Book · 1951 · Psychohistory
Foundation
#132 of 16,686 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 19
- people
- 17
- podcasts
- 13
- episodes
- 17
- critical mentions
- 0
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is widely understood to be the inspiration for Star Wars, Dune, and even The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Duncan Trussell · The Joe Rogan Experience · May 2024 Listen at 1:26:28 What they say about it
- Read as a child“fictional works I read as a child”2
- Inspiration for sci-fi“inspiration for Star Wars”2
- Mentions the Mule“like the mule in the Foundation series”2
The best things said about it
The third and the fun section, or fiction section, that I'll recommend is actually kind of a secret weapon in that I've met a ton of other CEOs and founders and folks who ultimately they were highly, highly influenced by this book. And that is the Foundation by Isaac Asimov.
Since I was a kid I was a fan of science fiction and i always saw and imagined the way that technology could change the world and you know i read Isaac Asimov's Foundation series where he made up this profession of psycho historians.
Whether these companies were like the mule in the Foundation series, something that could never be predicted and just came out of nowhere and it was just a one-time thing.
If I think of some fictional works I read as a child like Isaac Asimov's Foundation there was a thrill to the complete newness of it.
Tyler Cowen Conversations with Tyler · Jan 2023 The books on my list are the foundation series by isaac asimov dune snow crash by neil stephenson and ender's game like you mentioned.
Probably a sick asimov foundation trilogy this is a amazing story of harry selden.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
1
3
1
3
2
4
2
3
How it comes up
17 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Foundation by Isaac Asimov is a classic science fiction masterpiece that chronicles a group of scientists working to preserve knowledge and shorten a dark age through the science of psychohistory. Tobi Lütke praised the series on The Knowledge Project for its exceptional science fiction storytelling, and Matt Mullenweg recommended it on The Tim Ferriss Show as a foundational secret weapon that has deeply influenced many founders and CEOs. The epic also prompted various cultural and technological discussions across podcasts; Emad Mostaque cited Asimov's robot laws on The Jordan Harbinger Show when discussing artificial intelligence safeguards, and Thomas Laffont compared unpredictable industry shifts to the character of the Mule on All-In. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice discussed Apple TV's television adaptation on StarTalk Radio, Andrew Ross Sorkin referenced the series on All-In to explain social trends, Reid Hoffman credited the books with shaping his early worldview on The Diary Of A CEO, and Ben discussed reading the series on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know.
Every mention
Matt Mullenweg The third and the fun section, or fiction section, that I'll recommend uh is actually kind of a secret weap… 1
Recommended
“The third and the fun section, or fiction section, that I'll recommend uh is actually kind of a secret weapon in that I've met a ton of other CEOs and founders and folks who ultimately they were highly, highly influenced by this book. And that is the Foundation by Isaac Asimov.”
Tobi Lütke but um his longer book is good fiction and foundation series is so good you read the three body parlance to… 1
Recommended
“but um his longer book is good fiction and foundation series is so good you read the three body parlance too right i guess that's sort of tripping into older book now too but like um that's a recent sci-fi which is incredibly good”
Ariel Ekblaw probably a sick asimov foundation trilogy this is a amazing story of harry selden 2
Discussed
“probably a sick asimov foundation trilogy this is a amazing story of harry selden”
Discussed
“probably a sick asimov foundation trilogy”
Adam Frank because that's it gives me the turtle because it's from like Shakespeare like from Caesar or something I wa… 1
Discussed
“because that's it gives me the turtle because it's from like Shakespeare like from Caesar or something I was thought it wasn't good but it's the idea that like you know in the foundation trilogy the Isaac gazzman off you know classic science fiction thing there's the city of the Planet of Trant”
Andrew Ross Sorkin By the way, the book is foundation the foundation series. 1
Discussed
“By the way, the book is foundation the foundation series.”
Duncan Trussell Every sci-fi property you love is based on Foundation, interesting, Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is wid… 1
Discussed
“Every sci-fi property you love is based on Foundation, interesting, Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is widely understood to be the inspiration for Star Wars, Dune, and even The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.”
Emad Mostaque If you read the Isaac Asimov Foundation and Robot series, right? I think I've got it up here. There were th… 1
Discussed
“If you read the Isaac Asimov Foundation and Robot series, right? I think I've got it up here. There were the three laws of robotics. That shall not cause harm to a human and things like that.”
Erik Brynjolfsson since i was a kid i was a fan of science fiction and i always saw and imagined the way that technology coul… 1
Discussed
“since i was a kid i was a fan of science fiction and i always saw and imagined the way that technology could change the world and you know i read isaac asimov's foundation series where he made up this profession of psycho historians”
George Hotz i've been working through the foundation i've been i've haven't read much sci-fi my whole life and i'm tryi… 1
Discussed
“i've been working through the foundation i've been i've haven't read much sci-fi my whole life and i'm trying to fix that the last few months that's been a little side project”
Jason Calacanis i like to think have you ever heard the foundation sci-fi series by asimov of course yeah i didn't read it… 1
Discussed
“i like to think have you ever heard the foundation sci-fi series by asimov of course yeah i didn't read it i think of trump is the mule right the exception that broke all the systems”
Joe Rogan Isaac asimov's Foundation series is widely understood to be the inspiration for Star Wars Dune and even The… 1
Discussed
“Isaac asimov's Foundation series is widely understood to be the inspiration for Star Wars Dune and even The Hitchhiker guide of the Galaxy”
Mia Wong So my my favorite bit from that is there's a bit where like the encyclopedia from the foundation series lik… 1
Discussed
“So my my favorite bit from that is there's a bit where like the encyclopedia from the foundation series like from the future like falls down and it falls open onto a page”
Neil deGrasse Tyson I recently began watching Apple TV's version of Ismic Asimov's Foundation. It is awesome. 1
Discussed
“I recently began watching Apple TV's version of Ismic Asimov's Foundation. It is awesome.”
Reid Hoffman like you know how do you know what is the scope of humanity like you know Isaac asimov's foundation and you… 1
Discussed
“like you know how do you know what is the scope of humanity like you know Isaac asimov's foundation and you know this kind of stuff”
Ryan Hall the books on my list are the foundation series by isaac asimov dune snow crash by neil stephenson and ender… 1
Discussed
“the books on my list are the foundation series by isaac asimov dune snow crash by neil stephenson and ender's game like you mentioned”
Thomas Laffont So one one event completely dented the trajectory of almost that entire industry. So it's hard for me to kn… 1
Discussed
“So one one event completely dented the trajectory of almost that entire industry. So it's hard for me to know whether that's truly, you know, whether these companies were like the mule in the Foundation series, something that could never be predicted and just came out of nowhere and it was just a one-time thing.”
Tyler Cowen if I think of some fictional works I read as a child like Isaac asimov's Foundation there was a thrill to t… 1
Discussed
“if I think of some fictional works I read as a child like Isaac asimov's Foundation there was a thrill to the complete newness of it”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
Discussed
“As Matt mentioned, oh my gosh, I'm reading the Foundation series. I accidentally bought the second one out of sequence and then realized that, so I ordered the first one, and now I'm starting fresh.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“What you're talking about is this TV show on Apple TV called The Foundation where it's about how they've cloned a king over and over and over again.”
Passing
“Yeah, well you know what that reminds me of, Chuck, is do you remember that big coffee table gnome book from the 70s, like Garden Gnomes?”
Passing
“oh my gosh I'm reading the foundation series”
Passing
“I've just recently been binging on the Isaac Asimov story, Foundations, now streaming, and a big part of it is just in the background. There are people who can infuse their body with nanobots, and they know how to heal an injury for you.”
Passing
“i own her copy of the foundation”