Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their...

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and...

Bird by Bird is one of my favorite books on writing, and life. In this episode I'll read from the book, and give you some key takeaways. For more info visit www.castig.org Excerpt: "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and...

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue...

In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America--heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more--and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches to help prevent and reverse these diseases, freeing us to live...

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and...

New York Times bestselling author Chuck Klosterman asks questions that are profound in their simplicity: How certain are we about our understanding of gravity? How certain are we about our understanding of time? What will be the defining memory of rock music, five hundred years from today? How seriously should we view the content of our dreams? How seriously should we view the content of television? Are all sports destined for extinction? Is it possible that the greatest artist of our era...

While many books explain the how of bitcoin, The Internet of Money delves into the why of bitcoin. Acclaimed information-security expert and author of Mastering Bitcoin, Andreas M. Antonopoulos examines and contextualizes the significance of bitcoin through a series of essays spanning the exhilarating maturation of this technology. In this episode Chris brings you his top highlights from The Internet of Money. Learn more at www.on-books.com

Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back. In this episode of On Books, I'll read the introduction to Ego is the Enemy, as well as share my top 3...

Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur. In short, what we know about the world is constantly changing. Samuel Arbesman is on the show today to help us understand how this evolution of facts unfolds in a fascinating way that can have a powerful impact on our lives. In this interview Sam and Chris discuss The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We...

In Zero Waste Home, Bea Johnson shares the story of how she simplified her life by reducing her waste. The book is a how-to guide for reducing as much waste as possible from your life. In this episode of On Books, I interview Bea and discuss about how to reduce waste.

In Zero Waste Home, Bea Johnson shares the story of how she simplified her life by reducing her waste. The book is a how-to guide for reducing as much waste as possible from your life. In this episode of On Books I share my favorite tips from Bea's book for reducing waste, as well as a reading from the chapter "The 5 Rs: Refuse" - which is the fundamental tenants of the Zero Waste movement. Next week, Bea will be on the show. So if you have any questions you'd like to ask Bea send them...

Haruki Murakami’s books are a blend of modern culture, and fantasy. Arguably, Murakami is Japan’s most famous author, his writing resonates on a frequency that is distinctly “Murakami.” Over the past 30 years, Murakami has written 13 novels including: Norwegian Wood (1987), Sputnik Sweetheart (1999), Kafka on the Shore (2002), 1Q84 (2009), and his most recent Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki (2013). In this episode I have a special guest! Lee Matos ("Murakami superfan", and philosopher of life)...

Peter Singer is a well known Australian philosopher and author. In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the top 100 most influential people of the year. His latest two books The Life You Can Save (2009), and The Most Good You Can Do (2015) explore how you can be a vehicle for change in the world - right now, and without giving up much. Both of which we’ve covered in previous episodes of On Books! In this episode we discuss: * What does it mean to do “the most good"? * Are startups...

In this episode of On Books, I discuss The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future, by Kevin Kelly. The Inevitable is driven by the idea that the technological trends of the next 30 years can be predicted. Over 336 pages the book breaks down the Top 12 technological forces at work such as: "Becoming, Cognifying, Flowing, Screening, Accessing, Sharing, Filtering, Remixing, Interacting, Tracking, Questioning, and Beginning." The names themselves...

This week I was lucky enough to interview one of my favorite people of all time: Kevin Kelly. Tim Ferriss refers to Kevin as the real-life “Most Interesting Man In The World." He is one of the co-founders of Wired Magazine, co-founder of the Quantified Self Movement, and serves on the board of The Long Now foundation. He's a prescient writer, inspiring photographer, and prolific traveler. In this episode we talk about: * The Counterculture movement of the 60s * Traveling as an act...

In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Life You Can Save, by Peter Singer. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com

In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically, by Peter Singer. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com

In this episode I talk with Zander Rose (Director of the Long Now Foundation) on long-term thinking, and building something that lasts longer than ourselves. This is the fourth episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com

How do you build something that will last 10,000 years? In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. This is the third episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com