Episode · How I Write · 2023-12-06
Books mentioned on A Productivity Master’s Guide to Writing | Ali Abdaal | How I Write Podcast
Ali Abdaal recommended The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, and discussed Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, Atomic Habits by James Clear, The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss, Steal like an artist by Austin Kleon, and Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King. David Perell discussed Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall is a pragmatic and well-written examination of how groups foster radical innovation and manage critical phase transitions.
Discussed“I was like, you know what? There's this other piece of advice I got from Safi Bahcall, I think, who wrote a book called Loonshots. Loonshots, yeah. Where he says FBR.”
Where to get it
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Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is a seminal exploration of human psychology, cognitive biases, and the dual systems that drive how we think and make decisions.
Discussed“I just read Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Here's a summary of my key highlights, a thread. That kind of stuff. And they'll get millions and millions of views.”
Where to get it
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The Psychology of Money
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel is a bestselling finance book that explores how human behavior, history, and personal pride shape financial decisions rather than strict math.
Recommended“I think most recent one has been The Psychology of Money, by Morgan Housel. So what does he do well there? What he does well there is that he's got a lot of chapters, 20 something chapters. 20 chapters actually.”
Where to get it
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Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a bestselling guide on habit formation that outlines how small daily actions and identity shifts can create lasting personal and professional change.
Discussed“Another way of approaching it would be, I guess, more like what James Clear did with Atomic Habits, where there is a thesis, i.e. Tiny habits, remarkable results. There is a four-part framework, or like the 4-Hour Workweek, four part framework of D-E-A-L.”
Where to get it
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The 4-Hour Workweek
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss is a popular lifestyle design and productivity guide focused on escaping the nine-to-five routine, automating income, and reclaiming personal time.
Discussed“four part framework of D-E-A-L. Delegate, elevate, automate, liberate, whatever the thing was. And you work through the framework. And I think when you're being introduced to a topic for the first time, I wonder if the framework is better, because I'd never read a book about habits.”
Where to get it
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Steal like an artist
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon is a creative guide that argues originality is a remix of existing influences and encourages creators to embrace borrowing and imitation.
Discussed“playing around with hundreds of titles like Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like An Artist. Can we all show your work? Can we do a phrase like that, make it fun?”
Where to get it
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Good Vibes, Good Life
Discussed“Good vibes? There was that book by Vex King called Good Vibes, Good Life. And I was like, good vibes, productivity? Maybe that could be.”
Where to get it
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Show Your Work!
Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon is a practical guide that encourages creators to share their daily processes, ideas, and unfinished projects rather than waiting for perfection.
Discussed“Yeah. I know you love this book, Show Your Work. Talk me through what about it was so game-changing for you?”
Where to get it
