Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2026-03-14
Books mentioned on If You Hate Your Job, This is How to Start Over - Bill Gurley - #1071
Bill Gurley is a venture capitalist, general partner at Benchmark, and a former Wall Street analyst. How do you find work you actually enjoy?
Bill Gurley recommended Generations by Jean M. Twenge, Setting the Table by Danny Meyer, and Range by David J. Epstein, and discussed Grit by Angela Duckworth, The new journalism by Tom Wolfe, The New New Journalism by Robert Boynton, Sharkproof by Harvey Mackay, One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch and others, and Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Chris Williamson discussed The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Grit
Grit by Angela Duckworth explores the psychological importance of passion, perseverance, and delayed gratification in achieving long-term success.
Discussed“That's what Angela Duckworth's been saying now. You know, the perseverance part we've taught them.”
Where to get it
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R.
Discussed“well, it's it's actually quite synonymous with the uh the uh one of the seven habits of highly effective people begin with the end in mind.”
Where to get it
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Generations
Jean M.
Recommended“So, generations is is really fascinating. This stinks of you. Highly recommend it.”
Where to get it
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The new journalism
Tom Wolfe's anthology The New Journalism is a landmark collection showcasing the innovative literary techniques adopted by non-fiction writers in the mid-twentieth century.
Discussed“But, uh, but that led me to a book called The New Journalism.”
Where to get it
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The New New Journalism
Discussed“And there's another one called the new new journalism about these writers that kind of left the being beat writers on newspapers”
Where to get it
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Sharkproof
Discussed“There was a there was a this book I read when I was really in I think back in business school called Shark Proof by Harvey McKay.”
Where to get it
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One Up On Wall Street
One Up On Wall Street by Peter Lynch and John Rothchild is a classic investment guide that teaches individual investors how to find lucrative market opportunities using everyday observations.
Discussed“You know, I'd read one up on Wall Street.”
Where to get it
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Setting the Table
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer is a renowned memoir and business guide that outlines the author's philosophy of enlightened hospitality and leadership in the restaurant industry.
Recommended“He has a great book setting the table if people haven't read it.”
Where to get it
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Outliers
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is an examination of the external factors, cultural legacies, and massive amounts of practice that contribute to extraordinary success.
Discussed“You know how they talk about 10,000 hours? Referring to the Malcolm Gladwell book.”
Where to get it
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Flow
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a psychological masterpiece that explores the state of optimal experience, immersion, and deep engagement where challenges perfectly match an individual's skill level, resulting in profound fulfillment and distorted perceptions of time.
Discussed“the word that popped into my brain, and there's a book by this title was flow.”
Where to get it
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Range
Range by David J.
Recommended“Um, the second half of Range impacted me and Yeah.”
Where to get it
