Blurb: Level Up Your Life uses the principles of video games, movies, television, comic books, and pop culture to teach you how to transform your life in extraordinary ways and collect real-world experiences that are just as amazing and fulfilling as the adventures of comic book heroes and video game characters. Learn how to design your own personal Epic Quest of Awesome through advice on health, fitness, travel, and finance.

A few years back, Steve Kamb created a website called NerdFitness. Anyone who follows this little personal blog here knows that Nerd and Fitness are basically my two biggest hobbies. So, yeah, I ponied up the $99 it was at the time for a lifetime membership. The idea behind the website was simple; gamify the healthy habits that lead of a healthier life. You create a character, and then complete tasks to “level up”.

This book was an extension of that concept. This was a self-help book for the nerds. There are no ground-breaking concepts. Many of the techniques Steve uses I have used, before and after discovering his website. I’m a big believer if gamifying life. Turn everything you can into a contest. Jim Wendler has a sign, that I have in my gym, that says Discipline Over Motivation. But you know what, it’s also not a bad thing to create motivation along the path as well.

Where this book excels is in the relatability for us nerds. Not many life guides reference the evil empire, the one true ring and the paying of tribute all within a few paragraphs. So yeah, I enjoyed this book. It even had me dusting off my old NerdFitness “character” (me).

That is where I find value in books of this ilk. I have read enough of them at this point it going to be hard to teach me new things. But I always remember a story a preacher told once in my childhood church. His story went like this:

“A church goer was asked once if you could remember what the sermon was three weeks ago. He had to admit he did not remember much of it. So, he was asked why he continued to go to church if he could not remember the sermons. His reply: My family gets together every Sunday afternoon for family lunch. I don’t remember exactly what we eat each week. But I know I got refreshing nourishment from each meal.”

That is what this book is; refreshing nourishment. Now excuse me while I go slay some orcs (do some pushups).

2023 Reading Log