Episode · How I Write · 2026-01-07

David Perell & Tom Junod: books mentioned on How I Write

Tom Junod: How to Write Unapologetically Well | How I Write

2 books · With Tom Junod · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Tom Junod is famous for writing essays that have defined both people and events. He wrote a piece called "The Falling Man" for Esquire, which is the canonical piece about 9/11.

Tom Junod discussed Finnegans Wake by James Joyce. David Perell discussed The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

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1. 

   Finnegans Wake

   James Joyce · at 1:05:41

   Finnegans Wake by James Joyce is an experimental, highly complex work of modern fiction known for its dense, multilingual portmanteau language and cyclical structure.

   Discussed

   “Like the books were going to be in there chronologically. And so it begins with the Bible and ends with Finnegan's Wake, you know.”

   Tom Junod Tom Junod: How to Write Unapologetically Well | How I Write 2026-01-07 Listen at 1:05:41

   Where to get it

   AmazonListen on Audible
2. 

   The Epic of Gilgamesh

   Unknown · at 1:05:54

   Why people recommend it: Preserving ancient mythology, human ambition, and timeless existential dread, The Epic of Gilgamesh is an anonymous Mesopotamian masterpiece.

   Discussed

   “Maybe maybe even pre-Bible. You know, there's some like some stoic an epic of Gilgamesh. Yeah. Exactly. How did you know? Yeah.”

   David Perell Tom Junod: How to Write Unapologetically Well | How I Write 2026-01-07 Listen at 1:05:54

   Where to get it

   AmazonListen on Audible