The Third Door: The Mindset of Success

I read this book in my Management 100 honors course at Widener University and I absolutely loved it. The realness of Alex and his journey is so comforting as a college student because it emphasizes that you do not need to know exactly what you want to do with your life in the early semesters of school and that it is okay to follow your dreams and take a different route than the one that is expected of you. His drive and ambition in hand with his persistence is inspiring for a young college student who feels suffocated by the thought of having to know what path they are taking with their life. Banayan keeps the reader engaged by relating his life to them and showing them what it takes to be successful in yourself. I would totally recommend this book to my peers as it was enlightening and comforting at the same time.

I’m in DC for the first time and instead of visiting Museums, I’ve been cooped up at a coffee shop reading The Third Door and I don’t regret a single second.I’ve read dozens of biz and self-help books, and self-published a few myself, and I am blown away at your story.You live your life with boldness and courage. You also are a fantastic writer that knows how to tell good stories. It’s been a long time since a non fiction book can make me smile, tear up, and cover my mouth eagerly waiting to read the rest of the paragraph.I would like to share with you some of my favorite quotes with additional notes from the book.Quotes:- “What’s the Tube?”- “So I spent some time that morning wondering what Elliott would wear.”- “Mystery makes history? Are you insane?”- “When the White House calls, you answer.”- “It was like a business casual Running of the Bulls.”- Yes, Mom, I’m thinking. Have you ever tried thinking?”- “I didn’t know what to say, so I did the only thing I could think of — I stuffed an egg roll in my mouth.“It dawned on me that advice from Bill Gates was never my Holy Grail. My mistakes on my way to get to him were what changed me the most.”Patterns I’ve seen:- “You didn’t hear this from me, but...”- “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but...”- “I usually don’t do [activity], but...”Notes:- I think people underestimate how much you worked for everything. The obsession over every guest with extensive prep work. The perseverance to get blacklisted. To be creative and use every resource you can. I don’t think anyone can safely claim you got “lucky.”- Even when you got rejected, like to have a meeting with Buffet, you got 6 free passes to Ohama which is still a win. Most people just never ask.- When you asked Pitbull, “What was your level one?” I felt so happy for you. That is a GREAT question. Good on you for listening to Cal and applying his advice despite fears/doubts.- Elliott sounds like an amazing human being. I have also done extensive research on who is he but few sources actually told his full story. Your book made me love him even more.Final thoughts:I thoroughly enjoyed the book very much. It very accurately describes my unconventional path after dropping out of school as well. I will recommend this to any young person who asks me for advice. Thank you for writing it, Alex!

I first heard about Alex while perusing through the 30 under 30 lists in 2015, a distinction he received for his work in Venture Capital. Intrigued by his accomplishment but knowing little about his adventures, I decided to follow along via social media.After keeping tabs on his journey in the years that followed, I was definitely excited to finally read what became The Third Door, but admittedly didn't know what to expect. My inclination was that it would be much like any other business book about success -- a collection of anecdotes that deliver life lessons. An interesting read, but perhaps, like many similar books I've read in the past, nothing life-changing.I am thrilled to admit that I was wrong.The Third Door is nothing like any business or self-help book I've ever read. It reads as a thrilling adventure, one that, if I didn't know was real, I'd be convinced was fiction. But what's so special about it is that though his story is larger than life, Alex's relatability and vulnerability shine through on every page. A book like this can easily come across as pretentious, but there was none of that to be found. Instead, you're treated to two equally fascinating storylines that are perfectly intertwined.The first is Alex's outward journey -- the powerful lessons from the successful people he seeks out (some of my favorites were Maya Angelou, Jessica Alba, and Quincy Jones), the adventures and missteps in getting to each person, his unwavering dedication to his mission, and perhaps my favorite, the friends and mentors he meets along the way. The insights that actually hit home the most for me were the nuggets of practical advice and challenges from his mentor/best friend Elliott (who, though not as 'famous' is just as incredible as any of the main features in this book).The second storyline, and what makes this book human and whole, is Alex's inward journey. He displays a great deal of self-awareness and reflection and is unafraid to bring the reader along while he gains an understanding of himself, his blind spots, the valuable lessons he learned from his sisters, and the first-hand interaction with the preciousness of life after his father's heartbreaking diagnosis.This book is a page-turner and a coming of age story with universal appeal for sure, but beyond that, it is a lesson in optimism, resilience, and how incredible (and even 'successful') life can be if you have the courage to try.So thank you Alex, for this reminder that is relevant at any age and stage of life. And to anyone reading this review, buy the book, read it, believe it, and share it. It's a story that deserves to be heard.

This is kind of a bizarre book. Supposedly, it is the tale of a 'wild quest' to find the secrets of how the world's most successful people got their lucky break. There are two problems with this. Firstly, the 'secrets' he does find out are completely unoriginal and uninspiring. Be persistent - Tim Ferriss. Find hidden reserves of mental strength - Sugar Ray Leonard. Have a business strategy - Bill Gates. How fascinating. Secondly, the 'wild quest' is, for the most part, the tale of an entitled, wealthy kid hassled a bunch of celebrities for their time until a few of them gave in and talked to him.Sure there are some funny moments along the way. But most of it is just a pretty standard tale of how, if you are an overly confident young man from a wealthy and educated background, you can pursue whatever you want in life.One element of the book I found particularly annoying. When Banayan does eventually manage to meet some interesting people, he is completely incapable of interviewing them in a way which elicits anything of interest. He proves this repeatedly. Talking to Tim Ferriss, he completely missed the point that Ferriss was trying to save him from himself by telling him not to be so annoying. Talking to Bill Gates, he asks terrible questions which don't really elicit the interesting insights he was hoping for. Asking Warren Buffett questions at a shareholder meeting, he gets them completely wrong to the point that people are actually laughing at him.This, in reality, is the story of some bro who has no idea what he is doing, and is being carried along on a wave of self-confidence, nothing more. He's an idiot. Indeed about 75% of this book is tales of someone who doesn't know how to secure an interview, trying to secure an interview. The other 25% is someone who doesn't know how to conduct an interview, conducting an interview.

I heard an interview Alex gave to Cal Fusman about his forthcoming book. I was so taken with the story and learnings that Alex gained on his journey I contacted him directly. I preordered the book and offered to capture the book as a one page summary to which Alex agreed. The book is simply sensational. For such an honest and courage account of going search of the secrets to being successful, Alex’s journey is inspirational, moving and full of lessons. I’ve bought the book for many people since I read it. I call Alex my friend now and I couldn’t be prouder and a bigger supporter.You won’t be able to put it down once you start reading!

If the Third Door isn't on your reading list, then I don't know what should be! This is THE craziest non-fiction story I have ever read. Alex Banayan has a flair for storytelling like no other. I read the book for 2 hours at a stretch. Stopped and tried to go to bed. Except I couldn't sleep. That night I stayed up till 5 AM reading that book. It is so good that you can feel all the emotions!Ever wondered who could be your mentor? In the book, Alex interviews 100s of people from different fields - all of them at the top of their fields. You will have an exhaustive repository of the living legends of our times. I cold contacted so many of them (including Alex himself, who now does mentor sessions).If not for the non-fiction aspect, read it for how great the story is: You can't help but empathize with Alex, as he struggles for years chasing Warren Buffet, you jump and scream happily when he finally gets around meeting Bill Gates, you stare at your ceiling in disbelief reading about all the things he did to make this book a reality.From the non-fiction side: let me tell you this - I LOVE NETWORKING and I try to cold contact people. Most of the time it doesn't work and usually, I give up. Except I read the Third Door and I am pretty sure I am not ever going to give up. This book shows you WHY you need mentors, how people make you (and break you sometimes), and the best of all it isn't written in a boring essay format!Find your goal and do all manners of crazy stupid things to achieve it!

The Third Door is a masterpiece which I have recommended countless to friends, family and even mentors. It is truly all-encompassing and touches each person's inner child. I'll explain what I mean by this statement because it's not the first reaction you might have to the title or subtitle. Alex Banayan goes on an adventure to get all the tidbits from all the world leaders in their respective spaces. He becomes part of the club. Something we all dream of during our childhood and adolescent is to be famous and to have an impact. In the process of writing this book, he became part of that club. One of the most important thing that this book teaches is the manipulation of an old parable. That being: 'money buys happiness'. I think Alex does a great job of breaking down this cliche statement and replacing it with what I like to call a 'modernised adjustment'. This book is an accumulation of knowledge that Alex gains from these people. He also appreciates the necessity of failure and relinquishes expectations from his mindset. He was able to achieve his goal through knowledge and experience accumulation. So it is more like 'knowledge buys happiness' because once you have the knowledge you are free from confusion. His confusion and lack of direction came from the unknown, but he is happy and grateful and it shows in this book. Overall a great addition to the mantlepiece. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

I have to admit, I was drawn to this book as it turns out me & Alex have a lot of similar interests / people we look up to, so when I got a free ‘Audible’ credit I decided I had nothing to lose by checking it out. Not gonna lie, REALLY glad I did! It made me think in ways I hadn’t done before, I realised I was naturally on the right path with certain things he did while other things were a great pointer in the right direction.I loved this so much I genuinely went out & bought a hardcover version the very next day (I’m one of those weirdo’s who prefers physical books to digital/audio!) For anyone who has an interest in getting ahead or making something of themselves in life I’d say this is a great book to start with, or even like me if you’re already on the right path or want extra pointers. It was genuinely a great book & although I'm a little envious ;) i’m already making up for lost time! Love the ingenuity & I can’t wait to see what Alex does next...