What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence by Stephen A. Schwarzman

BATB score: 8/10 🏆

Dear Stephen A. Schwarzman, you are such an interesting and an incredible self-made human being. I feel so humble to have read through your journey to one of the richest man on earth. 🖤

Best to: definitely an uphill battle from being Lehman Brothers' low-life form employee, starting Blackstone with your mentor at Lehman, diversifying the business wherever the opportunities are, taking it global, and becoming an advisor to the US Presidents. #dayum All that written in an easy comprehensive yet digestible book.

Best for: applicants must be between 18-29 years old to apply for Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, China; damn it! "Those who will lead the future must understand China today." I 100% believe he's right.

Best as: worst case, go to the four pages after the epilogue on Schwarzman's 25 Rules for Work and Life ; and you're pretty much covered.

Best quotes: “This is a huge break-out moment in your career. A lot of people are going to hate you. Don’t worry about that. You are different from them. Do not let that bother you!“

"Once you succeed, people see only the success. If you fail, they see only the failure. Rarely do they see the turning points that could have taken you in a completely different direction. But it's at these inflection points that the most important lessons in business and life are learned."