Episode · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2024-07-10
Books mentioned on #753: Derek Sivers and Kevin Kelly
This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade.
Derek Sivers discussed The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Kevin Kelly recommended The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H. Pink, So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport, and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, and discussed Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Tim Ferriss recommended Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut and others and Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss is a highly influential lifestyle design manual that challenges conventional career paths and encourages readers to automate, delegate, and escape the traditional nine-to-five grind.
Discussed“I love the timing for when I read 4our work week because it was actually just after I had done this like complete delegation of everything”
Where to get it
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Walden
Walden by Henry David Thoreau is a classic transcendentalist masterwork detailing the author's experiences living in a cabin near Concord, Massachusetts, while reflecting on nature, solitude, and self-reliance.
Discussed“and I think trying that out you know building your house on the pond like the row mhm a hero of mine in high school is not just a simple exercise”
Where to get it
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Cat's Cradle
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical postmodern novel that explores themes of science, technology, religion, and human folly through the apocalyptic threat of a fictional substance called ice-nine.
Recommended“I was reading an interview with Kurt vaget who's one of my favorite authors for people who aren't familiar check out cat's cradle perhaps as a starting point”
Where to get it
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Vagabonding
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts is an insightful guide to the art of long-term world travel, digital nomadism, and taking extended sabbaticals.
Recommended“and it reminds me of conversations I've had with Ral pots and also his book vagabonding which I just absolutely love”
Where to get it
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The Adventures of Johnny Bunko
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko by Daniel H.
Recommended“there is a short graphic novel by Daniel pink called junco uhhuh and it's career counsel advice it's aimed at young people it's graphic novel it's a cartoon basically and it's aim at young people is trying to teach them how to become indispensable”
Where to get it
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So Good They Can't Ignore You
So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport is a career guide arguing that developing rare and valuable skills is far more important for finding fulfilling work than simply following one's passion.
Recommended“well there is a book that I'm recommending by C Newport is called so good that can't ignore you this changed my mind because I kind of bought into the kind of new age California dogma of follow your bliss”
Where to get it
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Shantaram
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a sweeping, voluminous novel that follows an Australian fugitive's intense adventures, redemption, and deep personal transformations in the slums and underworld of Bombay.
Recommended“do you have a favorite fiction book yes oh fantastic this i usually don't get one answer this is great yeah shanton ah shantam it might take me a way to explain this”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (10) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I actually recommended ag1 in my 2010 best seller more than a decade ago the 4-Hour Body and I did not get paid to do so”
“first up Derek cers former musician programmer Ted speak speaker and circus clown who sold his first company CD Baby for $22 million and gave all the money to charity and author of books on philosophy and Entrepreneurship including how to live hell yeah or no anything you want and useful”
“first up Derek cers former musician programmer Ted speak speaker and circus clown who sold his first company CD Baby for $22 million and gave all the money to charity and author of books on philosophy and Entrepreneurship including how to live hell yeah or no anything you want and useful”
“first up Derek cers former musician programmer Ted speak speaker and circus clown who sold his first company CD Baby for $22 million and gave all the money to charity and author of books on philosophy and Entrepreneurship including how to live hell yeah or no anything you want and useful”
“first up Derek cers former musician programmer Ted speak speaker and circus clown who sold his first company CD Baby for $22 million and gave all the money to charity and author of books on philosophy and Entrepreneurship including how to live hell yeah or no anything you want and useful”
“and now Kevin Kelly founding executive editor of Wired Magazine former editor and publisher of the whole earth review and best-selling author of books on technology and culture including excellent advice for living the inevitable what technology wants and Vanishing Asia”
“and now Kevin Kelly founding executive editor of Wired Magazine former editor and publisher of the whole earth review and best-selling author of books on technology and culture including excellent advice for living the inevitable what technology wants and Vanishing Asia”
“and now Kevin Kelly founding executive editor of Wired Magazine former editor and publisher of the whole earth review and best-selling author of books on technology and culture including excellent advice for living the inevitable what technology wants and Vanishing Asia”
“and now Kevin Kelly founding executive editor of Wired Magazine former editor and publisher of the whole earth review and best-selling author of books on technology and culture including excellent advice for living the inevitable what technology wants and Vanishing Asia”
“yes so this is a one of the many resources that I recommend in my book Cool Tools MH and Cool Tools is a big catalog of possibilities”