Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 47

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on Powerful Books, Mystics, Richard Dawkins, and the Dangers of Safe Spaces (#455)

Illustration via 99designs

“Win the respect of people you respect, and you can forget the rest.”

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (@RabbiSacks) is an international religious leader, philosopher, and respected moral voice. He was the chief rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013 and the recipient of the 2016 Templeton Prize, in recognition of his “exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension.” Rabbi Sacks has been described by HRH The Prince of Wales as “a light unto this nation” and by former British prime minister Tony Blair as “an intellectual giant.” He is an award-winning author of more than 30 books, including . His new book, Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times , recently became a bestseller in the UK and is now available in North America.

He is a frequent and sought-after contributor to radio, television, and the international press and a renowned public speaker, and he has degrees from both Cambridge and Oxford universities, as well as 18 honorary degrees. He was knighted by HM The Queen in 2005 and took his seat in the House of Lords in October 2009. Born in 1948 in London, he has been married to his wife Elaine since 1970. They have three children and several grandchildren.

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 Helix Sleep, FreshBooks, and “5-Bullet Friday.” More on all three below. 

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#455: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks on Powerful Books, Mystics, Richard Dawkins, and the Dangers of Safe Spaces
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b3a89118-6f55-426e-9e3f-807424f18af4.mp3Download

This podcast 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 everybody’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 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 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.

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 someone on the other side of the spiritual spectrum? Check out my latest conversation with Sam Harris here in which we discuss mindfulness as a way to conquer fear, the future of psychedelics and empathogens as therapy, quarantine mushroom trips, worthwhile nonprofits to support during this pandemic, and much more.

#433: Sam Harris on Psychedelics, How to Cope During a Pandemic, Taming Anxiety, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/084844f6-7026-43e6-8e4e-2d2fab01f3cd.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times by Jonathan Sacks
by Jonathan Sacks
Rehearsals | TEDx Organizer Guide
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: How We Can Face the Future without Fear, Together | TED Talk
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: How We Can Navigate the Coronavirus Pandemic with Courage and Hope | TED Talk
Tim Ferriss: Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals | TED Talk
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
Bose Noise-Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones | Amazon
Ecclesiastes 1 NIV: Everything Is Meaningless | Bible Gateway
Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe by Martin Rees
The Book of Psalms | United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
LEPOWER Clip-On Book Light | Amazon.com
Relative Values: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and His Wife, Elaine, on Anti-Semitism and Love at First Sight | The Sunday Times Magazine
What Makes a Song Sad | The Atlantic
Holocaust and Diaspora Survival: The Next Generations. Past, Present, Future | ENRS
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Death March from Auschwitz | United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
America by Simon & Garfunkel
Greyhound
Riding the Dirty Dog | Vice
Lubavitch and Chabad | Jewish Virtual Library
Oxford Chabad Society
Jewish Mysticism’s Origins | My Jewish Learning
What is the Difference Between a Rebbe and a Rabbi? | Jewish Virtual Library
The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations by Jonathan Sacks
Religious Leaders Accused of Heresy | The Guardian
The World Economic Forum
Ground Zero Facts, Legacy, & Memorial | History
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Imitation Game | Prime Video
The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin
Why the US and UK Failed Their Coronavirus Responses | Time
Jewish Holidays | Chabad.org
Who by Fire by Leonard Cohen
Singing “Hatikvah” at Bergen-Belsen | World Jewish Congress
Coronavirus: What We Need to Learn from the 1918 Flu Epidemic | Los Angeles Times
The Education Act of 1944 | UK Parliament
The Birth of the NHS | Historic UK
GI Bill History | Veterans Education Success
History of the Marshall Plan | George C. Marshall Foundation
Google Ngram Viewer
Lincoln Memorial | US National Park Service
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address | American Battlefield Trust
Speech by President Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address | Facing History and Ourselves
Thomas Jefferson Memorial | US National Park Service
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial | US National Park Service
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial | US National Park Service
Parliament Square Garden | London City Hall
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Black Lives Matter
Hamilton | New York City
History Behind 7 Passover Traditions: Seder, No Bread, More | Time
Remembrance Sunday | Royal British Legion
What Is Cancel Culture? Why We Keep Fighting about Canceling People | Vox
Safe Spaces On College Campuses Are Creating Intolerant Students | HuffPost
Audi Alteram Partem Definition | Duhaime’s Law Dictionary
The Talmud
Reish Lakish and Rabbi Yohanan on the Power of Repentance: A Reappraisal | The Lehrhaus
How the Talmud Became a Best-Seller in South Korea | The New Yorker
Think Like An Attacker: How a Red Team Operates | DarkReading
The Federalist Papers: A Collection of Essays Written in Favour of the New Constitution by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
How China Is on the Verge of Totalitarianism 2.0 | National Security College
Understanding the Butterfly Effect | American Scientist
To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility by Jonathan Sacks
Going Viral: Coronavirus in a Polarized World | AISH.com
The Ten Plagues | My Jewish Learning
The Jobbik Party in Hungary: History and Background | Human Rights First
A Whole New Jew: The Antisemite Who Turned Out to Be One of the Jews He Despised | The Jerusalem Post

SHOW NOTES

Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly. 

Why is Rabbi Sacks known for wearing yellow ties, and how did he bypass the “no ties” policy when preparing to give his TED talk?
Rabbi Sacks explains in further detail why he considers noise-canceling headphones “the most religious objects” he’s come across.
A purchase of perhaps less than $10 that has made a positive contribution to Rabbi Sacks’ life.
On the sadness of Jewish music and the profound effect it’s had on Rabbi Sacks since he was a toddler.
Why Rabbi Sacks considers it such a blessing that he married someone so unlike himself half a century ago.
Fromt thousands of available accounts of the Holocaust, here’s what Rabbi Sacks finds particularly inspiring about The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger.
What set young Jonathan Sacks on the path to becoming Rabbi Sacks?
Who was the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and what’s the difference between a rabbi and a rebbe?
Why was there a public outcry for Rabbi Sacks’ resignation in response to Dignity of Difference, the book he wrote reflecting on the events of 9/11? What was the minimal change he made to make things right with the naysayers and ensure there would be a second edition?
Why winning the respect of people you respect — and forgetting the rest — is such an empowering life lesson.
“It’s not about you” — the value of altruism over ruthlessness from the personal to the societal.
The problems common to societies too centered on the notion of I over We, and how a Jewish perspective might help those of us who feel like we’re currently experiencing an irreversable tailspin into the abyss.
What is cultural climate change, and what can we do to fix it?
On cancel culture, free speech, and why Rabbi Sacks believes there’s “nothing less safe than safe space.”
The lesson we could all learn from an important cornerstone of Roman law: Audi alteram partem (Listen to the other side).
The constant challenge of maintaining the delicate balance between I and We.
How long did Rabbi Sacks date his now wife before proposing marriage?
A Passover tradition that demonstrates the value of empathizing with the enemy.
Parting thoughts.

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Lady Elaine Taylor Sacks
Chris Anderson
Ray Dalio
Gary Kasparov
Harold Macmillan
Martin Rees
Richard Dawkins
William Shakespeare
Ludwig van Beethoven
Franz Schubert
Moses
Gershom
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Paul Simon
Irving Berlin
George Gershwin
Viktor Frankl
Edith Eger
Sam Harris
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Charles Darwin
Rick Warren
Leo Tolstoy
Benedict Cumberbatch
Alan Turing
Keira Knightley
Patrick Gordon Walker
Robert Putnam
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Martin Luther King Jr.
Nelson Mandela
Winston Churchill
John F. Kennedy
Lin Manuel Miranda
John Jacques Rousseau
John Major
Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
David Cameron
Sir Bernard Williams
Rabbi Yochanan
Reish Lakish
Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat
John Milton
John Locke
James Madison
Pharaoh
Csanád Szegedi

Books I’ve Loved — Whitney Cummings (#454)

Photo by Troy Conrad | Instagram: @troyconrads

Welcome 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.

Whitney Cummings (@whitneycummings) is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, writer, and producer. She has appeared in multiple television shows and films, and has performed in stand-up specials for both HBO and Comedy Central, one of which was nominated for an American Comedy Award. You can subscribe to her podcast, Good For You, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Whitney is also the author of I’m Fine…And Other Lies, and her most recent comedy special, Can I Touch It?, is now available for streaming on Netflix. For more Whitney, check out our conversation from 2015. 

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.

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#454: Books I've Loved — Whitney Cummings
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/1daae178-155c-4650-871e-8ad18f2f797b.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 Whitney Cummings:

Website | Twitter | Instagram

The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples by Harville Hendrix, PhD, and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie

Adult Children of Alcoholics published by ACA WSO INC.

The Random Show — Zen, Investing, Mike Tyson, Artificial Intelligence, and the World’s Best Beers (#453)

Technologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of “The Random Show.” In this one, we wax poetic over wildlife friends and foes, the folly of facing off against Mike Tyson (even in his 50s), slow donkeys, universal basic income (UBI), breaking the pandemic pajama routine, smoked meats and Wi-Fi grills, Zen and the art of Kevin maintenance, how to hike without being hunted, hoity-toity beer, pandemic investing, and much more.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the episode on YouTube.

Brought to you by Dry Farm Wines, LegalZoom, and Allform. More on all three below. 

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#453: The Random Show — Zen, Investing, Mike Tyson, Artificial Intelligence, and the World's Best Beershttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/297e69e7-3efe-4c36-89a2-117fe419a58e.mp3Download

This episode is also brought to you by Dry Farm Wines. I’m a wine drinker, and I love a few glasses over meals with friends. That said, I hate hangovers. For the last few months, all of the wine in my house has been from Dry Farm Wines. Why? At least in my experience, their wine means more fun with fewer headaches. Dry Farm Wines only ships wines that meet very stringent criteria: sugar free (less than 0.15g per glass), lower alcohol (less than 12.5% alcohol), additive free (there are more than 70 FDA-approved wine-making additives), lower sulfites, organic, and produced by small family farms.

All Dry Farm Wines are laboratory tested for purity standards by a certified, independent enologist, and all of their wines are also backed by a 100% Happiness Promise—they will either replace or refund any wine you do not love. Last but not least, I find delicious wines I never would have found otherwise. It’s a lot of fun. Dry Farm Wines has a special offer just for listeners of the podcast—an extra bottle in your first box for just one extra penny. Check out all the details at DryFarmWines.com/Tim.

This episode is also brought to you by LegalZoom. I’ve used this service for many of my businesses, as have quite a few of the icons on this podcast, including Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame. LegalZoom is a reliable resource that more than a million people have already trusted for all kinds of legal needs, including setting up wills, proper trademark searches, forming LLCs, setting up non-profits, and finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates.

LegalZoom is not a law firm, but it does have a network of independent attorneys available in most states who can give you advice on the best way to get started, provide contract reviews, and otherwise help you run your business with complete transparency and up-front pricing. Learn more at LegalZoom.com. LegalZoom, where life meets legal.

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 the last “Random Show” Kevin and I did? Check out our conversation here in which we discuss exotic meats, quarantine exercises, dog adoption, decadent desserts, and much more.

#426: The Random Show: Boozy Quarantine Edition!https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f29fe469-a02e-42f2-8acb-ee99bc918128.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE







Connect with Kevin Rose:

The Kevin Rose Show | Oak Meditation | Zero | Instagram | Twitter

Past Episodes of The Random Show | The Tim Ferriss Show
American Black Bear | National Geographic
How to Train an Otter | Aquarium of the Bay
Kevin’s Raccoon Toss | YouTube
Grizzly Bear | National Wildlife Federation
Bear Spray Demonstration and Safety Tips | Yellowstone Forever
ElimiTick Pants | Amazon
GORUCK | The Rucking Company
Weighted Vests | Amazon
The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
CrossFit Games
What is Judo? | Online Dojo
Spaceballs | Prime Video
“I’m Back!” Mike Tyson Hitting Pads at Age 53 | Global Boxing TV
OMG! Mike Tyson Still Terrifying on the Mitts! Throws Explosive Combinations Training for Comeback | Global Boxing TV
The Dangers of Boxing Injuries | Verywell Fit
Early Onset/Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s | Alzheimer’s Association
Where Evel Knievel Never Soared: A Wallenda Flies Over the Grand Canyon | Indian Country Today
Indian Python Swallows Goat Whole | Truly
Best of Parkour and Freerunning | StuntsAmazing
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Exhibition Fight Delayed | CBS Sports
Mike Tyson on Smoking DMT | ESPN
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Events as They Happen | WHO
Predicting Hospital Capacity: Why to Act Early, How to Think About Lag Time, and a Model You Can Use | tim.blog
Emergency Technique: How to Increase Ventilator Capacity 2–4x in 10 Minutes | tim.blog
How to Support Healthcare Workers Now — Plus Urgent Suggestions for Uber Eats, Hilton, Amazon, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #416
Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker | The New York Times
Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement | Kaiser Health News
Getting Vaccinated for the Flu This Year Is Particularly Important, Who Officials Say | CNN
Who Really Stands to Win from Universal Basic Income? | The New Yorker
7 Great TED Talks for Basic Income | Matt Orfalea, Medium
OpenAI API
OpenAI’s Latest Breakthrough Is Astonishingly Powerful, but Still Fighting Its Flaws | The Verge
OpenAI’s New Language Generator GPT-3 Is Shockingly Good—and Completely Mindless | MIT Technology Review
“I Actually Think GPT-3 Could Change Everything” | Chris Sacca, Twitter Twitter
Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar Games
Siri | Apple
Timeline: A Day-to-Day Recap of Portland Protests | KGW
The Original Muck Boot Company
How to Take a Digital Detox during the COVID-19 Pandemic | BBC Worklife
Pocket Casts
Apple Music
Spotify
Audible
Sonos
Pandora
Waking Up with Sam Harris
Strong Workout Tracker
Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Aura
Less Alcohol Tracker
Zero
Lumosity
MasterClass Online Classes
Personal Capital
Financial Times
The Wall Street Journal
Wealthfront
Clarity Money
Barron’s
Simplify Financial Planning
Home | Apple
Traeger Grills
Maui Nui Venison
The Axis Deer, and How They’re Impacting Parts of the United States | Wide Open Spaces
Crowd Cow
ButcherBox
Belcampo
Heart Rate Variability: A New Way to Track Well-Being | Harvard Health Blog
The Breathing App | Eddie Stern
Normal Blood Oxygen Level: What’s Normal for Me? | Healthline
Parasympathetic Nervous System | ScienceDirect Topics
Lyme Disease | CDC
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor | ScienceDirect Topics
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman
Henry Shukman: The Mysterious/Unsolvable Zen Koans | The Kevin Rose Show
What Is a Koan? | New World Encyclopedia
One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir by Henry Shukman
San Francisco Zen Center
Mountain Cloud Zen Center
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer
How To Meditate: Zazen Instructions | Zen Mountain Monastery
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Why Taking Ayahuasca Is like Having a Near-Death Experience | New Scientist
Quickening Scene | Highlander
Pique Tea | Amazon
Laird Superfood Coffee Creamer | Amazon
WhatsApp
onX Hunt App
The Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting | James Clear
Top 250 Rated Beers | BeerAdvocate
Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout | Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
My Beer Collectibles
Pliny the Elder | Russian River Brewing Company
SR-71 | Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
Julius IPA | Tree House Brewing Company
Geocities Archive Mirror
Trial By Fire | Vimeo
Saddle (Kura) | Japanese | The Met
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Peloton
5-Bullet Friday
Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya on How To Invest in This Crisis | Pomp Podcast #256
Shopify
Index Fund | Investopedia
Square Cash App
Tesla
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) | MarketWatch
The PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X: Which is Better for You? | The Washington Post
‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ Launches Exclusive Partnership with Spotify | Spotify
Twitch
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Stock Pick | Investopedia
Should You Buy Gold Or Bitcoin? | Investopedia
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Bitcoin vs Ethereum — Which is Better? | Benzinga
What an ETF Is and How to Buy Them | Investopedia
Mad Max | Prime Video
Investing for Everyone | Robinhood
20-Year-Old Robinhood Customer Dies By Suicide After Seeing A $730,000 Negative Balance | Forbes
Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #444

SHOW NOTES

Checking in from our respective dungeons and bear caves, where we’re learning to either coexist with the local wildlife or fend it off when necessary. [04:56]
I want to run, but it bothers my knees. This is what I do instead. [08:04]
Kevin’s in his 40s and he can’t cough without tweaking his back, but Mike Tyson’s about to go back in the ring at age 54. Would I fight the former heavyweight champ for $200 million? [13:25]
How have Kevin and I been coping with pandemic life since our last podcast together when lockdowns were just beginning? Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or are we in for a “slow donkey?” [22:08]
Thoughts on the merits of universal basic income (UBI) and dwindling job opportunities in an increasingly AI-automated world. [27:42]
How the Roses are staying sane and “breaking the pajama routine” in pandemic-stricken and civil unrest epicenter Portland, and what I’ve gained by changing from an urban to a rural setting. [33:29]
Why Kevin and I have largely disconnected from social media and nagging apps during this time, along with the exceptions and rules that still keep us somewhat in touch with the grid without being drained by it. [35:29]
Our parallel lives continue on another front: the Traeger grill. Here are the meats we’ve been responsibly enjoying with its assistance. [41:16]
Why cooking is a great hobby for breaking up the monotony of self-quarantining. [49:53]
HRV and breathwork practices I’ve been experimenting with, and how I hope they’ll help me overcome some longer-term fatigue issues that haunt me. [50:50]
Kevin’s most recent forays into meditation and Zen. [56:21]
A peek at Pique tea for peak performance. [01:11:53]
How I keep from getting shot as an accidental trespasser when I go hiking in the boundless wilderness. [1:15:00]
Kevin shares his pandemic intermittent fasting — and beer critique — regimens. [1:18:53]
I’m not much for self-congratulation, but here’s the one time Kevin’s seen me splurge on something for myself. [1:26:45]
Neither of us is a registered investment advisor, and this is not investment advice, but this is how we’ve each been thinking about and personally navigating the stock market during this pandemic. [1:31:07]
Kevin’s thoughts on buying gold vs. cryptocurrency. [1:52:20]
Parting thoughts. [2:00:55]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Mike Maser
Toaster
Jason McCarthy
Mike Tyson
Dark Helmet
Roy Jones Jr.
Evel Knievel
The Hulk
Chris Sacca
Darya Rose
Peter Attia
Molly
Henry Shukman
Michael Singer
Valter Longo
Chamath Palihapitiya
Anthony Pompliano
Joe Rogan
Michelle Obama
Hugh Jackman

The Random Show — Zen, Investing, Mike Tyson, Artificial Intelligence, and the World’s Best Beers

Technologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of “The Random Show.” In this one, we wax poetic over wildlife friends and foes, the folly of facing off against Mike Tyson (even in his 50s), slow donkeys, universal basic income (UBI), breaking the pandemic pajama routine, smoked meats and Wi-Fi grills, Zen and the art of Kevin maintenance, how to hike without being hunted, hoity toity beer, pandemic investing, and much more.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the episode on YouTube.

Brought to you by Dry Farm Wines, LegalZoom, and Allform. More on all three below. 

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#453: The Random Show — Zen, Investing, Mike Tyson, Artificial Intelligence, and the World's Best Beers
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/297e69e7-3efe-4c36-89a2-117fe419a58e.mp3Download

This episode is also brought to you by Dry Farm Wines. I’m a wine drinker, and I love a few glasses over meals with friends. That said, I hate hangovers. For the last few months, all of the wine in my house has been from Dry Farm Wines. Why? At least in my experience, their wine means more fun with fewer headaches. Dry Farm Wines only ships wines that meet very stringent criteria: sugar free (less than 0.15g per glass), lower alcohol (less than 12.5% alcohol), additive free (there are more than 70 FDA-approved wine-making additives), lower sulfites, organic, and produced by small family farms.

All Dry Farm Wines are laboratory tested for purity standards by a certified, independent enologist, and all of their wines are also backed by a 100% Happiness Promise—they will either replace or refund any wine you do not love. Last but not least, I find delicious wines I never would have found otherwise. It’s a lot of fun. Dry Farm Wines has a special offer just for listeners of the podcast—an extra bottle in your first box for just one extra penny. Check out all the details at DryFarmWines.com/Tim.

This episode is also brought to you by LegalZoom. I’ve used this service for many of my businesses, as have quite a few of the icons on this podcast, including Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame. LegalZoom is a reliable resource that more than a million people have already trusted for all kinds of legal needs, including setting up wills, proper trademark searches, forming LLCs, setting up non-profits, and finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates.

LegalZoom is not a law firm, but it does have a network of independent attorneys available in most states who can give you advice on the best way to get started, provide contract reviews, and otherwise help you run your business with complete transparency and up-front pricing. Learn more at LegalZoom.com. LegalZoom, where life meets legal.

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 the last Random Show Kevin and I did? Check out our conversation here in which we discuss exotic meats, quarantine exercises, dog adoption, decadent desserts, and much more.

#426: The Random Show: Boozy Quarantine Edition!https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f29fe469-a02e-42f2-8acb-ee99bc918128.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE







Connect with Kevin Rose:

The Kevin Rose Show | Oak Meditation | Zero | Instagram | Twitter

Past Episodes of The Random Show | The Tim Ferriss Show
American Black Bear | National Geographic
How to Train an Otter | Aquarium of the Bay
Kevin’s Raccoon Toss | YouTube
Grizzly Bear | National Wildlife Federation
Bear Spray Demonstration and Safety Tips | Yellowstone Forever
ElimiTick Pants | Amazon
GORUCK | The Rucking Company
Weighted Vests | Amazon
The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
CrossFit Games
What is Judo? | Online Dojo
Spaceballs | Prime Video
“I’m Back!” Mike Tyson Hitting Pads at Age 53 | Global Boxing TV
OMG! Mike Tyson Still Terrifying on the Mitts! Throws Explosive Combinations Training for Comeback | Global Boxing TV
The Dangers of Boxing Injuries | Verywell Fit
Early Onset/Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s | Alzheimer’s Association
Where Evel Knievel Never Soared: A Wallenda Flies Over the Grand Canyon | Indian Country Today
Indian Python Swallows Goat Whole | Truly
Best of Parkour and Freerunning | StuntsAmazing
Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Exhibition Fight Delayed | CBS Sports
Mike Tyson on Smoking DMT | ESPN
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Events as They Happen | WHO
Predicting Hospital Capacity: Why to Act Early, How to Think About Lag Time, and a Model You Can Use | tim.blog
Emergency Technique: How to Increase Ventilator Capacity 2–4x in 10 Minutes | tim.blog
How to Support Healthcare Workers Now — Plus Urgent Suggestions for Uber Eats, Hilton, Amazon, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #416
Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker | The New York Times
Anti-Vaccine Activists Latch Onto Coronavirus To Bolster Their Movement | Kaiser Health News
Getting Vaccinated for the Flu This Year Is Particularly Important, Who Officials Say | CNN
Who Really Stands to Win from Universal Basic Income? | The New Yorker
7 Great TED Talks for Basic Income | Matt Orfalea, Medium
OpenAI API
OpenAI’s Latest Breakthrough Is Astonishingly Powerful, but Still Fighting Its Flaws | The Verge
OpenAI’s New Language Generator GPT-3 Is Shockingly Good—and Completely Mindless | MIT Technology Review
“I Actually Think GPT-3 Could Change Everything” | Chris Sacca, Twitter Twitter
Grand Theft Auto V | Rockstar Games
Siri | Apple
Timeline: A Day-to-Day Recap of Portland Protests | KGW
The Original Muck Boot Company
How to Take a Digital Detox during the COVID-19 Pandemic | BBC Worklife
Pocket Casts
Apple Music
Spotify
Audible
Sonos
Pandora
Waking Up with Sam Harris
Strong Workout Tracker
Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Aura
Less Alcohol Tracker
Zero
Lumosity
MasterClass Online Classes
Personal Capital
Financial Times
The Wall Street Journal
Wealthfront
Clarity Money
Barron’s
Simplify Financial Planning
Home | Apple
Traeger Grills
Maui Nui Venison
The Axis Deer, and How They’re Impacting Parts of the United States | Wide Open Spaces
Crowd Cow
ButcherBox
Belcampo
Heart Rate Variability: A New Way to Track Well-Being | Harvard Health Blog
The Breathing App | Eddie Stern
Normal Blood Oxygen Level: What’s Normal for Me? | Healthline
Parasympathetic Nervous System | ScienceDirect Topics
Lyme Disease | CDC
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor | ScienceDirect Topics
Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman
Henry Shukman: The Mysterious/Unsolvable Zen Koans | The Kevin Rose Show
What Is a Koan? | New World Encyclopedia
One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir by Henry Shukman
San Francisco Zen Center
Mountain Cloud Zen Center
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael A. Singer
How To Meditate: Zazen Instructions | Zen Mountain Monastery
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Why Taking Ayahuasca Is like Having a Near-Death Experience | New Scientist
Quickening Scene | Highlander
Pique Tea | Amazon
Laird Superfood Coffee Creamer | Amazon
WhatsApp
onX Hunt App
The Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting | James Clear
Top 250 Rated Beers | BeerAdvocate
Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout | Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
My Beer Collectibles
Pliny the Elder | Russian River Brewing Company
SR-71 | Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
Julius IPA | Tree House Brewing Company
Geocities Archive Mirror
Trial By Fire | Vimeo
Saddle (Kura) | Japanese | The Met
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Peloton
5-Bullet Friday
Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya on How To Invest in This Crisis | Pomp Podcast #256
Shopify
Index Fund | Investopedia
Square Cash App
Tesla
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM) | MarketWatch
The PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X: Which is Better for You? | The Washington Post
‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ Launches Exclusive Partnership with Spotify | Spotify
Twitch
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Stock Pick | Investopedia
Should You Buy Gold Or Bitcoin? | Investopedia
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Bitcoin vs Ethereum — Which is Better? | Benzinga
What an ETF Is and How to Buy Them | Investopedia
Mad Max | Prime Video
Investing for Everyone | Robinhood
20-Year-Old Robinhood Customer Dies By Suicide After Seeing A $730,000 Negative Balance | Forbes
Hugh Jackman on Best Decisions, Daily Routines, The 85% Rule, Favorite Exercises, Mind Training, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #444

SHOW NOTES

Checking in from our respective dungeons and bear caves, where we’re learning to either coexist with the local wildlife or fend it off when necessary. [04:56]
I want to run, but it bothers my knees. This is what I do instead. [08:04]
Kevin’s in his 40s and he can’t cough without tweaking his back, but Mike Tyson’s about to go back in the ring at age 54. Would I fight the former heavyweight champ for $200 million? [13:25]
How have Kevin and I been coping with pandemic life since our last podcast together when lockdowns were just beginning? Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or are we in for a “slow donkey?” [22:08]
Thoughts on the merits of universal basic income (UBI) and dwindling job opportunities in an increasingly AI-automated world. [27:42]
How the Roses are staying sane and “breaking the pajama routine” in pandemic-stricken and civil unrest epicenter Portland, and what I’ve gained by changing from an urban to a rural setting. [33:29]
Why Kevin and I have largely disconnected from social media and nagging apps during this time, along with the exceptions and rules that still keep us somewhat in touch with the grid without being drained by it. [35:29]
Our parallel lives continue on another front: the Traeger grill. Here are the meats we’ve been responsibly enjoying with its assistance. [41:16]
Why cooking is a great hobby for breaking up the monotony of self-quarantining. [49:53]
HRV and breathwork practices I’ve been experimenting with, and how I hope they’ll help me overcome some longer-term fatigue issues that haunt me. [50:50]
Kevin’s most recent forays into meditation and Zen. [56:21]
A peek at Pique tea for peak performance. [01:11:53]
How I keep from getting shot as an accidental trespasser when I go hiking in the boundless wilderness. [1:15:00]
Kevin shares his pandemic intermittent fasting — and beer critique — regimens. [1:18:53]
I’m not much for self-congratulation, but here’s the one time Kevin’s seen me splurge on something for myself. [1:26:45]
Neither of us is a registered investment advisor, and this is not investment advice, but this is how we’ve each been thinking about and personally navigating the stock market during this pandemic. [1:31:07]
Kevin’s thoughts on buying gold vs. cryptocurrency. [1:52:20]
Parting thoughts. [2:00:55]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Mike Maser
Toaster
Jason McCarthy
Mike Tyson
Dark Helmet
Roy Jones Jr.
Evel Knievel
The Hulk
Chris Sacca
Darya Rose
Peter Attia
Molly
Henry Shukman
Michael Singer
Valter Longo
Chamath Palihapitiya
Anthony Pompliano
Joe Rogan
Michelle Obama
Hugh Jackman

Sia — The Alchemy of Blockbuster Songs, Billions of Views, and the Face You’ve Never Seen (#452)

Illustration via 99designs

“I don’t think that I’m necessarily like a super-talented songwriter. I think I’m just really productive. One out of 10 songs is a hit. So where a lot of people will spend three weeks on one song, I will write 10 in three weeks.”

— Sia

Sia (@sia) is an Australian singer, songwriter, director, screenwriter, and pop icon. Her current single, Together, is from her forthcoming album and motion picture, Music, due out later this year. In 2019, Sia partnered with Diplo and Labrinth to form the group LSD. Their debut album, Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present…LSD has one billion+ streams to date. She released the Grammy-nominated This Is Acting (Monkey Puzzle/RCA Records) in 2016 to much critical acclaim and cemented her role as one of today’s biggest stars and sought-after live performers with her sold-out Nostalgic for the Present headline tour.

Sia has more videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club than any other female on the planet. Her massive single Cheap Thrills was a multi-format global radio hit and one of the longest-running singles in the Top 40 in 2016. Along with her own successes, Sia has written global smashes for today’s biggest acts, including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and many more.

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, Thrive Market, and LinkedIn Jobs. More on all three below. 

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#452: Sia — The Alchemy of Blockbuster Songs, Billions of Views, and the Face You’ve Never Seen
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/4fffaab8-2ec2-42c6-9ffc-9e41f684274c.mp3Download

This podcast 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 D3/K2 Liquid Formula free with your first purchase—two vital nutrients for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free D3/K2 bundle with your first purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

This episode is also 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 the first $50 off. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

This episode is also brought to you by Thrive Market, which saves me a ton of money and is perfect for these crazy times. Thrive Market is a membership-based site on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. You can find all types of food, supplements, nontoxic home products, clean wine, dog food—just about anything. Members earn wholesale prices every day and save an average of $30 on each order. I personally saved $39 on my most recent order. 

Go to ThriveMarket.com/Tim to give Thrive Market a try! You can choose the membership model that best fits your lifestyle. Choose a free gift, up to $22 in value, when you join today and purchase the one-year membership.

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 another artist who makes her own rules? Listen to my conversation with Amanda Palmer in which we discuss books, trauma and grief, crowdfunding, understanding the role of pain, and much more.

#368: Amanda Palmer on Creativity, Pain, and Arthttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/b5a6cb4c-7c17-4f73-bb33-66518d39ccb2.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE







Connect with Sia:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Sia’s Discography | Discogs
Australian Sia Revealed Her Battle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome | Blasting News
When Nothing Seems to Help Your CRPS, Ketamine Pain Treatments May Bring Relief | Cleveland Clinic
Ketamine Offers Lifeline for People with Severe Depression, Suicidal Thoughts | CNN
Versed Uses, Side Effects, and Warnings | Drugs.com
Prozac Uses, Side Effects, and Warnings | Drugs.com
Everything We Know About Kanye West’s Sunday Service | GQ
Anatomical Position: Definitions and Illustrations | ThoughtCo.
What Is Attachment Theory? Definition and Stages | ThoughtCo.
The Unicorn of Attachment Theory: Earned-Secure Attachment | Karolina Walsh Psychotherapy
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help YouFind — and Keep — Love by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller
Attachment Style Quiz | Dr. Diane Poole Heller
Attachment Injuries: The Ghosts That Haunt Us | Karen Grierson
Analogy vs. Metaphor vs. Simile | Writer’s Digest
Sleep Train a Baby? Don’t! | Psychology Today
The Father’s Heart: Found in Separate Places | Eddie Brandt, Medium
Dissociative Identity Disorder Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment | Cleveland Clinic
Split | Prime Video
Postnatal Depression | Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Goldilocks Approach to Decision-Making | Citrin Consulting
The Center for Nonviolent Communication
The Greatest Trick the Devil Ever Pulled | The Usual Suspects
How Sia Saved Herself | Rolling Stone
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Sia’s “Don’t Think” Tattoo | Twitter
Transcendental Meditation
Mettagroup
Meditation x Attachment with George Haas | Podcast
Profile: Sanshin Zen Community | Lion’s Roar
Diamonds by Rihanna
Breathe Me by Sia
Valium Uses, Side Effects, and Warnings | Drugs.com
Sia’s 2014 Interview | The Howard Stern Show
How Much Energy Is One Joule? (Easy Analogy) | Badzilla
2-Minute Neuroscience: Prefrontal Cortex | Neuroscientifically Challenged
About Holotropic Breathwork | Grof Transpersonal Training
Titanium (Feat. Sia) by David Guetta
Coldplay
U2
Publishing Rights: How Do They Get Split? | DIY Musician Blog
Chandelier by Sia
Sia: ‘Everyone in Entertainment Is Insecure. We’ve Been Dancing Our Entire Lives for Your Approval’ | The Guardian
Apple Music
The Doors
Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders
Soul II Soul | Wikipedia
1000 Forms of Fear by Sia
Sia’s Enormous Wig Deserves Its Own Grammy | Cosmopolitan
Music (Film) | Wikipedia
Alcoholics Anonymous
La La Land | Prime Video
Adaptation | Prime Video
Being John Malkovich | Prime Video
Echolalia: Causes, Symptoms, Types, Diagnosis, and Treatment | Healthline
Child Mind Institute
Million Dollar Decorators | Bravo TV
Sia Confirms She Adopted Two Teenage Sons Aging Out of Foster Care | USA Today
Foster | Prime Video
Al-Anon

SHOW NOTES

Let’s start the interview on (the topic of) ketamine. [05:21]
Sia shares her experience with attachment theory, the work she’s doing to repair her own attachment injuries, and the outcomes she’s noticed. [11:34]
Sia explains what it was like growing up around her father’s dissociative identity disorder. [21:45]
Is Sia Keyser Söze? [28:03]
What is Sia’s most ironic tattoo? [30:00]
Why Sia believes there’s no such thing as being bad at meditation, and what her own practice looks like. [30:57]
In the process of writing over a hundred pop songs, Sia has tried everything from channeling to methods that are more self-destructive. [37:49]
High concepts, milking metaphors, cheesetastic anthems, and what the songwriting process looks like for Sia today. [46:38]
How do publishing percentages work in the music industry for people involved in the creation of a song? In other words, how does the money get split? [50:52]
Early in 2016, Sia told The Guardian that she considered herself more prolific than super-talented as a songwriter. What’s changed since then? [57:38]
Curiously enough, Sia doesn’t really listen to music when she’s not making it. Why? [59:53]
Why Sia is eager to show the world (especially aspiring young singers) a video of how bad of a singer she was at age 12. [1:03:26]
What compelled Sia to begin hiding her face and having other people — like dancer Maddie Ziegler — appear in her stead at center stage for videos, photos, and live performances? [1:06:26]
Sia gives us some background about Music, the musical drama film project she’s currently working on with Dallas Clayton, Maddie Ziegler, Kate Hudson, and Leslie Odom Jr. [1:12:51]
What made Sia commit to adopting two teenagers? [1:22:27]
Parting thoughts. [1:28:24]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Kanye West
The Kardashians
John Legend
John Bowlby
George Haas
Phil B. Colson
Loene Furler
Marshall Rosenberg
Kobayashi
Keyser Söze
Hillel Aron
Beyoncé
Britney Spears
Rihanna
Howard Stern
Labrinth
Eddie Benjamin
Justin Bieber
Stanislav Grof
Benny Blanco
Katy Perry
Jesse Shatkin
Chrissie Hynde
Malcolm McLaren
Caron Wheeler
Terence Trent D’Arby
Stevie Wonder
Aretha Franklin
Annie Lennox
Mariah Carey
Christina Aguilera
North West
Maddie Ziegler
Robert Pattinson
Dallas Clayton
Bill W.
Erik Anders Lang
Daniel Eskils
Lena Dunham

Spike Jonze
Kate Hudson
Kathy Griffin
Bethany Frankel
Rose Byrne
Mark Wahlberg

Mike Novogratz on Investing, Bitcoin, Ayahuasca, and Running Through The Sahara Desert (#451)

Illustration via 99designs

Michael Novogratz (@novogratz) is the founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital. He was formerly a partner and president of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. Prior to Fortress, Michael spent 11 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was elected partner in 1998. Michael served on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Investor Advisory Committee on Financial Markets from 2012–2015. Michael serves as the chairman of The Bail Project and has made criminal justice reform a focus of his family’s foundation. He also serves as the chairman of Hudson River Park Friends and sits on the boards of NYU Langone Medical Center, Princeton Varsity Club, Jazz Foundation of America, and Artists for Peace and Justice. Michael received an AB in Economics from Princeton University and served as a helicopter pilot in the US Army.

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 Magic Spoon, Four Sigmatic, and LMNT. More on all three below. 

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple PodcastsListen onSpotifyListen onOvercast


#451: Mike Novogratz on Investing, Bitcoin, Ayahuasca, and Running Through The Sahara Deserthttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/ad5c8602-618b-4690-bf77-7175950c4fe0.mp3Download

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.

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 also brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink-mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.

LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. They’ve created Tim’s Club: Simply go to DrinkLMNT.com/Tim, select “Subscribe and Save,” and use promo code TIMSCLUB to get the 30-count box of LMNT for only $36. This will be valid for the lifetime of the subscription, and you can pause it anytime.

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 conversation with an investor who’s got his mind on more than the market? Listen in on my interview with Howard Marks in which we discuss the secret formula to getting along with business partners, turning dumb money into smart money, why it’s not what you buy but what you pay, measuring the intrinsic value of cryptocurrency, and much more.

#338: Howard Marks — How to Invest with Clear Thinkinghttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5016cc2c-3e67-449f-8b53-f06d488e5baf.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE



Connect with Mike Novogratz:

Galaxy Digital | Twitter

The Bail Project
Hudson River Park Friends
NYU Langone Medical Center
Princeton Varsity Club
Jazz Foundation of America
Artists for Peace and Justice
A Sidelined Wall Street Legend Bets on Bitcoin | The New Yorker
Speed Racer | Prime Video
Fred Segal
Princeton University
The P-rade | Princetoniana
Mike Novogratz | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
What is a Redshirt? | The Recruiting Code
Beat the Streets
Fortress’ Novogratz ‘Wrestles’ With Olympic Committee | CNBC
Presidents Have Long Wrestling History | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Goldman Sachs

Crisis Communication: Lessons from 9/11 | Harvard Business Review
Eurodollar | Investopedia
US Treasury Contract Explorer | Data Lab
Fortress Investment Group
Marathon Des Sables (The Marathon of the Sands)
Complacent Investors At Morgan’s Lyford Gathering Could Lead To Sudden Downturn | Seeking Alpha
Ten Famous Things Napoleon Bonaparte Never Said | War History Online
‘The Last Dance’ — The Untold Story of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls | ESPN
What Does It Mean to Be Long or Short a Derivative? | Investopedia
Bitcoin
Paul Tudor Jones Buys Bitcoin with Reminder of Gold in 1970s | Bloomberg
Bitcoin Endorsed by Top Hedge Fund Manager | Financial Times
What Is ‘The Halvening’? | Bitcoin Magazine
TD Ameritrade
Charles Schwab
Coinbase
Square
Robinhood
Collibra
Memento | Prime Video
Pretty in Pink | Prime Video
Army West Point Athletics
Changing the Way the World Tackles Poverty | Acumen
To Tackle the World’s Big Problems, This Is the Kind of Imagination You Must Have | Jacqueline Novogratz, Ideas.TED.com
Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a Life of Immersion | TED Talk
Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World by Jacqueline Novogratz
What Brownies Do | Girl Scouts
Equal Justice Initiative
Smith Street Tattoo Parlour
The Wild History Behind Traditional Panther Tattoos | Tattoodo
What Is Ayahuasca? Experience, Benefits, and Side Effects | Healthline
The College of Education Commencement and Teacher Education Program Recognition Ceremony | University of Iowa
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Resources) | tim.blog
Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland | Disney Video
99 Zen Koans | AshidaKim.com
Egoscue Institute
Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice | TED Talk
The Bronx Defenders
A New ‘Birth of a Nation’ Dredges Up the Complicated, Ugly Legacy of the Groundbreaking 1915 Film | Los Angeles Times
Ethereum
Wampum Resurfaces as Bitcoin | The East Hampton Star
Build Your Own 2020 G 550 SUV | Mercedes-Benz USA
Galaxy Gives
International Incarceration Comparisons | Prison Policy Initiative
Reform Alliance
A State-by-State Look at Coronavirus in Prisons | The Marshall Project
Robin Steinberg: What If We Ended the Injustice of Bail? | TED Talk
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff: How We Can Make Racism a Solvable Problem — and Improve Policing | TED Talk
Jared Kushner’s Felon Father Brought Two Fellow Inmates Into Company | Bloomberg
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre
The Confessions of Saint Augustine: Book VIII | Sacred Texts
The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss

SHOW NOTES

Clearing up two burning questions: what are Mike’s Speed Racer pants, and has he ever piloted a helicopter down Prospect Avenue? [06:57]
What was Mike’s Princeton experience like? [09:27]
Athleticswise, what flipped for Mike in his junior year? [11:34]
What part has wrestling played — and continues to play — in Mike’s life? [12:39]
How did Mike work his way through a particularly painful part of his journey — when he thought, after resigning from Goldman Sachs, his life was over at age 33? [14:00]
What did Mike’s routine look like between rehab and ringing the bell after not working for almost six years? Did he change any habits in particular? [22:38]
Mike may not consider himself the smartest guy in the room, but his intuition might make him one of the luckiest. [26:43]
How has Mike learned to discern intuition and pattern recognition from irrational confidence? [29:16]
Why does Mike consider himself the Forrest Gump of Bitcoin, and how does his speculation over cryptocurrency differ from that of fellow investor Paul Tudor Jones? [35:10]
Putting on the Nostradamus hat, where does Mike see Bitcoin going over the next 12 months? [38:48]
Growing up in a family of strong personalities, what was Mike’s childhood like? [40:54]
Who is Jacqueline Novogratz? [45:01]
Does Mike think the pressure he’s felt to excel comes from having so many high-achieving people in his family? [48:31]
Mike describes the not-so-small tattoo on his forearm. [51:57]
Why did Mike decide to include an experience with ayahuasca in a commencement speech he recently gave at the University of Iowa? [53:32]
As someone with a competitive drive, how has Mike learned to be more forgiving of himself when he doesn’t come in first place? [57:21]
What advice does Mike think his older self, 10-20 years from now, might give to his current self? [1:03:02]
How did Mike come to be so passionate about criminal justice reform? [1:05:10]
Interested in learning more about criminal justice reform and why it’s so important? Here are a few jumping-off points Mike recommends. [1:12:50]
What books has Mike given often as gifts? [1:14:55]
How does Mike refocus when he’s feeling overwhelmed? [1:16:30]
Favorite quotations. [1:18:28]
What investment of money, time, energy, or other resources has been Mike’s most worthwhile? [1:20:08]
Parting thoughts. [1:21:49]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Gary Shteyngart
Gloria Vanderbilt
Carter Cooper
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore Roosevelt
Lloyd Blankfein
Byron Wien
Ehud Barak
Napoleon Bonaparte
Louis Bacon
Bruce Kovner
Stan Druckenmiller
Paul Tudor Jones
Michael Jordan
Forrest Gump
Nostradamus
Jack Dorsey
Abigail Johnson
Pete Briger
Wences Casares
Scott Melker
The Novogratzes
The Kennedys
Bryan Stevenson
Pete Egoscue
Anna Novogratz
Nate Parker
Robin Steinberg
Billy Watterson
Jay-Z
Meek Mill
Robert Kraft
Phillip Atiba Goff
Donald Trump
Jared Kushner
Charles Kushner
Edwin Lefevre
Jesse Livermore
Doug McMillon
Saint Augustine
Nacho Novogratz

Mike Novogratz on Bitcoin, Macro Trading, Ayahuasca, Redemption, and More (#451)

Illustration via 99designs

Michael Novogratz (@novogratz) is the founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital. He was formerly a partner and president of Fortress Investment Group, LLC. Prior to Fortress, Michael spent 11 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was elected partner in 1998. Michael served on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Investor Advisory Committee on Financial Markets from 2012–2015. Michael serves as the chairman of The Bail Project and has made criminal justice reform a focus of his family’s foundation. He also serves as the chairman of Hudson River Park Friends and sits on the boards of NYU Langone Medical Center, Princeton Varsity Club, Jazz Foundation of America, and Artists for Peace and Justice. Michael received an AB in Economics from Princeton University and served as a helicopter pilot in the US Army.

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 Magic Spoon, Four Sigmatic, and LMNT. More on all three below. 

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#451: Mike Novogratz on Bitcoin, Macro Trading, Ayahuasca, Redemption, and More
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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.

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 also brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink-mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.

LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. They’ve created Tim’s Club: Simply go to DrinkLMNT.com/Tim, select “Subscribe and Save,” and use promo code TIMSCLUB to get the 30-count box of LMNT for only $36. This will be valid for the lifetime of the subscription, and you can pause it anytime.

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 conversation with an investor who’s got his mind on more than the market? Listen in on my interview with Howard Marks in which we discuss the secret formula to getting along with business partners, turning dumb money into smart money, why it’s not what you buy but what you pay, measuring the intrinsic value of cryptocurrency, and much more.

#338: Howard Marks — How to Invest with Clear Thinkinghttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5016cc2c-3e67-449f-8b53-f06d488e5baf.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE



Connect with Mike Novogratz:

Galaxy Digital | Twitter

The Bail Project
Hudson River Park Friends
NYU Langone Medical Center
Princeton Varsity Club
Jazz Foundation of America
Artists for Peace and Justice
A Sidelined Wall Street Legend Bets on Bitcoin | The New Yorker
Speed Racer | Prime Video
Fred Segal
Princeton University
The P-rade | Princetoniana
Mike Novogratz | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
What is a Redshirt? | The Recruiting Code
Beat the Streets
Fortress’ Novogratz ‘Wrestles’ With Olympic Committee | CNBC
Presidents Have Long Wrestling History | National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Goldman Sachs

Crisis Communication: Lessons from 9/11 | Harvard Business Review
Eurodollar | Investopedia
US Treasury Contract Explorer | Data Lab
Fortress Investment Group
Marathon Des Sables (The Marathon of the Sands)
Complacent Investors At Morgan’s Lyford Gathering Could Lead To Sudden Downturn | Seeking Alpha
Ten Famous Things Napoleon Bonaparte Never Said | War History Online
‘The Last Dance’ — The Untold Story of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls | ESPN
What Does It Mean to Be Long or Short a Derivative? | Investopedia
Bitcoin
Paul Tudor Jones Buys Bitcoin with Reminder of Gold in 1970s | Bloomberg
Bitcoin Endorsed by Top Hedge Fund Manager | Financial Times
What Is ‘The Halvening’? | Bitcoin Magazine
TD Ameritrade
Charles Schwab
Coinbase
Square
Robinhood
Collibra
Memento | Prime Video
Pretty in Pink | Prime Video
Army West Point Athletics
Changing the Way the World Tackles Poverty | Acumen
To Tackle the World’s Big Problems, This Is the Kind of Imagination You Must Have | Jacqueline Novogratz, Ideas.TED.com
Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a Life of Immersion | TED Talk
Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World by Jacqueline Novogratz
What Brownies Do | Girl Scouts
Equal Justice Initiative
Smith Street Tattoo Parlour
The Wild History Behind Traditional Panther Tattoos | Tattoodo
What Is Ayahuasca? Experience, Benefits, and Side Effects | Healthline
The College of Education Commencement and Teacher Education Program Recognition Ceremony | University of Iowa
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Resources) | tim.blog
Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland | Disney Video
99 Zen Koans | AshidaKim.com
Egoscue Institute
Bryan Stevenson: We Need to Talk About an Injustice | TED Talk
The Bronx Defenders
A New ‘Birth of a Nation’ Dredges Up the Complicated, Ugly Legacy of the Groundbreaking 1915 Film | Los Angeles Times
Ethereum
Wampum Resurfaces as Bitcoin | The East Hampton Star
Build Your Own 2020 G 550 SUV | Mercedes-Benz USA
Galaxy Gives
International Incarceration Comparisons | Prison Policy Initiative
Reform Alliance
A State-by-State Look at Coronavirus in Prisons | The Marshall Project
Robin Steinberg: What If We Ended the Injustice of Bail? | TED Talk
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff: How We Can Make Racism a Solvable Problem — and Improve Policing | TED Talk
Jared Kushner’s Felon Father Brought Two Fellow Inmates Into Company | Bloomberg
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefevre
The Confessions of Saint Augustine: Book VIII | Sacred Texts
The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss

SHOW NOTES

Clearing up two burning questions: what are Mike’s Speed Racer pants, and has he ever piloted a helicopter down Prospect Avenue? [06:57]
What was Mike’s Princeton experience like? [09:27]
Athleticswise, what flipped for Mike in his junior year? [11:34]
What part has wrestling played — and continues to play — in Mike’s life? [12:39]
How did Mike work his way through a particularly painful part of his journey — when he thought, after resigning from Goldman Sachs, his life was over at age 33? [14:00]
What did Mike’s routine look like between rehab and ringing the bell after not working for almost six years? Did he change any habits in particular? [22:38]
Mike may not consider himself the smartest guy in the room, but his intuition might make him one of the luckiest. [26:43]
How has Mike learned to discern intuition and pattern recognition from irrational confidence? [29:16]
Why does Mike consider himself the Forrest Gump of Bitcoin, and how does his speculation over cryptocurrency differ from that of fellow investor Paul Tudor Jones? [35:10]
Putting on the Nostradamus hat, where does Mike see Bitcoin going over the next 12 months? [38:48]
Growing up in a family of strong personalities, what was Mike’s childhood like? [40:54]
Who is Jacqueline Novogratz? [45:01]
Does Mike think the pressure he’s felt to excel comes from having so many high-achieving people in his family? [48:31]
Mike describes the not-so-small tattoo on his forearm. [51:57]
Why did Mike decide to include an experience with ayahuasca in a commencement speech he recently gave at the University of Iowa? [53:32]
As someone with a competitive drive, how has Mike learned to be more forgiving of himself when he doesn’t come in first place? [57:21]
What advice does Mike think his older self, 10-20 years from now, might give to his current self? [1:03:02]
How did Mike come to be so passionate about criminal justice reform? [1:05:10]
Interested in learning more about criminal justice reform and why it’s so important? Here are a few jumping-off points Mike recommends. [1:12:50]
What books has Mike given often as gifts? [1:14:55]
How does Mike refocus when he’s feeling overwhelmed? [1:16:30]
Favorite quotations. [1:18:28]
What investment of money, time, energy, or other resources has been Mike’s most worthwhile? [1:20:08]
Parting thoughts. [1:21:49]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Gary Shteyngart
Gloria Vanderbilt
Carter Cooper
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore Roosevelt
Lloyd Blankfein
Byron Wien
Ehud Barak
Napoleon Bonaparte
Louis Bacon
Bruce Kovner
Stan Druckenmiller
Paul Tudor Jones
Michael Jordan
Forrest Gump
Nostradamus
Jack Dorsey
Abigail Johnson
Pete Briger
Wences Casares
Scott Melker
The Novogratzes
The Kennedys
Bryan Stevenson
Pete Egoscue
Anna Novogratz
Nate Parker
Robin Steinberg
Billy Watterson
Jay-Z
Meek Mill
Robert Kraft
Phillip Atiba Goff
Donald Trump
Jared Kushner
Charles Kushner
Edwin Lefevre
Jesse Livermore
Doug McMillon
Saint Augustine
Nacho Novogratz

Books I’ve Loved — Neil Strauss (#450)

Welcome 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.

Neil Strauss (@neilstrauss) is a ten-time New York Times best-selling author, award-winning writer for Rolling Stone, and former reporter at the New York Times. Strauss has also contributed to Esquire, Salon, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Details, The Source, New York Newsday, and many other magazines and newspapers. He has interviewed some of the biggest icons in the world of entertainment and beyond, including the legendary Chuck Berry, Tom Cruise, Madonna, and Elon Musk. He received The President’s Volunteer Service Award for work during his book Emergency.

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.

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Listen onOvercast

#450: Books I've Loved — Neil Strauss
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“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 Neil Strauss:

Website | Twitter | Instagram

The Fear Book: Facing Fear Once and for All by Cheri Huber

Be the Person You Want to Find: Relationship and Self-Discovery by Cheri Huber

Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes from, How It Sabotages Our Lives by Pia Mellody

Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change the Way You Love by Pia Mellody

Silently Seduced: When Parents Make Their Children Partners by Kenneth M. Adams

Under Saturn’s Shadow: The Wounding and Healing of Men by James Hollis

The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other by James Hollis

Grandmaster Maurice Ashley — The Path and Strategies of World-Class Mastery (#449)

“Once you get to the top of the mountain, you look around, and you get your chance to look. And now what? You’ve got a nice view. That’s great. How long can you stay on the mountain? You need another mountain.”

— Grandmaster Maurice Ashley

Maurice Ashley (@MauriceAshley) made history in 1999 when he became the first African-American chess grandmaster. He is a three-time national championship coach, author of Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens, ESPN commentator, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker.

Maurice is well known for providing dynamic live tournament coverage of world-class chess competitions and matches. His high-energy, unapologetic, and irreverent commentary combines Brooklyn street smarts with professional ESPN-style sports analysis. He has covered every class of elite event, including the World Chess Championships, the US Chess Championships, the Grand Chess Tour, and the legendary “man vs. machine” matches between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue.

Traveling the world as an ardent spokesperson for the many character-building effects of chess, Maurice consults with universities, schools, chess clubs, executives, and celebrities on how chess principles and strategies can be applied to improve business practices and assist with personal growth. Maurice also acts as a master of ceremonies and inspirational speaker at business conferences and high-class chess events.

Maurice has received multiple community service awards from city governments, universities, and community groups for his work. In recognition of his immense contribution to the game, he was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Brooklyn Technical High School Hall of Fame in 2018.

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 ExpressVPN, Athletic Greens, and Helix Sleep. More on all three below. 

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

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#449: Grandmaster Maurice Ashley on the Magic of Chess, The Art of Trash Talking, Must-Read Biographies, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/68b05985-23db-4c2f-b627-c56c96e35daf.mp3Download

This podcast 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 everybody’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 also brought to you by ExpressVPN. I’ve been using ExpressVPN since last summer to make sure that my data is secure and encrypted, without slowing my Internet speed. If you ever use public Wi-Fi at, say, a hotel or a coffee shop, where I often work and as many of my listeners do, you’re often sending data over an open network, meaning no encryption at all.

A great way to ensure that all of your data is encrypted and can’t be easily read by hackers is by using ExpressVPN. All you need to do is download the ExpressVPN app on your computer or smartphone and then use the Internet just as you normally would. You click one button in the ExpressVPN app to secure 100% of your network data. Use my link ExpressVPN.com/Tim today and get an extra three months free on a one-year package!

This podcast is also 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. 

As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you’ll get a free 20-count travel pack (valued at $79) with your first order at  AthleticGreens.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 with our mutual friend Josh Waitzkin? Have a listen to our most recent conversation in which we discussed his own relationship with Maurice, approaches to learning, the benefits of being a beginner, why feedback loops are game-changers, unorthodox skill acquisition, and much more.

#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Selfhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/12d68ba3-6324-4364-95af-8113430a1adb.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE



Connect with Maurice Ashley:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens by Maurice Gordon Ashley
Kingston, Jamaica | Visit Jamaica
Softball | Wikipedia
Reggae Sunsplash | Wikipedia
Exploring the Barrel Children Cycle: Parent-Child Separation Due to Migration | Childhood Explorer
Brownsville: Inside One of Brooklyn’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods | Time
Park Slope, Brooklyn | StreetEasy
Brooklyn Technical High School
History of Chess: From Early Stages to Magnus | Chess.com
The Rising of the Black Star | The United States Chess Federation
Foreign Names of Chess Pieces | ChessOps
How to Play Blitz Chess: 12 Steps (with Pictures) | wikiHow
Grandmaster Maurice Ashley Plays NYC Trash-Talker | The Tim Ferriss Experiment
Searching for Bobby Fischer | Prime Video
Manhattan Chess Club | Wikipedia
Marshall Chess Club
Tiger Woods: 1997 Masters Tournament Final Round Broadcast | The Masters
Harlem Educational Activities Fund
Elo Rating System | Wikipedia
How to Become a Chess Grandmaster | Chess.com
How I Became an International Master, and You Can Too | The Chess World
Bar Examination | Wikipedia
Top 5 Free Chess Databases | Chess for Beginners
Chess Openings: Sicilian Defense | The Chess Website
How to Play Shogi | Ancient Chess
The Mystery of Go, the Ancient Game That Computers Still Can’t Win | Wired
The Grandmaster Diet: How to Lose Weight While Barely Moving | ESPN
Tara Brach on Meditation and Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) | The Tim Ferriss Show #94
Aikido | Wikipedia
Ashley’s Secret: Aikido Chess! | ChessBase
Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
Meet the First African American to Become a Chess Grandmaster | Black History
FIDE Titles | Wikipedia
Maurice Ashley’s Chess For Progress: How The Grandmaster Is Using The Game To Teach Life Skills | NPR
The Harlem Gambit | Sports Illustrated Vault
The Grandmaster Who Got Twitch Hooked on Chess | Wired
International Chess Federation
Chess.com
Lichess.org
Chess24.com
Tsume Shogi | Japanese Chess
Play Winning Chess by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Strategies by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Combinations by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Brilliancies by Yasser Seirawan
I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson by Jackie Robinson and Alfred Duckett
My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton
Transatlantic Slave Trade | Slavery and Remembrance
“You Can’t Legislate Love.” | Denzel Washington
The Reconstruction Amendments | National Constitution Center
A Brief History of Jim Crow | Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Devastation of Black Wall Street | JSTOR Daily
Racial Conflict: Race Riots Archives | Black Past
Civil Rights Act (1964) | Our Documents
Voting Rights Act (1965) | Our Documents
Woolworth’s Lunch Counter | Separate Is Not Equal
Redlining: A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How The US Government Segregated America | NPR
Alexis de Tocqueville on the Tyranny of the Majority | NEH-Edsitement
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody [Video] | The New York Times
Black Lives Matter
Summary of H.R. 5777: Police Accountability Act of 2020 | GovTrack.us
Link Between Education, Income Inequality Has Existed for a Century | ScienceDaily
Why Can’t We Focus During This Pandemic? | New Statesman
Wolmer’s High School for Boys
US Education Ranking Is Falling Behind the Rest of the World: How That Hurts the Economy and You | The Balance
Support a Classroom. Build a Future. | DonorsChoose
QuestBridge
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim Ferriss
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail Sheehy
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard
How Tiger Woods’ Career Might Have Turned out Differently | Bleacher Report
The Matrix | Prime Video
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date by Samuel Arbesman
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet? | Library of Congress
“You Can Always Find Somewhere to Salsa!” | Maurice, Twitter
Bachata Dance 2019 | Bachatwins
Spanish Podcast Episodes | Duolingo
The 12 Best Telenovelas of All Time | Cosmopolitan
Marcelo Garcia Trains Tim Ferris on Episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment | Jiu Jitsu Times
Majority | Mark Twain Quotes

SHOW NOTES

The Maurice Ashley origin story. [06:59]
Competition runs strong in the Ashley family. [09:55]
Why did Maurice’s family make the move to the US from Jamaica? Why did it involve a separation from their mother for 10 years, and what was it like to finally be reunited? [12:02]
What neighborhood in the US became home, and how did chess enter the picture for young Maurice? [15:29]
How a library book and a worthy opponent changed the way Maurice thought about chess. [18:17]
What was the Black Bear School? [19:58]
Blitz chess vs. classical chess. [23:25]
The Maurice Ashley guide to trash-talking. [25:46]
As the youngest member of the Black Bear School, what did Maurice see as the biggest setback keeping his older peers from truly excelling, and how did he evolve after “graduating” from their ranks? [30:18]
How did the atmosphere of a venerable chess club compare to what Maurice had, up to that point, been used to? [32:53]
Frustrated along the way on his quest to become a Grandmaster, what did Maurice learn from Tiger Woods that kept him in the game? [33:45]
At this time, how did Maurice’s frustration and depression around getting stuck in a rut transmute into the inspiration he needed to emerge from that rut? [36:04]
How does someone become a Master, Grandmaster, or any title in between? [39:29]
After teaching, commentating, and writing, how did Maurice get back into training shape to pursue his Grandmaster goal — and what technological advantage did he have in 1997 that he didn’t have in his Black Bear School days? [42:30]
How does Maurice suggest building mental and physical stamina for high-level chess (and why might you be hard-pressed to find a top-level player who could be considered overweight)? [47:00]
How does Maurice tie the disciplines of aikido and chess together? [50:38]
How did the experience of finally achieving the coveted Grandmaster title hit Maurice? What was the view like from the top of that mountain, and where could he possibly go after that? [53:31]
How does Maurice get kids hooked on chess, what does he get out of teaching, and what have been his most memorable teams? [57:02]
Why has chess remained popular for 1,500 years –and even seems to be increasing in popularity in the age of COVID-19? [58:31]
What would Maurice suggest to a relative chess beginner who doesn’t necessarily aspire to be a Grandmaster, but just wants to become competent at the game? [1:01:37]
Using puzzles to expand your repertoire and confidence. [1:03:38]
Recommended reading (for chess and general inspiration). [1:05:49]
How Maurice is processing the social unrest of 2020. [1:13:29]
How would Maurice hope to offset the tyranny of the majority in a way that makes America more just and equitable for all Americans — not just most Americans? [1:19:29]
As someone who’s spent time as an educator, where does Maurice feel our current educational models are most woefully lacking? [1:24:40]
How nonprofits DonorsChoose and QuestBridge are trying to help provide resources to teachers and students in underserved communities — now even more in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. [1:29:49]
Maurice expands on books he was kind enough to mention in Tribe of Mentors as having an impact on him. [1:33:02]
On being flexible, embracing uncertainty, and living out of a suitcase (though the timing might not be ideal). [1:39:50]
Maurice has never been afraid to say “I don’t know.” So where does salsa dancing, telenovelas, and Pluto fit into all of this? [1:42:09]
Parting thoughts and talking trash. [1:49:18]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Josh Waitzkin
Garry Kasparov
Maurice’s Mom
Maurice’s Dad
Maurice and Siblings
Devon Cormack
Alicia Ashley
Martha Graham
Nia Ashley
Mike Tyson
Paul Morphy
Clotaire Colas
Willie “Pops” Johnson
Edward Scissorhands
Ralph Malph
William Shakespeare
Vinnie Livermore
Laurence Fishburne
Bobby Fischer
William Morrison
George Golden
Ronald Simpson
Earnest Colding
Mark Meeres
Chris Welcome
Sam Singh
Tiger Woods
Dan Rose
Courtney Welsh
Arpad Elo
Bruce Lee
Napoleon Bonaparte
Magnus Carlsen
Oscar Ratti
Adele Westbrook
Ronnie Simpson
Hikaru Nakamura
LeBron James
Alexander Alekhine
Yasser Seirawa
Jackie Robinson
Frederick Douglass
David Blight
Harriet Tubman
Denzel Washington
Alexis de Tocqueville
Jayden Ashley
George Floyd
Michael McCullough
Gail Sheehy
George Leonard
Keanu Reeves
Morpheus
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Grandmaster Maurice Ashley on the Magic of Chess, the Art of Trash-Talking, Must-Read Biographies, and More (#449)

“Once you get to the top of the mountain, you look around, and you get your chance to look. And now what? You’ve got a nice view. That’s great. How long can you stay on the mountain? You need another mountain.”

— Grandmaster Maurice Ashley

Maurice Ashley (@MauriceAshley) made history in 1999 when he became the first African-American chess Grandmaster. He is a three-time national championship coach, author of Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens, ESPN commentator, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker.

Maurice is well known for providing dynamic live tournament coverage of world-class chess competitions and matches. His high-energy, unapologetic, and irreverent commentary combines Brooklyn street smarts with professional ESPN-style sports analysis. He has covered every class of elite event, including the World Chess Championships, the US Chess Championships, the Grand Chess Tour, and the legendary “man vs. machine” matches between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue.

Traveling the world as an ardent spokesperson for the many character-building effects of chess, Maurice consults with universities, schools, chess clubs, executives, and celebrities on how chess principles and strategies can be applied to improve business practices and assist with personal growth. Maurice also acts as a master of ceremonies and inspirational speaker at business conferences and high-class chess events.

Maurice has received multiple community service awards from city governments, universities, and community groups for his work. In recognition of his immense contribution to the game, he was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Brooklyn Technical High School Hall of Fame in 2018.

Please enjoy!

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#449: Grandmaster Maurice Ashley on the Magic of Chess, The Art of Trash Talking, Must-Read Biographies, and More
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SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with our mutual friend Josh Waitzkin? Have a listen to our most recent conversation in which we discussed his own relationship with Maurice, approaches to learning, the benefits of being a beginner, why feedback loops are game-changers, unorthodox skill acquisition, and much more.

#412: Josh Waitzkin on Beginner’s Mind, Self-Actualization, and Advice from Your Future Selfhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/12d68ba3-6324-4364-95af-8113430a1adb.mp3Download







SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE



Connect with Maurice Ashley:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens by Maurice Gordon Ashley
Kingston, Jamaica | Visit Jamaica
Softball | Wikipedia
Reggae Sunsplash | Wikipedia
Exploring the Barrel Children Cycle: Parent-Child Separation Due to Migration | Childhood Explorer
Brownsville: Inside One of Brooklyn’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods | Time
Park Slope, Brooklyn | StreetEasy
Brooklyn Technical High School
History of Chess: From Early Stages to Magnus | Chess.com
The Rising of the Black Star | The United States Chess Federation
Foreign Names of Chess Pieces | ChessOps
How to Play Blitz Chess: 12 Steps (with Pictures) | wikiHow
Grandmaster Maurice Ashley Plays NYC Trash-Talker | The Tim Ferriss Experiment
Searching for Bobby Fischer | Prime Video
Manhattan Chess Club | Wikipedia
Marshall Chess Club
Tiger Woods: 1997 Masters Tournament Final Round Broadcast | The Masters
Harlem Educational Activities Fund
Elo Rating System | Wikipedia
How to Become a Chess Grandmaster | Chess.com
How I Became an International Master, and You Can Too | The Chess World
Bar Examination | Wikipedia
Top 5 Free Chess Databases | Chess for Beginners
Chess Openings: Sicilian Defense | The Chess Website
How to Play Shogi | Ancient Chess
The Mystery of Go, the Ancient Game That Computers Still Can’t Win | Wired
The Grandmaster Diet: How to Lose Weight While Barely Moving | ESPN
Tara Brach on Meditation and Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) | The Tim Ferriss Show #94
Aikido | Wikipedia
Ashley’s Secret: Aikido Chess! | ChessBase
Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
Meet the First African American to Become a Chess Grandmaster | Black History
FIDE Titles | Wikipedia
Maurice Ashley’s Chess For Progress: How The Grandmaster Is Using The Game To Teach Life Skills | NPR
The Harlem Gambit | Sports Illustrated Vault
The Grandmaster Who Got Twitch Hooked on Chess | Wired
International Chess Federation
Chess.com
Lichess.org
Chess24.com
Tsume Shogi | Japanese Chess
Play Winning Chess by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Strategies by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Combinations by Yasser Seirawan
Winning Chess Brilliancies by Yasser Seirawan
I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson by Jackie Robinson and Alfred Duckett
My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton
Transatlantic Slave Trade | Slavery and Remembrance
“You Can’t Legislate Love.” | Denzel Washington
The Reconstruction Amendments | National Constitution Center
A Brief History of Jim Crow | Constitutional Rights Foundation
The Devastation of Black Wall Street | JSTOR Daily
Racial Conflict: Race Riots Archives | Black Past
Civil Rights Act (1964) | Our Documents
Voting Rights Act (1965) | Our Documents
Woolworth’s Lunch Counter | Separate Is Not Equal
Redlining: A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How The US Government Segregated America | NPR
Alexis de Tocqueville on the Tyranny of the Majority | NEH-Edsitement
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody [Video] | The New York Times
Black Lives Matter
Summary of H.R. 5777: Police Accountability Act of 2020 | GovTrack.us
Link Between Education, Income Inequality Has Existed for a Century | ScienceDaily
Why Can’t We Focus During This Pandemic? | New Statesman
Wolmer’s High School for Boys
US Education Ranking Is Falling Behind the Rest of the World: How That Hurts the Economy and You | The Balance
Support a Classroom. Build a Future. | DonorsChoose
QuestBridge
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Tim Ferriss
Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail Sheehy
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard
How Tiger Woods’ Career Might Have Turned out Differently | Bleacher Report
The Matrix | Prime Video
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date by Samuel Arbesman
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet? | Library of Congress
“You Can Always Find Somewhere to Salsa!” | Maurice, Twitter
Bachata Dance 2019 | Bachatwins
Spanish Podcast Episodes | Duolingo
The 12 Best Telenovelas of All Time | Cosmopolitan
Marcelo Garcia Trains Tim Ferris on Episode of The Tim Ferriss Experiment | Jiu Jitsu Times
Majority | Mark Twain Quotes

SHOW NOTES

The Maurice Ashley origin story. [06:59]
Competition runs strong in the Ashley family. [09:55]
Why did Maurice’s family make the move to the US from Jamaica? Why did it involve a separation from their mother for 10 years, and what was it like to finally be reunited? [12:02]
What neighborhood in the US became home, and how did chess enter the picture for young Maurice? [15:29]
How a library book and a worthy opponent changed the way Maurice thought about chess. [18:17]
What was the Black Bear School? [19:58]
Blitz chess vs. classical chess. [23:25]
The Maurice Ashley guide to trash-talking. [25:46]
As the youngest member of the Black Bear School, what did Maurice see as the biggest setback keeping his older peers from truly excelling, and how did he evolve after “graduating” from their ranks? [30:18]
How did the atmosphere of a venerable chess club compare to what Maurice had, up to that point, been used to? [32:53]
Frustrated along the way on his quest to become a Grandmaster, what did Maurice learn from Tiger Woods that kept him in the game? [33:45]
At this time, how did Maurice’s frustration and depression around getting stuck in a rut transmute into the inspiration he needed to emerge from that rut? [36:04]
How does someone become a Master, Grandmaster, or any title in between? [39:29]
After teaching, commentating, and writing, how did Maurice get back into training shape to pursue his Grandmaster goal — and what technological advantage did he have in 1997 that he didn’t have in his Black Bear School days? [42:30]
How does Maurice suggest building mental and physical stamina for high-level chess (and why might you be hard-pressed to find a top-level player who could be considered overweight)? [47:00]
How does Maurice tie the disciplines of aikido and chess together? [50:38]
How did the experience of finally achieving the coveted Grandmaster title hit Maurice? What was the view like from the top of that mountain, and where could he possibly go after that? [53:31]
How does Maurice get kids hooked on chess, what does he get out of teaching, and what have been his most memorable teams? [57:02]
Why has chess remained popular for 1,500 years –and even seems to be increasing in popularity in the age of COVID-19? [58:31]
What would Maurice suggest to a relative chess beginner who doesn’t necessarily aspire to be a Grandmaster, but just wants to become competent at the game? [1:01:37]
Using puzzles to expand your repertoire and confidence. [1:03:38]
Recommended reading (for chess and general inspiration). [1:05:49]
How Maurice is processing the social unrest of 2020. [1:13:29]
How would Maurice hope to offset the tyranny of the majority in a way that makes America more just and equitable for all Americans — not just most Americans? [1:19:29]
As someone who’s spent time as an educator, where does Maurice feel our current educational models are most woefully lacking? [1:24:40]
How nonprofits DonorsChoose and QuestBridge are trying to help provide resources to teachers and students in underserved communities — now even more in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. [1:29:49]
Maurice expands on books he was kind enough to mention in Tribe of Mentors as having an impact on him. [1:33:02]
On being flexible, embracing uncertainty, and living out of a suitcase (though the timing might not be ideal). [1:39:50]
Maurice has never been afraid to say “I don’t know.” So where does salsa dancing, telenovelas, and Pluto fit into all of this? [1:42:09]
Parting thoughts and talking trash. [1:49:18]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Josh Waitzkin
Garry Kasparov
Maurice’s Mom
Maurice’s Dad
Maurice and Siblings
Devon Cormack
Alicia Ashley
Martha Graham
Nia Ashley
Mike Tyson
Paul Morphy
Clotaire Colas
Willie “Pops” Johnson
Edward Scissorhands
Ralph Malph
William Shakespeare
Vinnie Livermore
Laurence Fishburne
Bobby Fischer
William Morrison
George Golden
Ronald Simpson
Earnest Colding
Mark Meeres
Chris Welcome
Sam Singh
Tiger Woods
Dan Rose
Courtney Welsh
Arpad Elo
Bruce Lee
Napoleon Bonaparte
Magnus Carlsen
Oscar Ratti
Adele Westbrook
Ronnie Simpson
Hikaru Nakamura
LeBron James
Alexander Alekhine
Yasser Seirawa
Jackie Robinson
Frederick Douglass
David Blight
Harriet Tubman
Denzel Washington
Alexis de Tocqueville
Jayden Ashley
George Floyd
Michael McCullough
Gail Sheehy
George Leonard
Keanu Reeves
Morpheus
Neo
Samuel Arbesman
Marcelo Garcia
Mark Twain