Modern Wisdom

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#088 - Nat Eliason - The Five Best Books You've Never Read

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Jul 25, 2019

Guest

Nat Eliason

Nat Eliason, founder of GrowthMachine.com and host of the Made You Think Podcast, shares his favorite underrated books that delve into resilience and learning, including titles like 'Peak' and 'Endurance.' He discusses his progressive summarization system for better information retention while dissecting the challenges of complex literature. The conversation also explores the nuances of decentralization in social media, political dynamics, and how the fear of death influences our pursuit of happiness. A thought-provoking mix of literature and life insights awaits!

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ANECDOTE

Made You Think Origin

Nat Eliason and Neil Soni started Made You Think after a popular episode on Nassim Taleb's Antifragile.
It evolved from Nat's previous podcast, Nat Chat, which focused on unconventional career paths.

insights

INSIGHT

Conversational Podcast Appeal

Interview podcasts are common, but conversational podcasts with friends offer unique listener engagement.
Chris Williamson finds higher engagement with co-hosts than with bestselling authors.

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ADVICE

Building a Reading Habit

Read widely and prioritize enjoyment to develop a reading habit.
Focus on interesting material over perceived quality, then increase difficulty gradually.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Engaging Conversations and the Challenge of Complex Literature

04:39 • 2min

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Mastering Progressive Summarization

06:44 • 16min

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Exploring Underrated Books on Learning and Resilience

22:46 • 10min

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Navigating the Complexities of Power and Identity

33:04 • 18min

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Exploring the Depths of Consciousness through Literature

50:37 • 2min

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Exploring Life, Death, and the Power of Physical Books

52:36 • 3min

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Gödel, Escher, Bach

An Eternal Golden Braid

Douglas Hofstadter

This book by Douglas Hofstadter is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary work that explores the interrelated ideas of Kurt Gödel, M.C. Escher, and Johann Sebastian Bach. It delves into concepts such as self-reference, recursion, and the limits of formal systems, particularly through Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem. The book uses dialogues between fictional characters, including Achilles and the Tortoise, to intuitively present complex ideas before they are formally explained. It covers a wide range of topics including cognitive science, artificial intelligence, number theory, and the philosophy of mind, aiming to understand how consciousness and intelligence emerge from formal systems.

The Denial of Death

Ernest Becker

In 'The Denial of Death', Ernest Becker discusses the psychological and philosophical implications of how people and cultures react to the concept of death. He argues that human civilization is a defense mechanism against the knowledge of our mortality, and that this denial is a necessary component of functioning in the world. Becker's work challenges traditional Freudian thought by positing that the primary repression is not sexuality, but rather the awareness of death. He also explores how this fear of death leads to the creation of 'hero systems' and symbols that help individuals transcend their mortality, and how this can result in violence and conflict when different immortality projects clash.

The Sovereign Individual

Mastering the Transition to the Information Age

James Dale Davidson

William Rees-Mogg

The book explores the greatest economic and political transition in centuries, predicting the shift from an industrial to an information-based society. Davidson and Rees-Mogg argue that this transition will liberate individuals, alter the power of government, and lead to the rise of digital currency and cyberspace. They foresee a future where individuals will be freed from government oppression and prejudice, and where states will struggle to collect taxes due to the ease of transferring assets electronically. The authors also discuss the potential for prosperity and renewal in the face of radical changes in human history as we move into the new millennium.

Endurance

Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred Lansing

This book details the almost two-year struggle for survival of the 28-man crew of the Endurance, which was beset and eventually crushed by ice floes in the Weddell Sea during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917. The crew drifted on ice floes, salvaged lifeboats, and eventually reached Elephant Island. Shackleton then led a perilous journey to South Georgia Island to secure rescue, culminating in one of the most remarkable survival stories in history. Lansing's narrative is based on extensive research, including interviews with surviving crew members and access to their diaries and personal accounts.

The Forgotten Highlander

Nick Mcardle

Alistair Urquhart

This book tells the incredible story of Alistair Urquhart, a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders who was captured by the Japanese in Singapore. Urquhart survived 750 days in the jungle, including time working on the notorious Burma-Siam Railway. The book details his harrowing experiences and his journey to survival and eventual return home.

Peak

Secrets from the New Science of Expertise

Anders Ericsson

Robert Pool

This book summarizes Anders Ericsson's 30-year research on the acquisition of expertise. It introduces the concept of 'deliberate practice,' a specific learning method used by experts to achieve superior performance. The authors distinguish between different types of practice, such as naive practice, purposeful practice, and deliberate practice, emphasizing the importance of mental representations in achieving expertise. The book also addresses the misconception of the '10,000-hour rule' popularized by Malcolm Gladwell and provides practical tips for improving skills in various areas.

Nat Eliason is the founder of GrowthMachine.com and the host of the Made You Think Podcast.

Nat likes to read and think. Today we get to hear his five recommendations for books you probably won't have read, along with a description of his progressive summarisation system which he uses to note down and remember their key points.

Also expect to learn Nat's thoughts on abortion, Trump, organic vs paid marketing, decentralisation and a lot more.

Extra Stuff:

Check out Nat's Podcast - https://madeyouthinkpodcast.com

Nat's Company - https://www.growthmachine.com/

Follow Nat on Twitter - https://twitter.com/nateliason

Check out Nat's website - https://www.nateliason.com/

Peak - https://amzn.to/2XZoK2l

Endurance - https://amzn.to/2LEr3Bi

Sovereign Individual - https://amzn.to/2K3dyrr

Godel, Escher, Bach - https://amzn.to/2OhKpy7

The Denial Of Death - https://amzn.to/30VMZLL

Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom

Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

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Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

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