Wiser Than Yesterday
90 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -In-depth breakdowns of some of the worlds most thought-provoking and inspiring books.
Our hosts, Nicolas Vereecke and Sam Harris digest non-fiction books from all centuries and genres.
This podcast is here to help listeners become smarter. To learn about ideas they haven't heard of or to gain more perspectives on the books and ideas they are familiar with.
We dive into topics such as philosophy, business, feminism, psychology, politics, economics and who knows what else. Our goal is to simply explore the best ideas and learn new things. You're most welcome to join us for the ride.
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Episodes
The Confessions by Saint Augustine of Hippo
October 12, 2020 08:00 - 22 minutes - 19.4 MBThe Confessions of Saint Augustine The book starts off with his early childhood, where he reflects on the inherent violence of children, caused by original sin (chrisitan belief that man is sinful). There’s a parallel with other philosophies. Most philosophies/religions realize that on this basis, humans are flawed. These flaws seem to follow from how we evolved. And so a big part of what these philosophies try and solve is exactly how to overcome our basic urges. See reason.fm/privacy-pol...
The final days of Socrates - Plato
September 25, 2020 18:00 - 34 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Last Days of Socrates A Philosophy book by Plato that is divided between 4 parts Euthyphro Takes place just before Socrate's trial is about to begin The Apology Plato uses his dialogues to tell the story of the trial of Socrates as he energetically defends himself against the charges of heresy and corruption of youth Crito - Socrates friend Crito, has come to help him escape and Socrates counters crito's arguments choosing to stay in prison and accept his fate Phaedo Plato uses Socrates t...
Season Recap: Racism and Inequality
September 19, 2020 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBWe are very grateful for the chance to read and discuss the books this season on the show. As a hot topic we also listened and read a lot of other content we didn't have time to do a full show on but felt it was worth discussing other sources of information and discussing our learnings from a step back. Racism and inequality in the modern world is a hard to understand topic and reading one book is not nearly enough. Hopefully hearing some of the things that helped us and ways of thinking will...
Nonviolent Communication - Marshall Rosenberg
September 14, 2020 14:00 - 29 minutes - 21.1 MBNonviolent Communication is based on the assumption that all human beings have capacity for compassion and empathy and that people only resort to violence or behavior harmful to others when they do not recognize more effective strategies for meeting needs. The purpose of Nonviolent Communication is to help us connect to ourselves and others in a way that makes being compassionate natural. It is not about making people do what we want, but by creating connections with others so that everyone’s...
Discrimination and Disparities - Thomas Sowell
August 21, 2020 16:00 - 33 minutes - 23.7 MBA searching re-examination of the assumptions, and the evidence for and against, current approaches to issues of economic and other disparities Discrimination and Disparities challenges believers in such one-factor explanations of economic outcome differences as discrimination, exploitation or genetics. It is readable enough for people with no prior knowledge of economics. Yet the empirical evidence with which it backs up its analysis spans the globe and challenges beliefs across the ideologi...
How to be an antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
August 10, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 26.4 MBHow to Be an Antiracist is a 2019 non-fiction book by American author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. The book discusses concepts of racism and Kendi's proposals for anti-racist individual actions and systemic changes. Author At the time of authorship, Ibram X. Kendi was an assistant professor of African-American History at the University of Florida. He previously worked at the American University, where he founded the Antiracist Research and Policy Center. He wrote a 2016 book titled Stamped ...
White fragility - Robin DiAngelo
August 05, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 31 MBWhite Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism A 2018 book written by Robin DiAngelo about race relations in the United States. An academic with experience in diversity training, DiAngelo coined the term "white fragility" in 2011 to describe any defensive instincts or reactions that a white person experiences when questioned about race or made to consider their own race. In White Fragility, DiAngelo views racism in the United States as systemic and often perpetuated ...
White fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin DiAngelo
August 05, 2020 11:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBWhite Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism is a 2018 book written by Robin DiAngelo about race relations in the United States. An academic with experience in diversity training, DiAngelo coined the term "white fragility" in 2011 to describe any defensive instincts or reactions that a white person experiences when questioned about race or made to consider their own race. In White Fragility, DiAngelo views racism in the United States as systemic and often perpetuate...
Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race - Rene Eddo-Lodge
July 03, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 26.3 MBThe moment you've all been waiting for. Two white guys read the most talked about book on race and attempt to understand our amazing foolishness in a humble manner. Yes we probably mess things up. But it's better to try, make mistakes, learn, and improve, than to just runaway from our own fragilities. About 'Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can't afford to stay silent. This book is an attempt to speak' The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring every...
Hope in the Dark - Rebecca Solnit
June 19, 2020 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.6 MBHope in the Dark was written to counter the despair of radicals at a moment when they were focused on their losses and had turned their back to the victories behind them--and the unimaginable changes soon to come. In it, she makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Drawing on her decades of activism and a wide reading of environmental, cultural, and political history, Solnit argued that radicals have a long, neglected histo...
12. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Skin in the game
June 07, 2020 06:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBSkin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, is a 2018 nonfiction book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a former options trader with a background in the mathematics of probability and statistics. Taleb's thesis is that skin in the game -- i.e., having a measurable risk when taking a major decision -- is necessary for fairness, commercial efficiency, and risk management, as well as being necessary to understand the world. The book is the last part of Taleb's multi-volume philosophical essay on...
12. Skin in the Game - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
June 07, 2020 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBSkin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, is a 2018 nonfiction book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a former options trader with a background in the mathematics of probability and statistics. Taleb's thesis is that skin in the game -- i.e., having a measurable risk when taking a major decision -- is necessary for fairness, commercial efficiency, and risk management, as well as being necessary to understand the world. The book is the last part of Taleb's multi-volume philosophical essay on...
11. Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
May 20, 2020 06:00 - 57 minutes - 55 MBNassim Nicholas Taleb present a blueprint of how to live in a 'Black Swan' world. He begins the book: "Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the a...
11. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Antifragile
May 20, 2020 06:00 - 57 minutes - 54.4 MBNassim Nicholas Taleb present a blueprint of how to live in a 'Black Swan' world. He begins the book: "Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the a...
10. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - The bed of Procrustes
May 14, 2020 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBNassim Nicholas Taleb wrote some of his favourite maxims and ways to think in life into a book. This is a great hand book for nuggets of wisdom to ponder upon. Thus ponder we do on some of our favourites. Some examples include * What fools call “wasting time” is most often the best investment. * A man without a heroic bent starts dying at the age of thirty. * The difference between slaves in Roman and Ottoman days and today’s employees is that slaves did not need to flatter their boss. * You ...
10. The Bed of Procrustes - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
May 14, 2020 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.6 MBNassim Nicholas Taleb wrote some of his favourite maxims and ways to think in life into a book. This is a great hand book for nuggets of wisdom to ponder upon. Thus ponder we do on some of our favourites. Some examples include * What fools call “wasting time” is most often the best investment. * A man without a heroic bent starts dying at the age of thirty. * The difference between slaves in Roman and Ottoman days and today’s employees is that slaves did not need to flatter their boss. * You ...
9. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Fooled By Randomness
May 08, 2020 06:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBFooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets is a book that deals with the fallibility of human knowledge. Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains how we delude ourselves into thinking untrue things due to our love of finding a story or reason when none exists. In the episode, we explore the many examples of human behaviour failing us and the isights we can learn form this book. We discuss how the relates to trading and the economy and the wider aspects of being a more lo...
9. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - The Black Swan
May 07, 2020 08:00 - 40 minutes - 73.9 MBThe Black Swan focuses on the extreme impact of rare and unpredictable outlier events — and the human tendency to find simplistic explanations for these events, retrospectively. It was published in 2007, by author and former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Coronavirus and Pandemics This book is extremely poigniant for understanding the Coronavirus pandemic and it's effects. In the book he explains why we would be caught unawares by such an event and why we should build robust systems f...
8. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Fooled By Randomness
May 03, 2020 06:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBFooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets is a book that deals with the fallibility of human knowledge. Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains how we delude ourselves into thinking untrue things due to our love of finding a story or reason when none exists. In the episode, we explore the many examples of human behaviour failing us and the isights we can learn form this book. We discuss how the relates to trading and the economy and the wider aspects of being a more lo...
8. Fooled By Randomness - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
May 03, 2020 06:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBFooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets is a book that deals with the fallibility of human knowledge. Nassim Nicholas Taleb explains how we delude ourselves into thinking untrue things due to our love of finding a story or reason when none exists. In the episode, we explore the many examples of human behaviour failing us and the isights we can learn form this book. We discuss how the relates to trading and the economy and the wider aspects of being a more lo...
8. David Nihil - Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker
April 28, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 52.2 MBPublic speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. This book is a part story and part manual. It follows David's story to become an engaging public speaker and the lessons he learnt along the way. It shows how anyone can become funny and breaks down the steps to get there. It is a highly motivating book for someone who is ner...
7. David Nihil - Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker
April 28, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 52.2 MBPublic speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. This book is a part story and part manual. It follows David's story to become an engaging public speaker and the lessons he learnt along the way. It shows how anyone can become funny and breaks down the steps to get there. It is a highly motivating book for someone who is ner...
7. James P. Carse - Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility
April 21, 2020 07:30 - 29 minutes - 54.2 MBThis book is challenging. Some people hate. Many people love it. It has been described as, "Disturbingly good" for it's ability to shake the concepts of what you think about your approaches to life. It is regarded as a book you need to read, re-read and then read again. We blindly dive into it and attempt to distill it's wisdom for listeners in a usable manner, whilst not making too big a fools of ourselves. About James P. Carse is a philosopher and author. He published this book in 1986 and ...
6. James P. Carse - Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility
April 21, 2020 07:30 - 29 minutes - 54.2 MBThis book is challenging. Some people hate. Many people love it. It has been described as, "Disturbingly good" for it's ability to shake the concepts of what you think about your approaches to life. It is regarded as a book you need to read, re-read and then read again. We blindly dive into it and attempt to distill it's wisdom for listeners in a usable manner, whilst not making too big a fools of ourselves. About James P. Carse is a philosopher and author. He published this book in 1986 and ...
7. Do You Talk Funny? - David Nihil
April 21, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 52.8 MBPublic speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. This book is a part story and part manual. It follows David's story to become an engaging public speaker and the lessons he learnt along the way. It shows how anyone can become funny and breaks down the steps to get there. It is a highly motivating book for someone who is ner...
6. Finite and Infinite Games - James P. Carse
April 19, 2020 07:30 - 29 minutes - 54.9 MBThis book is challenging. Some people hate. Many people love it. It has been described as, "Disturbingly good" for it's ability to shake the concepts of what you think about your approaches to life. It is regarded as a book you need to read, re-read and then read again. We blindly dive into it and attempt to distill it's wisdom for listeners in a usable manner, whilst not making too big a fools of ourselves. About James P. Carse is a philosopher and author. He published this book in 1986 and ...
5. Caroline Criado Perez - Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutes - 56.4 MBThis book exposes the gender bias that is in the world around us and affects our daily lives. A brilliant look at the data that shows the facts we need to acknowledge and overcome. Caroline presents a very thourough study into the way the world has been built and how it has been unfair on women. This is a revealing book which was a brilliant read for anyone. As two white guys we really had a lot to learn and enjoyed discussing this book and what we can do to improve things. About the Author C...
5. Invisible Women - Caroline Criado Perez
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutes - 57 MBThis book exposes the gender bias that is in the world around us and affects our daily lives. A brilliant look at the data that shows the facts we need to acknowledge and overcome. Caroline presents a very thourough study into the way the world has been built and how it has been unfair on women. This is a revealing book which was a brilliant read for anyone. As two white guys we really had a lot to learn and enjoyed discussing this book and what we can do to improve things. About the Author C...
6. Caroline Criado Perez - Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
April 16, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutes - 56.4 MBThis book exposes the gender bias that is in the world around us and affects our daily lives. A brilliant look at the data that shows the facts we need to acknowledge and overcome. Caroline presents a very thourough study into the way the world has been built and how it has been unfair on women. This is a revealing book which was a brilliant read for anyone. As two white guys we really had a lot to learn and enjoyed discussing this book and what we can do to improve things. About the Author C...
4. The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists - Niel Strauss
April 10, 2020 21:54 - 24 minutes - 46.3 MBThe Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists (also known as The Game: Undercover in the Secret Society of Pickup Artists) is a non-fiction book written by investigative reporter Neil Strauss as a chronicle of his journey and encounters in the seduction community. The book was featured on The New York Times Bestseller List for two months after its release in September 2005, reaching prominence again in 2007 during the broadcast of the VH1 television series The Pickup Artist, whic...
5. Niel Strauss - The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
April 08, 2020 19:00 - 24 minutes - 45.8 MBThe Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists (also known as The Game: Undercover in the Secret Society of Pickup Artists) is a non-fiction book written by investigative reporter Neil Strauss as a chronicle of his journey and encounters in the seduction community. The book was featured on The New York Times Bestseller List for two months after its release in September 2005, reaching prominence again in 2007 during the broadcast of the VH1 television series The Pickup Artist, whic...
4. Niel Strauss - The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
April 08, 2020 19:00 - 24 minutes - 45.8 MBThe Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists (also known as The Game: Undercover in the Secret Society of Pickup Artists) is a non-fiction book written by investigative reporter Neil Strauss as a chronicle of his journey and encounters in the seduction community. The book was featured on The New York Times Bestseller List for two months after its release in September 2005, reaching prominence again in 2007 during the broadcast of the VH1 television series The Pickup Artist, whic...
4. Robert Wright - Why Buddhism is True
March 31, 2020 13:00 - 38 minutes - 70 MB'Why Buddhism is True' looks at the science and philosophy of meditation and enlightenment. The author is a devout non-meditating anger prone evolutionary psychologist and writer. He dives headlong into the world of meditation with surprising results. He explains why it works from an evolutionary standpoint. Using his wit and intellect the book makes very enjoyable and enlightening reading. This was my favourite book on meditation. I loved it so much that I wrote over 40 pages of notes during...
3. Robert Wright - Why Buddhism is True
March 31, 2020 13:00 - 38 minutes - 70 MB'Why Buddhism is True' looks at the science and philosophy of meditation and enlightenment. The author is a devout non-meditating anger prone evolutionary psychologist and writer. He dives headlong into the world of meditation with surprising results. He explains why it works from an evolutionary standpoint. Using his wit and intellect the book makes very enjoyable and enlightening reading. This was my favourite book on meditation. I loved it so much that I wrote over 40 pages of notes during...
3. Why Buddhism is True - Robert Wright
March 31, 2020 13:00 - 38 minutes - 70.7 MB'Why Buddhism is True' looks at the science and philosophy of meditation and enlightenment. The author is a devout non-meditating anger prone evolutionary psychologist and writer. He dives headlong into the world of meditation with surprising results. He explains why it works from an evolutionary standpoint. Using his wit and intellect the book makes very enjoyable and enlightening reading. This was my favourite book on meditation. I loved it so much that I wrote over 40 pages of notes during...
3. Nassim Nicholas Taleb - The Black Swan
March 27, 2020 09:00 - 40 minutes - 73.9 MBThe Black Swan focuses on the extreme impact of rare and unpredictable outlier events — and the human tendency to find simplistic explanations for these events, retrospectively. It was published in 2007, by author and former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Coronavirus and Pandemics This book is extremely poigniant for understanding the Coronavirus pandemic and it's effects. In the book he explains why we would be caught unawares by such an event and why we should build robust systems f...
9. The Black Swan - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
March 27, 2020 09:00 - 40 minutes - 73.9 MBThe Black Swan focuses on the extreme impact of rare and unpredictable outlier events — and the human tendency to find simplistic explanations for these events, retrospectively. It was published in 2007, by author and former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Coronavirus and Pandemics This book is extremely poigniant for understanding the Coronavirus pandemic and it's effects. In the book he explains why we would be caught unawares by such an event and why we should build robust systems f...
2. The Elephant in the Brain - Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson
March 17, 2020 12:00 - 75.6 MBAbout the Book The aim of "Elephant in the Brain" is to confront our hidden motives directly — to track down the darker, unexamined corners of our psyches and blast them with floodlights. Then, once our minds are more clearly visible, we can work to better understand human nature: Why do people laugh? Why are artists sexy? Why do we brag about travel? Why do we prefer to speak rather than listen? Human beings are primates, and primates are political animals. Our brains are therefore designed ...
1. Introduction - The Big Plan
March 05, 2020 13:00 - 21.7 MBThis is a simple episode where we hear about what the plans are for the show. Sam and Nico introduce each other and discuss some of their backgrounds if you want to get to know you lovely show hosts. See reason.fm/privacy-policy for privacy and opt-out information.
Introduction - The Big Plan
March 05, 2020 13:00 - 18 minutes - 21.7 MBThis is a simple episode where we hear about what the plans are for the show. Sam and Nico introduce each other and discuss some of their backgrounds if you want to get to know you lovely show hosts.