Miscellany

Wisdom Meets Passion [Book Review]

January 10, 2013

I’ve been a long-time fan of Dan Miller of 48 Days. He’s probably in the top 5 of people who have positively influenced my life the most, maybe top 3. Needless to say, I was excited when his most recent book, co-authored with his son, Jared Angaza, Wisdom Meets Passion, came out.

Dan Miller and Jared Angaza

Dan Miller and Jared Angaza

The pair make a great case for how we need both wisdom and passion to be successful and satisfied in life. They show us how to get more wisdom and passion and what living with both looks like.

Dan and Jared could not be more different! Dan is a NY Times best-selling author who helps people think creatively for personal and business success. He lives with his wife on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.

Jared is a blogger, philanthropist, and founder of an ethical fashion company. He lives a minimal lifestyle with his family in Mombasa, Kenya.

The difference of perspectives and experiences makes for a rich source of abundant knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it!

One of my favorite sections

The following is a section I really loved. In the first chapter, Dan and Jared talk about the predicament of living our lives too small. They came up with some questions to help us identify if we’re limiting ourselves. They are as follows:

Reflect on this past month. Can you identify:

1. four or five ideas you had for a better job or starting your own business?

2. three things you did just to help someone out with no expectation of payback?

3. the books you read or listened to that enlightened your spirit, confidence, knowledge, and wisdom?

4. the number of hours you spent in quiet contemplation?

5. two or three things you did that you had never done before?

6. the concerts, art exhibits, seminars, workshops, or other enriching experiences you had?

7. two or three specific things you did to strengthen the relationships that mean the most to you?

If you’d like to keep from living your life too small and learn how to thrive with both wisdom and passion, I’d encourage you to pick up the book. You can purchase it here. You won’t be disappointed!

 

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  • Ann Musico January 10, 2013 at 5:28 am

    Read it and LOVED it!  Definitely worth a read.

    • Michael Good January 10, 2013 at 12:11 pm

      Agreed, Ann. Definitely worth it!

  • Tom Dixon January 10, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    That one has been on my list…Dan Miller puts out some great stuff. I think the truth is most of us are living our lives way to small. I’ll have to add it to the stack of “must reads.” Thanks!

    • Michael Good January 11, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      Tom, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re a fan of Dan’s, you’ll enjoy this as you get more insight into his thinking through Jared’s perspective.

  • Karen Putz January 17, 2013 at 10:26 am

    Love this book! Thanks for the reminder to look over those seven questions and live each day with passion! 

    • Michael Good January 17, 2013 at 12:30 pm

      Glad to hear you enjoyed the book as well, Karen! A list of questions like that can really help in seeing a situation objectively and get the creativity going.

      Thanks for feedback!

  • Michael Wright January 24, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    I got the book when it came out, Michael, but haven’t read it yet.  The points in your post are definitely good things to ponder.

    • Michael Good January 29, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Michael, you’ll enjoy it, for sure. As someone who loves Dan’s writing, I found Jared’s perspective very complimentary.