Aaron Clarey - The Curse of the High IQ

It's not often that you go from fan to friend in the arts world. As a musician, I've had the opportunity to meet a few of my musician heroes personally, but never become friends with them. I do have talented friends and colleagues in my business and in other fields of art, and most of them inspire me at least a little bit. None as much as Aaron does.

I was introduced to his material by simple recommendation and became a fan very quickly. I watched videos, purchased books, downloaded podcasts, and added his material as part of my life's routine until the material became a powerful influence that changed my life. Upon realizing this, I reached out to thank him. A few years later, we are close and personal friends, and I remain one of his biggest fans. Becoming friends with someone whom you're this big of a fan of is an honor and can change your life.

When Cappy Cap announced to me that he was writing another book, and the subject was High IQ, we discussed it and shared ideas about it. As usual with his books, I became interested and excited to eventually buy it and read it as a fan. When he asked me if I'd like to contribute to this work, a second life-changing honor occurred, and I happily accepted. For me, this was like a musical hero asking me to play on his record or sit in with him on a gig. Now that I have read the work and understand its message, I can safely say that it's my favorite work of Aaron's so far, and it may be his most powerful book yet.

Those of us who are fans of his will know his work's message(s) well. He speaks to young people, particularly men, about how to live an optimized life in most every way. Education, finance, dating, friendships, health, hobbies, romantic relationships, and many more subjects are all covered in his books, podcasts, videos, and consultations. Those of us who know him will know without a doubt that he is an expert enough to demand damn good money for his advice and thoughts.

Perhaps for some of you, this is your first time reading one of Aaron Clarey's books. If that's the case, I have some advice for you. Prepare to be reaffirmed in many opinions you may already have, but felt you needed to keep quiet due to societal pressures/conditions, professional aspirations, or friends and loved ones. One thing all of us who are fans have in common is that we love that there's someone who says what we've all been thinking.

I'll also advise that you keep going deeper into Aaron's prolific catalog after reading this book. Bachelor Pad Economics is the mens' encyclopedia for life, Worthless has saved young people thousands of dollars and years of shame, Behind The Housing Crash predicted the near-collapse of the U.S. Economy and tells you why, and Captain Capitalism: Top Shelf and Reserved are the quintessential collections from his blog writings, allowing you to not only learn from his expertise but witness his evolution and growth as a writer, which is remarkable. I advise all those new to Captain Capitalism to dig deep and read EVERYTHING. TWICE.

One night recently on a gig, I had the opportunity to spend time with someone I can easily equate to Aaron Clarey. This gentleman is also a staunch libertarian, an intelligent and high-level thinker with a likely-high IQ, an entertainment hero of mine, and a personal friend. The man I am speaking of is magician Penn Jillette, my personal hero in Las Vegas entertainment. He and I spoke of Aaron Clarey that night, and he was familiar. This brought a huge smile to my face, and I walked out onto a stage that night to receive an award for Entertainer of The Year here in Las Vegas. As Penn looked on smiling from side-of-stage, I thought of us just speaking of Aaron. As I accepted the award and took a bow amidst the applause, I thought to myself, There's no way you'd be getting this tonight without Aaron. That is no lie. The guy'll change your life.

I also can't help but remember the time that Aaron and I stood at the near-top of an 11,000 foot peak in rural Nevada, talking to each other about the journey up that far, and admiring the view with smiles on our faces. The mountain and our journey to the top is a metaphor for life. Aaron has written in nearly all of his works that the most important part of life is other human beings. They are the ones that help you get to the top of that mountain where you can enjoy the view and survey your domain from a new place in life. I am one of the lucky guys to call Aaron a friend who's helped me get there, and after you read this book, you will feel the same.

Matt Baldoni

www.mattbaldoni.com

Las Vegas, January 2016