Episode · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2023-01-04
Books mentioned on #648: James Clear, Atomic Habits — Simple Strategies for Building (and Breaking) Habits, Questions for Personal Mastery and Growth, Tactics for Writing and Launching a Mega-Bestseller, Finding Leverage, and More
Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement, Peloton Row premium rower for an efficient workout, and You Need A Budget cult-favorite money management app. James Clear (@JamesClear) is a writer and speaker focused on habits and continuous improvement.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a practical and widely acclaimed guide to building good habits, breaking bad ones, and mastering the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
Discussed“He is the author of the number one New York Times mega bestseller, I'm adding the mega, Atomic Habits, which covers easy and proven ways to build good habits and break bad ones.”
Where to get it
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Finite and Infinite Games
Finite and Infinite Games by James P.
Recommended“You can get a feel for, for instance, Finite and Infinite Games by Carse, is that something you want to read? Well, you could get a very good taste of it.”
Where to get it
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The Psychology of Money
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel is a popular finance book that explores how human behavior, ego, and worldview shape financial decisions rather than purely mathematical formulas.
Recommended“Quick side sell for Morgan, The Psychology of Money. The title may seem generic. The book is outstanding. I really enjoyed it.”
Where to get it
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Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a productivity guide that outlines rules for achieving focused success in a distracted world.
Discussed“Another one that I looked at, I can't remember which one of Cal Newport's books it was, but it was either Deep Work or something like that. But he had a section on, here are the rules that you need to follow...”
Where to get it
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The Power of Positive Thinking
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale is a famous mid-century self-help book that popularized mind-over-matter techniques and positive mindset philosophies.
Discussed“So The Power of Habit, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Now, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, The blah, blah, blah.”
Where to get it
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson is a popular self-help guide that challenges conventional positivity by urging readers to carefully choose what matters to them.
Discussed“So The Power of Habit, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Now, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, The blah, blah, blah.”
Where to get it
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The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual guide that encourages readers to find inner peace and liberation by anchoring their awareness entirely in the present moment.
Discussed“So The Power of Habit, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Now, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, The blah, blah, blah.”
Where to get it
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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo is a bestselling self-help guide advocating for minimalist organization and the practice of retaining only possessions that spark joy.
Discussed“So The Power of Habit, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Now, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, The blah, blah, blah.”
Where to get it
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The Power of Habit
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg is a bestselling exploration of how habit loops dictate personal and professional success.
Discussed“So The Power of Habit, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Power of Now, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, The blah, blah, blah.”
Where to get it
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The War of Art
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is an inspiring and blunt manual for defeating internal creative blocks and overcoming the psychological barriers that prevent people from doing their best work.
Discussed“The War of Art. It's a very proven format. The Psychology of Money, we can just keep going on and on and on.”
Where to get it
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Extreme Ownership
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin is a leadership and self-improvement book written by former Navy SEALs that translates battlefield principles into corporate and personal accountability.
Discussed“I'll get to Atomic Habits in a second, but Extreme Ownership by Jocko.”
Where to get it
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The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss is a foundational lifestyle design and entrepreneurship guide that challenges conventional career paths by advocating for outsourcing, automation, and mini-retirements.
Discussed“4-Hour Workweek is a good example of this. Nobody really used that phrase before the book.”
Where to get it
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Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T.
Discussed“Another example that might be like Rich Dad Poor Dad. That book has this element of contrast between the two.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Another question I love, and this is actually at the core of a lot of what I talk about in Atomic Habits, is How can I create an environment that will naturally bring about my desired change?”
“So let's say when I was writing Atomic Habits early on, I was like, I know what I'm trying to achieve. I'm trying to write the most comprehensive and most useful book that's ever been written on habits.”
“So for all of those reasons, I felt like atomic was a great word to describe it. So It needs to describe what the topic is.”
“And this has rekindled my enthusiasm, amplified my enthusiasm for the new year. So I appreciate you sharing so much and being so game to play the tennis match of this conversation.”