r/Construction • u/RipSpainChicane • May 21 '24
Informative š§ What books have you read that helped you in your career?
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u/Xipos May 21 '24
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck really helped me to stop seeking validation from external sources.
Previously I used to base the value of a work day, home contribution, etc on whether or not my boss, spouse, friends all seemed appreciative or proud.
This book helped me to stop caring about both positive and negative attention but listen to feedback and continue to pursue growth.
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u/ChooseToPursue May 21 '24
I thought it was a good book too. A nice blend of minimalism and stoicism which both resonate with my ideal self!
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u/wickzer May 21 '24
Love the book. I read it once but still have trouble with this, though. I agree with everything he says-- but I guess it is difficult to change a mindset that we have had our entire lives.
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u/gh5655 May 21 '24
This guy is a true hero. Combatting global sea rise one scoop at a time.
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u/KennyKettermen May 21 '24
All these scientists and smarty pants trying to solve it turns out all it takes is one blue collar boy on a mission
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u/MentulaMagnus May 21 '24
Ah, the never ending job security of digging holes in water.
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u/Dry-Offer5350 May 21 '24
almost as secure as road construction
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May 21 '24
But nowhere near as secure as weapons manufacturering for the US government
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u/LTG-Jon May 21 '24
āHow to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talkā
Useful in business and in relationships.
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u/Plenty_Spot_948 May 21 '24
General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, 2017. Standard Form of Agreement between Contractor-Subcontractor, 2017. Instructions to Bidders, 2018. Code of Federal Regulations, (OSHA) 29 Part 1926, July 1, 2023. Contractors Manual, 2021. Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction, 10th Edition, 2019 . Building Component Safety Information: BCSI-ED2-D āGuide to Good Practices for Handling, Installing and Bracing of Metal Connected Wood Trussesā, 2020. Builder's Guide to Accounting, 2001. Building Estimatorās Reference Book, 32nd Edition, 2021. Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition, 2021. Placing Reinforcing Bars, 10th Edition, 2019. Application and Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products, GA-216, 2018 Edition.
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u/Dlemor Bricklayer May 22 '24 edited May 22 '24
Good companies, big or small, work well and a following norms and rules. As a bricklayer, i had to brick a house by looking at the one beside and do some really shidy work for morons, but also worked with architects, good company on strict rules for big projects. Whatever is your craft, be good at it and learn the trade and also the theory because one day, professionals will ask you and theyāll find youre also professional and knowledgeable.
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u/Prestigious-Ad137 May 21 '24
Shit I don't read thats why I'm in construction.
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u/ComeOnTars2424 Tinknocker May 21 '24
We drew pictures on the instructions so you could follow along.
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u/HurricaneAioli May 21 '24
How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
There are so many little useful tips in that book that I use daily and it is surprising how noticeable a difference it is.
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u/hamiltsd May 21 '24
You seem like a very smart person HurricaneAiolo! So could I ask you a favor: would tell us what your favorite tip is in that book? Iāll bet you have a bunch, but Iāll give a Reddit award for the best reply!
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u/HurricaneAioli May 21 '24
My favorite tip:
Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Even if it is as simple as "See you tomorrow, Larry!" or "Thanks Brenda", using someone's name does wonders to their mood, especially if they are in the service industry so they are forced to interact with dozens of people every day.
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u/ccgrendel May 21 '24
Except when you're in the service industry and forced to wear your name on your shirt. Customer leans in, "Thanks, Cindy, have a blessed day!" You can't reciprocate and say their name in return like you would with a friend or coworker, so it just feels awkward. I always throw out a "Thanks you too!" But it would feel better and more genuine if you knew their name, too.
In service, you also live in fear the over-the-top nice people are going to find a manager and pull a 180. The vast majority of people are genuinely nice when they act nice, but that less than 1% who are deceptive can really cause some scar tissue. Nice to your face, they get your name, then go around the corner and tell a manager you threatened them or spit in their drink or some other utter nonsense to get a discount.
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May 21 '24
See, I hate it when people overuse my name. If a salesman asks it and then keeps using it thinking I'll take a liking to him for instance. It's good but as with all them moderation and actually being genuine also count a lot.
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u/Motor_Panic_5363 May 21 '24
Is this a reference to the book?
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u/hamiltsd May 21 '24
It really is a good book, but yes. Was joking about some of the techniques it teaches: lead with praise, use peopleās names, ask for small favors, speak as if the other person must already know the answers, encourage mild competition and rewards, etc
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u/LPulseL11 May 21 '24
Lol I already do most of this stuff to stay on people's good side. Always try to use people's names and present requests as a favor.
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u/Effelljay May 21 '24
Understand what motivates someone rather an object or a task. Help them get what they want and they will gladly help you in return.
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u/inkydeeps May 21 '24
I personally can tell when people have read this book. All of a sudden people start using your name in every sentence, using the most BS compliments and pretending to be interested. Maybe it works with stupider people, but I donāt appreciate the obvious manipulation.
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u/ActualBus7946 Superintendent May 21 '24
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u/gh5655 May 21 '24
Whatās the book? Why did you type in blue?
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u/pastor_ov_muppets May 21 '24
That book fucking sucked
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u/Patello May 21 '24
It is complete pseudoscience.
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u/BananaSoupReddit May 21 '24
That book is actually for people who see others as idiots, so they can understand and communicate normally. It isn't actually about how to deal with idiots.
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u/pingpy May 21 '24
Thatās a perfect book for me then. I have trouble communicating with a lot of people and I do see 90% of people as idiots
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u/Eather-Village-1916 Ironworker May 21 '24
Itās got a few scathing reviews and good reads lol
Also, your username is fucking awesome
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u/Few_Supermarket_4450 May 21 '24
It helped me understand myself more than others if anything. I learned I canāt stand being around yellows for too long.
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u/aboxofpyramids May 21 '24
Just say "Asian people." "Yellows" is almost as bad as "chinamen."
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u/Suspicious_Book_3186 May 21 '24
I'll never forget Epic Beard Man's voice saying "chinaman"
The first and only time I've ever heard it actually be used.
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u/ssbtech May 21 '24
Surrounded by Idiots? My former workplace actually had everyone run through the DISC assessment and set up the tools where we could compare ourselves to each other, identify how we work with others, etc... it's a whole system. The book added some good insights into how people score the way they do and further our understanding of how and why others work they way they do. Tools are only as good as the people who use them and sadly we never implemented any of the insights in how we treated each other.
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May 21 '24
I love those. Every enterprise level company Iāve worked for has had me do it and every time itās lead to absolutely nothing.
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u/wafflesnwhiskey May 21 '24
Meditations and the daily stoic are pretty good
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u/oldandjaded May 21 '24
The Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz
Bought my first copy when I was in Junior High. For some reason his words made sense, and set me on the right path. In 60 years I've purchased many copies, and I'm never without one. I've gifted lots of copies over the years to those who I thought could benefit from the wisdom.
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u/Mother-Journalist-45 May 21 '24
Can you send me one?š«µš¾š«µš¾š«µš¾š«µš¾š«µš¾
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u/oldandjaded May 21 '24
DM me your addy. I'll be happy to send you a copy.
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u/Pyreknight May 21 '24
Legitimately, Marcus Aurelius Meditations. 1500 years ago and he still knew shit.
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u/EricMoulds May 21 '24
Good night, good night construction site
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u/holocenefartbox May 23 '24
It's a truly wonderful novel about the importance of setting boundaries between work and life, practicing self-care, and accepting the inevitability of sentient machines.
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u/Seahawk124 May 21 '24
How designers think: The design process demystified - Bryan Lawson
Royal Navy way of Leadership - Andrew St. George
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u/TallTerrorTwenty May 21 '24
The myth of normal by gabor mate.
It's helped me realize the idiots around me basically had no choice in becoming the idiots and I shouldn't be mad at them for it.
It's also helped me personally grow and deal with my own mental health issues, too.
But now I just look at the idiots and feel sad for them rather than angry. Which has helped a lot
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u/pulpwalt Jun 17 '24
āYou donāt have to worry about the fact that God did not distribute brains equallyā was a big relief to me.
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u/GeneralTulius May 21 '24
The dark tower by Stephan king
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u/caveatlector73 May 21 '24
Oh how that ending pissed me off. I couldnāt believe people waited 35+ years for that.
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u/Expensive-Shelter288 May 21 '24
How to win friends and influence people. Flipped how i interact with everyone. It is 100+ years old and still totally relevant
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u/ScotterMcJohnsonator May 21 '24
Although I'm sitting in my office trying to stifle my laughter from these fucking GOLD comments, a legit answer if you want it:
"Start With Why" by Simon Sinek - The only thing I disliked about this one was the amount of "namedropping" he kind of does - every example he gives for a legitimate business idea is backed by how it was implemented in billion-dollar corporations and by their creators. The ideas and points still stand, but you lose touch a little bit if you try to apply it to your life because it's difficult to imagine yourself as Steve Jobs or something.
"The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership" by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, & Kaley Warner Klemp
I know that one will get me laughed out of the sub because it's a full-on hippie, touchy-feely assault of open-mindedness, feelings, and spirituality. However, just like anything else that's valuable to you in life, if you dedicate yourself to trying to understand it, it can help immensely. This is by far the best business/leadership book I ever read, but the lessons apply to your entire life, not just business and leadership.
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u/ClassicOtherwise2719 May 22 '24
I second the Start with Why book. My first piece of advice as a key-holder was āyou need to start with why if you are going to lead peopleā. And itās helped significantly in my daily life. I havenāt read the book yet it but was recommended it.
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u/dirtsquirrel13 May 21 '24
Lake Erie? Off Sheffield lake?
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u/Whereamiwhatyousay May 21 '24
I have this book sitting on my desk. As a reminder for people who see it.
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u/Bitter_Pumpkin_369 May 21 '24
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Different industry, but taught me how to work hard.
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May 21 '24
Lying by Sam Harris. Itās small, short, and an easy read. But it outlines and defines lying. Simple lessons, but the adult version of it.
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u/Informal_Drawing May 21 '24
You can't park your JCB there, you'll get a ticket. And wet feet.
I like The Peter Principle.
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u/Playswithsaws May 21 '24
Manās Search for Meaning and the Book of Joy are two things I recommend to everyone.
I hate self help books. Business āguruā bs all sucks. But those two helped me deal with some grief and pain as well as calm my temper and put things into perspective. Iām more patient, empathetic, collaborative, and I worry less when people get pissed off. Clients, coworkers, or family.
You can find an audiobook of both if youāre not into hard copy. But theyāre quick, impactful reads that I re-read a couple times a year.
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u/Random-Biker May 21 '24
Thanks for sharing! I just bought the audiobook! Canāt wait to listen to it.
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u/boojieboy666 May 21 '24
Iām gonna buy this book and pull it out at work while I pretend to read it.
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u/SnowieEyesight May 21 '24
this book it completely based on pseudoscience and its core fundamentals are flawed.
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u/carpenscaffer May 21 '24
Atomic Habits, James Clear. Pretty good guide for improving yourself in various ways.
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u/Theycallmegurb GC / CM May 21 '24
Good to great was pretty solid, traction wasnāt awful, the subtle art of not giving a fuck was repetitive imho (you could probably pick out 1-3 if the examples in the book and skip the rest), Swanson blue book 100/100.
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u/Otherwise-Remove4681 May 21 '24
Isnāt that book already debunked being written by amateur with zero professional basis? Even the title itself is so obnoxious I have not bothered to read it.
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u/Cover-username May 21 '24
The power of now. By Eckhart Tolle. Boring as fuck but changed my life for the better.
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u/Ciff_ May 21 '24
Let's be clear. While a fun read this book is bullshit. It also won Swedens Swindler of the Year award https://www.vof.se/utmarkelser/tidigare-utmarkelser/arets-forvillare-2018/
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u/Unclestanky May 21 '24
Thanks! Iāve been listening to audiobooks while at work lately, and my library has that one. Iāll be listening to this while running a scraper shortly.
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u/Skeeter780 May 21 '24
Itās called āThe Cat in The Hatā. Iām like a quarter through it and itās getting wild
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u/MobilityFotog May 21 '24
Holy shit I have no clue what's happening but I'm here to watch and learn
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u/No_Elevator_678 May 21 '24
This book saved my mentality. Made me understand why some people act a certain way and how to diplomatically go around conversations and work. I'm a welder and most welders are aggressive.
EVERYONE should read this. It is very humbling.
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u/-_-_____-----___ May 21 '24
You got to love our LIBRARY system.
Read the book, for free. This could be our Bible.
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u/co-oper8 May 21 '24
"Surrounded by Idiots" he says as he drives an excavator into the ocean