Episode · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2022-02-23
Books mentioned on #573: Margaret Atwood — A Living Legend on Creative Process, The Handmaid’s Tale, Being a Mercenary Child, Resisting Labels, the Poet Rug Exchange, Liminal Beings, Burning Questions, Practical Utopias, and More
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Margaret Atwood recommended The World Turned Upside Down by Yang Jisheng, and discussed The Iliad, The Odyssey, 1984 by George Orwell, and Middlemarch by George Eliot. Tim Ferriss recommended Trickster Makes This World by Lewis Hyde, The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson, and Of wolves and men by Barry Lopez, and discussed The Gift by Lewis Hyde, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Iliad
The Iliad by Homer is an ancient Greek epic poem detailing the events of the Trojan War and the wrath of Achilles.
Discussed“and that goes all the way back to for instance homer so you read the ilad and the Odyssey you can see that there's a Narrative Approach of very useful”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey
Homer's epic poem The Odyssey recounts the arduous ten-year journey of the Greek hero Odysseus as he strives to return home to Ithaca following the Trojan War, facing mythical monsters, divine wrath, and profound personal trials along the way.
Discussed“and that goes all the way back to for instance homer so you read the ilad and the Odyssey you can see that there's a Narrative Approach of very useful”
Where to get it
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Trickster Makes This World
Trickster Makes This World by Lewis Hyde is a captivating exploration of myth, creativity, and cultural disruption that examines the enduring archetype of the trickster figure.
Recommended“made me think of a book that I really enjoyed called trickster makes this world great book I love I know the author Lewis Hy yes I loved that book”
Where to get it
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The Gift
The Gift by Lewis Hyde is a classic exploration of the creative spirit, examining how artistic creation functions as a gift economy rather than a market-driven commercial enterprise.
Discussed“well have you read the gift his first book The Gift didn't grab me in the same way although I know many many many people who would put that up in their top three five books in terms of influence in their lives”
Where to get it
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1984
1984 by George Orwell is a classic dystopian novel exploring totalitarianism, surveillance, political tribalism, and the systematic control of information.
Discussed“so I read 1984 just after it came out so I read it in the paperback version with the typically sleazy cover of the early 50s”
Where to get it
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Middlemarch
Middlemarch by George Eliot is a classic Victorian novel that explores provincial life, social reform, morality, and human relationships in a fictional English town.
Discussed“Middlemarch by George Elliott the 19-year-old said of oh this is we don't like this book at all because the people in it make wrong decisions in their careers and they marry the wrong people”
Where to get it
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The Future of Life
The Future of Life by Edward O.
Recommended“and I'd love to ask you about because you you've recommended that young adults should read the future of Life by Edmund Osborne Wilson if the internet is to be believed”
Where to get it
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The World Turned Upside Down
The World Turned Upside Down by Yang Jisheng is a comprehensive historical examination of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the intricate political dynamics of that turbulent era.
Recommended“the world turned upside down it's by Yang Jang the most interesting part for me is is how they went about toppling the gang of four”
Where to get it
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The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" imagines a totalitarian society where individual liberties are stripped away and women's bodies are heavily controlled.
Discussed“when you wrote the handmaid stale decades ago did you plan Aunt Lydia's role as a double agent which the rest of us didn't find out until the Testament or did she evolve as a character in the space between the two books”
Where to get it
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The Testaments
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian novel that serves as a sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, exploring the inner workings of the regime of Gilead years after the original events.
Discussed“when you wrote the handmaid stale decades ago did you plan Aunt Lydia's role as a double agent which the rest of us didn't find out until the Testament or did she evolve as a character in the space between the two books”
Where to get it
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Arctic Dreams
Discussed“I'm reading a book right now called Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez he was a friend”
Where to get it
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Of wolves and men
Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez is a classic, genre-busting work of non-fiction that explores the biology, history, and cultural mythology surrounding wolves and their relationship with humans.
Recommended“um he passed away so recently and I was so sad to hear that I had been gifted of wolves and men and it absolutely blew my mind”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“so I I wrote a novel called Alias Grace and then that gets turned into a um Netflix series Ser minseries by Sarah paully”
“George Smiley is John lareo Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy ah got it m my6 guy who sets out to catch a mole”
“yes collection of essays from 2004 to 2021 which will be published in March of 2022 could you tell us more about burning questions”