On Books
83 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★ - 39 ratingsOn Books is a podcast about books. Think of it as a two-person book club — or a series of thirty-minute audiobooks. Each week on the show Chris Castiglione brings you a new book. Highlights include: Mating in Captivity, Sapiens, Sex at Dawn, Letters to a Young Poet, Educated, How Not to Die, Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Zero Waste Home, The Artist's Way, Conscious Capitalism, Blink, as well as exclusive interviews with Neil Strauss, Haruki Murakami, Kevin Kelly, Peter Singer and more.
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Episodes
Episode 13 - Writing Movies for Fun and Profit by Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
April 06, 2020 16:00 - 39 minutes - 45.6 MBIn this episode I chat about Writing Movies for Fun and Profit by Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. I'm joined by One Month's Zach Valenti and Sydney Flint. Check out the book notes @ www.on-books.com
Episode 12 - Thinking Fast and Slow (Part 2) on Happiness
March 23, 2020 16:00 - 27 minutes - 37.2 MBThinking, Fast and Slow is a best-selling 2011 book by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics winner Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky. It covers all three phases of his career: his early days working on cognitive biases, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness. In this episode of On books I chat with Alex Miles Younger about some of our favorite learnings from book. Read the book notes @ w...
Episode 11 - Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (chat with Alex Miles Younger)
March 09, 2020 16:00 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MBThinking, Fast and Slow is a best-selling 2011 book by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics winner Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky. It covers all three phases of his career: his early days working on cognitive biases, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness. In this episode of On books I chat with Alex Miles Younger about some of our favorite learnings from book. Read the book notes @ w...
Episode 10 – Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch (A Book Chat with Kevin Allison of RISK!)
February 24, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 97.5 MBThis week I discuss Catching the Big Fish (by David Lynch) with Kevin Allison (RISK!; MTV's The State, and Reno 911). In our interview we chat about the book, as well as: finding creativity, Transcendental Meditation, self-help books, and Kevin's exploration into the world of erotic hypnosis workshops. Read the book notes @ www.on-books.com
Episode 9 - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
February 03, 2020 17:00 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBIn The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks tells 24 short-stories (all true) of some of his patients. The first chapter chronicles the story of one of Sacks' patients with visual agnosia (face-blindness) who literally mistakes his wife for a hat. The book is split into four sections: each section dealing with a particular aspect of brain function such as deficits, excesses, and altered perceptions. In this episode of On books we cover three Oliver Sacks books: Awakenings, "T...
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
January 27, 2020 17:00 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBHabit - a decision you made at some point. And then stopped making, but continue acting upon. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg brings us scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter at The New York Times, where he writes for the business section. You can follow him on Twitter @cduhigg. For more on The Power of Habit, and On Books... visit @ www.on-books.com
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
January 13, 2020 17:00 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBWhy is the book called The Fault in Our Stars? It's based on this quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” - Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141) In this quote, Cassius seems to be arguing that it's not fate that controls our lives, but rather that we're in control, and that we are thus responsible. The title The Fault in Our Stars seems to be saying the opposite. With the two main characters, ...
Ending Aging
January 06, 2020 17:00 - 44 minutes - 80.7 MBThis week on the show I chat with Mark Katakowski and Steven Clausnitzer of ForeverLabs. ForeverLabs is a Y Combinator company that helps people live longer by offering stem cell banking and storage. In this episode, we'll chat talk about the book that inspired Mark and Steven to start the project (Ending Aging by Aubrey de Grey) as well as how ForeverLabs works (How do you get started banking your stem cells? Is it safe?). And I'll share my experience having my stems cells banks last wee...
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
December 23, 2019 17:00 - 44 minutes - 61.6 MBIn Blink, Gladwell shares stories that celebrate the power of quick decisions, as well as those moments when our instincts betray us. In this episode of On books we cover: Thin-slicing, and "The Right - and Wrong - Way to Ask People What They Want." This includes stories of Coke vs. Pepsi, Butter vs. Margarine, and a man who can predict with 95% accuracy whether a couple will still be married fifteen years later (just after meeting them for 15 minutes). Read the book notes @ www.on...
Episode 5 - Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
December 09, 2019 17:00 - 18 minutes - 34.4 MBIn 1903 Franz Kappus (a 17 years old student) wrote the poet Rainer Maria Rilke (27 years old) asking his advice on becoming a writer. The book is a collection of Rilke’s replies over a series of 10 letters. In the letters Rilke beautifully articulates advice on topics of creativity, dealing with criticism, inspiration, love, life, and loneliness. Testimonials from famous people “For me the letters are a credo of creativity and a source of inspiration. After reading Rilke it became cle...
Episode 4 - The Three Stages of Startup Growth
December 09, 2019 17:00 - 18 minutes - 34.4 MBIn this episode I'll give a summary, some highlights and exceprts from the book Leading at the Speed of Growth by Katherine Catlin
Episode 3 - Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
November 11, 2019 17:00 - 20 minutes - 38.5 MBWhat do I cover in this episode of the podcast? The main gist of the book An overview of the four main parts of the book Quotes and stories from the book At the end I’ll do a kind of oral meditation for you, contrasting an essentialist and a nonessentialist. I imagine that if you like this, you might come back to this part of the podcast and relisten to it a few times. Essentialism is one of those books that I come back to and re-read a few times a year. And the reason I say I “re-re...
Episode 1 - Jim Henson
October 07, 2019 16:00 - 27 minutes - 37.3 MBJim Henson created a legacy around The Muppets, Sesame Street, Fragile Rock, and Labyrinth. His life is a testament to the idea that you can use art, and creativity to change the world. The book is an snapshot of Jim’s journey from the early days of creating Kermit out of his mother’s felt coat, to philosophical understandings art vs. commerce, how to run a creative business, manage working long hours, and be an amazing father. More information on Jim Henson, and his autobiography are avai...
Love Hurts: Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken by Lordo Rinzler
August 21, 2019 09:09 - 24 minutes - 43.9 MBBuddhism has a lot to say about suffering—and there are likely few times we suffer more intensely than when we break up with a romantic partner. It feels like you may never recover sometimes. But Lodro Rinzler has wonderfully good news for those suffering heartbreak: the 2,500-year-old teachings of the Buddha are the ultimate antidote for emotional pain. And you don’t need to be a Buddhist for them to apply to you. In this short and compact first-aid kit for a broken heart, he walks you th...
Educated by Tara Westover
March 02, 2019 01:20 - 27 minutes - 52.2 MBEducated is the memoir about a girl who went from being homeschooled in rural Idaho, to receive her Ph.D. from Cambridge University. Along the way she confronts poverty, ignorance, violence, and a host of other challenges. It's the remarkable, true story of Westover's journey to find an education. Educated was on the top of Bill Gate's Book list of 2018, as well as Barak Obama, Oprah, and the New York Times. And now it's on the top of my list! This week I chat with Allison Goldberg (Blogolog...
Conscious Capitalism with Corey Blake
February 03, 2019 04:01 - 49 minutes - 85.6 MBConscious Capitalism is a way of thinking about capitalism and business that better reflects where we are in the human journey, the state of our world today, and the innate potential of business to make a positive impact on the world. Started by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and professor Raj Sisodia, "conscious businesses" are galvanized by higher purposes that serve, align, and integrate the interests of all their major stakeholders. In this episode of On Books I discuss Conscious C...
Deep Work by Cal Newport
April 01, 2018 05:00 - 33 minutes - 53.1 MBDeep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days ...
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
March 18, 2018 11:00 - 27 minutes - 44 MBFor decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoile...
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
February 03, 2018 01:36 - 35 minutes - 57.3 MBFrom a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue...
How Not To Die
January 12, 2018 06:00 - 27 minutes - 44.7 MBIn How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America--heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more--and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches to help prevent and reverse these diseases, freeing us to live healthi...
Kevin Kelly on The Inevitable, 60s Counterculture, and How to Read Better
June 13, 2016 14:28 - 1 hour - 130 MBThis week I was lucky enough to interview one of my favorite people of all time: Kevin Kelly. Tim Ferriss refers to Kevin as the real-life “Most Interesting Man In The World." He is one of the co-founders of Wired Magazine, co-founder of the Quantified Self Movement, and serves on the board of The Long Now foundation. He's a prescient writer, inspiring photographer, and prolific traveler. In this episode we talk about: * The Counterculture movement of the 60s * Trave...
The Social Good Book Series: The Long Now Interview with Zander Rose (Part 4)
May 23, 2016 22:07 - 23 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this episode I talk with Zander Rose (Director of the Long Now Foundation) on long-term thinking, and building something that lasts longer than ourselves. This is the fourth episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com
The Social Good Books Series: The Long Now (Part 3)
May 17, 2016 03:58 - 16 minutes - 18.5 MBHow do you build something that will last 10,000 years? In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. This is the third episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com
The Social Good Books Series: The Long Now (Part 2)
May 09, 2016 17:29 - 31 minutes - 36.1 MBHow does social change happen over time? What is more powerful nature or commerce? In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. This is the second episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com
The Social Good Books Series: The Long Now (Part 1)
May 03, 2016 04:51 - 16 minutes - 19.1 MBIn this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. Books notes available at:http://www.on-books.com
10 Life-Changing Spring Cleaning Tips from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
March 14, 2016 06:10 - 24 minutes - 28.2 MBIn this episode of On Books, I bring you The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. Visit www.on-books.com for book notes! Subscribe on iTunes! Twitter: @onbooksshow (http://www.twitter.com/onbooksshow) Facebook: /onbooksshow (http://www.facebook.com/onbooksshow) Instagram: @castig (https://www.instagram.com/castig)
The Neil Strauss Interview: on The Truth, and alternatives to monogamy
January 18, 2016 18:52 - 54 minutes - 62.7 MBIn this episode of On Books, Chris Castiglione chats with Neil Strauss about his latest book The Truth. You can find the complete interview, and show notes available @ www.on-books.com Subscribe on iTunes! And follow On Books: Twitter: @onbooksshow Facebook: www.facebook.com/onbooksshow Instagram: @castig
Episode 12 - Thinking Fast and Slow (Part 2) on Happiness
November 19, 2015 10:12 - 27 minutes - 37.2 MBThinking, Fast and Slow is a best-selling 2011 book by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics winner Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky. It covers all three phases of his career: his early days working on cognitive biases, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness. In this episode of On books I chat with Alex Miles Younger about some of our favorite learnings from book. Read the book notes @ www...
Episode 11 - Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (chat with Alex Miles Younger)
November 09, 2015 22:47 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MBThinking, Fast and Slow is a best-selling 2011 book by Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics winner Daniel Kahneman which summarizes research that he conducted over decades, often in collaboration with Amos Tversky. It covers all three phases of his career: his early days working on cognitive biases, his work on prospect theory, and his later work on happiness. In this episode of On books I chat with Alex Miles Younger about some of our favorite learnings from book. Read the book notes @ www...
Episode 8 - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
October 06, 2015 15:17 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBHabit - a decision you made at some point. And then stopped making, but continue acting upon. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg brings us scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter at The New York Times, where he writes for the business section. You can follow him on Twitter @cduhigg. For more on The Power of Habit, and On Books... visit @ www.on-books.com
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
September 30, 2015 02:49 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBWhy is the book called The Fault in Our Stars? It's based on this quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” - Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141) In this quote, Cassius seems to be arguing that it's not fate that controls our lives, but rather that we're in control, and that we are thus responsible. The title The Fault in Our Stars seems to be saying the opposite. With the two main characters, ...
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
September 21, 2015 03:41 - 44 minutes - 61.6 MBIn Blink, Gladwell shares stories that celebrate the power of quick decisions, as well as those moments when our instincts betray us. In this episode of On books we cover: Thin-slicing, and "The Right - and Wrong - Way to Ask People What They Want." This includes stories of Coke vs. Pepsi, Butter vs. Margarine, and a man who can predict with 95% accuracy whether a couple will still be married fifteen years later (just after meeting them for 15 minutes). Read the book notes @ www.on...
Episode 2 - Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel
July 08, 2015 05:49 - 35 minutes - 49.4 MBIn Mating in Captivity, Esther Perel asks the question, “How can you want, what you already have?” Love is about having; desire is about wanting. When you have too much desire you’re insecure and anxious. On the other hand, when you have too much love you’re too comfortable, you have too much security, and you feel trapped. The thesis of Mating in Captivity is that if you’d like to create passionate, long-lasting relationship you’ll need find a balance between your love and your desire. P...