Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 45
October 27, 2020
Yuval Noah Harari on The Story of Sapiens, The Power of Awareness, and The Brilliance of Bone-Conduction Headphones (#477)
Illustration via 99designs“As a species, we are very good in acquiring more power, but we are not good at all in translating power into happiness.”
— Yuval Noah Harari
Prof. Yuval Noah Harari (@harari_yuval) is a historian and bestselling author who is considered one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals today. His popular books—Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century— have sold 27.5 million copies in 60 languages. They have been recommended by Barack Obama, Chris Evans, Janelle Monáe, Bill Gates, and many others. The Guardian has credited Sapiens with revolutionizing the nonfiction market and popularizing “brainy books.”
He is also behind Sapiens: A Graphic History, a new graphic novel series in collaboration with comics artists David Vandermeulen (co-writer) and Daniel Casanave (illustrator). This beautifully illustrated series is a radical reworking of his book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. The series will be published in four volumes starting in fall 2020 with Volume 1, The Birth of Humankind, which is out now.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with ~700M users, Pique Tea high-end, instant tea crystals (pu’er, etc.), and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify
[image error]Listen onOvercast
#477: Yuval Noah Harari on The Story of Sapiens, The Power of Awareness, and The Brilliance of Bone-Conduction Headphones
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/8b6371e7-0cc0-44f5-bff3-392c39e18f37.mp3Download
This 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 690 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. You can pay what you want and get $50 off your first job. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Pique Tea! I first learned about Pique through my friends Dr. Peter Attia and Kevin Rose, and now Pique’s fermented pu’er tea crystals have become my daily go-to. I often kickstart my mornings with their Pu’er Green Tea and Pu’er Black Tea, and I alternate between the two. Their crystals are cold-extracted, using only wild-harvested leaves from 250-year-old tea trees. Plus, they triple toxin screen for heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic mold—contaminants commonly found in tea. I also use the crystals for iced tea, which saves a ton of time and hassle.
Pique is offering 15% off of their pu’er teas for the first time ever, exclusively to my listeners. Simply visit PiqueTea.com/Tim, and the discount will be automatically applied. They also offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, so your purchase is completely risk free. Just go to PiqueTea.com/Tim to learn more.
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 just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making 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, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at 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 hear another episode with someone who lives to share their fascination with history? Listen to my conversation with Hardcore History‘s own Dan Carlin in which we discuss finding one’s ‘radio’ voice, podcasting as a full-time job, the upsides of masochism, touchy subjects to avoid, creativity, and much more.
#20: Dan Carlin - Hardcore History, Building Podcasts, Creativity, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/96475272-ad10-4e7c-9e00-3399acc5cbd4.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Yuval Noah Harari:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Sapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind (Vol. 1) by Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen, and Daniel CasanaveSapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah HarariHomo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah HarariHow the ‘Brainy’ Book Became a Publishing Phenomenon | The GuardianKibbutz and Moshav | Israel Ministry of Foreign AffairsTribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim FerrissWhat is Vipassana Meditation? | Dhamma.orgTranscendental Meditation (TM)How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation | MindfulUniversity of OxfordFrom Animals into Gods: A Brief History of Humankind by Harari Yuval NoahThe Deborah Harris Agency | JerusalemThe Hebrew University of JerusalemZero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake MastersBuddhist Researchers Seek to Reveal Link between Heart, Mind | Lion’s RoarStone Age Economics by Marshall SahlinsYuval Noah Harari Gives the Really Big Picture | The New YorkerMoney Isn’t the Root of All Evil | The Simple DollarTech CEOs Are in Love with Their Principal Doomsayer | The New York TimesSources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity by Charles TaylorBrave New World by Aldous Huxley1984 by George OrwellThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana ZuboffFINIS Duo Underwater Bone Conduction MP3 PlayerThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Audiobook Narrated by Stephen Fry)Black Mirror Season 3, Episode 4: “San Junipero” Is the Show’s Most Beautiful, Most Hopeful Episode Yet | Vox‘Black Mirror’ Recap: ‘Nosedive’ Is a Sharp Satire About Social Media | The AtlanticA ‘Black Mirror’ Episode Predicted the 2016 Election and the Similarities Are Eerie | BustleChina’s Chilling ‘Social Credit System’ Is Straight Out of Dystopian Sci-Fi, and It’s Already Switched On | Science AlertHer | Prime VideoExhalation by Ted ChiangStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangArrival | Prime VideoThe Turing Test | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyPopulation Reconstructions for Humans and Megafauna Suggest Mixed Causes for North American Pleistocene Extinctions | Nature CommunicationsFossil DNA Reveals New Twists in Modern Human Origins | Quanta MagazineThe Impossible Task of Remembering the Nanking Massacre | The Atlantic‘Humans Were Not Centre Stage’: How Ancient Cave Art Puts Us in Our Place | The Guardian20 Things You Didn’t Know About … Neanderthals | Discover MagazineThe Sandman Box Set by Neil GaimanSapienshipHow Did Shark Attack Hysteria Originate in the US? | AccuWeatherNuclear War Makes a Comeback | Sierra ClubThe Climate Crisis – A Race We Can Win | United NationsTechnology Outlook 2020: A New Breed of Disruption | Chief ExecutiveWe Could Resurrect the Woolly Mammoth. Here’s How. | National GeographicIsland by Aldous Huxley
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
Does Yuval live on a moshav, or is this just another example of the Wikipedia echo effect?Yuval practices vipassana meditation for two hours every day and takes an annual meditation retreat for a month or two. But how did this dedication to the practice begin?Six months after this first experience with vipassana meditation, what changed for Yuval?How did Sapiens evolve from Yuval’s history lectures at Hebrew University to a sleepy Amazon self-publication of 2,000 to a worldwide sensation published in 60 languages to an audience of over 20 million (and counting)?What are the advantages to developing a book from lecture notes (as Peter Thiel and Blake Masters also did for Zero to One)?How did Yuval come to be so cognizant of suffering, and in what ways does he see it fitting into the larger picture of human history?On the test of suffering as a way to sort the real from the imaginary stories we collectively tell ourselves.Why money, from antiquity to the modern day, is really a story about trust.In what ways has life changed for Yuval since his unexpected elevation to fame as a bestselling author, and how does it compare to what it might have been like if he’d remained an obscure medieval history professor?If Yuval were superhuman, what would be his superpower — and why?What kind of advice can Yuval’s close friends rely on him to give?What would Yuval’s friends say is his superpower?How does Yuval relate to happiness and how it contrasts with suffering and misery?Has Yuval made any decisions or adopted any frameworks that have helped him preserve some modicum of personal space and privacy?Thinkers and writers from history who have influenced Yuval.Why art moves us most when it expresses externally the inner feelings and thoughts for which we have no vocabulary — and should serve as a reminder that it’s unfair to expect others to understand us fully when we don’t necessarily understand ourselves fully.On Brave New World, 1984, and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as philosophy, and how Yuval listens to audiobooks while swimming.Is Black Mirror philosophy or prophecy?Why Yuval thinks the movie Her raises more interesting philosophical questions about the future of AI than, say, The Terminator.Does Yuval think we’re close to the point where AI will demonstrate the difficulties posed by the word “understand” and the concept of understanding?How and why did Yuval decide to take Sapiens into the realm of the graphic novel with Sapiens: A Graphic History, and how has it allowed him and his co-conspirators (David Vandermeulen, and Daniel Casanave) to rethink and teach history in an unconventional way?How did Yuval and his team balance scientific objectivity with political correctness when bringing Sapiens into a visual format?Sapiens: A Graphic History will eventually be a four-volume set. How soon can we expect to see the next three, what does the creation process look like, and what do Yuval, David, and Daniel hope the world will take away from the series?What is Yuval’s mission statement?What does Yuval see as the most important global problems facing humanity right now, and where does he see humanity going in the next two centuries?Of our possible fates, which worries Yuval the most?When reflecting on the darker aspects of past, present, and potential future, what keeps Yuval going?Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Barack ObamaChris EvansBill GatesDavid VandermeulenDaniel CasanaveS.N. GoenkaItzik YahavDeborah HarrisPeter ThielBlake MastersRichard FeynmanGautama BuddhaWoody AllenMarcus AureliusCharles TaylorAldous HuxleyShoshana ZuboffStephen FryZaphod BeeblebroxDonald TrumpTed ChiangAlan TuringSherlock HolmesAgatha ChristieWinston ChurchillAdolf HitlerJoseph Stalin
October 26, 2020
Seth Godin on The Game of Life, The Value of Hacks, and Overcoming Anxiety (#476)
Illustration via 99designs“Perfectionism has nothing to do with perfect.”
— Seth Godin
Seth Godin (@ThisIsSethsBlog) is the author of 19 international bestsellers translated into more than 35 languages, including Tribes, Purple Cow, Linchpin, The Dip, and This Is Marketing. He writes daily at Seths.blog, which is one of the most popular blogs in the world. He’s also the founder of the altMBA and The Akimbo Workshops, online seminars that have transformed the work of thousands of people. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership, and most of all, changing everything. His newest book is The Practice: Shipping Creative Work.
In this episode, we explore many topics, including:
The value of hacksThe magic of HamiltonWhat learning to juggle and cultivating creativity have in commonThe myth of qualityWhat Seth means by “Don’t steal the revelation.”Focusing on generosity instead of anxietyChoosing the ruleset of your own game of lifeHow Joni Mitchell eschewed the safety of the sinecureWhat you would do if you knew you would fail?
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement, Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee, and Tonal smart home gym.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify
[image error]Listen onOvercast
#476: Seth Godin on The Game of Life, The Value of Hacks, and Overcoming Anxiety
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/44c9d0ba-7cc8-455b-ab0d-0e33d4142401.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually 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 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 podcast is also brought to you by Four Sigmatic and their delicious mushroom coffee, featuring lion’s mane and chaga. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it has less than half 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 Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.
Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM at checkout.
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 Seth was on the show? Click here to listen to our conversation in which we discussed how Seth deals with overwhelm, saying “no” and setting boundaries, long work vs. hard work, how to find your smallest viable audience, crafting April Fool’s jokes, and much more.
#343: Seth Godin on How to Say “No,” Market Like a Professional, and Win at Lifehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/f90ab568-0eb2-4724-8b22-3d08685cf062.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Seth Godin:
Website | Seth’s Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | altMBA | The Akimbo Workshops
Seth’s previous appearances on the podcast: 402, 343, 177, 138
The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth GodinOther Books by Seth GodinProfessionals, Hacks, and Amateurs | Seth’s BlogHackneyed | World Wide WordsSpecification-Based Management is Not Sufficient | The W. Edwards Deming InstituteTotaling Up the Repairs on the Cheapest Rolls-Royce Phantom in the USA | AutotraderHamilton | BroadwayWest Side Story | BroadwayRichard Serra Exhibitions | Dia BeaconYou Can’t Say You Can’t Play | Seth’s Blog1,000 True Fans | The TechniumNike ‘Just Do It’ Slogan Inspired by Utah Spree Killer Gary Gilmore | Business InsiderHow Long Does It Take To Climb Mount Everest? | OutdoorsmanLabPermission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers by Seth GodinThe Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm GladwellLinchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth GodinDouble Take: The Art of Elizabeth King | Prime VideoOrigin and Meaning of Amateur | Online Etymology DictionaryThe Interview Master: Cal Fussman and the Power of Listening | The Tim Ferriss Show #145House Of The Rising Sun by Joni MitchellThe 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy FerrissTufte’s Principles | thedoublethinkSurvival Is Not Enough: Zooming, Evolution, and the Future of Your Company by Seth GodinPurple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth GodinThe HBS Case Method | Harvard Business SchoolCase Studies | Stanford Graduate School of BusinessThe Sunk Cost Fallacy | You Are Not So SmartR.E.M. Reflect on ‘Radical’ ‘Out of Time’ LP 25 Years Later | Rolling StoneThe Go-Go’s | ShowtimeOn Kings by David Graeber and Marshall SahlinsStone Age Economics by Marshall SahlinsThe Flintstones | Prime VideoYoyodyne | WikipediaSquidoo | WikipediaRefuseniks | YIVOThrowing and Catching | Seth’s BlogTerry Laughlin, The Master Who Changed My Life | The Tim Ferriss Show #276The History of Search Engines: A Timeline | WordStreamMaslow’s Hierarchy of Needs | Simply PsychologySinecure | WikipediaDon Juan’s Reckless Daughter by Joni MitchellGod Must Be a Boogie Man by Joni Mitchell
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
What’s the etymology of the word “hack,” and how does it relate to Seth’s new book, The Practice?What is the specific definition of the word “quality,” and how does it differ from its generally accepted meaning?What makes Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway blockbuster Hamilton more “magical,” in Seth’s estimation, than West Side Story? Perhaps the real question: what is magic, and what does it take to make it?Why hiding behind words like “quality” or “perfection” as a means of postponing action to avoid risk is a cop-out — especially these days.What Isaac Asimov and Gary Gilmore can teach us about writer’s block and other common procrastinations.Examining what we mean when we tell ourselves our work isn’t “good enough,” weighing the real reasons we might opt to take a less challenging path, what it sometimes takes to get us back on the right path, and why generosity doesn’t mean free.“Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions.” -Elizabeth KingOn the selfishness of authenticity, and why Seth believes the way we act determines how we feel way more often than the way we feel determines how we act.If attitudes are skills, how do we sharpen them?Skills with a disproportionate return on investment that entrepreneurs and creatives should consider cultivating.On anxiety and the futility of reassurance.One of the biggest mistakes ineffective teachers make, and what we should remember if we want to be effective learners.The importance of applying constraints and boundaries to the learning process, and understanding the gift that tension gives.How do you not steal the revelation as a teacher, but create tension so that people will plow ahead with developing a skill or learning something?Examples of how the power of positive constraints have had an impact on Seth — and how they went from being a source of frustration to the core of his useful working life.How would Seth usher a prospective entrepreneur through the process of deciding on constraints before they embark on creating some darling that they’re not willing to kill?How can an entrepreneur or freelancer apply constraints when their plans are already in motion?A nugget from The Practice: Seek joy. But how does one do this?As someone who’s succeeded in zigging where others have zagged, How has Seth chosen the games he has played, and in what ways has this changed over time?What provided Seth with a template to understand the difference between doing fulfilling work and simply training for the outcome? For that matter, what’s so bad about training for the outcome?The Practice is Seth’s 20th book. What is he saying in this one that he didn’t get around to in the 20 before, and what should prospective readers hope to get from it?How would Seth suggest someone literally learn how to juggle, and how does this process figuratively encapsulate the building of resilience necessary for thriving in an ever-changing world?How the way I learned to swim — in my 30s — was similarly counterintuitive but completely effective (and by coincidence, the technique Seth uses to swim every day).In what ways is cultivating creativity similar to learning how to juggle?How does Seth separate genre from generic, and who was Earl Stanley Gardner?With 230 chapters in less than 230 pages, which ones does Seth hope most resonate with readers?How Joni Mitchell alienated her mainstream audience in order to find her smallest viable audience and, ultimately, do better work that didn’t train for the outcome.What would you do even if you knew you would fail?Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Edwards DemingAlexander HamiltonLin-Manuel MirandaRichard SerraLenny LevineKevin KellyIsaac AsimovCharles MansonGary GilmoreMalcolm GladwellElizabeth KingBen FranklinDale CarnegieCal FussmanMuhammad AliMikhail GorbachevJoni MitchellEdward TufteNapoleon BonaparteGoldilocksMarie SchachtAlex PeckSusan RothenbergKen BurnsFred RogersIsaac NewtonDavid GraeberMarshall SahlinsMilton FriedmanChögyam TrungpaTerry LaughlinBill BoomerEarl Stanley GardnerAgatha ChristiePerry MasonDella StreetJames PattersonJames BondMarissa MayerAbraham MaslowJaco Pastorius
October 19, 2020
Matthew McConaughey — The Power of “No, Thank You,” Key Life Lessons, 30+ Years of Diary Notes, and The Art of Catching Greenlights (#474)
Illustration via 99designs“If all we’re doing is asking ourselves questions, but never coming up with an answer, well, that can lead to some very imbalanced insanity at times.”
— Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) is a Texas native and one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. A chance meeting in Austin with casting director and producer Don Phillips led him to director Richard Linklater, who launched the actor’s career in the cult classic Dazed and Confused. Since then, he has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, appeared in more than 40 feature films that have grossed more than $1 billion, and has become a producer, director, and philanthropist with his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation—all the while sticking to his Texas roots and “jk livin'” philosophy.
McConaughey also serves as creative director for Wild Turkey and has co-created his own bourbon, Longbranch. He serves as Minister of Culture/M.O.C. for the University of Texas Athletic Department and the Austin FC Soccer Club, where he is part owner. McConaughey will launch his first book, Greenlights, on October 20, 2020. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife Camilla and their three kids while he is a professor at the University of Texas in Austin.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Helix Sleep mattresses, and Magic Spoon cereal.
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
#474: Matthew McConaughey on His Success Playbooks, The Powerful Philosophy of Greenlights, and Choosing The Paths Less Traveledhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/bf368b25-ad0b-436b-ad4d-7ebc05704ac8.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 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 Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 best overall mattress pick of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress for each and every body’s unique taste. 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, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Spoon cereal! Magic Spoon is a brand-new cereal that is low carb, high protein, and zero sugar. It tastes just like your favorite sugary cereal. Each serving has 11g of protein, 3g of net carbs, 0g of sugar, and only 110 calories. It’s also gluten free, grain free, keto friendly, soy free, and GMO free. And it’s delicious! It comes in your favorite, traditional cereal flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, and Blueberry.
Magic Spoon cereal has received a lot of attention since launching last year. Time magazine included it in their list of Best Inventions of 2019, and Forbes called it “the future of cereal.” My listeners—that’s you—get free shipping and a 100% happiness guarantee when you visit MagicSpoon.com/Tim and use code 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 hear an episode with a friend Matthew and I have in common? Listen to my most recent conversation with Ryan Holiday in which we discuss using Stoicism to cope with pandemic lockdowns, managing fear when everything seems out of control, fast decisions versus rushed decisions, and much more.
#419: Ryan Holiday — How to Use Stoicism to Choose Alive Time Over Dead Timehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/cbf0214e-5f23-4032-9a3a-f9ea2d530a02.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Matthew McConaughey:
Official Greenlights Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey Just Keep Livin’ FoundationLongbranch | Wild TurkeyDallas Buyers Club | Prime VideoDazed and Confused | Prime VideoMatthew McConaughey: ‘My Agent Said No to Romcoms. And Then There Was Nothing’ | The GuardianMatthew McConaughey Was Voted ‘Most Handsome’ After Struggles with Acne | HuffPost IndiaThe Greatest Salesman in the World by Og MandinoDelta Tau DeltaThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry FoundationBest of the Goth Kids | South ParkDie Hard | Prime VideoStoicism Resources and Recommendations | tim.blogThe Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan HolidaySocratic Dialogue Definition and Examples | ThoughtCo.A Time To Kill | Prime VideoYes, Impostor Syndrome is Real: Here’s How to Deal With It | TimeMatthew McConaughey: My Baby Will Be a Surfer Dude, Too | PeopleHollywood Tried Really Hard to Keep Matthew McConaughey in Rom-Coms | CinemaBlendCreative Artists Agency (CAA)Killer Joe | Prime VideoThe Paperboy | Prime VideoMud | Prime VideoMagic Mike | Prime VideoBernie | Prime VideoTrue Detective: Season 1 | Prime Video
SHOW NOTES
Matthew comes from peddlin’ stock. What did his father peddle, and what is Matthew’s most vivid memory of him? [06:28]How did the thing Matthew’s mother peddled get him involved in a lengthy legal dispute that had the potential to change his family’s fortune? [08:41]Is it true that Matthew’s parents had an unusual marriage history, and that the words “hate” and “can’t” were forbidden in their household? What lesson did young Matthew learn on one occasion when he said “I can’t” to his father? [15:23]Why has The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino had such an impact on Matthew, and how did he serendipitously happen upon it while studying to be a lawyer? [18:06]Matthew’s 10 goals in life circa 1992, and what he was doing at that point in time. [26:52]What did Matthew mean specifically with goal number five: be an egotistical utilitarian? [31:45]Six: take more risks. Why? [33:42]Why did Matthew start using a diary, and what have been the benefits of doing it for decades? How has its purpose evolved over this span of time? [39:10]Why is Matthew’s new book titled Greenlights? [43:24]A million directions and eight options. Where to go first? Down dirt roads and autobahns, and maybe a footpath of Stoicism. [47:52]Was writing Greenlights in self-prescribed solitary confinement an act of penance? What did the process look like, and how does he address himself when he’s the only one around to talk to? What’s the most important thing to remember when you ask yourself questions? [55:57]The art of running downhill — like when your world’s become inverted by overnight fame and success. [1:00:47]How hard was it for Matthew to start saying “No” to roles he was no longer interested in playing when Hollywood had already typecast him as the rom-com guy — and financially rewarding him accordingly? [1:05:09]What practices helped Matthew get through the 22-month period it took to become “unbranded” as the rom-com guy in the eyes of Hollywood? [1:18:12]What misconceptions does the world have about Matthew that he’d like to clear up? [1:21:30]What would Matthew’s billboard say? [1:27:04]The galvanizing effects of Texas groundwater on optimal storytelling and other parting thoughts. [1:31:00]
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Richard LinklaterRon WoodroofCamila McConaugheyJim McConaugheyKay McConaugheyJerry HarrisCamisa SpringsOg MandinoS.R. BindlerMonnie WillsJohn WayneJesusJosh WaitzkinRobert FrostSergei EisensteinRyan HolidayMike TysonWilliam FriedkinLee DanielsJeff NicholsSteven SoderberghRooster McConaugheyPat McConaugheyMary Karr
Matthew McConaughey on His Success Playbooks, the Powerful Philosophy of Greenlights, and Choosing the Paths Less Traveled (#474)
Illustration via 99designs“If all we’re doing is asking ourselves questions, but never coming up with an answer, well, that can lead to some very imbalanced insanity at times.”
— Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) is a Texas native and one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. A chance meeting in Austin with casting director and producer Don Phillips led him to director Richard Linklater, who launched the actor’s career in the cult classic Dazed and Confused. Since then, he has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club, appeared in more than 40 feature films that have grossed more than $1 billion, and has become a producer, director, and philanthropist with his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation—all the while sticking to his Texas roots and “jk livin'” philosophy.
McConaughey also serves as creative director for Wild Turkey and has co-created his own bourbon, Longbranch. He serves as Minister of Culture/M.O.C. for the University of Texas Athletic Department and the Austin FC Soccer Club, where he is part owner. McConaughey will launch his first book, Greenlights, on October 20, 2020. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife Camilla and their three kids while he is a professor at the University of Texas in Austin.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Helix Sleep mattresses, and Magic Spoon cereal.
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
#474: Matthew McConaughey on His Success Playbooks, The Powerful Philosophy of Greenlights, and Choosing The Paths Less Traveled
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/bf368b25-ad0b-436b-ad4d-7ebc05704ac8.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 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 Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 best overall mattress pick of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress for each and every body’s unique taste. 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, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by Magic Spoon cereal! Magic Spoon is a brand-new cereal that is low carb, high protein, and zero sugar. It tastes just like your favorite sugary cereal. Each serving has 12g of protein, 3g of net carbs, 0g of sugar, and only 110 calories. It’s also gluten free, grain free, keto friendly, soy free, and GMO free. And it’s delicious! It comes in your favorite, traditional cereal flavors like Cocoa, Frosted, and Blueberry.
Magic Spoon cereal has received a lot of attention since launching last year. Time magazine included it in their list of Best Inventions of 2019, and Forbes called it “the future of cereal.” My listeners—that’s you—get free shipping and a 100% happiness guarantee when you visit MagicSpoon.com/Tim and use code 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 hear an episode with a friend Matthew and I have in common? Listen to my most recent conversation with Ryan Holiday in which we discuss using Stoicism to cope with pandemic lockdowns, managing fear when everything seems out of control, fast decisions versus rushed decisions, and much more.
#419: Ryan Holiday — How to Use Stoicism to Choose Alive Time Over Dead Timehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/cbf0214e-5f23-4032-9a3a-f9ea2d530a02.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Matthew McConaughey:
Official Greenlights Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey Just Keep Livin’ FoundationLongbranch | Wild TurkeyDallas Buyers Club | Prime VideoDazed and Confused | Prime VideoMatthew McConaughey: ‘My Agent Said No to Romcoms. And Then There Was Nothing’ | The GuardianMatthew McConaughey Was Voted ‘Most Handsome’ After Struggles with Acne | HuffPost IndiaThe Greatest Salesman in the World by Og MandinoDelta Tau DeltaThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost | Poetry FoundationBest of the Goth Kids | South ParkDie Hard | Prime VideoStoicism Resources and Recommendations | tim.blogThe Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan HolidaySocratic Dialogue Definition and Examples | ThoughtCo.A Time To Kill | Prime VideoYes, Impostor Syndrome is Real: Here’s How to Deal With It | TimeMatthew McConaughey: My Baby Will Be a Surfer Dude, Too | PeopleHollywood Tried Really Hard to Keep Matthew McConaughey in Rom-Coms | CinemaBlendCreative Artists Agency (CAA)Killer Joe | Prime VideoThe Paperboy | Prime VideoMud | Prime VideoMagic Mike | Prime VideoBernie | Prime VideoTrue Detective: Season 1 | Prime Video
SHOW NOTES
Matthew comes from peddlin’ stock. What did his father peddle, and what is Matthew’s most vivid memory of him? [06:28]How did the thing Matthew’s mother peddled get him involved in a lengthy legal dispute that had the potential to change his family’s fortune? [08:41]Is it true that Matthew’s parents had an unusual marriage history, and that the words “hate” and “can’t” were forbidden in their household? What lesson did young Matthew learn on one occasion when he said “I can’t” to his father? [15:23]Why has The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino had such an impact on Matthew, and how did he serendipitously happen upon it while studying to be a lawyer? [18:06]Matthew’s 10 goals in life circa 1992, and what he was doing at that point in time. [26:52]What did Matthew mean specifically with goal number five: be an egotistical utilitarian? [31:45]Six: take more risks. Why? [33:42]Why did Matthew start using a diary, and what have been the benefits of doing it for decades? How has its purpose evolved over this span of time? [39:10]Why is Matthew’s new book titled Greenlights? [43:24]A million directions and eight options. Where to go first? Down dirt roads and autobahns, and maybe a footpath of Stoicism. [47:52]Was writing Greenlights in self-prescribed solitary confinement an act of penance? What did the process look like, and how does he address himself when he’s the only one around to talk to? What’s the most important thing to remember when you ask yourself questions? [55:57]The art of running downhill — like when your world’s become inverted by overnight fame and success. [1:00:47]How hard was it for Matthew to start saying “No” to roles he was no longer interested in playing when Hollywood had already typecast him as the rom-com guy — and financially rewarding him accordingly? [1:05:09]What practices helped Matthew get through the 22-month period it took to become “unbranded” as the rom-com guy in the eyes of Hollywood? [1:18:12]What misconceptions does the world have about Matthew that he’d like to clear up? [1:21:30]What would Matthew’s billboard say? [1:27:04]The galvanizing effects of Texas groundwater on optimal storytelling and other parting thoughts. [1:31:00]
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Richard LinklaterRon WoodroofCamila McConaugheyJim McConaugheyKay McConaugheyJerry HarrisCamisa SpringsOg MandinoS.R. BindlerMonnie WillsJohn WayneJesusJosh WaitzkinRobert FrostSergei EisensteinRyan HolidayMike TysonWilliam FriedkinLee DanielsJeff NicholsSteven SoderberghRooster McConaugheyPat McConaugheyMary Karr
October 14, 2020
Naval Ravikant on Happiness, Reducing Anxiety, Crypto Stablecoins, and Crypto Strategy (#473)
Illustration via 99designsProper examination should ruin the life that you’re currently living. It should cause you to leave relationships. It should cause you to reestablish boundaries with family members and with colleagues. It should cause you to quit your job. . . . If it doesn’t do that, it’s not real examination. If it doesn’t come attached with destruction of your current life, then you can’t create the new life in which you will not have the anxiety.
— Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant (@naval) is the co-founder and chairman of AngelList. He is an angel investor and has invested in more than 100 companies, including many mega-successes, such as Twitter, Uber, Notion, Opendoor, Postmates, and Wish. You can subscribe to Naval, his podcast on wealth and happiness, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find his blog at nav.al.
For more Naval-plus-Tim, check out my wildly popular interview with him from 2015, which was nominated for “Podcast of the Year.”
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Tonal smart home gym, and ShipStation shipping software. 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
#473: Naval Ravikant on Happiness, Reducing Anxiety, Crypto Stablecoins, and Crypto Strategy
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/3a822b04-2b5b-4eaf-8c82-66d18c2e05a9.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 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 Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.
Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM at checkout.
This episode is brought to you by ShipStation. Do you sell stuff online? Then you know what a pain the shipping process is. ShipStation was created to make your life easier. Whether you’re selling on eBay, Amazon, Shopify, or over 100 other popular selling channels, ShipStation lets you access all of your orders from one simple dashboard, and it works with all of the major shipping carriers, locally and globally, including FedEx, UPS, and USPS.
Tim Ferriss Show listeners get to try ShipStation free for 60 days by using promo code TIM. There’s no risk, and you can start your free trial without even entering your credit card info. Just visit ShipStation.com, click on the microphone at the top of the homepage, and type in 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 learn more about cryptocurrency? Listen to the conversation Naval and I had with cryptographer Nick Szabo, in which we discuss the problems cryptocurrencies were designed to solve, wet versus dry code, quantum thought, future occupations, and the existential risks of blockchain governance.
#244: The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency — Nick Szabohttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/30e669b9-67ac-41e7-b8b0-35ab10ead247.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Naval Ravikant:
Naval Podcast | Apple PodcastsThe Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Naval Ravikant, Edited by Eric JorgensonAngelListThe Person I Call Most for Startup Advice | The Tim Ferriss Show #97Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and the 5 Chimps Theory | The Tim Ferriss Show #136The Lion of Olympic Weightlifting, 62-Year-Old Jerzy Gregorek (Also Featuring: Naval Ravikant) | The Tim Ferriss Show #228The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency — Nick Szabo | The Tim Ferriss Show #244Tribe of Mentors — Naval Ravikant, Susan Cain, and Yuval Noah Harari | The Tim Ferriss Show #442Jamie Foxx on Workout Routines, Success Habits, and Untold Hollywood Stories | The Tim Ferriss Show #124“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman“What Do You Care What Other People Think?”: Further Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. FeynmanManhattan Project National Historical Park | US National Park ServiceWhat is Science? | Richard Feynman“The Opposite of Education Is Not Ignorance; It Is Education in Social Science.” | Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Twitter“It’s Much Easier to Bullshit at the Macro-Level Than It Is to Bullshit at the Micro-Level.” | Nassim Nicholas Taleb via Naval, TwitterScientific Method | Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCited Richard Feynman Quotations | WikiquoteRichard Feynman on How His Father Taught Him about What Is Most Important | Brain PickingsGPT-3: A Robot Wrote This Entire Article. Are You Scared Yet, Human? | The GuardianA Brief History of the Grand Unified Theory of Physics | NautilusAn Intuitive Explanation of Solomonoff Induction | Less WrongSolomonoff Prediction and Occam’s Razor | Philosophy of ScienceThe Power of Myth — The Hero’s Adventure with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers | The Tim Ferriss Show #456RationalWikiHow to Get Rich (without Getting Lucky) | Naval, TwitterThe Mysterious/Unsolvable Zen Koans – Henry Shukman, Associate Master of Sanbo Zen | The Kevin Rose Show“Understand That Ethical Wealth Creation Is Possible. If You Secretly Despise Wealth, It Will Elude You.” | Naval, Twitter“You’re Not Going to Get Rich Renting Out Your Time. You Must Own Equity, a Piece of a Business, to Gain Your Financial Freedom.” | Naval, TwitterWhy You Should Learn to Code Even if You’re Not an Engineer | The MuseWarren Buffett Spends 8 Hours a Week Playing the ‘Only Game’ at Which He May Be Better than Bill Gates | CNBC MakeIt“Imagine How Effective You Would Be If You Weren’t Anxious All the Time.” | Naval, TwitterThe Evolution of Anxiety: Why We Worry and What to Do About It | James ClearSamurai: A Brief Guide to Samurai Culture | InsideJapan ToursThe Terminator | Prime VideoUnforgiven | Prime VideoPsychedelics — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #377TFRH: Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery | The Tim Ferriss Show #201“Meditation: The Art of Doing Nothing” | Naval, TwitterNaval Ravikant on Meditation | TUANVC7 Lessons from My First Week of Meditating an Hour a Day | Niklas Göke, MediumThe Way to Love: The Last Meditations of Anthony de Mello by Anthony de MelloAwareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony de MelloSiddhartha: A Novel by Hermann HesseVasistha’s Yoga by Swami VenkatesanandaBhagavad Gita: A New Translation by Stephen MitchellTao Te Ching: A New English Version by Lao Tzu and Stephen MitchellThe Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. SingerWhat is Inbox Zero? | Flow-eThink on These Things by Jiddu KrishnamurtiThe Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti by Jiddu KrishnamurtiThe Great Challenge by OshoLife Has No Goals, No Purpose by Osho | SoundCloudCounsels and Maxims by Arthur SchopenhauerDirect Truth: Uncompromising, Non-Prescriptive Truths to the Enduring Questions of Life by Kapil GuptaThe Tao of Seneca: Practical Letters from a Stoic Master by SenecaMoral Letters to Lucilius by Seneca | WikisourceCrypto Stablecoins: Choose Between Blowup Risk, Censorship Risk, and Fraud Risk | Naval, TwitterStablecoin Definition | InvestopediaTypes of Cryptocurrencies: Explaining the Major Types of Cryptos | Capital.comWhat Is DeFi? | CoinDeskCoinbaseCoinListComputerized Front Running: Another Goldman-Dominated Fraud | HuffPostFlash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael LewisSubprime Mortgage Crisis | Federal Reserve HistoryThere Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL) | InvestopediaCryptos Are Digital Bearer Assets | Ultimate MoneyHow Swiss Bank Accounts Work | The BalanceTrust Makes the Difference Against the Coronavirus | The AtlanticA Primer On Reserve Currencies | InvestopediaWhat is the Gold Standard? | InvestopediaOdds of Monkeys Randomly Typing Hamlet or Shakespeare | The Mary Sue‘I Didn’t Buy It to Sell It. Ever.’ MicroStrategy CEO on Buying $425M of BTC | CoinDeskBitcoin Maximalism | InvestopediaBillionaire Paul Tudor Jones Would Buy More Bitcoin If He Really Understands It, Says Microstrategy CEO | News Bitcoin NewsQuantum Computers and Cryptocurrencies | Binance AcademyCovid-19 Economy Fuels Faith in Crypto: Trust In Bitcoin Over Banks Increased 3X Since 2017 | Bitcoin NewsInvestor Prospects for 2020 and the Wall Street Casino | Forbes“All Self-Help Boils Down to “Choose Long-Term over Short-Term.” | Naval, Twitter“The Modern Devil Is Cheap Dopamine.” | Naval, TwitterCompound Interest Calculator | Investor.gov“The First Rule of Handling Conflict Is: Don’t Hang Around People Who Constantly Engage in Conflict.” | NavalmanackWhat Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It) | Harvard Business Review“The Reason to Win the Game Is So That You Can Be Free of It.” | Naval, Twitter“Not Wanting Something Is as Good as Having It.” | Liad Shababo, TwitterFinite and Infinite Games by James CarseWisdom’s Folly: The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living | The Guardian
SHOW NOTES
Does Naval still agree to do this podcast — in spite of declining to appear as a guest on others — in hopes of capturing Podcast of the Year laurels that were snatched from his grasp by Jamie Foxx the first time around? [06:10]Who is the person currently featured in Naval’s Twitter profile, and how has he inspired us (and countless others)? [08:02]Why there’s no such thing as science with a capital S, and what Nassim Taleb recently said about what he considers to be the opposite of education, and what it’s easier to macro than micro. [11:32]The problems that arise — in humans and in AI — when jargon masquerades as knowledge, and where the most practical life lessons are really learned. [17:03]How to get rich (without getting lucky). [24:58]In what ways has Naval’s own journey followed the aforementioned tenets of getting rich without getting lucky, and why are get-rich-quick schemes for losers? [33:27]Where do most of Naval’s personal, pithy tweets take form? Example: “Imagine how effective you would be if you weren’t anxious all the time.” [39:10]How has Naval learned to cope with and take control of his own anxiety? [44:57]What should proper meditation give us the power to do? [48:58]The philosophers Naval reads before he goes to bed. [51:19]How Naval tries to process the thoughts that go through his head when he’s meditating. [52:25]What Naval’s daily meditation practice typically looks like, and why he considers it “sheer joy” even if he can’t explain in words exactly what “it” is. [54:50]Where might someone interested in checking out the philosophy that inspires Naval begin? [57:55]Naval and I agree that the reading of philosophy is especially effective as a way to counter the toxic effects of social media and current events. [59:42]“Crypto stablecoins: choose between blowup risk, censorship risk, and fraud risk.” What does this recent, cryptic tweet from Naval mean, and why does Naval believe that cryptocurrency has the potential to be “a whole new casino that’s better than Wall Street” in decentralized finance? [1:01:57]How might an absolute beginner make an informed entrance into the world of cryptocurrency? [1:10:27]How might cryptocurrency be utilized in the real world for practical purposes like paying rent, buying food, or hiring a contractor to put a new deck on your house? [1:17:12]What does Naval see as the future of cryptocurrency as it gets adopted more and more by mainstream investors? [1:21:46]What does all truly effective self-help boil down to? [1:30:06]If the modern Devil is cheap dopamine, what was the ancient Devil? Some musings on the compound interest of long-term thinking. [1:31:47]Why it’s important to forge relationships with people who don’t make your interactions seem like a job. Or, as the Navalmanack says, “The first rule of handling conflict is: don’t hang around people who constantly engage in conflict.” [1:36:14]The reason to win the game is so that you can be free of it. But what is the game, what does it take to be free from it, and is the key in realizing that not wanting something is as good as having it? [1:40:22]This quote from Richard Feynman reminds me of Naval: “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” How does Naval strive to ensure he’s not fooling himself, and what did he learn from a guy named Craig in Thailand about choosing happiness? [1:46:08]Parting thoughts. [1:54:16]
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Jamie FoxxRichard FeynmanDavid DeutschKarl PopperNassim Nicholas TalebAbraham LincolnMichael JordanRay SolomonoffWilliam of OckhamWarren BuffettCharlie MungerMiyamoto MusashiClint EastwoodSocratesAristotleArthur SchopenhauerOsho RajneeshJiddu KrishnamurtiKapil GuptaRupert SpiraAnthony de MelloMichael SingerStephen MitchellNick SzaboWilliam ShakespeareMichael SaylorPaul Tudor JonesJerzy GregorekElon MuskLiad ShababoJames CarseJesusTony Robbins
October 9, 2020
Books I’ve Loved — Debbie Millman (#472)
Photo by John MadereWelcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types—from startup founders and investors to chess champions to Olympic athletes. This episode, however, is an experiment and part of a shorter series I’m doing called “Books I’ve Loved.” I’ve invited some amazing past guests, close friends, and new faces to share their favorite books—the books that have influenced them, changed them, and transformed them for the better. I hope you pick up one or two new mentors—in the form of books—from this new series and apply the lessons in your own life.
Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman) has been named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and one of the most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA. She is the host of Design Matters—a great show and one of the world’s longest running podcasts. She is also chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and editorial director of Print magazine.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
This podcast is brought to you by Audible.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify
[image error]Listen onOvercast
#454: Books I've Loved — Debbie Millman
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/dd5bda6c-4678-4eff-a7b6-e1c6d1a246a4.mp3Download
“Books I’ve Loved” on The Tim Ferriss Show is brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for many years now. I love it. Audible has the largest selection of audiobooks on the planet. I listen when I’m taking walks, I listen while I’m cooking… I listen whenever I can. Audible is offering The Tim Ferriss Show listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to Audible.com/Tim and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs. Then, download your free title and start listening! It’s that easy. Simply go to Audible.com/Tim or text TIM to 500500 to get started today.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Debbie Millman:
Website | Design Matters Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Little Golden Book of Words by Selma Lola Chambers The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne The Voice That Is Great within Us: American Poetry of the Twentieth Century , edited by Hayden Carruth Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist , edited by Peter Hall and Michael Bierut A General Theory of Love by Thomas Lewis, MD, Fari Amini, MD, and Richard Lannon, MD Pattern Recognition by William Gibson Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design by Marty Neumeier Building Stories by Chris Ware Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
October 8, 2020
Adam Grant — How to Remember Anything (#471)
Photo by Jack Hamilton on Unsplash.“Those who can’t remember the past are doomed to miss opportunity.”
—Adam Grant
Please enjoy this special episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, featuring the superhuman Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant) and his podcast with TED, WorkLife.
Many of you have heard my interview with Adam, which was one of the most popular interviews of 2019. I titled that podcast “The Man Who Does Everything” because Adam seems to accomplish more than the next 10 people combined, and he has built systems and habits that allow him to do this.
Adam is an expert in how we can find motivation and meaning, and lead more generous and creative lives. He is an organizational psychologist at Wharton, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. He is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of four books that have been translated into 35 languages: Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves. His TED talks have been viewed more than 20 million times. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, and the Gates Foundation. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers, is one of Fortune’s 40 under 40, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He’s received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. It goes on and on. The good news is that this isn’t all freakish genes and good luck; Adam uses uncommon tools and strategies for getting all of this done. You can find our previous episode about this at tim.blog/adamgrant.
In Adam’s WorkLife podcast, he takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to explore the science of making work not suck; put another way, how do you make work actually work for you?
Adam and I share an intense interest in just how far—and easily—you can train your memory to do things that seem impossible, and I wanted to share with you an episode from Adam’s podcast titled “How to remember anything.” It is highly tactical.
One last thing—for legal reasons, we didn’t have the flexibility to remove any mid-roll ads, so… Accenture, this one’s on me.
Please enjoy the episode! You can subscribe to WorkLife with Adam Grant wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
This episode is brought to you by “5-Bullet Friday.”
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
#471: Adam Grant — How to Remember Anything
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a05fb521-ac0a-4616-9564-511162658754.mp3Download
This episode is also brought to you by “5-Bullet Friday,” my very own email newsletter, which every Friday features five bullet points of cool things I’ve found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and—of course—all sorts of weird stuff I’ve dug up from around the world.
It’s free, it’s always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.
Want to hear my interview with Adam Grant? Check out our conversation in which we explore the importance of feedback, how Adam gets so much done in a day, his measurements of success, and blind spots vs. bright spots.
#399: Adam Grant — The Man Who Does Everythinghttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/3a024b72-91de-4662-9f21-f98671be23ed.mp3Download
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Adam Grant:
Website | WorkLife Podcast | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Los Angeles RamsRams Head Coach Sean McVayJoshua Foer | WikipediaUSA Memory Championship | WikipediaMoonwalking with Einstein by Joshua FoerCicero | WikipediaGodden and Baddeley’s (1975) study of diversRecall of Briefly Presented Chess Positions and Its Relation to Chess SkillAndrew Hargadon, PhD, Professor of Technology Management, UC DavisOrganizational memory | WikipediaHerman MillerAmy Auscherman, archivist at Herman MillerBen Watson, chief creative officer of Herman Miller
October 6, 2020
Steven Rinella on Hunting (and Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More (#470)
Illustration via 99designsAsk yourself, when you turn on your faucet and water comes out, where did that water come from? Did it fall as snow, rain? Where was it collected? Is it from an aquifer? What feeds the aquifer? Then ask yourself, when it goes down the drain, what is its path to where it hits the ocean?
— Steven Rinella
Steven Rinella (@MeatEater, @StevenRinella) is the host of the Netflix Originals series MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast. He’s also the author of seven books dealing with wildlife, conservation, hunting, fishing, and wild foods, including the forthcoming The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival, coming out on December 1st, 2020.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs hiring platform, FreshBooks cloud-based small business accounting software, and Allform premium sofas. 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
#470: Steven Rinella on Hunting (And Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/efe0c1da-4355-4b8b-9cbe-ea5854c9c27d.mp3Download
This 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 690 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. You can pay what you want and get $50 off your first job. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. I’ve been talking about FreshBooks—an all-in-one invoicing + payments + accounting solution—for years now. Many entrepreneurs, as well as the contractors and freelancers that I work with, use it all the time.
FreshBooks makes it super easy to track things like expenses, project time, and client info, and then merge it all into great-looking invoices. FreshBooks can save users up to 200 hours a year on accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Right now FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial, and no credit card is required. Go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
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 just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making 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, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at 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 hear an episode about wolf restoration efforts? Listen to my conversation with Turner Endangered Species Fund Executive Director Mike Phillips in which we discuss the pros and cons of predator reintroduction, radioactive wolves, the extinction crisis, what conservationists most often get wrong, and much more.
#383: Mike Phillips — How to Save a Specieshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/b47b8a89-1ce5-41ad-9e39-abeea1e599d6.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Steven Rinella:
Website | Facebook | Instagram: @MeatEater / @StevenRinella
The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival by Steven Rinella (December 2020)MeatEater | NetflixThe MeatEater PodcastWhen I Went Caribou Hunting with Steven on MeatEater | tim.blogThe 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy FerrissLe Guide Culinaire by Auguste EscoffierThe Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine: How I Spent a Year in the American Wild to Re-create a Feast from the Classic Recipes of French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier by Steven RinellaHunting in Wisconsin | Travel WisconsinHuron-Manistee National Forests | USDADecline In Hunters Threatens How US Pays for Conservation | NPREndangered Species Act | US Fish & Wildlife ServiceDeer Hunter Demography: Projecting Future Deer Hunters in Wisconsin | Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin in MadisonMigratory Bird Program | US Fish & Wildlife ServiceIt’s a Mistake to Focus Just on Animal Extinctions | The AtlanticCatch-22 by Joseph HellerTurkeys in Traffic – and Bears, Elk and Moose, Oh My! | Great Lakes EchoDucks UnlimitedRocky Mountain Elk FoundationThe National Wild Turkey FederationTrout UnlimitedPETA Finds Itself on Receiving End of Others’ Anger | The New York TimesThe Persuasive Power of the Wolf Lady | The New YorkerMike Phillips — How to Save a Species | The Tim Ferriss Show #383Rocky Mountain Wolf ProjectWolf Restoration at Yellowstone National Park | US National Park ServiceWhy We’re So Divided Over Saving Wolves | National GeographicSpotted Owl Became Symbol in 1990s Controversy | The Seattle TimesWhy Face Masks Became Political in the US | VoxTrue North: Alaska North Slope Caribou | MeatEater TVDEET Is the Most Effective Bug Spray. But Is It Safe? | TimeGrizzly Bear | National Wildlife FederationCaribou (Reindeer) | National GeographicThe Brooks Range | Travel AlaskaThe Revenant | Prime VideoHypothermia Symptoms and Causes | Mayo ClinicHorrible Details of Ted Stevens Crash Emerge | NPRComing into the Country by John McPheeOutdoor ChannelSportsman ChannelSon of the Morning Star: Custer and The Little Bighorn by Evan S. ConnellArctic Dreams by Barry H. LopezBoone: A Biography by Robert MorganStory of the Battle: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument | US National Park ServiceCondemning Indigenous Hunting Practices: Are We Throwing Stones from Glass Houses? | Sentient MediaOde to the Lowly Tussock | Scientific American Blog NetworkCarharttCumberland Gap National Historical Park | US National Park ServiceAmerican Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven RinellaThe Extermination of the American Bison by William T. Hornaday | Project GutenbergMap Illustrating the Extermination of the American Bison | Library of CongressBison Skulls to be Used for Fertilizer, 1870 | Rare Historical PhotosGettin’ Jiggy by Steven Rinella | Outside OnlineDawn Patrol by Steven Rinella | Outside OnlineFitzcarraldo | Prime VideoBurden of Dreams | Prime VideoA Guide to Hunting Javelina | MeatEater HuntingWhite-Lipped Peccary Species May Be in Steep Decline | The New York TimesThis is Water by David Foster Wallace (Full Transcript and Audio) | Farnam StreetThe Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen SibleyThe Seasons, the Equinox, and the Solstices | National Weather ServiceStreamflow and the Water Cycle | US Geological SurveyHow Does Garbage End Up in the Ocean? | Gorilla Bins
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
The Anti-Hunter’s First Hunt: How Steven and I first met, and what he and his encyclopedic knowledge did to help me overcome a lifetime of negative association with hunting and hunters.Though he admittedly would have fit my negative stereotype of hunters when he was growing up in the Midwest, how did Steven make the transition into a more conscientious hunter-conservationist?Why Steven finds the decline in hunting and fishing license sales in the United States worrisome — and why even nature lovers who aren’t comfortable with the idea of hunting and fishing should share his concerns.For those in the back, what does “extirpate” mean from a conservation perspective?What is the role of hunters in ensuring prey species remain plentiful, and how do hunters tend to feel about the reintroduction of predator species (like wolves and bears) to environments from which they’ve been extirpated?The problem with conservation efforts that become overly politicized.That time Steven and I were visited by a hungry grizzly bear while caribou hunting in Alaska, and a rundown of some of the other grisly, less cinematic fates faced by people in the wilderness.Son of the Morning Star by Evan S. Connell, Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez, and Boone by Daniel Morgan: why do these titles top Steven’s list of book recommendations?Acknowledging the devastating damage American hunters have historically wreaked on animal populations in the past — like the once-ubiquitous North American bison.When Steven’s plan A — to become a professional trapper — didn’t quite work out as a career, he had to go with plan B: writer. What was his first piece that sold, and why is he still mad about another piece’s title even 20 years later?Was Steven always an able writer, or was it something he gradually developed when he considered it as his plan B?What would Steven’s approach look like if he were to teach a college-level writing class?What writers craft work of such incredible quality that they inspire a sensation of envy in Steven?With more than 100 episodes of MeatEater under his belt and the travel adventures that made them possible, are there any that stand out as favorites to Steven?In what ways have Steven’s travels expanded his awareness?What would Steven recommend to someone seeking reconnection, engagement, and kinship with nature?Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Auguste EscoffierPat DurkinKarin VardamanMike PhillipsDave MechTed StevensJohn McPheeEvan S. ConnellBarry LopezRobert MorganGeorge Armstrong CusterChief GallDan DotyDaniel BooneDavy CrockettWilliam T. HornadayBob HeatonJoan DidionIan FrazierJohn McPheeDavid Foster WallaceWerner HerzogDavid Allen Sibley
Steven Rinella on Hunting (And Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More (#470)
Illustration via 99designsAsk yourself, when you turn on your faucet and water comes out, where did that water come from? Did it fall as snow, rain? Where was it collected? Is it from an aquifer? What feeds the aquifer? Then ask yourself, when it goes down the drain, what is its path to where it hits the ocean?
— Steven Rinella
Steven Rinella (@MeatEater, @StevenRinella) is the host of the Netflix Originals series MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast. He’s also the author of seven books dealing with wildlife, conservation, hunting, fishing, and wild foods, including the forthcoming The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival, coming out on December 1st, 2020.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs hiring platform, FreshBooks cloud-based small business accounting software, and Allform premium sofas. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify
[image error]Listen onOvercast
#470: Steven Rinella on Hunting (And Why You Should Care), Reconnecting with Nature, Favorite Trips, and More
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/efe0c1da-4355-4b8b-9cbe-ea5854c9c27d.mp3Download
This 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 690 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. You can pay what you want and get $50 off your first job. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.
This episode is brought to you by FreshBooks. I’ve been talking about FreshBooks—an all-in-one invoicing + payments + accounting solution—for years now. Many entrepreneurs, as well as the contractors and freelancers that I work with, use it all the time.
FreshBooks makes it super easy to track things like expenses, project time, and client info, and then merge it all into great-looking invoices. FreshBooks can save users up to 200 hours a year on accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Right now FreshBooks is offering my listeners a free 30-day trial, and no credit card is required. Go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “How did you hear about us?” section!
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 just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making 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, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at 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 hear an episode about wolf restoration efforts? Listen to my conversation with Turner Endangered Species Fund Executive Director Mike Phillips in which we discuss the pros and cons of predator reintroduction, radioactive wolves, the extinction crisis, what conservationists most often get wrong, and much more.
#383: Mike Phillips — How to Save a Specieshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/b47b8a89-1ce5-41ad-9e39-abeea1e599d6.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Steven Rinella:
Website | Facebook | Instagram: @MeatEater / @StevenRinella
The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival by Steven Rinella (December 2020)MeatEater | NetflixThe MeatEater PodcastWhen I Went Caribou Hunting with Steven on MeatEater | tim.blogThe 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy FerrissLe Guide Culinaire by Auguste EscoffierThe Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine: How I Spent a Year in the American Wild to Re-create a Feast from the Classic Recipes of French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier by Steven RinellaHunting in Wisconsin | Travel WisconsinHuron-Manistee National Forests | USDADecline In Hunters Threatens How US Pays for Conservation | NPREndangered Species Act | US Fish & Wildlife ServiceDeer Hunter Demography: Projecting Future Deer Hunters in Wisconsin | Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin in MadisonMigratory Bird Program | US Fish & Wildlife ServiceIt’s a Mistake to Focus Just on Animal Extinctions | The AtlanticCatch-22 by Joseph HellerTurkeys in Traffic – and Bears, Elk and Moose, Oh My! | Great Lakes EchoDucks UnlimitedRocky Mountain Elk FoundationThe National Wild Turkey FederationTrout UnlimitedPETA Finds Itself on Receiving End of Others’ Anger | The New York TimesThe Persuasive Power of the Wolf Lady | The New YorkerMike Phillips — How to Save a Species | The Tim Ferriss Show #383Rocky Mountain Wolf ProjectWolf Restoration at Yellowstone National Park | US National Park ServiceWhy We’re So Divided Over Saving Wolves | National GeographicSpotted Owl Became Symbol in 1990s Controversy | The Seattle TimesWhy Face Masks Became Political in the US | VoxTrue North: Alaska North Slope Caribou | MeatEater TVDEET Is the Most Effective Bug Spray. But Is It Safe? | TimeGrizzly Bear | National Wildlife FederationCaribou (Reindeer) | National GeographicThe Brooks Range | Travel AlaskaThe Revenant | Prime VideoHypothermia Symptoms and Causes | Mayo ClinicHorrible Details of Ted Stevens Crash Emerge | NPRComing into the Country by John McPheeOutdoor ChannelSportsman ChannelSon of the Morning Star: Custer and The Little Bighorn by Evan S. ConnellArctic Dreams by Barry H. LopezBoone: A Biography by Robert MorganStory of the Battle: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument | US National Park ServiceCondemning Indigenous Hunting Practices: Are We Throwing Stones from Glass Houses? | Sentient MediaOde to the Lowly Tussock | Scientific American Blog NetworkCarharttCumberland Gap National Historical Park | US National Park ServiceAmerican Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven RinellaThe Extermination of the American Bison by William T. Hornaday | Project GutenbergMap Illustrating the Extermination of the American Bison | Library of CongressBison Skulls to be Used for Fertilizer, 1870 | Rare Historical PhotosGettin’ Jiggy by Steven Rinella | Outside OnlineDawn Patrol by Steven Rinella | Outside OnlineFitzcarraldo | Prime VideoBurden of Dreams | Prime VideoA Guide to Hunting Javelina | MeatEater HuntingWhite-Lipped Peccary Species May Be in Steep Decline | The New York TimesThis is Water by David Foster Wallace (Full Transcript and Audio) | Farnam StreetThe Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen SibleyThe Seasons, the Equinox, and the Solstices | National Weather ServiceStreamflow and the Water Cycle | US Geological SurveyHow Does Garbage End Up in the Ocean? | Gorilla Bins
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
The Anti-Hunter’s First Hunt: How Steven and I first met, and what he and his encyclopedic knowledge did to help me overcome a lifetime of negative association with hunting and hunters.Though he admittedly would have fit my negative stereotype of hunters when he was growing up in the Midwest, how did Steven make the transition into a more conscientious hunter-conservationist?Why Steven finds the decline in hunting and fishing license sales in the United States worrisome — and why even nature lovers who aren’t comfortable with the idea of hunting and fishing should share his concerns.For those in the back, what does “extirpate” mean from a conservation perspective?What is the role of hunters in ensuring prey species remain plentiful, and how do hunters tend to feel about the reintroduction of predator species (like wolves and bears) to environments from which they’ve been extirpated?The problem with conservation efforts that become overly politicized.That time Steven and I were visited by a hungry grizzly bear while caribou hunting in Alaska, and a rundown of some of the other grisly, less cinematic fates faced by people in the wilderness.Son of the Morning Star by Evan S. Connell, Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez, and Boone by Daniel Morgan: why do these titles top Steven’s list of book recommendations?Acknowledging the devastating damage American hunters have historically wreaked on animal populations in the past — like the once-ubiquitous North American bison.When Steven’s plan A — to become a professional trapper — didn’t quite work out as a career, he had to go with plan B: writer. What was his first piece that sold, and why is he still mad about another piece’s title even 20 years later?Was Steven always an able writer, or was it something he gradually developed when he considered it as his plan B?What would Steven’s approach look like if he were to teach a college-level writing class?What writers craft work of such incredible quality that they inspire a sensation of envy in Steven?With more than 100 episodes of MeatEater under his belt and the travel adventures that made them possible, are there any that stand out as favorites to Steven?In what ways have Steven’s travels expanded his awareness?What would Steven recommend to someone seeking reconnection, engagement, and kinship with nature?Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Auguste EscoffierPat DurkinKarin VardamanMike PhillipsDave MechTed StevensJohn McPheeEvan S. ConnellBarry LopezRobert MorganGeorge Armstrong CusterChief GallDan DotyDaniel BooneDavy CrockettWilliam T. HornadayBob HeatonJoan DidionIan FrazierJohn McPheeDavid Foster WallaceWerner HerzogDavid Allen Sibley
September 30, 2020
Dr. Mark Plotkin on Ethnobotany, Real vs. Fake Shamans, Hallucinogens, and the Dalai Lamas of South America (#469)
Dr. Mark Plotkin with a Waura shaman, Xingu, Brazil“Hallucinogens are vegetal scalpels, and scalpels can heal you and scalpels can hurt you. They are the vegetal or fungal two-edged swords.”
— Dr. Mark Plotkin
Dr. Mark Plotkin (@DocMarkPlotkin) is an ethnobotanist who serves as president of the Amazon Conservation Team, which has partnered with 55 tribes to map and improve management and protection of 80 million acres of ancestral rainforests. Educated at Harvard, Yale, and Tufts, Plotkin has since spent much of the past four decades studying the shamans and healing plants of tropical America from Mexico to Argentina, although much of his work focuses on the rainforests of the northeast Amazon. He is best known to the general public as the author of the book Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, one of the most popular books about the rainforest. His new book from Oxford Press is The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know.
His upcoming podcast series is titled Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens: Culture, Conservation, History and Healing, and it will be coming out in late October. More information will be available on Mark’s website.
Please enjoy!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Brought to you by Wondery Plus, Four Sigmatic, and Theragun. More on all three below.
Listen onApple Podcasts[image error]Listen onSpotify
[image error]Listen onOvercast
#469: Dr. Mark Plotkin on Ethnobotany, Real vs. Fake Shamans, Hallucinogens, and the Dalai Lamas of South America
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/53ff9b3d-96ca-40bb-b3c8-58d34ccb1936.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Wondery Plus! People always ask me what podcasts I listen to, and the truth is… I don’t listen to many, given all the projects I’m working on. One exception is Business Wars from the podcast network Wondery. One great way to listen to it is with a Wondery Plus membership, which allows you to enjoy Business Wars one week before the episodes are available anywhere else and ad free.
Check out Wondery Plus today with this exclusive offer for listeners of this podcast: get 25% off a one-year membership at WonderyPlus.com/Tim .
This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic and their delicious mushroom coffee, featuring lion’s mane and Chaga. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it has less than half 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 Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet. It’s easy to use and about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.
Go to Theragun.com/TIM right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.
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 with someone seeking to understand humanity’s relationship with the natural world’s unknown variables? Listen to my conversation with Paul Stamets, an intellectual and industry leader in the habitat, medicinal use, and production of fungi.
#340: Paul Stamets — How Mushrooms Can Save You and (Perhaps) the Worldhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a347d207-3697-4540-a7fd-5f5344067421.mp3Download
SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
Connect with Dr. Mark Plotkin:
Website | Amazon Conservation Team | Twitter | Facebook
Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest by Mark J. PlotkinThe Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know by Mark J. PlotkinThe Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes | The Amazon Conservation TeamThese 100-Year-Old Glass Flowers Are So Accurate, They Rival the Real Thing | ArtsyThe World’s Largest Psychedelic Research Center | The Tim Ferriss Show #385What Is Ayahuasca? Experience, Benefits, and Side Effects | HealthlineMedical Benefits of Magic Mushrooms | HealthlinePlants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, and Christian RätschEthnobotany: A Living Science for Alleviating Human Suffering | Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineThe Lost Amazon: The Pioneering Expeditions of Richard Evans Schultes by Wade Davis and Richard Evans SchultesThe Yucuna Indians (or Yukuna) | Laurent FontaineFrench Guiana, South America | Lonely PlanetSong of Myself, 51 by Walt Whitman | Academy of American PoetsIndiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark | Prime VideoMedicine Man | Prime VideoUse of Curanderismo in a Public Health Care System | JAMA Internal MedicinePeople in the Amazon Rainforest | Mongabay | The New York TimesMark Plotkin: What the People of the Amazon Know That You Don’t | TED 2014Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and Guide | The Ayurvedic InstituteThe Iconic Electric Eel Is Actually Three Species | The AtlanticAmazon Tragedy Repeats Itself as Brazil Rainforest Goes Up in Smoke | The GuardianAmazon River Dolphin | Whale and Dolphin ConservationPink River Dolphins Of The Amazon Rainforest’s Hunting Secret | BBC EarthThe International Ecotourism SocietyWhat Is Yopo? | Zamnesia BlogThe Yanomami: An Isolated Yet Imperiled Amazon Tribe | The Washington PostPaint It, Black by The Rolling StonesA Forgotten Adventure With a Telepathic Tribe | National GeographicMatsés | WikipediaThis Amazonian Tree Frog’s Poison Has Become Part of the Latest Supercleanse Trend | ABC NewsTapirs | National GeographicThe Use of the Genus Virola as a Hallucinogen In South America | Ethnobotanical LeafletsAnadenanthera Colubrina | WikipediaBurning ManShamanism | WikipediaAyahuasca: Shamanism Shared Across Cultures | Cultural SurvivalMichael Pollan — Exploring The New Science of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #313Michael Pollan — Exploring the Frontiers of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #365How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael PollanCanadian Lynched in Peru After Being Accused of Shaman’s Death | The GuardianSurvey of Subjective “God Encounter Experiences” | Roland Griffiths, PLOS OneChiric Sanango | Gastro ObscuraDraculin, Stroke Drug from Vampire Bats, Moves Closer to Circulation | Discover MagazineWorld Wildlife FundFrom Snake Venom to Ace Inhibitor — The Discovery and Rise of Captopril | The Pharmaceutical JournalThe Flying Death and Other Adventures in Anesthesia | Brought to LightSouth America’s Inca Civilization Was Better at Skull Surgery than Civil War Doctors | ScienceShaman and Apprentice Program | GlobalGivingIndians Are Key to Rainforest Conservation Efforts Says Renowned Ethnobotanist | MongabayACT Raises $35,000 for The Trio Indian Shaman’s Encyclopedia | Amazon Conservation TeamACT President Dr. Mark Plotkin Speaks with Members of the Trio Tribe in Suriname | ACT United States7 Proven Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts | HealthlineCOVID-19 Fears Grow for Indigenous South Americans as Yanomami Teen Tests Positive | The GuardianMaroon Communities in the Americas | Slavery and RemembranceRoots: The Complete Miniseries | Prime VideoTop 10 Rainforest Aphrodisiacs | ListverseHow I Discovered Viagra | Cosmos MagazineLandmark Agreement Between Samoa and UC Berkeley Could Help Search for Aids Cure | UC Berkeley NewsEnsuring Equitable Benefits: The Falealupo Covenant and the Isolation of Anti-Viral Drug Prostratin from a Samoan Medicinal Plant | Pharmaceutical BiologyJaguar Health: Plant-Based Prescription MedicinesA Novel Extract SB-300 from the Stem Bark Latex of Croton Lechleri Inhibits CTFR-Mediated Chloride Secretion in Human Colonic Epithelial Cells | Journal of EthnopharmacologyAkurio People | WikipediaCoronavirus and Conservation: Preventing the Next Pandemic | Mark Plotkin, Los Angeles Review of BooksHow a West African Shaman Helped My Schizophrenic Son in a Way Western Medicine Couldn’t | The Washington PostWhat Colombia’s Kogi People Can Teach Us About the Environment | The GuardianBellavista No More: Peru’s Infamous Wildlife Market Reduced to Rubble | Mongabay‘Wet Markets’ Launched the Coronavirus. Here’s What You Need to Know. | National GeographicKumbaya: History of an Old Song | Folklife TodayList of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) | CDCSkoll FoundationUnited Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) | BritannicaGeorge Bush, Sr. at Rio Earth Summit | C-SPAN.orgCuban Leader Fidel Castro Speech at Rio Environmental Conference | Educational Video GroupJacques Cousteau Criticizes Nations for Ignoring Environmental Dangers | UPIForging a New, Bipartisan Environmental Movement | Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple, Issues in Science and TechnologyMazatec Perspectives on the Globalization of Psilocybin Mushrooms | ChacrunaShipibo-Konibo Indigenous Culture | PeruNorth.com6 Modern Societies Where Women Rule | Mental FlossXingu Peoples | WikipediaWayana | Indigenous Peoples in BrazilThe Wai Wai Tribe | Guyana Then And NowEvidence of Yanomami ‘Violence’ Relies on False Data, New Paper Reveals | Survival InternationalBlack Lives Matter
SHOW NOTES
Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.
Who is Richard Evans Schultes, how does his story cross paths with Mark’s, and what is ethnobotany?When and how did Mark’s interest in ethnobotany begin? When was the moment he knew he was hooked?What was the next step for Mark in making a career out of this interest?In what way was Schultes a “trickster” in the shamanic tradition, and was he the template for Indiana Jones?There are between three- to five-hundred indigenous cultures in the Amazon, with an equally diverse array of healing traditions. Here’s how a shaman in the northeastern part of the Amazon cured Mark’s foot pain instantly when no one else could.What does Mark see as the “holes” in Western medicine’s understanding?On electric eels, pink dolphins, fires in the Amazon, and an urgency to protect the unknown before we destroy it forever — whether or not it has practical applications.Ayahuasca may get all the hype, but it’s only used by a small percentage of shamans in the Amazon. Mark talks about hallucinogenic frogs used for hunting magic and a psychedelic snuff called yopo.Mark considers yopo his favorite Amazonian hallucinogen, but how does it compare to ayahuasca?To Mark, what qualifies someone as a “shaman?”What has compelled Mark’s 87 experiences with ayahuasca? What’s to be learned beyond the first few times of trying it?What are the risks of doing ayahuasca and other Amazon-derived hallucinogens? Aren’t they all natural and harmless?That time Mark got bitten by a vampire bat and bled like a stuck pig thanks to an anticoagulant in its saliva called — no kidding — draculin.How the Amazon Conservation Team’s Shaman’s Apprentice clinics aim to preserve knowledge of obscure compounds (and their sources) when traditions are eclipsed by the temptations of the outside world for younger people among indigenous populations.How Mark and his team have used technology to help the indigenous people of the Amazon protect their land, resources, health, and culture rather than entice them away from them.What Mark did to illustrate for the chief of a tribe the importance of keeping a written record of their collective knowledge for future generations, and why he insists on leaving it untranslated from their native language.When Western expertise insisted that there was no such thing as a male aphrodisiac, but shamans in the Amazon knew otherwise.Do indigenous tribes ever profit from introducing their knowledge of preciously guarded compounds to the outside world?Mark details two common failures in sustainable development, and one success story.Is there anything in Mark’s experience in the Amazon that might help prevent future pandemics? What do the people who live there and in other remote areas know that we in the West haven’t seemed to wrap our heads around?What official policies would Mark like to see put in place to protect the world’s remaining wildlife, natural resources, and indigenous people?Does Mark see the Amazon rainforest as a glass that’s half-empty, or half-full?As a boundary walker who’s been good at finding common ground between disparate causes, what does Mark see as the way toward bipartisan support for the Amazon Conservation Team’s mission?How common are matriarchal societies and female shaman among the Amazon’s indigenous people?Among tribes with which Mark has spent time, how often are hallucinogens used specifically for hunting and/or warfare?How can those of us in the West who benefit from compounds derived from the Amazon ensure they’re sourced responsibly and not being outright stolen from the people who live there without any type of reciprocation? How can we help people who don’t necessarily benefit from just having a bunch of money thrown at their problems?Mark shares the story of how a shaman healed one of his old wounds 13 years ago with no recurrence — where Western physicians had only failed before.Parting thoughts.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Richard Evans SchultesTim PlowmanWade DavisAlan GinsburgE.O. WilsonAlbert HofmannChristian RätschLouis PasteurWalt WhitmanIndiana JonesSean ConneryCarl LinnaeusAlessandro VoltaNapoleon ChagnonLoren McIntyrePeter GormanMalcolm XTarzanJimmy CarterDon LaureanoJean-Claude Van DammeMichael PollanRoland GriffithsPaul CoxSteven KingDalai LamaCoyoteRavenJeff SkollTeddy RooseveltRichard NixonGeorge H.W. BushFidel Castro
