve discussed some of our favorite wallets before but we wanted to update it with some new picks and styles. To recap, here are a few things we look for in great wallets:

  1. No Contrast Stitching
  2. Minimal logos/branding
  3. Classic & minimal design

With that said, here are our current picks for the Best Wallets of 2019!

 

Bryker Hyde – $40-$43

A great value, this bi-fold wallet from Bryker Hyde features excellent leather quality and great functionality with multiple interior slots and an id window. Branding is fairly minimal but there are multiple logos. The wide range of colors and RFID blocking are nice bonuses too.

 

Herschel – $30

For the man who prefers a minimal carry, this leather card case wallet from Herschel is excellent. It features really nice pebbled leather and multiple slots for cards and cash. Construction and edges are great and the finger cutout is a nice detail for ease of use. There’s a bit more branding than we usually prefer but overall this wallet is a great value.

 

Herschel  – $89

We also loved this bi-fold leather wallet from Herschel as well. It features the same excellent pebbled leather and clean design. This option features RFID blocking and Tile tracking, which are great security features (there’s also a similar, non RFID version too) and the interior features plenty of card slots and space for bills.

 

Carl Friedrik – $83

This option from Carl Friedrik is bi-fold / case hybrid, so it’s got a nice slim design but also has a good amount of storage. It features beautiful Italian leather and construction is excellent. There are a variety of color options available too. We loved the very minimal design and thoughtful details like an exterior pocket with finger cutout.

 

Bellroy – $169

We’re big fans of Bellroy’s goods and their leather bi-fold wallet doesn’t disappoint. It’s made from excellent leather and features a very clean, slim design with great craftsmanship. This version has RFID protection (there’s a non RFID blocking version also) which is a nice bonus too. The interior features 3 pockets, space for bills, and a pull tab feature for convenience.

 

This Is Ground – $175

Another brand we love, This Is Ground always brings really high-quality design and leathers to all of their products.  We loved the unique magnetic attachment design in this phone case wallet as well as the clean, minimal design with no branding. The interior features just the right amount of pockets and the wallet closes up with a nice, heavy duty zipper.  Good, slim phone wallets are tough to find but this version from This Is Ground really knocks it out of the park.

The Best Men’s Leather Briefcase Of 2019?

As we recently discussed in our briefcase rundown, the right briefcase/messenger bag is definitely a worthwhile investment for every man to make. We recently we got our hands on one from Carl Friedrik to test out; is this the best men’s leather briefcase of 2019?

As a bonus, our readers can get $50 off and Free Shipping to the US with code: AWX10

Shop this briefcase here: Carl Friedrik Briefcase

 

 

Design & Materials

The briefcase comes in a few different colors but we tested the chocolate brown color. The color was beautiful and very rich-looking. The construction and leather quality was very good and the overall design aesthetic was just what we like, clean and sharp with minimal branding. The bag also has a good amount of structure, which we really liked.

 

Strap and Interior Features

The bag has an all-leather strap (a nice bonus) and really cleverly-integrated shoulder strap set up with attachment hoops built into the handle attachments. The bag features a nice cloth interior in contrasting grey with a bunch of functional pockets.

 

Cons

Metal Feet – Not our favorite feature as they can tend to scratch floors or tables depending on how careful you are with them.

Loose Interior Cloth – The interior padding is pretty minimal but it has enough structure to keep everything safe and secure. We weren’t huge fans of the looseness of the interior fabric though.

 

Price & Value

This bag is fairly pricey at $500 but overall we really loved the quality and design and felt that it was definitely a good overall value and for a nice briefcase. There is quite a bit of competition at this price range and felt that if the bag was slightly less expensive it would be a slam dunk, but nonetheless, it’s still a great bag that is fairly priced.

As a bonus, our readers can get $50 off and Free Shipping to the US with code: AWX10

Shop this briefcase here: Carl Friedrik Briefcase