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Judd Apatow books: every book Judd Apatow wrote and recommended
Across 4 podcasts. Every show Judd Apatow appears on, in one place — not just one.
Books by Judd Apatow
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Sick in the Head
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This Is 40
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Springfield Confidential
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Sicker in the Head
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Young Frankenstein
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Comedy Nerd
Judd Apatow’s most recommended books
- Among the missing by Dan Chaon
- So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
- Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön
- The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
- Confessions of a pretty lady by Sandra Bernhard
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
- The teenage brain by Frances E. Jensen
- Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! by Michael J. Bradley
Judd Apatow is an American director, producer and screenwriter known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Funny People (2009), This Is 40 (2012), Trainwreck (2015), The King of Staten Island (2020), and The Bubble (2022). Appearing on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, The Book Review, and The Joe Rogan Experience, Apatow discussed creative exercises, parenting, and literature that inspired him. He recommended Michael A. Singer's The Untethered Soul and Pema Chödrön's Start Where You Are as impactful self-help and mindfulness reads. He also praised Dan Chaon's collection of short stories Among the Missing and Jon Ronson's So You've Been Publicly Shamed. For parenting and understanding adolescents, Apatow mentioned reading Frances E. Jensen's The Teenage Brain and Michael J. Bradley's Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Furthermore, he noted reading Sandra Bernhard's Confessions of a Pretty Lady in high school and utilizing Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for morning pages and creative exercises in the early 1990s.
Books recommended by Judd Apatow
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Among the missing
Among the missing is a celebrated collection of short stories by Dan Chaon that delves into the psychological lives of characters grappling with isolation, loss, and unsettling transformations.
Recommended“and then I love Dan shown you know I love all of his books among the missing was the one I mentioned which is a great book of you know very unique short stories”
Where to get it
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So You've Been Publicly Shamed
So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson is a non-fiction exploration of internet culture, modern outrage, and the severe consequences of public shaming on social media.
Recommended“and you know there's all sorts of people that that I love that I mentioned I love that John Ronson book so you've been publicly shamed”
Where to get it
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Start Where You Are
Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön is a spiritual guide featuring traditional Buddhist teachings and practical advice on how to cultivate compassion, mindfulness, and resilience in daily life.
Recommended“I always read Pema Chödrön books, just all of them, when things Start Where You Are. She's amazing.”
Where to get it
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The Untethered Soul
The Untethered Soul by Michael A.
Recommended“I mean, the three that I go back to all the time one is called The Untethered Soul uh by Michael Singer.”
Where to get it
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Confessions of a pretty lady
Discussed“she had this uh this line in um Confessions of a pretty lady that I remember reading in high school where she said that”
Where to get it
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The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a classic self-help primer on recovering, protecting, and nurturing one's innate creativity.
Discussed“I mean the the Julie Cameron artist way you know I I did that in the early 90s yeah think I started that in 90”
Where to get it
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The teenage brain
The teenage brain is a non-fiction book by Frances E.
Discussed“and this book teenage brain by Francis Jensen I mentioned because I'm always reading books to find out why my kids are either crying or yelling at me”
Where to get it
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Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!
Discussed“I have this book it's called uh yes your teen is crazy and then whenever they give me a hard time I just take it out and just start reading it in front of them”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 SECRET to UNLOCK Your Creative Genius (#1 HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR Judd Apatow) | On Purpose with Jay Shetty | 2025-10-15 | 2 |
| Inside The New York Times Book Review: ‘Stalin’s Daughter’ | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 4 |
| The Best Of 2023: Part Two | The Rich Roll Podcast | 2023-12-28 | 1 |
| #978 - Judd Apatow | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2017-06-22 | 1 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Like when I was putting the comedy nerd book together, I you know, I was writing about things that worked, things that failed, and why.”
“And the book and the book Comedy Nerd uh which is a autobiography in scrapbook form is uh it's out there. It's It's been released.”