Mindful Reading

A discussion of the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a story about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. It follows his mystical journey from being a shepherd with a dream, to traveling the world and encountering many people along the way, from bakers to thieves, gypsies to alchemists. It's a story about following your dreams and allowing you

A discussion of the book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.Man's Search for Meaning is a book by Holocaust survivor and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl. The book looks at the suffering experienced in the concentration camps, and how finding meaning allows one to survive even the harshest of conditions. For Frankl, there are three sources of meaning: work (creating a work or d

A discussion of the book Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars.In the book Lessons in Stoicism, John Sellars takes one through some of the core teachings of Stoicism. He focuses on the works of the well known Stoics: Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Covering topics such as:* What is the philosopher’s role in life?* What is within our control?* How do we live in community?Ult

A discussion of the book Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.Do the Work by Steven Pressfield, as with many of Steven's non-fiction books, is about battling Resistance. It's about how to do the work, and the the challenges Resistance will throw your way for any meaningful project. The book is broken into a beginning, middle, and an end - as Steven would recommend you do for your proje

A discussion of the book Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday.Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a book about ego and all its dangers. It looks at how ego is the enemy throughout different stages in our lives such as when we aspire, when we succeed, and even when we fail. Through various stories and quotes these ideas are explored, and we see how ego leads to demise, with humility bei

A discussion of the book Range by David Epstein.Range explores the debate between generalists and specialists, examining why, as the subtitle suggests, “Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” The book contrasts “kind” learning environments - where patterns are repetitive and predictable - with “wicked” environments, which mirror our everyday experience, filled wit

Essentialism by Greg McKeown presents a philosophy centered on the "disciplined pursuit of less." The book explores the mindset of an essentialist, then outlines a systematic approach for achieving this disciplined pursuit. The core components of this approach are to "explore," "eliminate," and "execute." As McKeown delves into each of these, he contrasts how a non-essentialist and

Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Seneca is a collection of letters addressed to Lucilius, but intended for a public audience. The letters use different aspects of daily life to reflect on philosophical ideas - reflecting on those ideas through a Stoic lens.Hosted by Peter Banda & James de Klerk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get

The Enchiridion was likely compiled by one of Epictetus's students and attributed to Epictetus himself - a prominent Stoic Philosopher in the Roman Empire.It is a famous book in the world of Stoic philosophy, a philosophy that focuses on self-control, particularly, controlling ones emotions in the face of adversity. The Stoics also emphasize living a life aligned with nature, which

*Apologies for any rain noise that came through or distorted the audio.Slow Productivity by Cal Newport is about the philosophy of Slow Productivity, which in turn is about, as the subtitle suggests, "The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout". It looks at the structure of work over time, from hunter gatherers to modern knowledge workers, focusing on the foundations of how we