Book · 1991 · Fiction
Stranger in a Strange Land
- mentions
- 11
- people
- 8
- podcasts
- 8
- episodes
- 10
- critical mentions
- 0
The book I recommend to people the most is Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.
What they say about it
- Discusses the term grok“Grok comes from Stranger in a Strange Land”2
- References Valentine Smith“named his AI grock after Valentine Smith”2
The best things said about it
And it started with a recommendation from my mom who said that I should read a stranger in a strange land by Robert Heinlein.
Tim Ferriss StarTalk Radio · Jan 2020 Grok comes from Stranger in a Strange Land. The first two-thirds of Stranger in a Strange Land are good, and then it gets very weird in the third portion.
Elon Musk Cheeky Pint · Feb 2026 Grock was the mode of apprehension used by I think Valentine Smith in Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein's book.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Jul 2024 I was very influenced by Robert Heinlein the science fiction author, Stranger in a Strange Land and so on, absolutely it was so brilliant.
That's been one of my goals for this year to catch up on some science fiction so uh Robert Highland uh from Stranger in a Strange Land has this quote about love which is love is that condition where another person's happiness is is essential to your own.
Lex Fridman Lex Fridman Podcast · Feb 2023 Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
1
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4
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2
How it comes up
8 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is a renowned science fiction novel that explores human culture, religion, and the concept of grokking through a human raised on Mars. David Maisel recommended it on The Tim Ferriss Show as the book he suggests to people the most, while Tim Ferriss recalled on StarTalk Radio that his mother originally recommended the science fiction classic to him. Elon Musk discussed the novel on the Cheeky Pint and Dwarkesh Podcast, noting that while the first two-thirds are good, it gets very weird in the third portion, and pointing out that his AI model Grok derives its name from the book. Kelsey Grammer brought up the novel on The Jordan Harbinger Show to illustrate the profound understanding meant by grokking. Additionally, Jordan Peterson referenced the work across multiple episodes of The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, examining how science fiction concepts like Valentine Smith's mode of apprehension reintroduce myth into engineering spheres.
Every mention
David Maisel The book I recommend to people the most is Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. 1
Recommended
“The book I recommend to people the most is Stranger In A Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.”
Tim Ferriss and it started with a recommendation from my mom who said that I should read a stranger in a strange land b… 1
Recommended
“and it started with a recommendation from my mom who said that I should read a stranger in a strange land by Robert Heinlein”
Jordan Peterson heand does the same thing with Stranger in a Strange Land right because and it's so interesting because mus… 3
Discussed
“heand does the same thing with Stranger in a Strange Land right because and it's so interesting because musk named his AI grock after Valentine Smith”
Discussed
“heand does the same thing with Stranger in a Strange Land”
Discussed
“because grock was the mode of apprehension used by I think Valentine Smith in Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinen's book”
Elon Musk I found that book much better than his other one that everyone reads, Stranger in a Strange Land. "Grok" co… 2
Discussed
“I found that book much better than his other one that everyone reads, Stranger in a Strange Land. "Grok" comes from Stranger in a Strange Land. The first two-thirds of Stranger in a Strange Land are good, and then it gets very weird in the third portion.”
Discussed
“I found that book much better than his other one that everyone reads, Stranger in a Strange Land.”
Ben Bowlin mitochondria back in the day was a bacteria so mitochondria is a Stranger in a Strange Land to quote Highla… 1
Discussed
“mitochondria back in the day was a bacteria so mitochondria is a Stranger in a Strange Land to quote Highland once upon a time it was completely separate from the human body”
Kelsey Grammer having the personal sort of do you remember there's a book called a stranger in a strange land there's an e… 1
Discussed
“having the personal sort of do you remember there's a book called a stranger in a strange land there's an expression I I think um um Elon's done it he's got the company called gro gr o k it's called groing right you were you you grock something it meant you got something in a profound way and that was”
Lex Fridman that's been one of my goals for this year to catch up on some science fiction so uh Robert Highland uh from… 1
Discussed
“that's been one of my goals for this year to catch up on some science fiction so uh Robert Highland uh from Stranger in a Strange Land has this quote about love which is love is that condition where another person's happiness is is essential to your own”
Martine Rothblatt I think that in in terms of authors I was very influenced by Robert heinlin the science fiction author Stra… 1
Discussed
“I think that in in terms of authors I was very influenced by Robert heinlin the science fiction author Stranger in a Strange Land and so on absolutely it was so brilliant”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“I think there's a heavy metal album called Stranger in a Strange Land, but I can't remember who it's by.”
Passing
“Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, which were also very condensed thought experiments.”