Episode · How I Write · 2025-10-15
David Perell & Morgan Housel: books mentioned on How I Write (Oct 2025)
Why You Don't Need Original Ideas — Morgan Housel
Morgan Housel discussed Atomic Habits by James Clear, No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin, and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. David Perell discussed Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a widely acclaimed guide on habit formation, personal development, and how minor incremental adjustments yield substantial long-term results.
Discussed“I remember when I read Atomic Habits by James Clear. I I I remember reading three pages and being like, That's it.”
Where to get it
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No Ordinary Time
No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin is an acclaimed historical biography that details how Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt managed the United States during the extraordinary years of World War II.
Discussed“The best example of this I come across is Doris Kearns Goodwin's book No Ordinary Time. It's a biography of FDR during World War II.”
Where to get it
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Macbeth
Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a classic tragedy exploring unchecked ambition, guilt, and the devastating moral consequences of treachery.
Discussed“I mean this is so cliche so forgive me but I I was at dinner and a friend quoted a line from Macbeth and he quoted it and I was like dude I need to remember that.”
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.
Discussed“One of the things that I didn't really understand at the time when I wrote Psychology of Money. I I I think I probably could have expressed this when I wrote it but I didn't believe it as much as I do now is when I turned in the manuscript for Psychology of Money I had a deep sense of”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“He is The Psychology of Money, which is now sold more than 8 million copies.”
“I had you had Mitch Albom on the show, who wrote Tuesdays with Morrie. And um it's so funny that the two of you are so similar.”
“I haven't read it, but that's what a lot of people have told me about Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Haven't read it.”
“I haven't read it, but that's what a lot of people have told me about Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Haven't read it.”