"Read difficult books during low moments, not high ones Michael recommended "The Courage to Be Disliked" — a book he received as a birthday gift from his brother during a period when he faced significant public criticism for DJing at a presidential inauguration. He noted it "changed my perspective on a lot of things" precisely because the timing matched his emotional state. His specific advice: "buy it and put it on your shelf but don't read it until you're feeling really down — because that's when it's going to have the most impact." This reframes how people should think about their reading list: match the book to your life circumstance, not just a release date or recommendation algorithm. Source: Michael (Bond co-founder), a16z crypto podcast, Creator Economy & Crypto with Bond"