I Dream of FIRE

In pursuit of financial independence and personal fulfillment

Category: Review (Page 1 of 2)

Airport lounges – the travel perk I never knew I needed

May 9, 2019 / / 0 Comments

“We’ll put out bacon and eggs at 7. There’s coffee, cereal and bagels on the counter and a full bar in the back,” the chipper hostess offered as she scanned our boarding passes. “Drinks are complimentary. Welcome to The Club at LAS. I’ll show you around.”

It’s 6:58 a.m. on a Sunday in Las Vegas’s McCarran International Airport. My wife and I have already been awake almost 5 hours – our 6-year-old daughter, Vivian, about 4 hours. I expected to spend the next three hours eating McDonald’s off my lap and trying to tune out whatever TV news station was sure to be droning even above the pings and payouts of the cluster of slot machines in the center of the terminal gates.

Instead, I’m being led to a magical land of free bacon, free coffee, free drinks, a muted TV (still showing the news, of course), comfortable chairs, tables, and really good jazz playing softly in the background.

What voodoo is this? Continue reading

Mini-retirement book review: ‘Outwitting the Devil,’ by Napoleon Hill

August 21, 2018 / / 2 Comments

The Devil controls 98 of every 100 people on Earth, coercing them not into a life of evil but one of malaise. He leads people to his command by instilling fear in them, which weakens their resolve to pursue a purposeful, meaningful life.

“Think and Grow Rich” author Napoleon Hill wrote “Outwitting the Devil” in 1938 as a one-on-one interview with the Devil himself, in which Hill was able to force the Devil to confess to how he conquers men at an astounding rate and how they can escape his grasp.

The book was deemed too controversial to print – for reasons I’ll delve into later – and shelved an amazing 73 years until its release in 2011. It was incredibly relevant at that time, as the economic climate reflected that of the original period in which Hill wrote it. However, the principles in “Outwitting the Devil” are timeless and valuable even today.

Continue reading

All-inclusive vs. cruising: How they compare

August 10, 2018 / / 6 Comments

I recently spent a week at the all-inclusive Villa Del Palmar resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — my first time staying at an all-inclusive.

There was much lounging, much swimming, much food and much drink. Also, being closer to the equator must do something strange to the body, because my scale doesn’t seem to be working like it did before I left.

Since I’m an experienced cruiser and a novice all-inclusiver, I thought I would compare the two for people who have only done one or neither.

Continue reading

Book review: “Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life”

June 19, 2018 / / 1 Comment

Gary John Bishop makes it clear in no uncertain terms: You are currently living the life you want to live, whether you like it or not.

Bishop says our brains are wired to win, and so we naturally and subconsciously act in ways that support our view of ourselves, even if that view is negative or harmful. Continue reading

Book review: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl

May 31, 2018 / / 4 Comments

This is the first review of one of the many books I plan to read over the coming months.

Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning,” in which he recounts his experiences as a concentration camp prisoner during World War II, was  so highly recommended from various sources that I decided to make it the opening book for my studies.

My reviews will be mostly geared toward my interpretation and actionable takeaways, rather than a traditional high-level overview. There are plenty of those out there. Especially for this book! Continue reading

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