Person
Every book Safi Bahcall recommended on podcasts
Safi Bahcall appeared on The Tim Ferriss Show to discuss thinking big, curing cancer, and transforming industries. During the podcast episode, Safi Bahcall mentioned Josh Waitzkin's book The Art of Learning while talking about great chess players and the broader mechanics of learning new skills at a high level. In addition to discussing skill acquisition, Bahcall talked about Donald Hall's book Essays After Eighty. He explained that he read this particular work to develop an ear for writing and to learn specifically how to write about emotion with depth and precision. By discussing these literary and non-fiction works, Bahcall provided listeners with insights into the habits and texts that informed his cognitive frameworks, intellectual curiosity, and writing processes. His reflections on these books emphasized the importance of studying master practitioners across different domains—whether through the strategic mastery explored by Waitzkin or the nuanced emotional resonance captured in Hall's late-life essays—offering a thoughtful perspective on how foundational reading can shape professional achievement and creative expression.
Books recommended by Safi Bahcall
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The Art of Learning
The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin is a deeply reflective book detailing the author's journey from a prodigy in chess and martial arts to mastering the principles of peak performance and learning.
Recommended“the art of learning”
Where to get it
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Essays After Eighty
Discussed“and Donald hall essays after 80 and this is for just to develop an ear for writing”
Where to get it
Books Safi Bahcall wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #364: Safi Bahcall — On Thinking Big, Curing Cancer, and Transforming Industries | The Tim Ferriss Show | 2019-03-15 | 2 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“my real motivation is I have a phrase that I keep in mind when I started I got connected to a guy an author named Richard Preston who wrote if you brought the hot zone which was this huge bestseller and then a number of other great books as a New Yorker writer and we were talking I was really”

