Book of the Week: Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

By Gabe Salinas

Let me tell you right now, this isn’t a light read.
It’s not a weekend flip-through or a quick listen on the drive to work.

This book is a monster.
A deep, dense, brutally honest beast of a read—and I loved every second of it!

Jordan Peterson isn’t for the soft-spoken or the surface-level thinkers.
He writes with precision, power, and philosophical fire, and 12 Rules for Life hits you like a freight train made of truth.

You don’t read this book casually.
You study it.
You wrestle with it.
You highlight entire pages because nearly every sentence demands your full attention—and challenges the way you look at your own life.

Why This Book Slapped Me in the Face (In a Good Way)

Peterson doesn’t coddle. He doesn’t sugarcoat.
He says the things most people are too scared to say and he says them with such intellectual sharpness that you can’t help but respect it.

This book isn’t just about “rules.”
It’s about order and chaos. Discipline and responsibility. Pain, suffering, meaning, and growth.

It’s about standing up straight, owning your story, and fighting back against the darkness internally and externally.

And here’s the kicker:
You feel it.
You feel the weight of what he’s saying, because it’s real.
It’s not self-help fluff. It’s life truth.

Top Takeaways That Smacked Me in the Soul

Rule 1: Stand Up Straight with Your Shoulders Back

This isn’t just posture advice. It’s a metaphor for life.
Peterson digs into evolution, biology, psychology—and lands the plane with this: how you carry yourself matters.
Confidence isn’t just internal—it’s physical, chemical, visible.

I see this daily at Window Ninjas.
The way my team walks into a customer’s home… the tone of voice on the phone…
It’s all a reflection of personal ownership.
You carry yourself like a leader—people treat you like one.

Rule 6: Set Your House in Perfect Order Before You Criticize the World

Whew.
This one hit me hard.
It’s so easy to blame others, blame society, blame the economy.
But Jordan says: fix your own house first.
Handle your discipline. Handle your chaos. Handle your own habits before you start pointing fingers.

That’s a call to extreme ownership—and one I live by as an entrepreneur, a father, and a mentor.

Rule 11: Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding

Translation: let people take risks.
Let them fall. Let them climb. Let them test their limits.

This applies to everyone we lead.
Employees. Franchisees. Our kids.
We don’t grow in padded rooms—we grow when we fall, get up, and keep climbing.
That’s how I built Window Ninjas. That’s how I coach my team. That’s how you build resilience.

If you are one who picks up a book and scans before deciding to read or purchase – read this section! It’s a mind explosion! It gets to the heart of Jordan’s philosophy.

Peterson Doesn’t Just Teach—He Makes You Reflect

The entire book reads like a psychological sermon.

He challenges you to think about pain, purpose, and the brutal truth of human nature.
And somehow, he does it in a way that makes you want to be better.

This wasn’t a book I finished in a few days.
I took two full weeks, and even then, I went back to reread chapters just to absorb the depth.
There’s no filler in here—every page hits.

Should You Read It?

Only if you:

• Want to think deeper about your life
  
• Want a serious slap of truth to your mindset
  
• Want to lead better, live stronger, and find meaning through responsibility…
  

Then yes.
Read this book.
Twice.

But don’t expect soft edges or motivational fluff.
Expect challenges. Expect discomfort. Expect growth.

Jordan Peterson doesn’t want to inspire you.
He wants to wake you up.

Gabe’s Golden Squeegee Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 Golden Squeegees
This is a book that belongs on every leader’s shelf and every business owner’s desk. It’s not an easy read but the best ones never are.

Final Thought: Read Hard. Lead Hard. Live Better.

You can’t build a strong business—or a strong life—without first building yourself.
12 Rules for Life is a blueprint for that.
So grab a copy, sharpen your mind, and prepare to grow.

And if you want to talk about what it means to lead in business, build a culture of responsibility, or apply real psychological truths to everyday life—I’m all in.

Shoot me a message. Let’s dive deeper.

Keep shining,
Gabe Salinas
Founder, Window Ninjas
www.gabesalinas.com
Instagram: @windowninjas