Person
Every book Adam Skolnick recommended on podcasts
Adam Skolnick is a podcast co-host and writer who frequently shares literary recommendations and personal media diets on The Rich Roll Podcast. During his appearances, Skolnick has recommended a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books spanning various genres and subjects. He praised James Rebanks's The Place of Tides, calling him the best naturalist writing today and describing the work as one of the best non-fiction books he has read since Zetune. For readers who enjoyed David Goggins's previous work, Skolnick recommended the sequel Can't Hurt Me as an expression of the author's true philosophy. During discussions centered on Holocaust literature and survival, Skolnick recommended Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning—noting that it aligns well with the themes of his podcast—and Elie Wiesel's Night as a dark story about the author's experiences in the Holocaust. In conversations celebrating specific authors, Skolnick highlighted Jack Kerouac's seminal work On the Road as well as The Dharma Bums, expressing his deep love for both novels. Additionally, he recommended Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins as a classic road trip read, briefly noting that it follows the story of a young Chumash girl.
Books recommended by Adam Skolnick
-
Big Magic
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is an inspiring exploration of creativity that encourages individuals to embrace their curiosity, conquer fear, and pursue artistic endeavors without the paralyzing weight of perfectionism or external expectations.
Discussed“You know, it's kind of like how Elizabeth Gilbert and Anne Patchet had that thing in Big Magic where Elizabeth Gilbert had an idea and didn't pursue it or pursued it lightly and then gave up and then Anne Padet wrote a book about the same idea years later.”
Where to get it
-
Can't Hurt Me
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins is a powerful memoir detailing the author's harrowing journey from a brutal, abusive childhood and severe obstacles to becoming a Navy SEAL, ultra-marathon runner, and symbol of extreme mental toughness.
Recommended“So if you loved "Can't Hurt Me," this is like his true philosophy. He, that's how he describes it.”
Where to get it
-
On the Road
On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a seminal autobiographical novel that chronicles the cross-country road trips of its protagonist and captures the restless energy of the Beat Generation.
Recommended“I'm still On the Road, the Seminal work.”
Where to get it
-
The Dharma Bums
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac is a classic Beat Generation novel that follows characters exploring Zen Buddhism, nature, mountaineering, and alternative lifestyles across the American landscape.
Recommended“I love that one, I also love Dharma Bums.”
Where to get it
-
Evening in paradise
Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin is a collection of short stories showcasing the author's sharp eye for human struggle, vivid characterizations, and overlooked experiences.
Recommended“And Evening in Paradise by Lucia Berlin. who's an overlooked short story author.”
Where to get it
-
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a classic children's survival novel inspired by the true story of a Nicoleño woman stranded alone for years on an island off the coast of California.
Recommended“Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is a classic for around here. It's about, it's actually about a little Chumash girl”
Where to get it
-
Man's Search for Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E.
Recommended“"Man's Search for Meaning" is like right up the alley of this podcast.”
Where to get it
-
Night
Night by Elie Wiesel is a dark and powerful memoir detailing the author's harrowing experiences in the Holocaust.
Recommended“And then there's Elie Wiesel who is, this is a very dark story about his experience in the Holocaust.”
Where to get it
-
The diary of a young girl
The diary of a young girl by Cherry Gilchrist and Anne Frank is a profoundly moving historical account documenting the harrowing experiences of a Jewish girl hiding from Nazi persecution during World War II.
Recommended“"Diary of Ann Frank" Ann Frank's family stories in that series.”
Where to get it
-
The Place of Tides
James Rebanks's non-fiction work transports readers to a remote island setting to examine a quiet way of living away from modern distractions.
Recommended“I read uh for now James re exactly James Reebank's new book uh who shares an agent with uh with you and I a bird is his agent called the place of tides. He is uh I think the best naturalist writing today. I I it's it's one of the best non-fiction books I've read since Zetune.”
Where to get it
-
A Man at Arms
A Man at Arms by Steven Pressfield is a historical fiction novel centered on the hero Telamon and a gripping journey through antiquity.
Discussed“Steven Pressfield's new book, "A Man at Arms." There's a similar journey that takes place in that novel.”
Where to get it
-
Democracy in America
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is a foundational socio-political study offering an insightful external perspective on the American political and cultural landscape.
Discussed“so yeah de Tocqueville wrote this book what's it called on America yeah forget it was like early 19th century so french guy comes to america it's me on democracy man yeah yeah yeah”
Where to get it
-
Dialogue
Discussed“and I I I've been listening to dialogue by Robert McKee I know he's a guest that's coming up yeah”
Where to get it
-
MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
Herman Melville's Moby-Dick; or, The Whale explores the obsessive, destructive quest of Captain Ahab to hunt down the white whale that maimed him, weaving a sprawling narrative that blends high-seas adventure, philosophical inquiry, and encyclopedic maritime lore.
Discussed“Herman Melville ended up working at the customs office after he wrote Moby-Dick. You know, like I can come up, I could give you 100 reasons why it's a bad career decision long-term.”
Where to get it
-
Pastoral Song
Discussed“I was reading Pastoral Song at that time. So it's like all the breakdown of what's happened in terms of industrial agriculture...”
Where to get it
-
Range
Range by David J.
Discussed“Cause you know, I know you talk about David Epstein's book range.”
Where to get it
-
Regeneration
Regeneration by Paul Hawken is a solution-based book aimed at guiding the climate movement and ending the climate crisis within a single generation.
Discussed“well I can Define regeneration for you but I think it's probably better to get the guy who wrote the book regeneration you know Paul Hawkin”
Where to get it
-
Silent Spring
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is a groundbreaking environmental science book published in 1962 that documented the devastating ecological effects of pesticides like DDT, ultimately launching the modern environmental movement.
Discussed“And um he was right, of course, that it you know, that that it should have been discovered for years because then sometime around 1962, a marine biologist named Rachel Carson, who you probably have heard of cuz of her books Silent Spring.”
Where to get it
-
THE PLAGUE
The Plague by Albert Camus is a classic existentialist novel that uses the allegorical setting of a city struck by a deadly epidemic to explore profound themes of human suffering, absurdism, collective responsibility, and resilience.
Discussed“i just finished a little light reading it's plague by albert camus”
Where to get it
-
The Sixth Extinction
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert is a deeply researched examination of the ongoing mass extinction event driven by human activity and its catastrophic implications for global biodiversity.
Discussed“It made me think of Elizabeth Kolbert book, "Sixth Extinction."”
Where to get it
Books Adam Skolnick wrote
Appearances
Other mentions (11: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I mean we were number one on Audible for like five weeks I mean we were doing really well can't hurt me got a bump out of it”
“and then um by the time I got to it I turned it in like a week before the World Cup and like the Time Sports desk was all in yeah in uh in Qatar interesting Cotter um cool yeah Cotter I think um are you working on anything else for the times”
“So on December 6th, the sequel to David Goggins' "Can't Hurt Me" his second book is launching.”
“It's called "Never Finished" and it is finally finished. There were times there where we wondered if "Never Finished."”
“Michael Chabon, "The Yiddish Policeman's Union." A great murder mystery.”
“and he has something called Garner's Quotations that just came out not too long ago, maybe a year ago”
“samantha power the obama ambassador to the u.n i believe and she wrote a book called the education of an idealist”
“Like, she's a test case in David Epstein's book range, just like, "I'm trying new things," good.”
“And love reading Just Kids, Patti Smith, being a part of that scene.”
“Carl Metzler, that's the name that's in the Goggin's book.”
“You know what it reminds me of? It reminds me I remember when I younger I was like super stoked on this paid picture interview collection like uh anthologuc. It was like 50 years of the paid picture interviews. Uh-huh And uh that's what I think about with this book, but obviously from your your perspective cuz I've always told”