Episode · The Knowledge Project · 2026-10-27
Books mentioned on The Science of Doing Your Best Work
Steven Kotler is a bestselling author and the executive director of the Flow Research Collective, where he studies the science of peak performance. Most of us have felt it.
Steven Kotler discussed Deep Work by Cal Newport, The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler, and The Breakout Principle by Herbert Benson and others, and criticized The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk is a comprehensive exploration of how trauma physically impacts the human mind and body.
Critiqued“And it is a direct rebuttal against Vanderbilt, who I think is totally wrong. And I think that book is very problematic.”
Where to get it
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Deep Work
Deep Work by Cal Newport is a guide to cultivating focused success and eliminating distractions in an increasingly noisy world.
Discussed“I'm like, deep work is another word for flow, brother. Like I'm sorry. You've coined a new term when he says, well, no, you're, you're going to need a lot of struggle”
Where to get it
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The Rise of Superman
The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler explores the neuroscience of flow states and how extreme athletes achieve peak performance.
Discussed“That's not bad ROI, but if you read a book, they take Rises Superman. My books on, on average, about 70, 72,000 words to take most people at six to seven hours reading them.”
Where to get it
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The Breakout Principle
Discussed“He actually mapped the original neural chemistry, the flow cycle flows a four stage cycle. It's not a light switch experience. And he mapped it. And he looked at healing.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“So David, when you wrote incognito and you presented your information on synesthesia, that's really interesting. But it conflicts with what Helmholtz said back in blah”
“If you go if you open up West Jesus, which is the book I wrote where I tell the sort of this story we just walked through, I don't really write about much about the lime.”