An all-star conversation about an all-star book with an all-star special guest. What ARE emotions anyway? The researcher-storyteller Brené Brown helps us define what they are and Jo and I talk about why that's important info to know.

DEI Director Charley Downing and I discuss the book Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. We explore the metaphors and reality of caste Wilkerson researched in the US and beyond. We also focus on applying what caste means in a practical sense as a foundation for our work, for Charley as someone tasked with addressing racial equity in the workplace, and for Iggy as a perspective on organizational policy that supports institutional toxicity.

We explore the surprising and weird world of breathing in this conversation about the book Breath by James Nestor. Lenka Koppova and I discuss improving our lives by paying more attention to how we breathe.

How does someone live in a way to maximize their creative output? Franklin Taggart and I discuss Elizabeth Gilbert's advice on this topic in her book Big Magic. Is it controversial to keep your day job? Why did I really not like Eat, Pray, Love? How can we live more creative lives?

Wondering if you should quit something? Annie Duke says if you're wondering then the answer is yes. Listen to this conversation I have with Natalie King as we dig into why this is so hard to do.

Capitalism doesn't have to be a tragic gloom-fest (not entirely, anyway). This conversation with sharply funny intellectual Tara McMullin gets into a more nuanced approach for understanding the pervasive nature of capitalism and what we can do about it. Before your brain completely glazes over at the thought of a focused conversation about capitalism, know that we have some good laughs along the way.

The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow provides surprising insights into how we got here and what we've written off along the way to make civilization as we know it seem like it evolved in a smooth linear progression. If you enjoy the experience of saying, "I've been lied to my whole life!" as much as I do, you'll love this conversation I have with Rachel Allen.

There's more to our brain than we think. In this episode Roberta Ravella and I discuss the book Boddha's Brain and the overlap between Buddhist thinking and modern neruroscience. You can shape how your brain functions - this book will tell you how and this podcast is all about it!

Learn about ecstasis and why it is unique, unusual and also something you can create (in many ways!) in your life.

Madeline and I discuss her book about being at home as our world changes. Madeline interviewed people in four communities that are navigating their changing world. The book is a compelling narrative of long-form journalism. The book also includes some noteworthy tangents - my favorite being a dive into the tragedy of the commons (Madeline's take-down of the concept and author was top-notch!). Learn more about Madeline's journalism work at her website: https://madelineostrander.com/

This is a book about finding flow in all aspects of your life (sports and work and beyond). It's not about tennis -- well it's a little bit about tennis but mainly as an example for how to achieve flow. (Going after flow with intense serious focus and scripting your actions doesn't work, by the way.)

When you can communicate numbers well, you can shock and amaze people. This book (and conversation) tells you how.

Who knew taking on a new leadership role could elicit so many laughs? Special guest Sabrina Walker Hernandez also brings up some great points about when you should revisit the ideas in this book - such as during a big transition.

In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown writes about what it means to have courage in the modern world. My special guest Janine Bolon and I discuss this book and, in the most practical sense, how to be a courageous person.

Your brain doesn't have different parts that fight with itself. It sculpts the world you perceive. Its job is to regulate your body efficiently. Learn more fascinating truths (and bust some myths) about your brain in this nerdtastic conversation with Audrey Holst, covering the book 7 1/2 Lessons about the Brain by the neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett.

We depart wildly from the usual nerdy book fare for this nerdy discussion about how those early English women writers created such enduring heroines. I talk with Robin Henry about these women writers and the lessons that we can learn from their struggle to write, and the epic nature of their heroines. Reading List for listeners who want to know more! Scholarly Works: Carriger, Gail. The Heroine's Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture. GAIL CARRIGER LLC, 2020. Donovan, Josephine. “Women and the Rise of the Novel: A Feminist-Marxist Theory.” Signs, vol. 16, no. 3, 1991, pp. 441–62. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174584. Accessed 7 Jul. 2022. Frost, Cy, et al. “Autocracy and the Matrix of Power: Issues of Propriety and Economics in the Work of Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, and Harriet Martineau.” Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature, vol. 10, no. 2, 1991, pp. 253–71. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/464017. Accessed 7 Jul. 2022. Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The madwoman in the attic : the woman writer and the nineteenth-century literary imagination. Yale University Press, 1984. Poovey, Samuel Rudin University Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Institute for the History of the Production of Knowledge Mary, and Mary Poovey. The proper lady and the woman writer : ideology as style in the works of Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley, and Jane Austen. University of Chicago Press, 1984. Siskin, Clifford, and Henry W and Albert Berg.The work of writing : literature and social change in Britain, 1700-1830. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Authors to look at if you want to know more about early women’s writing and read some: Mary Wollstonecraft Mary Shelley Anne Radcliffe Maria Edgeworth Eliza Haywood Charlotte Lennox Mary Robinson Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Be sure and check you the Chawton House Library, since it has a special mission to collect and promote scholarship on early women writers. https://chawtonhouse.org/the-library/using-the-library/ You can see more writing about books, reading, and writing craft at http://readerly.net. If you would like to join the Read Like a Writer Book Club, email robin at readerlybooks@gmail.com

My friend Fabienne Raphael and I discuss the memoir Will by Will Smith. We read the book before the 2022 Academy Awards, and although we don't talk about the Oscars specifically, we do talk specifics about WIll Smith's life and the lessons it has for us. You can learn more about Fabienne's work at http://fabienneraphael.com/

How do you know if you have an introvert on your hands? What are the strengths of introverts and why do we stampede over them at times?

Thinking Fast and Slow has had a huge impact on how I work with people and make decisions. In this episode, I speak with trainer and facilitator Mark Suroviec about highlights from the book and how it influences his work. We both had so much excitement when reading we blabbered all about it to anyone who would listen. Luckily, we found each other to talk about it. Learn more about Mark and his work (he also has a fun and insightful podcast!) at: workplaysolutions.com.

We discuss when it is better to wait and delay making a decision or taking action (spoiler alert: pretty much all the time - but the reason why is intriguing). Some related tangents include fighter pilots, OODA loops, experiential education, wilderness medicine and more. Join us for a lively conversation littered with pearls of wisdom from the book.

We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rogers is by turns inspiring and grounded. Special guest Tierra Bonds works in the field of personal and business credit and we have a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about how we think, feel and act regarding money. We should all be millionaires and this book (and hopefully this conversation about the book) will help you take tangible steps to make that a reality.

I talk with Julia Williamson of Unburdened Life about the book Secondhand by Adam Minter. Julia is here to help you discard the crap you hate and this book talks about how that works. We have a great time talking about the very personal mysteries of letting things go and the global realities of where those things go when that happens.

Robbie and I discuss his book and what makes it interesting and useful for people who are building their businesses. Robbie also very generously set up a personalized link for listeners to download The Big Results Toolkit, which has several resources to help you implement the strategies in "Small List, Big Results: Launch a Successful Offer No Matter the Size of Your Email List." Get your download today: www.RobbieSamuels.com/iggy

We discuss How to Steal Like an Artist and what that means for us as creators in the worlds of improv, coding and leadership.

Which is worse: a scattered distribution of answers to a question or many (or even most) answers being slightly wrong? Surprise! The scattered distribution is way, way worse. Also, when is the last time you thought about how statistical analysis could change your life and decision-making? Well, here's your chance to listen to me talk very, very excitedly about this topic using the book Noise as a guide.

We discuss what it takes to do creative work consistently. Dan Cayer brings insights from the world of professional writing.

We talk about how to create amazing moments in your life (and in the lives of those around you).

An improvement on Extreme Ownership (by the same authors) that addresses more of the nuances of leadership. I found it to be a fascinating explanation of how to identify competing extremes in finding your balance as a leader.

Creativity Coach Hannah Fitzgibbon and I discuss how the brain works and how you can make it work better according to Daniel Pink n his book A Whole New Mind.

We discuss curiosity, what it is and how to cultivate it to live a better life. A lively conversation with Chris Martin.

How we got to be who we are and the convenient lies that made it happen.

Poker isn't about lying and your capacity to adapt and learn is even bigger than you probably expect. Join Maria Konnikova on an amazing journey from not even knowing how to play poker to being a sponsored professional player in about a year. It's a wild ride and tells you a huge amount about human nature.

We love good habits and detest bad habits - this book gets down to details and practical about cultivating more of the good ones and rewiring the bad ones.

Safiya Robinson and I discuss the ideas presented in Range - why it's better to have broad interests and follow many divergent paths (even if you later choose to specialize in a single area).

An examination of people who survive harrowing extreme situations and what they share in common and how to bring more of those deep survival skills into our everyday life.

How do you like to receive appreciation? How do you like to show it? What are the blindspots you're missing when appreciating others?

Ownership of your actions is a great way to take control of your life. And when you take it to the extreme you can make powerful changes.

How to change your habits and change your life.

Working deeply is an art and a skill that can be cultivated. Get more done and do better work by applying the ideas from Deep Work by Cal Newport.

A look at the highlights of the classic that defined the terms "growth mindset" and "fixed mindset."