Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2026-06-11
Books mentioned on Something Is Very Wrong With Modern Life - Arthur Brooks - #1109
Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, and an author. Why do some people feel lost while others seem deeply fulfilled?
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Leisure, the Basis of Culture
Leisure, the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper is a mid-twentieth-century philosophical work that examines the true meaning of leisure, contemplation, and their essential role in sustaining a healthy civilization.
Recommended“Peeper who wrote leisure the basis of culture. Have you read it? Oh, it's great.”
Where to get it
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The Power of Positive Thinking
The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale is a classic self-help manual that popularized the implementation of optimism, faith-based mental discipline, and mind-over-matter techniques to achieve personal success.
Discussed“He had a very famous self-help book in the 60s called the power of positive thinking.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“That movie, The Matrix, came out 27 years ago.”