Cory Booker — Street Fights, 10-Day Hunger Strikes, and Creative Problem-Solving
[image error]
“Don’t feel powerless, ever.”
– Cory Booker
Cory Booker (@corybooker) is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from New Jersey.
I generally have an allergy to politics, but Cory’s story is endlessly fascinating (e.g., he’s faced down death threats from gangs, run into burning buildings, and much more), and we have a few years of history together.
We cover a lot in this wide-ranging catch-up conversation, including his diet, lessons from early mentors and athletics, routines, books that have had an impact, learning how to “street fight” in New Jersey after receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, and much more.
Cory began his political career as a city councilor from 1998 to 2002 in Newark, New Jersey’s largest city. He later served as mayor of Newark, which under his leadership entered its biggest period of economic growth since the 1960s — the first new downtown hotels were constructed in forty years, the first new office towers in twenty.
He then won the Senate Democratic primary in August of 2013, and then won the general election on October 16, 2013, becoming the first African-American U.S. Senator from New Jersey.
Cory is also the author of The New York Times bestseller United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear a podcast with an influencer in the world of politics? — Listen to my conversation with Ezra Klein. In this episode, we discuss influencing the rules of the game by which this country is run (overall politics — not partisan), how Ezra lost 60 pounds, and his ascension into the ranks of the most respected media companies in the world (stream below or right-click here to download):
This episode is brought to you by Exo Protein. These guys are making protein bars using cricket protein powder. Before you look disgusted, I bet they taste better than any protein bar you’ve ever had before! With recipes that were developed by a three-Michelin-star chef, the bars are paleo-friendly, with no gluten, no grains, no soy, no dairy, and they won’t spike your glycemic response. In fact, they’re less processed than any other protein bars you’ll find.
Exo Protein is offering a deep discount to Tim Ferriss Show listeners. If you go to ExoProtein.com/Tim, you can try a sampler pack with all of the most popular flavors for less than $10. This is a startup with limited inventory that sells out all the time, so act fast!
This podcast is also brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients.
FreshBooks tells you when your clients have viewed your invoices, helps you customize your invoices, track your hours, automatically organize your receipts, have late payment reminders sent automatically and much more.
Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new Freshbooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim” in the “how did you hear about us” section.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Cory Booker:
Official Senate Website | Campaign Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good by Cory Booker
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
Cory’s episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS
Housing Discrimination Based on Race and Disabilities Still Persists by Hope A. Lang
Don’t Believe The Hype by Public Enemy
Cory Booker college football highlights from Stanford’s upset win over Notre Dame in 1990.
The Bridge Peer Counseling Center
“Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
How Far Apart Are Democrats and Republicans on School Reform? by Michael B. Henderson, Brookings
What My Morning Journal Looks Like
The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour: Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery
Newark Mayor Cory Booker to SNAP Critic: ‘Let’s Try It!’ by Steve Holt, TakePart
Sen. Cory Booker on the Spiritual Dimension of American Politics, The Ezra Klein Show
Real Life Extension: Caloric Restriction or Intermittent Fasting?
Gandhi: An Autobiography – The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi
Utilize the “Steel Man” Tactic to Argue More Effectively by Eric Ravenscraft, Lifehacker
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
Mark Zuckerberg’s Goal For 2014 Is To Write A Thank-You Note Every Day by Steve Kovach, Business Insider
How to Not Be Evil — Dr. Phil Zimbardo
StarPower — Use & Abuse of Power, Leadership & Diversity
Teach For America
New Jack City
Evicted, Newark’s Mayor Finds Another Blighted Street by Andrew Jacobs, The New York Times
Street Fight, the Oscar-nominated documentary about Cory’s 2002 mayoral campaign.
Cory Booker’s positions on policies related to drugs and addiction at OnTheIssues.org
Taking It to the Streets by Marc Peyser, Stanford Alumni
The Racist Housing Policy That Made Your Neighborhood by Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic
Toxic Passaic River to Get $1.38 Billion Cleanup Over 10 Years By Noah Remnick and Rick Rojas, The New York Times
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction
Cory Booker Joins Bernie Sanders in Backing Drug Re-Importation Bill by Ryan Grim, The Huffington Post
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Appalling Silence of Good People by PJ Mintner, The Huffington Post
QuestBridge
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler
Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63 by Taylor Branch
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Why We Have Dysfunctional Politicians by Paul Ratner, Big Think
The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith
Cory Booker: We Need to Love Each Other by Sara Ashley O’Brien, CNN
Show Notes
Even Cory Booker experiences imposter syndrome. [06:55]
When it comes to parents, Cory feels he “won the lottery.” [08:40]
Lessons Cory learned from his parents about being grateful and paying social debts forward. [10:50]
Cory talks about his college football career. [16:42]
What running a crisis hotline at Stanford taught Cory about empathy, counseling without judgment, and persuasion. [22:06]
Cory’s tactics for defusing tense situations and the importance of relating to our heroes. [29:45]
Cory talks about the benefits of intermittent fasting. [33:48]
How personal experimentation takes us out of our routines and expands our boundaries. [40:05]
On the idea of voluntarily experiencing life in an underprivileged community riddled with violence and drugs. [48:56]
“I’m not here to help; I’m here to learn.” Cory talks about the challenges of trying to make changes in Newark as an outsider. [53:58]
Cory explains the exclusionary policy of “redlining” that created slums, and the challenges these communities still face today. [1:12:06]
On bipartisanship and friendship with Chris Christie. [1:21:15]
What makes someone a good activist? [1:24:15]
“How to Get Straight A’s in College If You’re a Dumb Person” by Cory Booker and Tim Ferriss — coming soon to a bookstore near you! [1:26:45]
Is this podcast really one of the few spaces in America where people of all political persuasions can come together? [1:32:06]
Cory explains what a superfund is, and how it’s a symptom of deeper problems that need to be addressed from both sides of the political aisle. [1:32:39]
On the importance of Americans preserving “an irrational commitment” to one another. [1:36:07]
Even the mayor of Newark doesn’t get to cut in line to vote. [1:37:24]
As overwhelming as we might find the world’s problems, we can’t allow our inability to do everything undermine our determination to do something. [1:38:58]
Cory’s mission statement. [1:42:48]
Being successful at activism is like being successful at anything: start small and build momentum. [1:43:35]
Books Cory has gifted the most. [1:47:03]
A question Cory wishes more people would ask themselves. [1:49:45]
As a man of faith, Cory finds the frontiers of science to be very spiritual — and non-partisan. [1:50:39]
Has capitalism lost its way? [1:53:15]
Parting thoughts and Cory’s ask of the audience. [1:54:32]
People Mentioned
Cary Booker
Carolyn Booker
James Baldwin
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin D. Roosevelt
John F. Crowley
Lou Holtz
George Gipp
Rudy Ruettiger
Todd Lyght
Socrates
Donald Trump
Bryan Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Santa Claus
Ezra Klein
Dom D’Agostino
Valter Longo
Peter Attia
Mohandas Gandhi
Charles Darwin
Benjamin Franklin
Mark Zuckerberg
Phil Zimbardo
Virginia Jones
Sharpe James
Bryan Callen
Elaine Sewell
James Bevel
Dorothy Cotton
Bull Connor
Barbara Martinez
Kalief Browder
Chris Christie
Maya Angelou
Alice Walker
Toni Morrison
Jeff James
Ronald Reagan
Mitch McConnell
Bernie Sanders
Bryan Stevenson
Jesse Itzler
Taylor Branch
Matthew B. Klapper
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Adam Smith
Bill Bradley
Deb Fischer
Tim Scott
Rand Paul
Frank Hutchins
