Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

PART 1 Expressions

1. We were supposed to be basking in the fruits of our labor.

bask：1. 晒太阳；

Lizards were basking in the morning sun.

2. to enjoy the approval or attention that you are getting from other people

She basked in the admiration of the media.

bask/ bath in sb's / sth's glory: to share some of the importance and praise that belongs to someone close to you 沾某人/某事物的光

2. To me, it sounded like the poster child of bad Internet ideas.

poster child: 1.出现在海报上的儿童（通常是公益海报上患某种疾病的儿童）

2. sb or sth that represents a particular quality, idea etc, often used humorously

Dillon is the poster child for wasted talent.

3. Fred was a spiting image of Nicolas Cage.

be the spitting image of sb: to look exactly like sb else 分身

He's the spitting image of his father.

4. I'd realized that whether in poker, in business, or in life, it was easy to get caught up and engrossed in what I was currently doing, and that made it easy to forget that I always had the option to change tables.

engross: if sth engrosses you, it interests you so that you do not notice anything else 使全神贯注

The scene was stunning, and for a time engrossed all our attention.

(a.) engrossed, engrossing

Dad was engrossed in the paper.

5. It felt more like I was gambling, but with the odds stacked against me because I was investing money in things I didn't understand.

stack: 有秘密事先操作、洗牌时作弊的意思

stack the cards/ deck: to arrange cards dishonestly in a game

the odds/ cards are stacked against sb: used to say that sb is unlikely to be successful

6. Sequoria wasn't confident that this would ever end up being more than a niche business.

niche: (a.) relating to selling goods to a particular small group of people who have similar needs, interests etc

a niche market/ business

a niche product

7. They suggested that we touch base again in a few months.

touch base (with sb): to talk to sb to find out what is happening about sth 把某一件事的情况告诉有关的人

Before you sign it, you'd better touch base with your lawyer.

8. This was a tough call.

call: informal, a decision

Don't just say what you think I would like. It's your call.

make a call: make a decision

an easy/ hard/ tough call

judgment call: a decision based on your personal judgment of a situation

9. For the most part, my birthday party went off without a hitch.

hitch: (n.) 1. 系住；勾住；2. 小故障 a small problem that makes sth difficult or delays it for a short time

In spite of some technical hitches, the first program was a success.

The whole show went without a hitch.

get hitched: informal, to get married

They got hitched without telling their parents.

PART 2 Sentences

1. Just because you win a hand doesn't mean you're good and you don't have more learning to do. You might have just gotten lucky.

Look for opportunities beyond just the game you sat down to play. You never know who you're going to meet, including new friends for life or new business contacts.

The ame is a lot more enjoyable when you're trying to do more than just make money.

2. I'd realized that whether in poker, in business, or in life, it was easy to get caught up and engrossed in what I was currently doing, and that made it easy to forget that I always had the option to change tables. Psychologically, it's hard because of all the inertia to overcome. Without conscious and deliberate effort, inertia always wins.

3. It's a bad idea to invest in industries you don't understand, in companies you don't have any control or influence over, or in people you don't know or trust.

4. Every interaction with anyone anywhere was an opportunity to gain additional perspective. We are all human at the core, and it can be easy to lose sight of that in a world ruled by business, politics, and social status.

5. I really prefer to focus on just building relationships and getting to know people as just people, regardless of their position in the business world or even if they're not from the business world. I believe that there's something interesting about anyone and everyone -- you just have to figure out what that something is.