Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 29
April 27, 2022
Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and More (#590
Illustration via 99designs“It’s about the mission, not about your ego.”
— Tony Fadell
Tony Fadell (@tfadell) is an active investor and entrepreneur with a 30+ year history of founding companies and designing products that profoundly improve people’s lives. As the principal at Future Shape, a global investment and advisory firm coaching engineers and scientists working on foundational deep technology, he is continuing to help bring technology out of the lab and into our lives. Currently, Future Shape is coaching 200+ startups innovating game-changing technologies.
Tony began his career in Silicon Valley at General Magic, the most influential startup nobody has ever heard of. He is the founder and former CEO of Nest, the company that pioneered the “Internet of Things” and created the Nest Learning Thermostat. Tony was the SVP of Apple’s iPod Division and led the team that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone. Throughout his career, Tony has authored more than 300 patents. In May 2016, TIME named the Nest Learning Thermostat, the iPod, and the iPhone as three of the “50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time.”
His new book is Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
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Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#590: Tony Fadell of iPod, iPhone, and Nest Fame — Stories of Steve Jobs on “Vacation,” Product Design and Team Building, Good Assholes vs. Bad Assholes, Investing in Trends Before They Become Trends, The Hydrogen Economy, The Future of Batteries, and MoreThis episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.
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This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear the last time Tony was on the show? Listen to our conversation here in which we discussed the repercussions of quitting caffeine cold turkey, why companies sometimes fail in spite of retaining a solid roster of talent, advice for people learning to lead on the fly, valuable lessons learned from Steve Jobs, seeing problems and building skills from a curious beginner’s perspective, managing impatience as a driving force without ticking off the other people working on a project, and much more.
#403: Tony Fadell — On Building the iPod, iPhone, Nest, and a Life of CuriositySELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Tony Fadell:Personal Twitter | Future Shape Twitter | Instagram
Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell | Amazon Out of the Lab and Into Our Lives | Future ShapeTony Fadell — On Building the iPod, iPhone, Nest, and a Life of Curiosity | The Tim Ferriss Show #403Organizational Chart | WikipediaTribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss | AmazonSteve Jobs’ Favorite Vacation Spot | Steve Jurvetson, FlickrGeneral Magic (Documentary) | Prime VideoJodorowsky’s Dune | Prime VideoComplete Dune Series by Frank Herbert | AmazonAlien | Prime VideoWhat is ADHD? | CDCJob Burnout: How to Spot It and Take Action | Mayo ClinicThe Future of Work After COVID-19 | McKinseyYour Digital HQ | SlackSimple, Secure, Reliable Messaging | WhatsAppStay Connected With Free Video Calls Worldwide | SkypeFor Tony Fadell, the Future of Startups Is Connected and Sustainable | TechCrunchThe Key to Tackling Climate Change: Electrify Everything | VoxSustainability Is Just Good Business | Turntide TechnologiesThe Next Generation of Electrification | Menlo MicrosystemsOf Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez | AmazonJamie Foxx on Workout Routines, Success Habits, and Untold Hollywood Stories | The Tim Ferriss Show #124Steve Jobs’? Lesson about Storytelling | LinkedInWhy a Former Employee Thinks Apple Is ‘Boring’ under Tim Cook | MashableWhat “Machiavellian” Really Means | TED-EdNest Founder Says Plastic Apologists Are ‘Lying’ | FortuneFrequently Asked Questions about Plastic Recycling and Composting | US EPAWhat is E-waste Recycling? | Conserve Energy FutureSustainable Materials Power the Future | Redwood MaterialsTony Fadell Looks to Disrupt Silicon Valley | SURFACE“The World’s First Trillionaire Will Be Made in Climate Change.” | Chamath Palihapitiya, TwitterBuilding the Global Hydrogen Economy | CSISBiomass Fueling America’s Growing Clean Energy Economy | Department of EnergyGigaton Carbon Removal and the Paris Climate Agreement | Atlantic CouncilAchieve Net Zero Targets | ClimeworksBiochar | WikipediaWhat is Carbon Sequestration? | US Geological SurveyCarbon Capture, Utilization, & Storage | Department of EnergyPut Oil Back Underground | Charm IndustrialNext-Generation Carbon Removal | Carbo CultureCarbon Capture for Semi-Trucks | RemoraThe Shark and Remora Relationship | Scuba.comA Look inside China’s Timely Charging Infrastructure Plan | GreenbizAmerica’s Electric-Vehicle Charging Infrastructure | McKinseyWhat the War in Ukraine Means for Energy, Climate and Food | Nature10 Alternatives to Lithium-Ion Batteries: Which New Tech Will Power the Future? | Green AuthorityThe New US Plan to Rival China’s Dominance in Rare Earth Metals | CNBCReforming Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies: How the United States Can Restart International Cooperation | The Brookings InstitutionTo Counter China’s Economic Influence, Rebuild the American Heartland | The Brookings InstitutionOpinion: Inflation Myths Have Reached Fan-Fiction Proportions | The Washington PostThe Coming Revolution in the American Economy | The New RepublicYou Are What You Read: Six Ways to Change Your Media Diet | Ethical Journalism NetworkIt’s Time to Unite the World to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic | ForbesLegendary Investor John Doerr on Picking Winners — From Google in 1999 to Solving the Climate Crisis Now | The Tim Ferriss Show #543Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now by John Doerr | AmazonUnleashing Climate Innovation | MCJ CollectiveThe Hundred-Year Marathon: China’s Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury | AmazonThe Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail by Ray Dalio | AmazonSHOW NOTESHow did Tony overcome his lack of patience long enough to write Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making ? [07:38]What did Tony learn from Steve Jobs about taking vacations, and why did he lead the “Killing Yourself for Work” chapter in Build with this story? [12:30]As a CEO, what did Tony accomplish in his downtime? [21:03]Tony shares his thoughts on managing big jobs with small teams, and how to chalk up wins that best alleviate burnout. [24:07]The best practices Tony has found for efficiently dividing labor among the members of a small team. [28:40]What do the headcount and org chart look like within Future Shape? [36:20]How does Future Shape differ from a VC firm, and what is its mission? Why was the COVID pandemic minimally disruptive to the way the company handles meetings and does business? [39:17]What is programmable electrification, and how is Future Shape involved in its development? [44:50]“The story doesn’t exist to sell your product. It’s there to help you define it.” Tony shares how this concept played into the creation of Build, and what Build is intended to provide to its readership. [51:00]How did Steve Jobs use story to define projects and products at Apple? [59:47]Tony admits that plenty of people think he’s an asshole. But what differentiates an acceptable asshole from an unacceptable asshole? [1:01:43]In our last conversation, Tony drove home the necessity of finding creative ways to cope with the world’s overabundance of plastics. What progress has been made on this front since then, and what other materials can be reclaimed from the things we throw away regularly? [1:06:12]How does Tony’s small team leverage its time and resources to focus on solving the problems that will have the largest impact? [1:09:17]Underestimated targets related to climate change that Tony thinks deserve more attention. [1:13:16]Tony’s thoughts on the efficacy of carbon removal, and companies that are aiming to do it right. [1:17:45]How will geopolitics figure into the supply chain for an electron-based economy? [1:24:28]How can we cultivate optimism in our younger generations when the constant barrage of doom and gloom from the media is generating higher-than-ever levels of apathy and passivism in the populace? What can we do to consume a healthier media diet? [1:30:34]Audience asks and parting thoughts. [1:37:58]MORE TONY FADELL QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW“The story doesn’t exist to sell your product. It’s there to help you define it.”
— Tony Fadell
“All energy in the world today that is created, 60 percent of that is lost in inefficiencies. It doesn’t even do work. So just imagine what our climate crisis would be if we just saved that energy.”
— Tony Fadell
“To me, waste is horrid. I abhor waste. I loathe waste. When I go to the trash can each day, I’m like, ‘Okay, this is organic. I know where that could go. But where is this thing going? Where is that thing going?’ And it drives me nuts. And so when I see something like 60 percent of energy goes away just in losses, I’m like, ‘Where can we go target that?'”
— Tony Fadell
“We don’t ever want to add more people to the team because we think lean and mean is better, but at some point you’re killing each other because you’re trying to do too much. So either do less, or you’ve got to add capabilities and hands to the situation.”
— Tony Fadell
“We call ourselves mentors with money.”
— Tony Fadell
“Our planet is incredibly sick and we caused it. Nobody else did. You can’t just sit around and go, ‘Well, it’s sick. I don’t know what to do.’ It’s a family member. It’s so important. What are you doing to be on the right side and trying to find solutions, both personally and professionally?”
— Tony Fadell
“It’s about the mission, not about your ego.”
— Tony Fadell
April 25, 2022
The Path to Better Thinking Through Puzzles and Riddles
Photo by Jonathan Kemper on UnsplashThe following is a guest post from A.J. Jacobs (@ajjacobs), a bestselling author, journalist, and human guinea pig. It is excerpted from his new book The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. A.J. has written four New York Times bestsellers, including The Year of Living Biblically (for which he followed all the rules of the Bible as literally as possible) and Thanks a Thousand (for which he went around the world and thanked every person who had even the smallest role in making his morning cup of coffee possible). He has given four TED talks with a combined 10M+ views. He contributes to NPR and The New York Times and wrote the article “My Outsourced Life,” which was featured in The 4-Hour Workweek. He was once the answer to one down in The New York Times crossword puzzle.
You can find my interview from 2016 with A.J here, and you can find last week’s interview with A.J. here.
Please enjoy!
My father was the one to introduce me to math puzzles.
He didn’t focus on the traditional kind. His were weirder than that, more homegrown. My dad’s greatest joy comes from baffling unsuspecting people—strangers, friends, family, whomever—and he often accomplishes this with math-based hijinks.
One time, when I was about eight years old, I asked my dad how fast race cars went. This was before Google, so my father was my version of a search engine.
“The fastest ones get up to about 50 million,” my dad said.
Even to my unschooled mind, 50 million miles per hour seemed off.
“That doesn’t sound right,” I said.
“Yes it is,” he said. “50 million fathoms per fortnight.”
I just stared at him.
“Oh, you wanted miles per hour?” my dad said. “I thought you meant in fathoms per fortnight.”
As you might know, a fathom equals six feet, and a fortnight is two weeks. My dad had decided that fathoms per fortnight would be his default way to measure speed, on the probably correct theory that no one else on earth had ever used that metric. I thanked him for this helpful information.
So, as you can see, I was exposed to recreational math early on, leaving me with a mixed legacy—a love of numbers, a healthy skepticism about numbers, and paranoia.
For this puzzle project, I’ve bought a dozen books with math and logic brainteasers. Reading these books often induces a mild panic. How would I know how many spheres can simultaneously touch a center sphere? I can’t even figure out where to start. What’s the entry point?
To remedy this problem, I decided to consult one of the world’s experts on math puzzles, hoping to learn some of her methods. Tanya Khovanova greets me on a video call. But before I’m allowed to ask her anything, she has a question for me.
“I have two coins,” she says, in a Russian accent. “Together they add up to 15 cents. One of them is not a nickel. What are the two coins?”
My palms begin to sweat. I did not expect a pop quiz.
Maybe she’s talking about foreign coins? Maybe rubles are involved, I say?
“Not foreign coins,” she says. “American currency.”
I employ one of the puzzle-solving strategies that I do know: Look closely at all of the words and see if you have fallen for any hidden assumptions.
Two coins.
Add up to 15.
One of them is not a nickel.
That last phrase is kind of ambiguous. She didn’t say “neither of them are nickels.” So . . . what if one is not a nickel, but the other one is?
“A dime and a nickel?” I say, tentatively. “Because the other one is a nickel?”
“Okay. You passed the test. So you can continue,” she says, smiling.
This is a relief. Because Tanya is a fascinating character. She is a Russian émigré who is now a lecturer at MIT. She writes a popular blog about the world’s twistiest math and logic puzzles (it’s called simply Tanya Khovanova’s Math Blog). And she has cracked pretty much every great math puzzle ever created. We’re talking coin puzzles, matchstick-arranging puzzles, river-crossing puzzles, math equation puzzles.
Tanya is on a mission. “I am very upset at the world,” she says. “There is so much faulty thinking, and puzzles can help us think better.”
Consider probability, she says. We are terrible at thinking probabilistically, and puzzles about odds can help us learn. They could teach us, for instance, the folly of playing the lottery. “The situation is unethical. I think that lottery organizers should spend part of the money they make on lotteries to educate people not to play the lottery.”
Tanya has been fascinated with math since her childhood in Moscow.
“The first thing that I remember, it wasn’t a puzzle, it was an idea. I remember that I was five years old and we were on a vacation in a village, and I was trying to go to sleep and I was thinking after each number there is the next number, and then there is the next number. At some point, I realized that there should be an infinity of numbers. And I had this feeling like I’m touching infinity, I’m touching the universe, just a euphoric feeling.”
Being a female Jewish math genius in 1970s Soviet Russia was not easy. She faced sexism and anti-Semitism. Tanya says the test for the prestigious Moscow State University—the Soviet equivalent of MIT—was rigged against Jews. Jewish students were given a separate and more difficult test. The problems were called “coffin problems,” which translates to “killer problems.” Tanya studied with other Jewish students and managed to pass the unfair test.
In 1990, Tanya left Russia. She moved to the United States and married a longtime American friend. She worked for a defense contractor near Boston but hated it because “I thought it destroyed my karma.” She started teaching as a volunteer at MIT before they hired her as a full-time lecturer.
Her philosophy: puzzles should be used more often in teaching math. First of all, they entertain us while teaching us how to think rigorously. And second, puzzles can lead to genuine advances in mathematics—topics such as conditional probability and topology were originally explored in puzzle form.
Math Puzzles 1.0
The very first math puzzles—at least according to some scholars—date back to Egypt’s Rhind Papyrus, about 1500 B.C.E. They’re closer to problems than puzzles, since they don’t require much ingenuity. But the unnamed author did try to spice them up with some whimsical details, such as in Problem 79.
Problem 79. There are seven houses.
In each house there are seven cats.
Each cat kills seven mice.
Each mouse has eaten seven grains of barley.
Each grain would have produced seven hekat (a unit of measurement).
What is the sum of all the enumerated things?
Arguably the first book with actual twisty and turny math puzzles came several centuries later. The ninth century Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was a puzzle addict, and he hired a British scholar named Alcuin of York to be his official puzzlemaker. Alcuin’s book Problems to Sharpen the Young introduced, among other things, the first known river-crossing problem. Here it is:
A man has to transport a wolf, a goat, and a bunch of cabbages across a river. His boat could take only two of these at a time. How can he do this without leaving the wolf alone with the goat (as he might eat it) or the goat alone with the cabbages (as it might eat them)?
For river-crossing problems, you need to realize that you must take a counterintuitive step backward before continuing forward. You must think outside the box.
Way Outside the Box
Tanya reminds me that “thinking outside of the box” wasn’t always a cliché. The origin of the phrase is an actual puzzle: Connect all the dots in this diagram using just four straight lines:
The answer:
Nowadays the phrase is overused and is often a punchline, as in the cartoon of the cat thinking outside its litter box. But it’s still an important concept: to find a solution, you often have to break expectations.
“My students have taught me as much as I have taught them about this,” she says.
“How do you mean?” I ask.
She tells me to think about this puzzle: “You have a basket containing five apples. You have five hungry friends. You give each of your friends one apple. After the distribution, each of your friends has one apple, yet there is an apple remaining in the basket. How can that be?”
The traditional answer is: you give four friends an apple, and then hand the fifth friend the basket with the apple still in it. So each friend has an apple, and there’s still one in the basket.
“For that answer, you have to think out of the box,” says Tanya. “But my students have come up with answers that are even farther out of the box.”
Their suggestions include:
One friend already has an apple.
You kill one of your friends.
You are narcissistic and you are your own friend.
The friend who didn’t get an apple stops being your friend.
An extra apple falls from the tree to the basket.
And Tanya’s favorite: The basket is your friend. We should not discount people’s emotional connection with inanimate objects.
“The lesson my students taught me is that I’m good at thinking outside the box. But I realized, I’m inside my own bigger box. And maybe we all are.”
How to Solve Problems
But how do you get yourself to think outside the box? How do you approach a math problem? I know how to start a jigsaw puzzle (the edges, usually) and a crossword (look for plurals and fill in the Ses). But how do you approach a math problem?
After talking to Tanya and another great math puzzle expert, Dartmouth professor Peter Winkler, I’ve come up with a list of tools for math and logic problems. Here are three of my favorites.
1) Reverse it.
When confronted with a problem, try reversing it. Turn it upside down.
Sometimes quite literally, turn it upside down.
Such as this problem:
What number belongs in the blank in this sequence:
16 06 68 88 __ 98
(It’s 87. Turn the page upside down to see why.)
There are other puzzles that require you to reverse your thinking in a slightly less literal way. Like this one:
A man is imprisoned in a ten-foot by ten-foot by ten-foot room. The walls are made of concrete, the floor is made of dirt, and the only openings are a locked door and a skylight. The man has a small shovel and starts to dig a hole in the floor. He knows that it is impossible to tunnel out of the prison cell, but he continues to dig anyway. What is the man’s plan?
Pause here if you want to figure it out yourself.
The solution is: The man wasn’t just digging a hole. He was also doing the opposite: building a little mountain of dirt. And his plan was to climb the mountain and get to the skylight.
I love reversing my thinking. Earlier this week, I was cleaning up the trail of clothes left by the males in our family (including me) that littered our apartment. I picked up an armload of clothes, then went to the hamper in my bedroom and dumped the clothes, then went back out. But wait. What if I . . . took the hamper with me. If I bring the hamper to the clothes. I’d save myself several trips. As Will Shortz once suggested, I took a bow.
2) Figure out the real goal.
One of my favorite brainteasers comes from Martin Gardner, who wrote a famous monthly column about math puzzles in Scientific American for three decades, starting in 1962. He died in 2010, but he still has tons of devotees, hundreds of whom attend a biannual event, the Gathering 4 Gardner, where they talk puzzles, paradoxes, and the genius of Martin.
Martin posed this puzzle in his book Entertaining Mathematical Puzzles:
Two boys on bicycles, 20 miles apart, began racing directly toward each other. The instant they started, a fly on the handlebar of one bicycle started flying straight toward the other cyclist. As soon as it reached the other handlebar, it turned and started back. The fly flew back and forth in this way, from handlebar to handlebar, until the two bicycles met.
If each bicycle had a constant speed of 10 miles an hour, and the fly flew at a constant speed of 15 miles an hour, how far did the fly fly?
Pause here if you want to try it yourself, spoilers ahead.
So how to solve this? Most people’s first instinct—including mine—is to trace the back-and-forth path of the fly and try to add up the distance.
With this method, you’d try to calculate the distance from Biker 1’s handlebars to Biker 2’s handlebars. Then the fly would make a U-turn, so you’d calculate the next distance, from Biker 2 to Biker 1. And so on until the bikes met.
This turns out to be a highly complex computation involving the speed of the bikers, the speed of the insect, and time and distance. The operation is called “summing an infinite series.”
This calculation is impossible to do in your head. Well, practically impossible. Legend has it that the brilliant Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann was once asked this brainteaser at a party, and, to the amazement of the quizzer, gave the correct answer by summing the “infinite series” in his head, no calculator needed.
Von Neumann was too smart for his own good. If he had paused for a moment, he might have realized there’s a much easier way to solve this problem.
Which brings me back to the strategy: What is the real goal?
You want to phrase the problem in the simplest possible way. Strip the problem to its basics, and you’ll realize you are looking for one thing: the distance the fly can fly in an allotted amount of time.
You can ignore the fly’s back and forth switch of directions. You can ignore the handlebars. They’re irrelevant. You just need to know how far the insect can go in the time it takes the bikes to meet.
Which turns out to be a pretty easy calculation:
If each bike was going at 10 miles per hour, and they were 20 miles apart, then it would take the bikes one hour to reach each other.
So the fly was buzzing around for one hour. What is the distance the fly can cover in one hour? Well, it’s going 15 miles per hour. So the answer is fifteen miles.
We often complicate problems when there’s an easier method right in front of us. I think this is true in more than just math puzzles.
I’m not sure if this is exactly analogous, but it’s staring me in the mirror, so let me tell you about one example. Recently, I was faced with the puzzle of how to cut my own hair. During quarantine, I couldn’t go to the barber, and Julie claimed she wasn’t qualified. I had to do it myself using YouTube tutorials.
My first attempt to cut my own hair had mixed results. The front turned out okay, but the harder-to-reach back of my head was a disaster, filled with uneven patches.
So I paused. I rephrased the problem. The goal is not to cut my hair flawlessly. The goal is to look respectable on Zoom. And on Zoom, no one ever sees the back of my head.
So the simplest solution: Just cut the front of my hair and leave the back alone to grow wild and free. Puzzle solved! Though for the first time in my life, I do have a mullet.
3) Break it down into manageable chunks
One type of logic puzzle—often called Fermi Problems—provides excellent training for solving some real-life problems. A Fermi Problem is one like this: “How many piano tuners are there in New York City?” You have to estimate the size of something about which you are totally ignorant.
If you just take a wild guess without reflecting, you’ll probably be off by orders of magnitude. Instead, as David Epstein explains in the psychology book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, the best method is to break the problem down into parts you can reasonably estimate.
As Epstein writes: “How many households are in New York? What portion might have pianos? How often are pianos tuned? How long might it take to tune a piano? How many homes can one tuner reach in a day? How many days a year does a tuner work?”
You won’t guess it exactly, but you’ll be much more likely to be in the ballpark. As Epstein writes, “None of the individual estimates has to be particularly accurate in order to get a reasonable overall answer.”
Epstein calls it an important tool in his “conceptual Swiss Army knife.” I too find it helpful when reading statistics from dubious media sources, or listening to wild cocktail party speculation.
Breaking problems into chunks even works when trying to motivate yourself. Take the puzzle of how I can get my lazy butt to walk the treadmill for a few minutes a day. If I say to myself, “You have to walk on the treadmill for an hour today,” I will delay this task forever. So I break it down. I put the big picture out of my mind. First, I tackle the subgoal of putting on my sneakers. I can do that. Then the subgoal of turning the treadmill on. I can do that. And just step onto the rubber belt for just five minutes. I can do that. And eventually, I’m walking and realize this isn’t so bad. I can do this. I stay on for the full hour.
Excerpted with permission from THE PUZZLER: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life by A.J Jacobs.
In Case You Missed It: March 2022 Recap of The Tim Ferriss Show (#589)
Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.
This is a special inbetweenisode, which serves as a recap of the episodes from last month. It features a short clip from each conversation in one place so you can easily jump around to get a feel for the episode and guest.
See it as a teaser. Something to whet your appetite. If you like what you hear, you can of course find the full episodes at tim.blog/podcast.
Please enjoy!
***
Timestamps:
Morgan Housel: 00:01:42
Matt Mullenweg: 00:09:18
Susan Cain: 00:15:35
Mark Zuckerberg: 00:26:26
Stewart Copeland: 00:30:35
***
Full episode titles:
Morgan Housel — The Psychology of Money, Picking the Right Game, and the $6 Million Janitor
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stewart Copeland — Fear{less} with Tim Ferriss
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#589: In Case You Missed It: March 2022 Recap of The Tim Ferriss Show
April 22, 2022
A.J. Jacobs — How to Be Less Furious and More Curious (#588)
Illustration via 99designs“Getting caught in a mental rut is the enemy of coming up with good solutions.”
— A.J. Jacobs
A.J. Jacobs (@ajjacobs) is a bestselling author, journalist, and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers, including The Year of Living Biblically (for which he followed all the rules of the Bible as literally as possible) and Thanks a Thousand (for which he went around the world and thanked every person who had even the smallest role in making his morning cup of coffee possible). He has given four TED talks with a combined 10M+ views. He contributes to NPR and The New York Times and wrote the article “My Outsourced Life,” which was featured in The 4-Hour Workweek. He was once the answer to one down in The New York Times crossword puzzle. You can find my 2016 interview with A.J. at tim.blog/aj.
His new book is The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 770M+ users, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#588: A.J. Jacobs — How to Be Less Furious and More CuriousThis episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.
Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 770 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear the last time A.J. was on the show? Have a listen to our conversation here, in which we discussed radical honesty, a worldwide family reunion, strategic chutzpah, ethical cannibalism, personal advice from George Clooney, biblical slavery, the lingering lessons of ephemeral self-experimentation, and much more.
#211: A.J. Jacobs: Self-Experimenter ExtraordinaireSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with A.J. Jacobs:Personal Website | The Puzzler Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life by A.J. Jacobs and Greg Pliska | Amazon The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs | AmazonThanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey by A.J. Jacobs | AmazonA.J. Jacobs | TED TalksMy Outsourced Life | A.J. JacobsA.J. Jacobs on Radical Honesty, Following the Whole Bible, and Reframing Global Problems as Puzzles | 80,000 Hours27+ Puzzle Types {The Ultimate List} | Bailey’s PuzzlesTen Days in a Madhouse: The Woman Who Got Herself Committed | Mental FlossAround the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne | AmazonHow to Solve the New York Times Crossword | The New York TimesWorld Jigsaw Puzzle ChampionshipHugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #444‘It’s an Attack on Everyone’: Russian Activists under Increasing Pressure for Opposing War on Ukraine | The GuardianPuzzles, Games and Crafts, & Science | RavensburgerMystery Hunt / Puzzle Club | MITWhat Pi Sounds Like | MIchael BlakeDrop Dead Healthy: One Man’sDrop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection by A.J. Jacobs | AmazonThe 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | AmazonNew Clue May Be the Key to Cracking CIA Sculpture’s Final Puzzling Passage | Smithsonian Magazine15 Puzzle | NetlifyScavenger Hunts & Virtual Games for Groups | Watson AdventuresThe Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning by Paul Bloom | AmazonJargon Genesis: “Think Outside the Box” | University of St. ThomasThe Tangled History of mRNA Vaccines | NatureGauss’ Day of Reckoning | American ScientistThe 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | AmazonGaussian Distribution | WikipediaThe Differences Between an American Crossword and a British Crossword | My Crossword MakerGeg | Urban DictionaryDoes Brilliant Bill Gates Love Jigsaw Puzzles? Here Are Three Possible Reasons Why | The Good Men ProjectMeet the Tormentors | StaveThe NATO Phonetic Alphabet: What It Is and How to Use It | EffectiviologyRiddle Me This: Prison Escape | PEimpactHow Elevators Work | HowStuffWorksMasked Man Riddle | RiddlesRiddle of the Week #28: The Bicycle Killer | Popular MechanicsBicycle Standard Face Playing Cards | AmazonJapanese Puzzle Box | Hakone Maruyama Inc.Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention by by John Ruhlin | AmazonVisions of Japan: Kawase Hasui’s Masterpieces by Kawase Hasui | AmazonFilmmaker Darren Aronofsky — Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Making Art | The Tim Ferriss Show #263Kagen Sound Demonstrates His Masterpiece at Plus Gallery | YouTubeThe Monty Hall Problem: The Math Problem That Stumped Thousands of Mansplainers | VoxThe Sleeping Beauty Problem: A Data Scientist’s Perspective | Towards Data ScienceJacobs Ladder: The Puzzle that Will Outlast the Universe | A.J. Jacobs, FacebookSudoku | WikipediaRange: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein | AmazonThe Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility by Waqas Ahmed | AmazonThe Color Psychology of White | Verywell MindWhat Diddy’s White Party Was Like | The AV ClubSpelling Bee | The New York TimesWordle | The New York TimesTed Lasso | Apple TV+Zodiac Killer Official WebsiteElonka’s Kryptos PageThe Cryptic Crossword that Recruited for Bletchley Park | Alaric StephenAll About Apophenia I Psych CentralWhy Some See the Face of Jesus in Their Toast | ABC NewsThe Illuminati, QAnon, Lizard People, and Other Bizarre Conspiracy Theories | SpyscapeGreat Vermont Corn MazeGilroy Garlic FestivalHow to Solve Chess Puzzles | ChessfoxTim Ferriss: Smash Fear, Learn Anything | TED TalkWhy I Should Have Listened to Garry Kasparov about Putin | Financial TimesGrotesque Chess Problems | ChessBaseBe Curious, Not Furious: On Student Behavior | Mr. Anderson Reads & WritesThere Are 4 Modes of Thinking: Preacher, Prosecutor, Politician, and Scientist. You Should Use One Much More | Inc.comThe 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs | Verywell MindTango World Record: Tim Ferriss and Alicia Monti | Live with Regis and KellySHOW NOTESNote from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
Why have A.J.’s kids lately deigned to show him a modicum of respect?For most of his books, A.J. has a number of friends read the draft and offer suggestions for edits — what to cut and what to keep. Why was this usually sound strategy a bust for The Puzzler?Why did A.J. abandon his next planned book midway and pivot to writing The Puzzler?Is A.J. more of a George Plimpton or a Nellie Bly?Why puzzles are worthwhile and not, as I once believed, frivolous time-wasters, and what happened when A.J. discovered he was a clue in world-famous The New York Times‘ crossword puzzle.How does one compete in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship? For that matter, how does someone who doesn’t really even like jigsaw puzzles wind up representing their whole country in one? What did A.J. and his hastily assembled Team USA learn about jigsaw diplomacy and strategy when they unwittingly became participants in this annual event?What would “the Ironman triathlon for nerds” look like? A.J. reckons it would be something like an MIT puzzlehunt.“Don’t get furious. Get curious.” Every problem or disagreement is just a puzzle in search of a solution.A.J.’s writing process is strong on structure and outlining, but he likes to allow room for surprises. One of these surprises while penning The Puzzler: a decades-unsolved CIA puzzle sculpture called Kryptos.On puzzle trolls, fabulous prizes, and what you can win if you solve one of A.J.’s designated puzzles in The Puzzler.What makes a good puzzler (and why does A.J. consider himself a better puzzle solver than puzzle creator)? As an aside: A.J. shares the origin of the phrase “Think outside the box.”Transferable ways we can apply our puzzle-solving skills to other areas, with examples from a preteen Gauss, British crosswords, tormenting jigsaw puzzles, and reverse-thought riddles.What puzzles does A.J. consider to give the most bang for their buck? It all depends on what you’re hoping to retain from the act of doing them, but Japanese puzzle boxes take things to a whole new level.The shadow side of puzzles that drive people mad: the Monty Hall problem, the Sleeping Beauty problem, and a puzzle A.J. commissioned that can’t be solved within the lifespan of the universe.If researching and writing Thanks a Thousand imparted A.J. with a lifelong appreciation for gratitude, what residual takeaways from writing The Puzzler does A.J. predict will remain with him for years to come?In what puzzle-oriented subculture would A.J. feel most at home?Obsessed with puzzles? Beware the perils of apophenia.According to A.J., the hardest corn maze in the world is run by a sadist in Vermont. What has this sadist learned about human nature during the time he’s spent observing people trying to escape from this maze?On puzzle creation epicenters, Gary Kasparov, and how chess puzzles differ from chess games.How do puzzles pertain to the meaning of life?Parting thoughts.MORE A.J. JACOBS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW“Little puzzles like crosswords and logic or secret codes, they’re just ways to help you come up with strategies to solve the big problems in life. So little puzzles help you with the big puzzles.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“I did not love jigsaws until this project. And now I have tremendous respect for jigsaws, which is all about flexible thinking.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“Gratitude and curiosity to me are two amazing forces.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“If I’m talking to someone from the opposite side of the political spectrum, instead of seeing it as a debate, a war of words, I try to see it as a puzzle that we can try to solve together. What do we really believe? What [are] our real differences and how can we overcome them? Is there any evidence I can present to him or her to make her change her mind? How do we solve this puzzle?”
— A.J. Jacobs
“You have to be a little sadistic to be a great puzzler, and I don’t have it in me. So I stick with the masochism of doing puzzles.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“Getting caught in a mental rut is the enemy of coming up with good solutions.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“Another big theme of puzzles, I think, is don’t trust your gut. I am very wary of my gut. I feel my gut is an idiot, especially when it comes to matters of probability.”
— A.J. Jacobs
“Part of the meaning of life is the search for the meaning of life.”
— A.J. Jacobs
April 19, 2022
Terry Crews on Masculinity, True Power, Therapy, and Resisting Cynicism (#587)
Illustration via 99designs“You can either have success or revenge, but you can’t have both.”
— Terry Crews
Terry Crews (@terrycrews) can do it all: author, action-movie hero, sitcom star, children’s book illustrator, advertising pitchman, playable video game character, talent show host, high-end furniture designer, and human rights activist. The list goes on and on.
Terry’s new memoir is Tough: My Journey to True Power. In it, he chronicles the story of how he went from being a six-year-old boy with a goofy, toothless smile to being utterly selfish and angry to being a man who can finally acknowledge his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and use his experiences to help motivate those around him.
Terry has starred as a series regular in three consecutive TV series that have surpassed the coveted 100-episode mark: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Are We There Yet?, and Everybody Hates Chris. Terry is set to star in Tales of the Walking Dead and hosts NBC’s top-rated alternative series America’s Got Talent and its spin-offs, AGT Champions and AGT Extreme.
He recently added yet another title, children’s book illustrator, to his resume for his first-of-its-kind augmented reality book, Come Find Me. Terry’s Crew is Terry’s latest children’s lit entry, a graphic novel set to be released in November 2022. Terry’s Crew provides insight into his childhood in Michigan and what it was like trying to find his place. In 2021, Terry and his wife, Rebecca King Crews, released an exclusive Audible audiobook, Stronger Together, sharing the staggering ups and downs of their relationship and how they have weathered the myriad crises that have rocked their marriage.
Terry, a lifelong artist, released his furniture collection with Bernhardt Designs in 2017, which premiered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York and was awarded the prestigious “Best of NeoCon 2017.”
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Gravity weighted blankets, and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.
The transcript of this episode can be found here . Transcripts of all episodes can be found here .
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#587: Terry Crews on Masculinity, True Power, Therapy, and Resisting CynicismThis episode is brought to you by Gravity! I place sleep at the top of my list for optimizing health, energy, and performance. If good sleep is in place, it helps everything else; if not, it hurts everything else. I’ve had sleep issues almost my entire life, which is why I’m always experimenting and adding great sleep aids. One of my new favorites is the Gravity Weighted Blanket. 72% of Gravity users have reported better, more restful sleep, and 76% have reported falling asleep faster and feeling more rested in the morning.
Gravity has been named “Best Weighted Blanket” by CNN, Business Insider, Good Housekeeping, and many more. Gravity is offering my listeners a special discount: order a blanket of any size or weight and receive 15% off your order. Just go to GravityBlankets.com/Tim, and the discount will be automatically applied.
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They also launched a company called Allform that makes premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.
Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa and receive 20% off all orders, check out Allform.com/Tim.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to find out what Terry Crews and I talked about the last time he was on the show? Have a listen to our conversation in which we discussed Terry’s art background, the vow that got Terry through his teenage years, maintaining optimism through tough times, the consequences of competition on creativity and overall success, advice for new and expecting parents, letting go of relationships and old friendships that have run their course, coping with self-induced anxiety, and much more.
#287: Terry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You WantSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Terry Crews:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Tough: My Journey to True Power by Terry Crews | Amazon Come Find Me by Ken Harvey and Terry Crews | AmazonTerry’s Crew by Terry Crews and Cory Thomas | AmazonStronger Together: How Fame, Failure, and Faith Transformed Our Lives by Terry Crews and Rebecca King Crews | AudibleTerry Crews Collection | Bernhardt DesignTerry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You Want | The Tim Ferriss Show #287Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Prime VideoTales of the Walking Dead Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Jillian Bell | The Hollywood ReporterIntermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide | HealthlineWalter Isaacson on CRISPR, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race | The Tim Ferriss Show #503The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson | AmazonDiscovery of DNA Double Helix: Watson and Crick | ScitableJames Watson Has a Remarkably Long History of Sexist, Racist Public Comments | VoxDNA Pioneer James Watson Loses Honorary Titles Over Racist Comments | Smithsonian MagazineThe Last Dance | NetflixMichael Jordan’s “And I Took That Personally” | Know Your MemeWhat’s Behind Self-Righteous Attitudes? | PsychCentralTerry Crews Says His Porn Addiction Almost Cost Him His Marriage | Men’s HealthThe Twelve Steps | Alcoholics AnonymousThe Serenity Prayer and Twelve Step Recovery | Hazelden Betty FordPayback – The Director’s Cut | AmazonDeath Wish | Prime VideoWrath Of Man | Prime VideoTaken | Prime VideoMan on Fire | Prime VideoWill Smith–Chris Rock Slapping Incident | WikipediaPsychological Counseling Services, Ltd.Terry Crews Says ‘I Will Not Be Shamed’ as He Shares Details of Alleged Sexual Assault | PeopleRalph Waldo Emerson: “God Will Not Have His Work Made Manifest by Cowards.” | GoodreadsMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl | Amazon“Competition Is the Opposite of Creativity.” | Terry Crews, TwitterTerry Crews’ Secret to Creativity | SiriusXMTerry Crews Defends His ‘Black Lives Matter’ Stance | ET CanadaInternet Is Surprised That Terry Crews Is Also a Talented Artist | Bored PandaHow Long Did Terry Crews Play in the NFL? | SportskeedaThe Cult That Inspired “Drink the Kool-Aid” Didn’t Actually Drink Kool-Aid | VoxStanding on the Shoulders of Giant Jerks (Like Nobel Prize Winners James Watson and William Shockley) | ViceThelonious Monk: Monk’s Advice (1960) | GeniusSHOW NOTESHollywood life isn’t all glamorous red carpets and spotlights. What does an average working day look like for Terry, and what supplemental duty has he had to push back against? [07:43]A lot of busy people don’t get around to reading one or two books a week, but for Terry, it makes being busy all the more possible. [13:36]What are some realizations about success that have come to Terry while reading Walter Isaacson’s The Code Breaker and watching the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance? [15:04]What’s the biggest mistake a lot of people make — in every walk of life — that causes the most amount of unnecessary suffering? [19:29]How did Terry break himself of the habit of “victimology?” What initiated the event his family now refers to as “the D-Day moment,” and why did he carry a lifelong aversion to therapy that could have possibly helped him sooner? [23:32]What you should be prepared to do without if you’re intent on living life as if you’re in a revenge movie, and what Terry did to regain control of his own actions instead of defaulting to chaos. [33:52]Terry shares real-life examples that demonstrated — to his family as well as himself — that he could break destructive, impulsive patterns of behavior in favor of positive, responsible ones. [42:35]How endurance plays into the way Terry demonstrates strength these days compared to how he expressed it in his earlier, more bombastic iteration. [53:35]Why Terry believes the world determines winners way too early — and what we should be doing instead. [56:35]How can competition be the opposite of creativity if resistance is crucial to growth? Terry explains. [58:58]Terry’s thoughts on protest movements that don’t begin with the aim of reconciliation. [1:02:44]Terry illustrates why he really is a category of one — even when he sometimes lapses in the midst of trying to live his most teachable life. [1:05:04]Genius words from a (Thelonius) Monk, Terry’s war with cynicism, and other parting thoughts. [1:12:43]MORE TERRY CREWS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW“If I lose my focus, I could lose my career.”
— Terry Crews
“Even when you’ve succeeded, when you’ve got this thing, you’re still starting at day one. Every day.”
— Terry Crews
“When you are self-righteous, you can now do the most heinous, inhuman things to other people, because you feel right.”
— Terry Crews
“You can either have success or revenge, but you can’t have both.”
— Terry Crews
“The greatest boxers in the world took punches.”
— Terry Crews
“The world really, really determines winners way too early. … But most of these people don’t end up winning long-term.”
— Terry Crews
“Competition is the opposite of creativity.”
— Terry Crews
“Any movement that doesn’t start with reconciliation, I don’t want any part of. We have to reconcile. We have to reconcile men to women. We have to reconcile black to white. We have to reconcile Republican to Democrat. We have to reconcile. That’s the first rule. Because if we don’t, what you’re doing is postponing a war. That’s all you’re doing.”
— Terry Crews
“I’m at war with cynicism. I’ve decided to be positive and be hopeful and believe the best about every human being.”
— Terry Crews
Terry Crews — His Journey to True Power (#587)
Illustration via 99designs“You can either have success or revenge, but you can’t have both.”
— Terry Crews
Terry Crews (@terrycrews) can do it all: author, action-movie hero, sitcom star, children’s book illustrator, advertising pitchman, playable video game character, talent show host, high-end furniture designer, and human rights activist. The list goes on and on.
Terry’s new memoir is Tough: My Journey to True Power. In it, he chronicles the story of how he went from being a six-year-old boy with a goofy, toothless smile to being utterly selfish and angry to being a man who can finally acknowledge his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities and use his experiences to help motivate those around him.
Terry has starred as a series regular in three consecutive TV series that have surpassed the coveted 100-episode mark: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Are We There Yet?, and Everybody Hates Chris. Terry is set to star in Tales of the Walking Dead and hosts NBC’s top-rated alternative series America’s Got Talent and its spin-offs, AGT Champions and AGT Extreme.
He recently added yet another title, children’s book illustrator, to his resume for his first-of-its-kind augmented reality book, Come Find Me. Terry’s Crew is Terry’s latest children’s lit entry, a graphic novel set to be released in November 2022. Terry’s Crew provides insight into his childhood in Michigan and what it was like trying to find his place. In 2021, Terry and his wife, Rebecca King Crews, released an exclusive Audible audiobook, Stronger Together, sharing the staggering ups and downs of their relationship and how they have weathered the myriad crises that have rocked their marriage.
Terry, a lifelong artist, released his furniture collection with Bernhardt Designs in 2017, which premiered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York and was awarded the prestigious “Best of NeoCon 2017.”
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Gravity weighted blankets, and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#587: Terry Crews — His Journey to True PowerThis episode is brought to you by Gravity! I place sleep at the top of my list for optimizing health, energy, and performance. If good sleep is in place, it helps everything else; if not, it hurts everything else. I’ve had sleep issues almost my entire life, which is why I’m always experimenting and adding great sleep aids. One of my new favorites is the Gravity Weighted Blanket. 72% of Gravity users have reported better, more restful sleep, and 76% have reported falling asleep faster and feeling more rested in the morning.
Gravity has been named “Best Weighted Blanket” by CNN, Business Insider, Good Housekeeping, and many more. Gravity is offering my listeners a special discount: order a blanket of any size or weight and receive 15% off your order. Just go to GravityBlankets.com/Tim, and the discount will be automatically applied.
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They also launched a company called Allform that makes premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.
Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa and receive 20% off all orders, check out Allform.com/Tim.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to find out what Terry Crews and I talked about the last time he was on the show? Have a listen to our conversation in which we discussed Terry’s art background, the vow that got Terry through his teenage years, maintaining optimism through tough times, the consequences of competition on creativity and overall success, advice for new and expecting parents, letting go of relationships and old friendships that have run their course, coping with self-induced anxiety, and much more.
#287: Terry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You WantSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Terry Crews:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Tough: My Journey to True Power by Terry Crews | Amazon Come Find Me by Ken Harvey and Terry Crews | AmazonTerry’s Crew by Terry Crews and Cory Thomas | AmazonStronger Together: How Fame, Failure, and Faith Transformed Our Lives by Terry Crews and Rebecca King Crews | AudibleTerry Crews Collection | Bernhardt DesignTerry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You Want | The Tim Ferriss Show #287Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Prime VideoTales of the Walking Dead Terry Crews, Parker Posey, Jillian Bell | The Hollywood ReporterIntermittent Fasting 101 — The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide | HealthlineWalter Isaacson on CRISPR, Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race | The Tim Ferriss Show #503The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson | AmazonDiscovery of DNA Double Helix: Watson and Crick | ScitableJames Watson Has a Remarkably Long History of Sexist, Racist Public Comments | VoxDNA Pioneer James Watson Loses Honorary Titles Over Racist Comments | Smithsonian MagazineThe Last Dance | NetflixMichael Jordan’s “And I Took That Personally” | Know Your MemeWhat’s Behind Self-Righteous Attitudes? | PsychCentralTerry Crews Says His Porn Addiction Almost Cost Him His Marriage | Men’s HealthThe Twelve Steps | Alcoholics AnonymousThe Serenity Prayer and Twelve Step Recovery | Hazelden Betty FordPayback – The Director’s Cut | AmazonDeath Wish | Prime VideoWrath Of Man | Prime VideoTaken | Prime VideoMan on Fire | Prime VideoWill Smith–Chris Rock Slapping Incident | WikipediaPsychological Counseling Services, Ltd.Terry Crews Says ‘I Will Not Be Shamed’ as He Shares Details of Alleged Sexual Assault | PeopleRalph Waldo Emerson: “God Will Not Have His Work Made Manifest by Cowards.” | GoodreadsMan’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl | Amazon“Competition Is the Opposite of Creativity.” | Terry Crews, TwitterTerry Crews’ Secret to Creativity | SiriusXMTerry Crews Defends His ‘Black Lives Matter’ Stance | ET CanadaInternet Is Surprised That Terry Crews Is Also a Talented Artist | Bored PandaHow Long Did Terry Crews Play in the NFL? | SportskeedaThe Cult That Inspired “Drink the Kool-Aid” Didn’t Actually Drink Kool-Aid | VoxStanding on the Shoulders of Giant Jerks (Like Nobel Prize Winners James Watson and William Shockley) | ViceThelonious Monk: Monk’s Advice (1960) | GeniusSHOW NOTESNote from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
Hollywood life isn’t all glamorous red carpets and spotlights. What does an average working day look like for Terry, and what supplemental duty has he had to push back against?A lot of busy people don’t get around to reading one or two books a week, but for Terry, it makes being busy all the more possible.What are some realizations about success that have come to Terry while reading Walter Isaacson’s The Code Breaker and watching the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance?What’s the biggest mistake a lot of people make — in every walk of life — that causes the most amount of unnecessary suffering?How did Terry break himself of the habit of “victimology?” What initiated the event his family now refers to as “the D-Day moment,” and why did he carry a lifelong aversion to therapy that could have possibly helped him sooner?What you should be prepared to do without if you’re intent on living life as if you’re in a revenge movie, and what Terry did to regain control of his own actions instead of defaulting to chaos.Terry shares real-life examples that demonstrated — to his family as well as himself — that he could break destructive, impulsive patterns of behavior in favor of positive, responsible ones.How endurance plays into the way Terry demonstrates strength these days compared to how he expressed it in his earlier, more bombastic iteration.Why Terry believes the world determines winners way too early — and what we should be doing instead.How can competition be the opposite of creativity if resistance is crucial to growth? Terry explains.Terry’s thoughts on protest movements that don’t begin with the aim of reconciliation.Terry illustrates why he really is a category of one — even when he sometimes lapses in the midst of trying to live his most teachable life.Genius words from a (Thelonius) Monk, Terry’s war with cynicism, and other parting thoughts.MORE TERRY CREWS QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW“If I lose my focus, I could lose my career.”
— Terry Crews
“Even when you’ve succeeded, when you’ve got this thing, you’re still starting at day one. Every day.”
— Terry Crews
“When you are self-righteous, you can now do the most heinous, inhuman things to other people, because you feel right.”
— Terry Crews
“You can either have success or revenge, but you can’t have both.”
— Terry Crews
“The greatest boxers in the world took punches.”
— Terry Crews
“The world really, really determines winners way too early. … But most of these people don’t end up winning long-term.”
— Terry Crews
“Competition is the opposite of creativity.”
— Terry Crews
“Any movement that doesn’t start with reconciliation, I don’t want any part of. We have to reconcile. We have to reconcile men to women. We have to reconcile black to white. We have to reconcile Republican to Democrat. We have to reconcile. That’s the first rule. Because if we don’t, what you’re doing is postponing a war. That’s all you’re doing.”
— Terry Crews
“I’m at war with cynicism. I’ve decided to be positive and be hopeful and believe the best about every human being.”
— Terry Crews
April 13, 2022
The Random Show with Kevin Rose — Current Books, Men’s Groups, Tuna Helper, the Latest in NFTs, Fierce Intimacy, and More (#586)
Illustration via 99designsTechnologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of The Random Show.
In this one we discuss the books that we are currently reading, outdated behaviors, healing with men’s groups, masculinity, Kevin’s new Moonbirds project (a collection of 10,000 utility-enabled PFPs), my first NFT, and much, much more.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Ascent Protein premium protein, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#586: The Random Show with Kevin Rose — Current Books, Men's Groups, Tuna Helper, the Latest in NFTs, Fierce Intimacy, and MoreThis episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $28 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.
Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Ascent Protein! Ever since I wrote The 4-Hour Body, starting my day with ~30 grams of protein has been an essential part of my routine. I’ve been using Ascent’s whey protein for the last several years, and I recently tried their new plant-based protein. I’ve experimented with many other plant-based proteins, and most compromise on taste or efficacy, but Ascent Plant Protein is delicious and provides 25 grams of protein with 4 grams of BCAAs to support muscle health.
To ensure their product tastes great, Ascent verified it with third-party consumer research, and it won on taste and texture against the market leader. What’s more, it’s made from organic, real-food sources like organic pea, pumpkin, and sunflower and contains zero artificial ingredients, artificial sweeteners, or added sugars. Visit AscentProtein.com/Tim and use the code 20TFASCENT and you’ll receive 20% off of your entire purchase. This code is valid on their website and on Amazon.com. If you want a quick dose of protein to start your day or end a workout, this is a great option and my default. Enjoy!
This episode is brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is a platform designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.
More than a store, Shopify grows with you, and they never stop innovating, providing more and more tools to make your business better and your life easier. Go to Shopify.com/tim for a FREE 14-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear another Random Show? Listen to my last conversation with Kevin Rose, in which we discussed generative art, pet biohacking, saffron highs, bad ideas for conquering COVID, good TV for anyone passing time in convalescence, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), mainstream acceptance of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, making good decisions in the face of scientific unknowns, and much more.
#549: The Random Show — Biohacking, Tim’s COVID Experience, Holiday Gift Ideas, Favorite New Apps, Bad Science, Quarantine Delights, and a Small Dose of NFTs and DAOsSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Kevin Rose:Website | PROOF | Modern Finance | Instagram | Twitter
The Official PROOF PFP | Moonbirds Spotify Premium Duo | SpotifyCompare Models | TeslaDinty Moore Beef Stew | AmazonBetty Crocker Tuna Helper | AmazonBetty Crocker Hamburger Helper | AmazonVisions of Japan: Kawase Hasui’s Masterpieces by Kawase Hasui | AmazonHokusai: The Great Wave That Swept the World | The GuardianOf Trees, Tenderness, and the Moon: Hasui Kawase’s Stunning Japanese Woodblock Prints from the 1920s-1950s | The MarginalianAMORALMAN: A True Story and Other Lies by Derek DelGaudio | AmazonDr. Mark Plotkin on Ethnobotany, Real vs. Fake Shamans, Hallucinogens, and the Dalai Lamas of South America | The Tim Ferriss Show #469The Plants of the Gods Podcast with Mark J. PlotkinTobacco and Shamanism in South America by Johannes Wilbert | AmazonHealth Risks of Smokeless Tobacco | American Cancer SocietyComprehensive Chemical Characterization of Rapé Tobacco Products: Nicotine, Un-ionized Nicotine, Tobacco-specific N’-Nitrosamines, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, and Flavor Constituents | Food and Chemical ToxicologyHamilton Morris on Iboga, 5-MeO-DMT, the Power of Ritual, New Frontiers in Psychedelics, Excellent Problems to Solve, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #511Bufo Alvarius: The Psychedelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert by Ken Nelson, Expanded and Updated Edition by Hamilton Morris | Department of InformationTales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest by Mark J. Plotkin | AmazonProtecting the Amazon in Partnership with Indigenous and Other Local Communities | Amazon Conservation TeamDerek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself | HuluKa: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley and Melody Newcomb | AmazonLittle, Big by John Crowley | AmazonFinding the One Decision That Removes 100 Decisions (or, Why I’m Reading No New Books in 2020) | Tim FerrissAegypt by John Crowley and Grzegorz Domaradzki | AmazonTerry Real: Breaking the Cycle of Shame, Anger, and Depression | The Peter Attia DriveFierce Intimacy by Terence Real | AmazonWe Are Not a Men’s Group | The Spooky Men’s ChoraleWhat Is Toxic Masculinity? | The New York Times“Current Thing” | Marc Andreessen, Twitter“Whenever You Find Yourself on the Side of the Majority, It Is Time to Reform (Or Pause and Reflect).” | Mark Twain QuotationsGrails | PROOF CollectiveHow to Make an NFT | The Motley Fool“Choose Wisely.” | Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeHow to Start a War by Tim Ferriss | Grails by PROOF CollectiveMore Than Just a JPEG: Breaking Down NFT Utility | Portion BlogBored Apes NFT Project Gets Official ‘Apecoin’ Token | TechCrunchWhat is FUD? | Coin RivetJaws | David Yarrow, FacebookWarren Buffett: “Don’t Ask the Barber Whether You Need a Haircut” | CNBCBluefin Tuna Sells for a Record $3.1M in Tokyo Auction | CBS NewsThe 30-Day Challenge: No Booze, No Masturbating (NOBNOM) | Tim FerrissHarlan EstatePromontoryMeadowood | Visit CaliforniaFive Tech Predictions for 2016 by Kevin Rose | MediumHibiki 30 Years Old | DekantāThe Random Show — Biohacking, Tim’s COVID Experience, Holiday Gift Ideas, Favorite New Apps, Bad Science, Quarantine Delights, and a Small Dose of NFTs and DAOs | The Tim Ferriss Show #549Why Software Is Eating the World | Andreessen HorowitzBurning ManThe History of SXSW | SXSW Conference & FestivalsChris Dixon and Naval Ravikant — The Wonders of Web3, How to Pick the Right Hill to Climb, Finding the Right Amount of Crypto Regulation, Friends with Benefits, and the Untapped Potential of NFTs | The Tim Ferriss Show #542Apeing | AlexandriaCommission-Free Stock Trading & Investing App | RobinhoodBlockchain 101: The Simplest Guide You Will Ever Read | VelotioBoyd Varty — The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life | The Tim Ferriss Show #571SHOW NOTESWhat are Kevin and I stupidly frugal about? [06:15]Tobacco talk, Zoom group therapy, and books we’ve been reading. [10:20]Thoughts on men’s groups, healthy venting, the demonization of masculinity, and groupthink. [37:11]How my first NFT came to be, and the story behind PROOF Collective’s Grails project. [45:45]What’s a utility NFT, and will my NFT have utility attached to it? While a great idea in theory, what problems might arise over the lifetime of a utility NFT? How is the PROOF Collective trying to alleviate such problems? [52:30]Can FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) be a good thing in the NFT world? [59:29]The difficulties presented by trying to serve a massive audience on a reasonable budget, and how PROOF Collective’s new PFP project, Moonbirds, will try to do it right. [1:03:15]Could an NFT project get me canceled? Perhaps someday we’ll see. [1:06:15]Is Harlan Estate the Moonbirds of wine, or is Moonbirds the Harlan Estate of NFTs? Kevin explains why he’s particularly excited about the possibilities of Web3 — and why Adam Gazzaley owes him a bottle of Hibiki 30. [1:08:43]“Apeing” into position while mitigating downside when opportunity seems to be knocking. [1:12:52]Why Kevin believes now is the time to get a foundational understanding of how blockchains and NFTs work even if you don’t have big money to spend in the game. [1:16:57]Don’t want to mingle with people at a conference? Tell them this. [1:17:37]Parting thoughts. [1:20:05]PEOPLE MENTIONEDHasui KawaseKatsushika HokusaiMaria PopovaMark PlotkinKenneth NelsonRichard Evans SchultesDerek DelGaudioJohn CrowleyPeter AttiaTerry RealDarya RoseMarc AndreessenMark TwainAbraham LincolnMahatma GandhiGroucho MarxMae WestBeepleXCOPYWarren BuffettBill and Will HarlanAdam GazzaleyChris DixonNaval RavikantMy Favorite 37 Documentaries — Features and Short Films That Cover High Performance, Overcoming Failure, Creative Process, Psychedelics, Trauma, and Much More
Photo by Todd WhiteThe below 37 documentaries have shaped my thinking and changed my behavior over the last several years. I revisit them often.
They were all featured in 5-Bullet Friday, my free weekly newsletter, which I send out each Friday to ~1.5–2M subscribers. Each edition describes the coolest things I’ve found or explored that week in five short bullet points. This often includes books, gadgets, tricks from experts, articles, and weird stuff from all over the world.
I hope you enjoy the following gems as much as I have…
March 4, 2022
The River Runner (Netflix, Amazon, more options). This jumped to the top of my to-watch list, thanks to Brad Ludden of First Descents, a world-class waterman in his own right and associate producer on this film. Here’s the trailer. Kudos to director Rush Sturges (@rushsturges), writers Thayer Walker (@inkdwell), Corinna Halloran (@corinnahalloran), and the whole team. This Outside feature by Thayer and Scott Lindgren, the documentary’s protagonist, became a model for the film: “After a Hard Diagnosis, One Athlete Learns to Soften Up.”
January 7, 2022
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Amazon, Apple TV). Description: “Werner Herzog’s award-winning 2011 doc is a thrilling study of 32,000-year-old cave paintings recently discovered in Southern France.” It has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and you can watch the trailer here.
December 17, 2021
The Alpinist (Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play). If you want an incredible infusion of wonder and adrenaline, this doc delivers. It’s stunning. Description: “Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. On remote alpine faces, the free-spirited 23-year-old Canadian makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. Yet, he draws scant attention. With no cameras, no rope, and no margin for error, Leclerc’s approach is the essence of solo adventure. Nomadic and publicity shy, he doesn’t own a phone or car and is reluctant to let a film crew in on his pure vision of climbing…” Even if you don’t watch the full doc, be sure to watch the short trailer here. Special thanks to Peter Mortimer (@SenderFilms) and (@finsterbone) for including audio from The Tim Ferriss Show in this beautiful film.
November 26, 2021
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV) from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville. I watched this on a flight and deeply appreciated the nuanced portrayal. The archival and outtake footage alone make it well worth watching. The official description: “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how an anonymous chef who lived his life unabashedly became a world-renowned cultural icon.” Find the trailer here. There are certainly lessons to be learned from the light and the dark, and this film raises important questions for me. For example: How can you safely learn from—or emulate—certain characteristics of tortured outliers without also inadvertently absorbing beliefs and behaviors that contributed to their deep inner pain? Tony’s story is inspiring, incredible, and tragic, and this film does an admirable job of capturing all three.
November 5, 2021
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski. This doc is amazing and bizarre on multiple levels. Here’s the description: “Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanisław Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.” The documentary was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) and his father George DiCaprio. You can find the trailer here. Thanks to Snapping Turtle for the recommendation.
October 8, 2021
Let Things Rot from the Fungi Foundation. This is gorgeously shot, and it’s worth a five-minute break for the visuals alone. From the description: “The Fungi Foundation is proud to present ‘Let Things Rot,’ a new documentary short directed by Mateo Barrenengoa in collaboration with mycologist and foundation founder Giuliana Furci (@giulifungi). Filmed in Chile’s Araucanía Region, the short delves into fungi’s crucial role as a decomposer, inviting the viewer to reconsider rotting through a new, poetic perspective.”
September 10, 2021
Searching for Sugar Man (Amazon, iTunes/Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube). I’ve had dozens of friends recommend this over the years, and I finally watched it last night. It’s SPECTACULAR. It was exactly the feel-good pick-me-up that I needed. The film’s accolades include 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, a BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, just to mention a few. Here’s the official description: “Searching for Sugar Man tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was. After being discovered in a Detroit bar, Rodriguez’s sound struck two renowned producers, and they signed a recording deal. But when the album bombed, the singer disappeared into obscurity. A bootleg recording found its way into apartheid South Africa, and over the next two decades, he became a phenomenon. The film follows the story of two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero.” Watch the trailer here.
August 20, 2021
Bird by Bird with Annie. I’ve loved Anne Lamott (@AnneLamott) and her work for more than a decade, and ever since I had her on the podcast, I’ve gone even deeper into the Annieverse. This documentary had just the right blend of humor, humanity, and insight to help me with some difficult emotions this week. Description: “Perhaps best known for her widely celebrated book on writing, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott is one of the rare artists who can teach us not only how to write, but how to live. From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock (Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision), BIRD BY BIRD WITH ANNIE offers an intimate portrait of the writer and her craft, interweaving the story of Lamott’s life—in itself a deeply moving tale of addiction and redemption, grief and joy, intellect and faith—with a year’s worth of interviews, public lectures, and readings, and footage of the writer at work, focusing particularly on Lamott’s candid, humorous, and disarmingly straightforward advice on the struggles and joys of writing. In the end, the author’s genuine reassurance and guidance concerning the actual process of writing—which has little resemblance to its glorified image—becomes a stirring call to action that celebrates the potential of each individual, the silencing of our inner critics, and the courage to create something honest, meaningful, and real. Poignant and inspirational, BIRD BY BIRD WITH ANNIE takes us deep into Anne Lamott’s intoxicatingly brave world, one in which writing is a means of finding out who we are, how we live, and why we’re here.” You can find the trailer here.
July 16, 2021
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball. [Update: currently unavailable for viewing.] This documentary really brings back the memories. It tracks high school competitors and coaches in one of Japan’s deepest passions: baseball. The school uniforms, practices, buildings, customs, etc. are all nearly exactly what I experienced as a 15-year-old exchange student in Tokyo. Natsukashii naaaa! Deep bow to reader Ethan Jacobs (@ethanajacobs) for the suggestion.
June 4, 2021
Magical Death. [Update: currently unavailable for viewing.] It’s a common fiction that indigenous use of psychedelics is entirely focused on healing. In reality, while healing is one common and legitimate use, psychedelic plants have also been weaponized for warfare for centuries, if not millenia. Stated uses include night-vision enhancement, attempts at divination of enemy locations, and “remote attacks.” This video shows an example of the last. Whether or not you believe such things are possible, it demonstrates that human nature—warts and all—is cross-cultural. Description: “A documentary film by anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon that explores the role of the shaman within the Yanomamo culture, as well as the close relationship shamanism shares with politics within their society.” Plant medicine does not automagically mean peaceful or harmonious ever after. Humans love power.
March 9, 2021
RBG. Description: “At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a lengthy legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. Explore her unique and unknown personal journey of her rise to the nation’s highest court.” May she rest in peace.
February 12, 2021
“Philip Roth: Unmasked” (Amazon, iTunes, PBS). I greatly enjoyed this deep dive into the life, craft, and humor of Philip Roth. My quest to learn more about Philip was sparked by Joyce Carol Oates, one of the most decorated and prodigious American writers of the last century, who spoke about him during our podcast together. Here’s the official description of this interview-rich documentary: “American Masters explores the life and career of Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novelist Philip Roth, often referred to as the greatest living American writer. Reclusive and diffident, Roth grants very few interviews, but for the first time, allowed a journalist to spend 10 days interviewing him on camera.”
January 29, 2021
Guardians of the Amazon. “As the Amazon rainforest faces a crucial tipping point amidst the increase of illegal logging activities, Dan Harris (@danbharris) and his team embed with the Guardians, a small indigenous group taking up arms to hunt down illegal loggers and fight for their land.” For a taste of the action, see the trailer here. This is a topic I care a lot about. For another way to help preserve the ecosystems of the Amazon, which includes both the lungs of the planet and indigenous communities, take a look at the Amazon Conservation Team. For my interview with the co-founder, Mark Plotkin, ethnobotanist and protégé of the legendary Richard Schultes, please click here.
November 20, 2020
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. This film was just what I needed after a rough day. Short description: “A groundbreaking summer camp galvanizes a group of teens with disabilities to help build a movement, forging a new path toward greater equality.” It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award earlier this year. You can find the trailer here.
October 23, 2020
Sour Grapes (Amazon, YouTube, iTunes). This film scores ~95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and both the story and its cinematic telling are simply fantastic. Here’s the description: “Controversy erupts when an unassuming young man floods the American wine market with fake vintages valued in the millions, bamboozling the wine world elite, in this humorous and suspenseful tale of an ingenious con on the eve of the 2008 stock market crash.” This is a hilarious and nearly unbelievable case study in factors that make humans vulnerable to deceit, hubris, and more.
September 25, 2020
Burden of Dreams (Amazon, iTunes, The Criterion Channel). This documentary was recommended to me by one of the most phenomenal artists I know, Dustin Yellin, whose wild podcast with me just got released today. Burden of Dreams is a strange and captivating film. It’s a showcase of tackling the impossible, being unrealistic, and failing above others’ successes. On so many levels, the compulsion, single-mindedness, and all-or-nothing drive of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog makes no sense. And yet… to me, parts of his journey, and parts of his worldview, make all the sense in the world. This is a bizarre one that will only appeal to a small fraction of you, but here’s the official film description, edited for length: “For nearly five years, Werner Herzog worked on one of the most ambitious and difficult films of his career, Fitzcarraldo, the story of one man’s attempt to build an opera house deep in the Amazon jungle. Documentary filmmaker Les Blank captured the unfolding of this production, including a sequence requiring [the pulling of] a full-size, 320-ton steamship over a small mountain.”
September 4, 2020
The Work. This documentary tore my heart apart but simultaneously gave me tremendous hope. It strikes me as particularly important for men (or those who want to better understand men) to watch, but the intensity isn’t for everyone. It’s exhausting to watch. Check out this short trailer, and you’ll see what I mean. As one reviewer put it, “The Work is a ‘prison film’ but not as you know it, and yet it is perhaps the most emotionally draining the genre has ever seen…. Set in Folsom prison, a group of men from the outside participate in a group therapy session with convicts, many of them violent offenders. In the space of four days, prisoners and free men alike engage in a weekend of deeply intimate conversations in which they reveal their darkest fears, dangerously repressed memories, and their most complex feelings. The resulting drama is a fascinating exercise in emotional exorcism.” So you’re not caught scratching your head at my recommendation, note that the first 20–30 minutes seem somewhat slow. It picks up at around the 30–35-minute mark.
August 21, 2020
The Last Dance. After weeks of three close friends texting me repeatedly about this series, I finally bit the bullet. I was hesitant, as I’ve never followed basketball nor been drawn to it, but… this is easily one of the best television series of any type that I’ve ever seen. It’s spectacular. Here’s the official description, but it doesn’t reflect the intensity and magic of what you’ll see: “This docuseries chronicles the rise of superstar Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, with unaired footage from an unforgettable 1997–98 season.”
Huge kudos to director Jason Hehir; the executive producers, including Mike Tollin, , , Peter Guber, and Libby Geist; and everyone else who helped create this series. How they digested the overwhelming volume of footage they did to make such tight art is beyond comprehension. The Last Dance was recently nominated in three Emmy categories: Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
March 28, 2020
DOSED. Highly recommended. I first saw an advanced screener of this film last summer, after which I reached out to the filmmakers with encouragement and feedback. It’s one of the best and most beautifully shot docs I’ve ever seen about psychedelic medicine. It showcases the struggles, misfires, and successes in the concrete jungles near Vancouver instead of in an Amazonian jungle. For me, it was quite emotional, as it shows opioid/opiate addiction firsthand, and my aunt died of a Percocet and alcohol overdose roughly 1.5 years ago. I’ll say it again: highly recommended, and the ending will lift you up. Here’s the official description: “After many years of prescription medications failed her, a suicidal woman turns to underground healers to try and overcome her depression, anxiety, and opioid addiction with illegal psychedelic medicine such as magic mushrooms and iboga. Adrianne’s first dose of psilocybin mushrooms catapulted her into an unexpected world of healing where plant medicines are redefining our understanding of mental health and addiction.”
January 17, 2020
Mike Wallace Is Here. This doc found me at exactly the right time. I’m in the midst of studying many different types of interviewers (Terry Gross vs. Larry King vs. Joe Rogan vs. Charlie Rose vs. James Lipton, etc.) to improve my own game in 2020. Mike is an archetype of the Southern Tiger Claw kung-fu style of interviewing, kicks to the balls included. He can be brutal. And while I wouldn’t duplicate all aspects of his approach, I think there is much to learn. Some of the clips in this doc are tense beyond words. The footage of Mike with Ayatollah Khomeini, as but one example, will make your stomach do flips. Here’s the official description: “For over half a century, 60 Minutes’ fearsome newsman Mike Wallace went head-to-head with the world’s most influential figures. Relying exclusively on archival footage, the film interrogates the interrogator, tracking Mike’s storied career and troubled personal life while unpacking how broadcast journalism evolved to today’s precarious tipping point.” You can find the trailer here. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2019
The Rise of Jordan Peterson (Vimeo, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play; if outside the US, Vimeo is likely easiest due to geo restrictions). I did not expect to like this documentary as much as I did. Prior to watching it, I knew very little of Jordan Peterson (@jordanbpeterson). Here’s the one thing I did know: some friends are fascinated by him and feel he is a brilliant seeker of truth, while others erupt into rage at the mere mention of his name and paint him as an anti-liberal antichrist. I watched this film with a close friend who is both impressed by and skeptical of Jordan, depending on the subject matter and year in question, as Jordan (like all of us) changes over time. In the end, we felt that this documentary—which includes a lot of diehard fans and diehard detractors—pulled off something quite difficult: it painted a compelling picture of a complex, gifted, and imperfect human, complete with paradoxes and uncomfortable questions that linger. My friend and I ended up discussing specific scenes and directorial decisions for days afterward.
Here’s the official description: “A rare, intimate glimpse into the life and mind of Jordan Peterson, the academic and best-selling author who captured the world’s attention with his criticisms of political correctness and his life-changing philosophy on discovering personal meaning. Christened as the most influential public intellectual in the western world, University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson skyrocketed to fame after he published a controversial viral video series entitled ‘Professor Against Political Correctness’ in 2016. Within two years, he sold more than three million copies of his self-help book, 12 Rules For Life, and became simultaneously branded by some as an academic rockstar selling out theatres around the world, and by others as a dangerous threat to progressive society.” [Update: You can find my interview with Jordan Peterson here.]
November 16, 2019
Dealt (Amazon, Hulu, Google Play) directed by . This absolutely blew my mind, and I don’t want to spoil it with description. Trust me and watch the short trailer here. Truly amazing. I can’t remember the last time I finished a documentary, only to want to immediately watch it again. I also can’t remember a doc that made me as emotional as this did, pushing me from laughter to tears. It’s a masterful visual biography. [Update: You can find my interview with Richard Turner here.]
November 8, 2019
From Shock to Awe (Vimeo, iTunes, Amazon). If you liked Trip of Compassion, or if you have an interest in psychedelics, ayahuasca, veteran affairs, or healing, take a look at this documentary. I’ve watched it 3x already and highly recommend it. Here is the description: “An intimate and raw look at the transformational journey of two combat veterans suffering from severe trauma (PTSD) as they abandon pharmaceuticals to seek relief through the mind-expanding world of psychedelics.” Even if you don’t watch the film, the two-minute trailer is worth checking out.
July 5, 2019
SOMM (on Amazon and iTunes). I first heard about this doc in blog comments after I interviewed the brilliant and well-tattooed Richard Betts. Richard passed the infamous Court of Master Sommeliers’ Masters Exam on his first attempt, becoming the ninth person in history ever to do so. It’s a Mount Everest BITCH of a test, and only 269 people have passed—in total and globally—over the last 40 years(!). I put off watching this film because I feared it would be too highfalutin for this Long Island boy. Now, having seen it, I’m sorry I didn’t watch SOMM ages ago. It’s a wonderful, brutal, endearing, and hilarious (especially the ball-busting scenes during study sessions) story of a few young men trying to find their place in the world by tackling something incredibly difficult. The editing is spot on, and you’re really cheering for these guys by the end. I loved it.
Here’s the official description: “Four men will do anything to pass the most difficult test you’ve never heard of. The Court of Master Sommeliers is one of the world’s most exclusive organizations with an exam that covers every nuance of the world of wine, spirits and cigars. How much do you think you know about wine? SOMM will make you think again.”
June 21, 2019
The King of Kong. This doc was originally recommended to me by the world’s most interesting man, Kevin Kelly. I’ve watched it every year or two since. The movie is like a real-life Spinal Tap about becoming king of the nerds. Trust me; it’s well worth the watch. Here’s a shortened description: “In the early 1980s, legendary Billy Mitchell set a Donkey Kong record that stood for almost 25 years. This documentary follows the assault on the record by Steve Wiebe, an earnest teacher from Washington who took up the game while unemployed.”
May 24, 2019
Pressure Cooker. This is a real tearjerker, a life-affirming story of a teacher in Philadelphia who trains at-risk high school students to win full scholarships to culinary school. She epitomizes the kind of tough love that I think we need more of in this country, *especially* in these infantilizing times. Official description: “Infamously blunt, Wilma Stephenson runs a ‘boot camp’ teaching Culinary Arts at Frankford High, disciplining her students into capable chefs and responsible students. But behind her tough exterior is a teacher who cares passionately about getting the best out of her kids.”
May 17, 2019
One Strange Rock (“Gasp” episode, specifically). This series is truly incredible. Executive produced by the acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (director of Black Swan, producer of The Wrestler, and much more) and hosted by Will Smith (@willsmith), it is unlike any documentary series I’ve ever seen. If interested in digging deeper into Darren’s creative process, you can listen to my interview with him: “Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky — Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Making Art.”
May 3, 2019
Kumare. This is one of my favorite documentaries of the last five years. The tagline says it all: “The True Story of a False Prophet.” It blends reality and illusion into an amazing narrative, providing many practical philosophies along the way. Here’s the official description: “A provocative social experiment-turned-documentary, KUMARE follows American filmmaker Vikram Gandhi as he transforms himself into a wise Indian guru, hoping to prove the absurdity of blind faith.”
April 5, 2019
David Hockney: The Art of Seeing. Thanks to reader Jonathan Weitzman (@Epigenetique) for pointing me to this documentary via Twitter. Here’s the description: “David Hockney, widely considered to be Britain’s best-loved living artist, has taken over the Royal Academy [RA] in London with his exhibition A Bigger Picture, made up of recent works depicting the landscape of his native Yorkshire. In this programme, Andrew Marr, a friend of Hockney’s and an amateur painter himself, is in conversation with the artist, both at his home in Bridlington and in the galleries of the RA.”
March 15, 2019
Trip of Compassion. I first watched Trip of Compassion about six months ago, when I was sent a link to a private video. This documentary affected me so deeply (and immediately) that I flew to Tel Aviv, met the filmmakers, and offered to help launch the film digitally worldwide, which I just did this week on this page. Everything I am doing for this film is 100% pro bono, and all proceeds go to the filmmakers. Why would I do this? This quote from an actual patient in the film might give you an idea: “I felt like I went through 15 years of psychological therapy in one night.” Trip of Compassion documents one unusual approach to healing trauma that might astonish you—an innovative treatment involving the psychoactive drug MDMA (commonly known as “ecstasy”). As you will see firsthand, if the therapy is well designed, true rebirth and transformation can happen in a matter of weeks and not years. If you’ve ever felt held back, felt defective in some way, or felt that you’re not living up to your full potential, this film will give you hope. I highly, highly recommend watching and sharing this film. The world needs it.
February 1, 2019
In Search of Greatness. This brand-new doc thematically fits into a lot of the reading I’m currently doing. The official description: “Through the eyes of the greatest athletes of all time, In Search of Greatness is a cinematic journey into the secrets of genius. From award-winning filmmaker Gabe Polsky (@gabepolsky), this groundbreaking feature documentary includes original interviews with Wayne Gretzky, Pelé, and Jerry Rice. It also features Muhammad Ali, Einstein, David Bowie, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan, among others.” You can watch the trailer here. Gabe’s earlier Red Army doc is also fantastic.
January 18, 2019
Tim’s Vermeer. I first saw this film in 2014, and I decided it was worth a revisit, given my renewed interest in art. It’s absolutely marvelous. Here’s a description from Wikipedia: “Tim’s Vermeer is a documentary film, directed by Teller, produced by his stage partner Penn Jillette and Farley Ziegler, about inventor Tim Jenison’s efforts to duplicate the painting techniques of Johannes Vermeer, in order to test his theory that Vermeer painted with the help of optical devices.”
December 21, 2018
The Price of Everything, directed by . I watched this film after both my brother and a close friend raved about it. It is often hilarious, sometimes nauseating, and always entertaining. Here’s the description: “With unprecedented access to pivotal artists and the white-hot market surrounding them, The Price of Everything dives deep into the contemporary art world, holding a mirror up to our values and our times — where everything can be bought and sold.” You can stream it on HBO, and there are a few screenings coming up in early 2019 around the U.S. Personally, I hope to learn much, much more about art and the art world in 2019. If you might have lessons to share or a lot of experience, please let me know! Just direct a tweet at me (@tferriss) and include #timart so I can find you. Thanks!
December 14, 2018
Rivers and Tides. I first learned of Andy Goldsworthy through Johns Hopkins’ medical staff, who introduced me to one of his amazing books in their session room used for psilocybin studies. This classic documentary complements the book and shows his art (and the artist) in process. It won’t resonate with everyone, and it’s a bit odd, but it will strike a chord with many. This is especially true if you’ve spent some time in non-ordinary states. Before watching, I suggest seeing one of his books or at least looking at images of some of his artwork in nature.
December 7, 2018
Pick of the Litter. This feel-good documentary was recommended to me by my mom. It is a little sappy at points, but the training for avoiding automobiles and refusing to follow owner commands is incredible. Fair warning: some of you will shed a tear or two. The official description: “Pick of the Litter follows a litter of puppies from the moment they’re born and begin their quest to become guide dogs for the blind. Cameras follow these pups through an intense two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm. Along the way, these remarkable animals rely on a community of dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the service of their human. The stakes are high, and not every dog can make the cut.”
November 2, 2018
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? This was repeatedly recommended to me by my good friend Kevin Rose. I finally had a chance to watch it, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was particularly reassuring that Mister Rogers basically took the good TV playbook of the time and did the exact opposite, which helped lead to mega-success. Description: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Morgan Neville about the life and guiding philosophy of Fred Rogers, the host and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The trailer for the film debuted on what would have been Rogers’ 90th birthday, March 20, 2018. It received acclaim from critics and audiences and has grossed $22 million, making it the highest-grossing biographical documentary of all time.” (Wikipedia) If you don’t have time for the entire movie, at least watch this amazing clip.
October 26th, 2018
Free Solo, a new documentary in theaters now, should have been titled WHATTHEFUCKOHMYGODHOLYSHIT. I think everyone in the audience lost at least a pound through palm sweat alone. It chronicles free-solo climbing phenom Alex Honnold as he prepares for the ridiculous, the death-inviting, the absolutely impossible: climbing “El Capitan,” the legendary 3,000-foot monster in Yosemite National Park, without any ropes. Beautifully directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, this is one movie that will not let your mind wander one iota. Go see it on the biggest screen you can find. At the very least, watch this trailer.
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Professor Donald Hoffman — The Case Against Reality, Beyond Spacetime, Rethinking Death, Panpsychism, QBism, and More (#585)
Illustration via 99designs“What is the probability that natural selection would shape sensory systems to report true properties of objective reality?”
— Professor Donald Hoffman
Donald Hoffman ( @donalddhoffman) received a PhD in computational psychology from MIT and is a Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He is an author of over 120 scientific papers and three books, including The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Award of the American Psychological Association and the Troland Research Award of the US National Academy of Sciences.
His writing has appeared in Scientific American, New Scientist, LA Review of Books, and Edge, and his work has been featured in Wired, Quanta, The Atlantic, Ars Technica, National Public Radio, Discover Magazine, and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. His TED Talk, titled “Do We See Reality as It Is?,” has almost 4M views.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
Brought to you by JuneShine organic hard kombucha for a brighter buzz, FreshBooks cloud-based small business accounting software, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#585: Professor Donald Hoffman — The Case Against Reality, Beyond Spacetime, Rethinking Death, Panpsychism, QBism, and MoreThis episode is brought to you by JuneShine! You don’t know it yet, but JuneShine’s going to be your new go-to happy-hour drink. Consistent with their tagline, “organic hard kombucha for a brighter buzz,” I do get a nice buzz, as it sports a hefty 6% ABV (alcohol by volume), but 1–2 drinks doesn’t punish me with a nasty hangover. I enjoy grabbing a can of JuneShine in the late afternoon after a workday or when hanging with friends on the weekend. You’ve also heard me drinking JuneShine in a few Random Show episodes with Kevin Rose. Grapefruit Paloma might be my personal favorite flavor, but I usually grab a Sampler Pack and rotate.
JuneShine is made with organic ingredients, and it is naturally gluten-free. As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you can get an exclusive discount: receive 20% off your first purchase, plus free shipping on any orders over $75. Simply use code TIM at checkout. Taste what all the buzz is about and grab a Sampler Pack here: JuneShine.com/Tim.
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Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
Want to hear another episode from someone who gazes at the universe through the lens of science? Listen to my conversation with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, in which we discuss childhood intellectual development through free expression of interest, communicating complex ideas to the layperson, the problem with Pulitzer Prize-driven journalism in the research frontier of science, learning from Carl Sagan, overbooking commitments, and much more.
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More DoneSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Donald Hoffman:The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes by Donald D. Hoffman | AmazonDonald Hoffman: Do We See Reality as It Is? | TED 2015Of the Helmholtz Club, South-Californian Seedbed for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Its Patron Francis Crick | Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical SciencesDiscovery of DNA Double Helix: Watson and Crick | ScitableMax Planck: “I Regard Consciousness as Fundamental…’ | Big ThinkConsciousness | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyWhat Is Ostensive Definition? | AudiopediaThe Perplexing User Interface Theory of Donald Hoffman | MediumDid Humans Evolve to See Things as They Really Are? | Scientific AmericanNatural Selection and Veridical Perceptions | Journal of Theoretical BiologyFitness Beats Truth in the Evolution of Perception | Acta BiotheoreticaStructure Homomorphism | Wolfram MathWorldThe Principia: The Authoritative Translation and Guide: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Sir Isaac Newton | AmazonSpacetime Is Doomed. What Replaces It? | CornellCastThe Large Hadron Collider | CERNEEG vs. MRI vs. fMRI: What are the Differences? | iMotionsWhat Is the Theory of Everything? | SpacePoincaré Group | WikipediaTurtles All the Way Down | WikipediaMarcus du Sautoy: The Paradox at the Heart of Mathematics: Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem | TED-EdEinstein’s Quantum Riddle, NOVA Season 46, Episode 2 | Apple TVSean Carroll’s Mindscape PodcastQuantum Spookiness Spans the Canary Islands | Scientific AmericanInstitute for Advanced Study | PrincetonSimulations Back up Theory That Universe Is a Hologram | NatureAdS/CFT Correspondence | Wikipediade Sitter Space | WikipediaAnti-de Sitter Space | WikipediaPhysicists Observationally Confirm Hawking’s Black Hole Theorem for the First Time | MIT NewsMaxwell’s Equations | SPIEEinstein’s Theory of Special Relativity | SpaceUS Lawmaker Orders NASA To Plan For Trip to Alpha Centauri by 100th Anniversary of Moon Landing | ScienceThe Origin of Time In Conscious Agents | CosmologyObjects of Consciousness | Frontiers in PsychologyMarkov Kernel | WikipediaAsymptotic Analysis | WikipediaDoes Consciousness Exist Outside of the Brain? | ResearchGate Discussion ForumDoes the Brain Produce Consciousness or Is It a Receiver of Consciousness? Or Both? | QuoraLocal Realism | Quantum Physics LadyContextuality — The Most Quantum Thing | Plus MagazineTwo Defining Features of Quantum Mechanics Never Appear Together | Phys.orgLocality Is Dead! Long Live Locality! | Frontiers in PhysicsRealism Is False: A Conversation with Donald D. Hoffman | EdgePhysicalism | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyLorentz Transformation | WikipediaQuantum Entanglement: Explained in REALLY SIMPLE Words | Science ABCDominic Walliman: Quantum Physics for 7-Year-Olds | TEDxEastVanPanpsychism | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCarlo Rovelli: Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution | Talks at GoogleConscious Realism and the Mind-Body Problem | Mind & MatterPhillip Goff: How Panpsychism Explains Consciousness | The Institute of Art and IdeasShinto | Japan GuideThe Copernican Revolution and Why It Is Important | Moments in MinutesCosmological Polytopes | PIRSAAssociahedron | Wolfram MathWorldThe Amplituhedron: A Jewel at the Heart of Quantum Physics | Quanta MagazineScattering Amplitudes | European Research CouncilQuantum Field Theory | WikipediaNima Arkani-Hamed Lectures 2019 | Harvard UniversityPsychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More | Tim FerrissHamilton Morris on Iboga, 5-MeO-DMT, the Power of Ritual, New Frontiers in Psychedelics, Excellent Problems to Solve, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #511Dennis McKenna — The Depths of Ayahuasca: 500+ Sessions, Fundamentals, Advanced Topics, Science, Churches, Learnings, Warnings, and Beyond | The Tim Ferriss Show #523Michael Levin on Morphogenetics, Regeneration, Consciousness, and Xenobots | Theories of Everything with Curt JaimungalPlants of the Gods — Dr. Mark Plotkin on Ayahuasca, Shamanic Knowledge, the Curse and Blessing of Coca, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #5085 Emerging Benefits of BioPerine and Piperine Supplements | HealthlineThus Spoke the Plant: A Remarkable Journey of Groundbreaking Scientific Discoveries and Personal Encounters with Plants by Monica Gagliano | AmazonAware: Glimpses of Consciousness | Prime VideoThe Intelligent Plant | The New YorkerGroup of Biologists Tries to Bury the Idea That Plants Are Conscious | The GuardianQBism, the Perimeter of Quantum Bayesianism | Christopher A. FuchsSteve Jurvetson — The Midas Touch and Mind-Bending Futures | The Tim Ferriss Show #317The Practical Quantum Computing Company | D-Wave SystemsEntropy, Joint Entropy, and Conditional Entropy | WIT SolapurWhy Do We Say That Irreducible Representation of Poincare Group Represents the One-Particle State? | Physics Stack ExchangeInformation Theory Part 10: What is a Markov Chain? | Art of the ProblemThe Bible | AmazonScience and Nonduality (SAND)The Upanishads | AmazonA New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle | AmazonThe Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle | AmazonEvolutionary Game Theory | WikipediaSHOW NOTESNote from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
What was the Helmholtz Club, and how did it spark a scientific exploration into the meaning of consciousness?What is consciousness?How should we understand our perceptions and their relationship to reality? David walks us through the desktop interface metaphor as presented in his 2015 TED Talk, and explains why it’s unlikely (with a probability of zero) that human beings evolved to behold the naked entirety of reality.Why does Donald, as a cognitive neuroscientist, find this era of physicists exploring consciousness and the nature of an underlying reality we haven’t evolved to see so exciting? Also: is spacetime doomed?Will science ever arrive at a theory of everything?What is the holographic model of the universe?What might things look like in the next decade or two as we begin to fundamentally revise how we think of reality, matter, and the interplay of consciousness?How does Donald scientifically explore the concept of conscious agents?Is consciousness localized, or does the brain “receive” it from elsewhere?How does Donald think about death?What are Markovian dynamics?Supplementary information that might help someone who’s struggling to understand parts of this conversation.What is panpsychism, and who are some of the most influential panpsychists?Which aspects of the way we interface with reality give us effective portals into life or consciousness?Probing the deeper reality suggested by amplituhedron, associahedron, and cosmological polytope.At which hallowed institutions are these explorations of consciousness and the nature of a deeper reality being researched, and who is leading the charge?Donald’s thoughts on the use of hallucinogenic drugs to tap into deeper reality and interact with conscious agents.Exploring a theory involving portals and morphogenesis.It’s worth considering ethnobotanical and ethnographical studies that may give us more focused insight into consciousness through a non-Western lens and even have us questioning if plants can be considered a sentient part of this consciousness.On Chris Fuchs and the outer fringes of Quantum Bayesian — aka QBism.The experiments Donald would conduct in his research with unlimited funding over the next 10 years, and with whom he would choose to work.What is Donald reading these days?Donald names some of his long-time collaborators who pair mathematics with spiritual practice, and describes how he reconciles the two in his own work.How much pushback has Donald suffered for bringing spirituality into his scientific endeavors? Has any of it been constructive?How does fitness payoff function work in evolutionary theory, and how does this support the probability of zero that humans evolved to see reality in full?Parting thoughts.MORE DONALD HOFFMAN QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW“If consciousness is the fundamental nature of reality, and consciousness is all there is, then mathematical structure is only about the possibilities of consciousness.”
— Donald Hoffman
“What is the probability that natural selection would shape sensory systems to report true properties of objective reality? … The probability is zero.”
— Donald Hoffman
“Very few of us know exactly how the desktop interface on our computer works. When you drag an icon to the trash can to delete a file, there’s a lot of stuff going on inside there that’s involved in deleting the file. We’re blissfully ignorant and that’s what evolution has done. It makes us blissfully ignorant about the nature of reality and gives us icons that allow us to control reality.”
— Donald Hoffman
“Physics is not fundamental. Spacetime is not fundamental. Consciousness is. What we call physical objects are merely the ways that we play with our interface to open new portals into the realm of conscious agents.”
— Donald Hoffman
“Science can never have a theory of everything.”
— Donald Hoffman
“When you can break your theory, when you find its limits, that’s when you break out the champagne because that’s when you’re going to go to the next step. Gödel’s incompleteness theory tells us that this process will never end. There is job security. Go into science.”
— Donald Hoffman
“What we thought was the final theory 130 years ago, we now look back on it; Newton was great, but we have much better theories today.”
— Donald Hoffman
“We have to take our current theories seriously. If we take evolution of a natural selection seriously, of course, as scientists, we’re going to eventually try to show its limitations.”
— Donald Hoffman
“When the physicists are saying, ‘We’re spending our careers looking for what’s beyond spacetime; spacetime is doomed,’ it’s really time for the cognitive neuroscientists who are studying consciousness to catch up with what the physicists have already said.”
— Donald Hoffman
“I want a scientific theory of consciousness that doesn’t assume a physical world as the foundation at all.”
— Donald Hoffman
April 6, 2022
Bo Shao — His Path from Food Rations to Managing Billions, the Blessings and Burdens of Chasing Perfection, Building the eBay of China in 1999, Pillars of Parenting, and Pursuing the Unpopular (#584)
Illustration via 99designsBo Shao is a co-founder and the chairman of Evolve, a philanthropic investment firm composed of a foundation, Evolve Foundation, and an impact investment firm, Evolve Ventures. With an initial capital of $100 million from the Shao family, Evolve aims to support organizations that relieve inner suffering and facilitate inner transformation. He is also the co-founder of Parent Lab, an app that helps parents meet common parenting challenges (a new version launches on April 10th).
Prior to Evolve, Bo was a founding partner of Matrix China, a leading technology venture capital firm in China, which manages more than $7 billion and has funded more than 500 companies, 50+ of which have become unicorns. He is also a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded five companies that have either gone public or become leaders in their respective industries.
Bo was born in China and was a winner of more than a dozen national mathematics competitions during high school. When he was 17, he left China for Harvard College on a full scholarship — one of the first such scholarships Harvard granted to a person from mainland China. After receiving his A.B. summa cum laude in physics and electrical engineering, he worked for Boston Consulting Group and Goldman Sachs and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement , Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify[image error]Listen onOvercast#584: Bo Shao — His Path from Food Rations to Managing Billions, the Blessings and Burdens of Chasing Perfection, Building the eBay of China in 1999, Pillars of Parenting, and Pursuing the UnpopularThis episode is brought to you by Four Sigmatic and their delicious mushroom coffee, featuring lion’s mane and chaga. It tastes like coffee, but it has less than half the caffeine of what you would find in a regular cup of coffee. I do not get any jitters, acid reflux, or any type of stomach burn. It’s organic and keto friendly, plus every single batch is third-party lab tested.
You can try it right now by going to FourSigmatic.com/Tim and using the code TIM. You will receive up to 39% off on the lion’s mane coffee bundle. Simply visit FourSigmatic.com/Tim. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
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SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEVentures & Foundation | EvolveThe Leading Source for Evidence-Based Parenting Education | Parent LabShanghai, China | BritannicaBicycle Standard Face Playing Cards | AmazonTesla Map vs. Waze/Google Maps | r/teslamotorsHarvard UniversityAll or Nothing: Inside China’s “Cram Schools” | Reader’s DigestNew Concept English 1 | AmazonVulcan | Memory AlphaWhat Killed Pay Phones and Phone Booths? | The AtlanticExposé Magazine | Harvard Writing ProjectRick Doblin: ‘People Should Have the Fundamental Right to Change Their Consciousness’ | ReasonWhat Was China’s Cultural Revolution? | ThoughtCo.Newly Released Documents Detail Traumas of China’s Cultural Revolution | Fresh AirWho Were China’s Red Guards? | ThoughtCo.Chinese Red Guards Apologize, Reopening a Dark Chapter | All Things ConsideredCan Trauma Be Inherited Between Generations? | The AtlanticTo Live | Prime VideoGlobal Management Consulting | BCGEachNet.com | Stanford Graduate School of BusinessWhat Was That Dial-Up Internet Sound? | Popular MechanicsHarvard President: Zuckerberg Dropped Out, but His Staff Didn’t | CNBCCapital University of Economics and Business1996 in China | WikipediaGraduate Record Examinations (GRE) | WikipediaMeditation, Mindset, and Mastery | The Tim Ferriss Show #201Why Being First Often Doesn’t Work Out: Friendster, Mt. Gox, EachNet | Tech In AsiaA Case Study on International Expansion: How eBay Failed in China by Alex Lee | MediumThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson | AmazonMatrix Partners ChinaSina Weibo | WikipediaThe Neuroscience of 20-Somethings | Scientific American Blog NetworkFrankenstein by Mary Shelley | AmazonThe Work of Byron KatieHand in Hand ParentingThe 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Klemp | AmazonJim Dethmer — How to Shift from Victim Consciousness, Reduce Drama, Practice Candor, Be Fully Alive, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #434Diana Chapman — How to Get Unstuck, Do “The Work,” Take Radical Responsibility, and Reduce Drama in Your Life | The Tim Ferriss Show #536Who First Said ‘Long Time, No See’ and in Which Language? | Code SwitchSHOW NOTESNote from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
Bo shares what it was like to grow up poor in Shanghai, how his uncanny math acumen was sharpened with poker cards and rewarded with ketchup and hugs, and the lifelong lessons he absorbed from his parents.How did Bo wind up getting a full scholarship to Harvard?What did Bo do to learn and refine his English language skills, and why does he consider the pattern of behavior that compels him to excel a “burden?”How much of a culture shock did Bo experience when he moved to the United States in 1991? What were the most noticeable differences?Why is Bo committed to bringing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to China? What unique traumas have recent generations of Chinese experienced en masse that might be greatly alleviated by such treatments?Bo walks us through what it took to build his first startup during the age of dial-up modems after returning to China from a lucrative job in the US, and how his parents reacted.As someone so hardwired toward rationality, how did Bo weigh the pros and cons of beginning his own entrepreneurial venture in China instead of pursuing stable, high-paying employment for someone else in the US? Did he have a contingency plan in case things didn’t work out?Western names don’t always translate easily into Chinese. Take mine, for example.The ups and downs of startup life and the finite resources that even a math wizard can easily lose track of.How did Bo roll with cash flow problems and a major source of funding potentially drying up during a time of dire market fluctuations?It turns out Harvard is a great place to increase one’s vocabulary.What does Bo’s superpower-charging study regimen look like?Whatever happened to Bo’s first startup?How did meeting the woman who would become Bo’s wife enhance his emotional development?How old was Bo when he “retired” after selling EachNet, what motivated him to rejoin the entrepreneurial world, and what have been some of his most noteworthy accomplishments since?How did personal introspection become a priority for Bo after years of resistance to the idea, and how has his life improved — as a friend, husband, and father — as a result?What tools, perspectives, realizations, and resources have helped Bo make progress on his journey of self-discovery?What does Bo believe is missing right now from the discussion around psychedelics and related therapies?Projects with which Evolve is involved, Bo’s thoughts on the importance of inner work (particularly for people who are, as he was, overly focused on the rational), and other parting thoughts.PEOPLE MENTIONEDMao ZedongZhang YimouGong LiJohn WongMark ZuckerbergJack MaHenry JekyllEdward HydeFrankenstein’s MonsterByron KatiePatty WipflerJim DethmerDiana ChapmanGodBuddhaGuanyin
