Jay Haley's "Uncommon Therapy" explores the innovative therapeutic techniques of Milton Erickson, focusing on strategic communication and reframing.
Clive Thompson's "Smarter Than You Think" explores how technology is enhancing human intelligence and collaboration.
In 'The Trauma of Everyday Life', Mark Epstein discusses how trauma, whether from significant events or everyday sufferings like loneliness and fear, is a universal and inevitable part of human experience. Epstein argues that both Western psychology and Eastern practices often fail to recognize the potential of trauma for personal growth. He draws on the life of Buddha, his own experiences, and those of his patients to illustrate how trauma can awaken us to our own mental capacities and the suffering of others, making us more human, caring, and wise.
In 'The Rational Optimist', Matt Ridley presents a bold and provocative interpretation of economic history, arguing that the innate human tendency to trade goods and services, along with specialization, is the source of modern human civilization. The book covers the entire sweep of human history from the Stone Age to the Internet, highlighting how life is improving at an accelerating rate through increased food availability, income, and life span, while disease, child mortality, and violence are decreasing globally. Ridley emphasizes the role of free trade, individual rights, and innovation in enhancing human prosperity and natural biodiversity despite potential setbacks[2][4][5].
This book is a compilation of Tucker Max's blog posts and stories, detailing his experiences during and after his time at Duke Law School. It includes accounts of excessive drinking, run-ins with police, being kicked out of bars, and numerous sexual encounters. The book is known for its raw and unapologetic humor, which has both entertained and offended readers. Max's stories reflect his self-proclaimed status as an 'asshole' and his disregard for conventional social behavior.
This book is both a memoir and a writing guide. It details Stephen King's life, from his childhood and early writing endeavors to his struggles with addiction and his near-fatal accident in 1999. The book is divided into sections that cover King's life ('C.V.'), the nature of writing ('What Writing Is'), writing mechanics ('Toolbox'), his advice on the craft ('On Writing'), and his recovery from the accident ('On Living: A Postscript'). King offers practical tips on writing, including the importance of vocabulary, grammar, and style, as well as the need for consistent writing routines and ruthless editing. He emphasizes that good writing comes from within, driven by curiosity, wonder, and emotional honesty rather than commercial motives.
David Kadavy's "Design for Hackers" is a practical guide to web design principles for programmers and other technically inclined individuals. The book emphasizes a hands-on, iterative approach to design, encouraging readers to experiment and learn through practice. Kadavy covers fundamental design concepts, such as typography, color theory, and layout, providing clear explanations and practical examples. He encourages readers to use readily available tools and resources to create effective designs, even without formal design training. The book's focus on practical application and its accessible style make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their design skills.
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 'Trust Me, I'm Lying,' Ryan Holiday exposes the inner workings of the online media system, detailing how rumors and false information can quickly spread from low-level blogs to major news outlets. The book highlights the role of marketers and media manipulators in this process, driven by the toxic economics of the news business. Holiday shares his own experiences as a media manipulator and provides insights into the social science behind why this system is so vulnerable to manipulation. He also offers advice on how to spot and combat these manipulative tactics[1][3][5].
In 'Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products', Nir Eyal explains the Hook Model, a four-step process (trigger, action, variable reward, and investment) that successful companies use to create products that users engage with habitually. The book provides practical insights and actionable steps for building products that capture widespread attention and encourage repeated use without relying on costly advertising. Eyal draws on his research, consulting experience, and practical knowledge to offer a how-to guide that is accessible and valuable for understanding user behavior and designing engaging products.
Tucker Max (@tuckermax) is best known as a self-proclaimed "asshole." He has written three NUMBER ONE New York Times best-sellers, including "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell." He is only the third writer EVER to have three books on the nonfiction best-seller list at the same time.
Tucker is a book marketing GENIUS, and it shows in this interview. Since I've been trying the crack the positioning code for a new book lately, it was such a privilege to get Tuckers insights on what makes a book successful.
As Tucker will dissect for us, there's a big difference, psychologically, between an article someone will click on and read on the web, and a book that they will dig into their pockets to pay for. It's absolutely essential to understand this if you plan on writing a book.
By the way, this psychology is relevant to the conversation I had on episode 21 with Nir Eyal: just think of how differently Facebook would be designed if you were PAYING for it!
Anyway, Tucker is using his book marketing Jedi-mind tricks to run a really exciting new business called Book in a Box. They help you take your knowledge, and turn it into a book. It's not ghost writing, which we'll get to in the interview.
Amongst many things, Tucker will dissect for us the difference between a good click bait title, and a good book title, how to feel fulfilled in your life to break free of social media, and how Hillary and Trump brilliantly "flip the frame" on each other.
In case you couldn't tell by now, this episode is more NSFW than usual. Enjoy it with your headphones on.
Sponsors Treehouse: http://kadavy.net/treehouseAudible: http://kadavy.net/audibleActive Campaign: http://kadavy.net/activecampaign
Show notes: http://kadavy.net/blog/posts/tucker-max-podcast-interview/