Recommendations
A curated collection of my favorite books, podcasts, articles, and other resources that I've found valuable.
Podcasts
The Tim Ferriss Show
One of the most popular business podcasts, featuring long-form interviews with world-class performers from diverse fields. Tim Ferriss deconstructs the habits, routines, and strategies of exceptional people to extract actionable insights. The show has surpassed one billion downloads and regularly features guests from business, sports, entertainment, and academia.
Recommended Episodes:
Chris Sacca is a legendary tech investor and founder of Lowercase Capital. Known for his early investments in Twitter, Uber, and Instagram, he shares his unconventional path to becoming a billionaire venture capitalist and his continued evolution as an investor and entrepreneur.
Naval Ravikant is the co-founder of AngelList and a philosophical thought leader in tech. His insights on wealth creation, happiness, and personal development have influenced millions of entrepreneurs and investors.
Patrick Collison is the co-founder and CEO of Stripe, revolutionizing how businesses handle online payments. His conversation covers everything from building a multi-billion dollar company to his fascinating perspectives on learning and progress.
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
A podcast that celebrates the messiness of being human. Host Dax Shepard combines his natural curiosity and disarming interview style to explore deep conversations with celebrities, academics, and experts about the human experience. New episodes release Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Recommended Episodes:
A fascinating discussion with cultural psychologist Michael Morris about tribalism, the differences between individualism and collectivism, and how language affects behavioral choices. His insights on peer, hero, and ancestor instincts offer valuable perspectives on human behavior and community dynamics.
Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant discusses the dynamics between givers and takers, overcoming introversion, and the importance of criticism. The conversation explores fascinating topics around work psychology, creativity, and the path to genius through quantity over quality.
Conversations with Tyler
A deep-dive interview podcast where economist Tyler Cowen explores the minds and methods of today's most underrated thinkers. Through intense research and surprising questions, Tyler provokes guests into examining their work and worldview in fascinating new ways. The show, produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, offers unique insights into how top thinkers see the world.
Recommended Episodes:
The inaugural episode features tech investor and entrepreneur Peter Thiel discussing technological stagnation, innovation, the role of religion in society, and the future of technology. His unique perspectives on progress and the relationship between politics and scientific advancement are particularly enlightening.
Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham explores the nature of ambition, the startup ecosystem, and what makes great essays and great founders. His insights on identifying talent and fostering innovation have shaped how we think about entrepreneurship and technology.
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses moral psychology, the impact of social media on mental health, and the challenges facing the current generation. His analysis of how technology and social changes are affecting youth development offers crucial insights for understanding modern society.
Books
How to Change Your Mind
by Michael Pollan
A fascinating exploration of the renaissance in psychedelic research and its implications for understanding consciousness, mental health, and human potential. Pollan combines rigorous scientific investigation with personal experience to examine how substances like psilocybin and LSD are being used to provide profound relief from depression, addiction, and anxiety, while offering insights into the nature of human consciousness and spiritual experience.
The Coddling of the American Mind
by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
A compelling investigation into three "Great Untruths" that have become increasingly prevalent in education and child-rearing: what doesn't kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good and evil people. The authors examine how these ideas are harming young people's development and offer insights into fostering resilience and critical thinking in an age of increasing polarization.
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
A brilliant exploration of cognitive dissonance and self-justification, examining how these psychological mechanisms influence everything from personal relationships to political decisions. The authors reveal how our need to believe we are wise and ethical leads to self-deception, and offer insights into breaking free from these patterns. This book provides valuable tools for understanding both personal blind spots and broader societal conflicts.
Articles
Keep Your Identity Small
by Paul Graham
A thought-provoking essay that explores why discussions about certain topics (like politics and religion) tend to be uniquely unproductive. Graham argues that when something becomes part of your identity, it becomes impossible to think clearly about it. His insights on how identity affects our ability to reason and have meaningful discussions offer valuable lessons for intellectual growth and better discourse.
101 Additional Advices
by Kevin Kelly
A collection of wisdom and practical insights drawn from decades of experience. Kelly, co-founder of Wired magazine, shares concise but profound pieces of advice that touch on life, work, relationships, and personal growth. His unique perspective combines technological understanding with deep human insight, making this piece both immediately practical and philosophically rich.