Episode · The Tim Ferriss Show · 2025-03-25
Books mentioned on #802: Craig Mod — The Real Japan, Cheap Apartments in Tokyo, Productive Side Quests, Creative Retreats, Buying Future Freedom, and Being Possessed by Spirits
Craig Mod is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa.
Craig Mod recommended Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, Thrilled to Death by Lynne Tillman, and Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, and discussed A heartbreaking work of staggering genius by Dave Eggers and others and The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst. Tim Ferriss recommended Little, Big by John Crowley.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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A heartbreaking work of staggering genius
Dave Eggers's acclaimed and unconventional memoir chronicles his experiences raising his younger brother following the sudden deaths of both of their parents, blending raw emotional vulnerability with formally experimental storytelling.
Discussed“Dave Edgars Pirate Shop, he's got his heartbreaking work of staggering genius comes out. That's an incredible book, right?”
Where to get it
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The Elements of Typographic Style
Discussed“Reading Robert Bringhurst's Elements of Typographic Style over and over and over and over. It's so dogeared my copy of it.”
Where to get it
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Little, Big
Little, Big by John Crowley is an intricate, epic fantasy novel that follows the mystical, generations-spanning history of the Drinkwater family and their eccentric estate near the edge of a magical realm.
Recommended“John Crowley, also a poet, Little Big is the name of the book.”
Where to get it
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Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard is a Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative of nature, observation, and spiritual reflection set in the suburban landscape of Virginia.
Recommended“Annie Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.”
Where to get it
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Thrilled to Death
Thrilled to Death by Lynne Tillman is a sharp and engaging collection of short fiction showcasing the author's distinctive literary voice and observations.
Recommended“She has a great book that just came out called Thrilled to Death, which if you're going to start Anywhere with Lynn, she's so funny.”
Where to get it
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Pattern Recognition
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson is a seminal cyberpunk novel that follows a marketing consultant with a psychological aversion to corporate logos as she investigates mysterious video clips circulating online.
Recommended“Pattern Recognition is an incredible book. I read it once every couple of years. It's beautiful.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I know you got the new book. Anything come to mind?”
“I was looking at the printed book of the walk with the photographs just the other day and I was like, "Wow, that's wild."”
“like there was no one, you know, no one around me was reading Ulisses, you know, it was like it was pretty uh like culturally a bit of a desert.”
“I remember we had to like design a book cover and I had like you know what was it the sun also rises or something? I think it was a Hemingway cover.”
“I remember we like pulled out our books on the first day of the trip. We had both brought The Stranger by Kimu.”
“I mean, he has a quote that people see in Silicon Valley quite a lot, which is pulled from Neurommancer, I believe, which is the future is already here.”