In 'Tell Me More', Kelly Corrigan delves into the twelve hardest things she is learning to say, examining phrases that make love and connection possible. The book includes chapters such as 'I Don’t Know,' 'No,' 'Tell Me More,' and 'I Was Wrong,' where Corrigan reflects on her life with a preoccupied husband, two mercurial teenage daughters, and profound observations on love and loss. With her signature warmth and honesty, Corrigan explores the importance of the right words at the right moment to change everything.
In 'The Middle Place', Kelly Corrigan explores the 'Middle Place' — the period when parenthood and childhood overlap. The book chronicles her journey to full-blown adulthood, triggered by her diagnosis with breast cancer and her father's late-stage cancer. Corrigan's storytelling captures the everyday details and tender, sometimes fractious moments that bind families together, offering a heart-wrenching yet funny account of family life and personal growth.
In 'Lift,' Kelly Corrigan writes a tender and intimate letter to her daughters, Georgia and Claire, reflecting on the emotional highs and lows of parenting. The book uses the metaphor of hang gliding to highlight how turbulence, though challenging, is essential for personal growth and meaningful experiences in life. Corrigan shares poignant stories of her own parenting journey, including moments of joy, fear, and vulnerability, making the book relatable to parents and non-parents alike. It emphasizes the importance of love and imperfection in parenting and encourages readers to cherish every moment with their children.
In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.
In 'Digital Minimalism', Cal Newport argues that we need to be more intentional about the technologies we allow into our lives. He proposes a philosophy of digital minimalism, where individuals focus their online time on activities that strongly support their values and ignore the rest. The book highlights the negative effects of behavioral addictions created by technology, such as solitude deprivation and the fleeting nature of social media satisfaction. Newport suggests a 30-day 'digital declutter' process and other practices to help readers integrate digital minimalism into their lives, emphasizing the importance of optimizing technology use to support personal goals and values[2][3][5].
This book, first published in 1994, serves as a foundational guide to mindfulness and meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn combines his research and medical background with his spiritual knowledge to help readers find peace and change their lives. The book emphasizes the importance of being fully present in the moment and making intentional, mindful choices. It includes a new introduction and afterword in the updated edition, along with factual updates to reflect changes in research and knowledge since its original publication.
In this profoundly moving memoir, Paul Kalanithi chronicles his transformation from a medical student to a neurosurgeon at Stanford, and finally to a patient confronting his own mortality. Diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at 36, Kalanithi grapples with fundamental philosophical questions about what makes a life worth living in the face of death. The book is a reflection on the challenge of facing death and the relationship between doctor and patient, written with eloquence and intelligence. Kalanithi's writing delves into his lifelong love of literature and his attempt to connect the sciences and humanities to gain a greater understanding of humanity.
Glitter and Glue is a memoir by Kelly Corrigan that delves into the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. The book recounts Corrigan's experience as a nanny in Australia, where she comes to appreciate her mother's role as the 'glue' that holds the family together, contrasting with her father's more carefree 'glitter' persona. Through this journey, Corrigan reflects on the lessons she learned from her mother and how they shaped her own approach to family life.
In 'About Alice', Calvin Trillin pens a moving tribute to his late wife, Alice, highlighting her intelligence, beauty, and strong character. The book is a love letter that captures their unique relationship and Alice's impact on his life and writing. Trillin humorously recounts their differences and shared experiences, showcasing the deep affection he had for her.
Love. Connection. Pain.
Finding the universal in the specific. And beauty in the mundane.
This is but a few of the themes explored today with the woman dubbed ‘the voice of her generation' by Oprah magazine and ‘the poet laureate of the ordinary' by HuffPost.
Meet Kelly Corrigan.
Best known for her insightful, candid takes on the too-often overlooked moments that define our lives, Kelly's writing spills over with warmth, courage, vulnerability and humor — rendering her many books beloved by millions.
A Today Show regular, Kelly has authored a stack of New York Times bestsellers including, The Middle Place,Lift, and Glitter and Glue.Tell Me More, her most recent offering, is a deeply personal and very funny story-driven collection of essays on the twelve powerful phrases we use to sustain our relationships and make love and connection possible.
Named one of the best books of 2019 by Real Simple and Bustle, Tell Me More is both a high-recommend and the backdrop for today's dive into how we can cultivate more meaningful connection and deeper understanding with the people in our lives.
I met Kelly exactly a year ago at The Nantucket Project. In addition to being an extraordinary writer, she serves as the creative director of TNP — the right hand to organization founder Tom Scott, who shared his story on the podcast in April, 2018 (episode #360).
The latest in my series of guests sourced from this extraordinary event, I was immediately taken by her fun and fearless stage presence. Her curiosity. Her unique insights. And her unmistakeable charm. I knew she would make an amazing guest for the show. Today she delivers.
We begin by traversing Kelly's arc as a writer — how she developed her voice — and her role in shaping TNP.
Then we broaden the aperture, exploring her observations and insights into how we relate to the people in our lives — from our loved ones and children, to co-workers and strangers.
This is about finding beauty and poetry in the simple things. And why saying things like, ‘I don't know' or ‘I was wrong' or ‘tell me more' can provide a bedrock for the emotional experiences we seek most, yet too often elude us.
Better understanding. Greater empathy. Deeper intimacy. True connection.
You can watch it all go down on YouTube.
Enjoy!
Rich
The Rich Roll Podcast 
