Person
Every book David Epstein recommended on podcasts
David Epstein appears on podcasts such as Modern Wisdom and The Daily Stoic, where he discusses topics ranging from generalism and skill acquisition to creativity and problem-solving. Through these conversations, Epstein frequently references books that illuminate psychological principles and human behavior. On Modern Wisdom, he recommended Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire's "Wired to Create" to explore the contradictory yet multifaceted personalities of creative individuals, and mentioned Vinayak K. Prasad and Adam S. Cifu's "Ending Medical Reversal" to discuss outdated medical procedures that persist despite scientific evidence. Epstein also highlighted David Deida's "The Way of the Superior Man" and Ben Bergeron's "Chasing Excellence." When discussing creativity and constraint, Epstein brought up Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" to illustrate how removing the easiest solutions forces people to become more creative. Additionally, in an appearance on The Daily Stoic, he discussed Holly Iglesias's "Boxing Inside the Box" and the creative rules practiced at Pixar.
Books recommended by David Epstein
-
Wired to Create
Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Dr.
Recommended“but but that reminds me of this book that I really loved called wired to create by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire because basically one of the themes is that these creative people are like contradictory and all their personality tests basically like they contain multitudes”
Where to get it
-
Chasing Excellence
Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron is an insightful guide to cultivating elite mental and physical performance through discipline, structured daily routines, and a willingness to lean into discomfort.
Recommended“there's a story in chasing excellence by Ben Bergeron where he says that Matt wouldn't let himself leave”
Where to get it
-
Ending Medical Reversal
Ending Medical Reversal by Vinayak K.
Recommended“there's a whole book about this called ending medical reversal by these two doctors that talks about how procedures keep being done even after science has like totally show they should not be done and more”
Where to get it
-
The Way of the Superior Man
The Way of the Superior Man by David Deida is a guide for men seeking authenticity, spiritual growth, and purpose through the navigation of masculine and feminine energies in relationships and daily life.
Recommended“David date is the way of the superior man he talks about phases in people's lives and he says that one of the times that's a trigger for he's talking about men”
Where to get it
-
Boxing Inside the Box
Discussed“And that really reminds me of like in chapter two of inside the box I read about Pixar's three pitches rule where they force directors to pitch three ideas because they found otherwise they just get so attached to their first idea and it usually wasn't their best idea.”
Where to get it
-
Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham with 12 Silly Sounds!
Dr.
Discussed“So it is named after the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham which he wrote on a bet that he couldn't write a children's book using only 50 words.”
Where to get it
-
Green Eggs and Ham
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.
Discussed“So it is named after the Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham which he wrote on a bet that he couldn't write a children's book using only 50 words.”
Where to get it
Books David Epstein wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Don't Want Autonomy With David Epstein | The Daily Stoic | 2026-08-03 | 1 |
| Why You Feel Overwhelmed All The Time (and how to fix it) - David Epstein - #1121 | Modern Wisdom | 2026-07-09 | 2 |
| Specialisation Is For Insects - David Epstein - #084 | Modern Wisdom | 2019-07-01 | 5 |
Other mentions (10: passing, ad reads, own books)
“And then after the last one after Range I became a dad and I said I cannot do that again.”
“So, I I'd been so bad even with range, which worked well. I was terrible at like drawing boundaries around my project, which was bad for my personal life, first of all, but also the book probably could have been a little more coherent in some respects.”
“And also, I mean, one thing that's happened, Range is kind of having a little bit of a second life because the the beginning of the book is framed early in this like looking at kind and wicked learning environments in the world like these situations that are sort of more stable.”
“in fact I like to highlight the NPR in our public radio did a review of range and they they say that I spend a lot of time giving credit to dissenters”
“one of which was I wrote a book before this called the sports gene about genetics and athleticism and I as well as Malcolm Gladwell would say I devoted several pages to criticizing his work”
“one of which was I wrote a book before this called the sports gene about genetics and athleticism”
“and in the book I talk about his interesting studies of inventors of technological inventors and and basically what these studies show is that they're there”
“I I think that so I introduced this concept in the book that the of different types of learning environments what the psychologist Robin Hogarth calls kind and wicked learning environments”
“oh that's why I've misread it in atomic atomic habits”
“in fact I like to highlight the NPR in our public radio did a review of range and they they say that I spend a lot of time giving credit to dissenters”