Tim Urban, the mind behind the popular blog Wait But Why and author of What's Our Problem, dives deep into the big questions of existence. He shares humorous insights on why we should embrace quirkiness, like letting kids wear shorts in winter. The conversation meanders through the importance of creativity and rule-breaking in both parenting and storytelling. Tim also tackles the art of simplifying complex topics, from AI to procrastination, blending philosophy with practical wisdom in a way that keeps his audience engaged.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Summit LA talk
Tim Urban refused to leave the stage at Summit LA when his time was up.
The audience cheered, and even Shopify's CEO later praised the talk.
insights INSIGHT
Unconventional books
Tim Urban's love for The Stinky Cheese Man stems from its unconventionality.
It taught him that breaking norms in creative work can be rewarding.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Questioning norms
Question norms before following them, especially in creative work.
This can lead to innovative and delightful surprises.
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Written in 1935 by Ernst H. Gombrich, 'A Little History of the World' chronicles human development from the inventions of cavemen to the results of the First World War. The book describes major world religions and incorporates historical events and figures in an engaging and conversational style. Originally written in German, it was later translated into English by Caroline Mustill and Leonie Gombrich after Gombrich's death. The book is notable for its accessibility and has been praised for making complex historical concepts understandable for a broad readership.
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Jon Scieszka
In this book, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith offer a series of irreverent and comedic reinterpretations of traditional fairy tales. The stories are presented in a way that is both entertaining and subversive, challenging the conventional narratives of these well-known tales. The book features characters like the Stinky Cheese Man, Little Red Running Shorts, and the Really Ugly Duckling, among others, all presented with Scieszka's signature wit and Smith's distinctive illustrations.
A Fraction of the Whole
Steve Toltz
The Boy Who Reversed Himself
The Boy Who Reversed Himself
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William Slater
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
Published in 1943, 'The Fountainhead' by Ayn Rand tells the story of Howard Roark, a young and innovative architect who refuses to compromise his artistic vision despite the opposition from society. The novel explores themes of individualism, egoism, and the conflict between those who think for themselves (the 'first-handers') and those who follow the opinions of others (the 'second-handers'). It also delves into the lives of other characters such as Dominique Francon, Peter Keating, Ellsworth Toohey, and Gail Wynand, each representing different aspects of Rand's philosophical ideas. The book is a defense of egoism and individualism, presenting a radical rethinking of basic moral concepts and challenging conventional notions of selfishness and altruism[2][3][5].
The Book with No Pictures
B.J. Novak
We live in interesting times. And they're getting interestinger! I keep my eyes open for big thinkers to help guide and inform me as I keep trying to make sense of the world. My friend Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) is one of those people: Tim has a giant mind willing to engage with our fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. The big questions! Tim's blog Wait Buy Why still scores millions of readers per month with big-name fans like Jonathan Haidt, Bari Weiss, Sam Harris, Bryan Johnson, and (yes) Elon Musk. Why? Because Tim has an incredible way of smallifying complex topics like artificial intelligence, time we have for loved ones, or why we haven't seen aliens into simple language. More recently Tim has self-published an incredible book called 'What's Our Problem: A Self-Help Book For Societies' (which I review here!). He’s a teacher and a philosopher. His Richard Feynman-like distillation abilities are on display in his TED Talk on procrastination which has 75 million views! Tim’s intellectual curiosity is huge and we are very lucky to get a glimpse into how his brain works in this classic chapter of 3 Books. Fly down to New York City with me and let's sit in the corner of a crowded coffee shop in SoHo with Tim as we discuss breaking convention, retaining curiosity, the Stitches vs Band-aids test, why you should let your children wear shorts in the winter, the difference between cooks and chefs, and much, much more.... Let's flip the page back to Chapter 22 now...
3 Books With Neil Pasricha 
