If I just read through books & then move on, they become just entertainment

Turning them into tools requires integrating the relevant teachings into my habits & mental models

So I highlight, take notes & then develop a summary for easy future reference & reintegration

Awaken the Giant Within is a Tony Robbins book from the early 90s

It is one of the few books on the Scott Adams persuasion reading list I haven't consumed in the last 5 years, because I had an impression that he was some sort of motivational speaking charlatan

I was wrong

His work is grounded in the same scientific principles as Thinking, Fast & Slow, Influence & all the other most respected texts on persuasion & consciousness

It's all well known science now, but at the time he wrote it he was truly cutting edge

The meta lessons are how Robbins applies the principles to his writing technique

Robbins has a mastery for self-promotion & branding. He also uses early 90s Trump as a frequent example of these techniques. Game recognize Game.

Most useful technique that I've stolen from him is the use of language to defuse unproductive emotions

When I'm feeling angry, I describe myself as feeling "slightly peeved"

The silliness of the phrasing instantly breaks the emotional control. It's a lovely technique

I write the summaries as cues for my future self, but if interested it's publicly available here https://michaels.substack.com/p/awaken-the-giant-within-summary