In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve.

Endless digital content bombards us with how the media thinks we should look, act, and feel. Amongst all the photo filters, online shopping, and family and societal pressures, it’s not hard for us to start presenting a heavily curated—but ultimately hollow—version of ourselves to the world.So how do you stop presenting who you think you should be and start living as who you really are? How do you live your life according to your own values and goals, rather than those of other people? The answer is not to disengage from media or other people altogether—there’s a better way!...