Michael Girdley

Tweets on investing/entrepreneurship/building in public. Building my own “Berkshire Hathaway on acid” w/ 7 business so far built, bought or incubated.

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Book Recommendations:

MG

Recommended by Michael Girdley

I didn't make these 7 moats up. They come from my all-time favorite book on the subject. If you haven't read it, you should. One of the best business books of all time! https://t.co/4csJnwTUxP (from X)

What are the secrets to making a company enduringly valuable? 7 Powers breaks fresh ground by constructing a comprehensive strategy toolset that is easy for you to learn, communicate and quickly apply. Drawing on his decades of experience as a business strategy advisor, active equity investor and Stanford University teacher, Hamilton Helmer develops from first principles a practical theory of Strategy rooted in the notion of Power, those conditions which create the potential for persistent differential returns. Using rich real-world examples, Helmer rigorously characterizes exactly what your business must achieve to create Power. And create Power it must, for without it your business is at risk. He explains why invention always comes first and then develops the Power Progression to enable you to target when your Power must be established: in the Origination, Take-Off or Stability phases of your business. Every business faces a do-or-die strategy moment: a crux directional choice made amidst swirling uncertainty. To get this right you need at your fingertips a real-time strategy compass to discern your true north. 7 Powers is that compass.

MG

Recommended by Michael Girdley

@thesamparr I remember seeing this book on my parent's shelf as a kid -- that bookcover has to be the most compelling piece of marketing ever. Great book, too. (from X)

The fiftieth anniversary edition of the National Book Award–winning bestseller that is the definitive study of Adolf Hitler, the rise of Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, and World War II. This special edition now features a new introduction by Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler and How the End Begins. No other powerful empire ever bequeathed such mountains of evidence about its birth and destruction as the Third Reich. When the bitter war was over, and before the Nazis could destroy their files, the Allied demand for unconditional surrender produced an almost hour-by-hour record of the nightmare empire built by Adolph Hitler. This record included the testimony of Nazi leaders and of concentration camp inmates, the diaries of officials, transcripts of secret conferences, army orders, private letters—all the vast paperwork behind Hitler's drive to conquer the world. The famed foreign correspondent and historian William L. Shirer, who had watched and reported on the Nazis since 1925, spent five and a half years sifting through this massive documentation. The result is a monumental study that has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of one of the most frightening chapters in the history of mankind. Here is the complete story of Hitler's empire, one of the most important stories ever told, written by one of the men best equipped to write it. This worldwide bestseller has been acclaimed as the definitive book on Nazi Germany; it is a classic work.

MG

Recommended by Michael Girdley

@Molson_Hart @ChadCarleton There's a great book called Applied Cryptography. Big red book. Loved it. (from X)

From the world's most renowned security technologist, Bruce Schneier, this 20th Anniversary Edition is the most definitive reference on cryptography ever published and is the seminal work on cryptography. Cryptographic techniques have applications far beyond the obvious uses of encoding and decoding information. For developers who need to know about capabilities, such as digital signatures, that depend on cryptographic techniques, there's no better overview than Applied Cryptography, the definitive book on the subject. Bruce Schneier covers general classes of cryptographic protocols and then specific techniques, detailing the inner workings of real-world cryptographic algorithms including the Data Encryption Standard and RSA public-key cryptosystems. The book includes source-code listings and extensive advice on the practical aspects of cryptography implementation, such as the importance of generating truly random numbers and of keeping keys secure. ". . .the best introduction to cryptography I've ever seen. . . .The book the National Security Agency wanted never to be published. . . ." -Wired Magazine ". . .monumental . . . fascinating . . . comprehensive . . . the definitive work on cryptography for computer programmers . . ." -Dr. Dobb's Journal ". . .easily ranks as one of the most authoritative in its field." -PC Magazine The book details how programmers and electronic communications professionals can use cryptography-the technique of enciphering and deciphering messages-to maintain the privacy of computer data. It describes dozens of cryptography algorithms, gives practical advice on how to implement them into cryptographic software, and shows how they can be used to solve security problems. The book shows programmers who design computer applications, networks, and storage systems how they can build security into their software and systems. With a new Introduction by the author, this premium edition will be a keepsake for all those committed to computer and cyber security.